Posts

🚀 Priority service is back (for many categories)

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  We are pleased to confirm that Priority services are back for many visa categories, so you can get a decision faster. This applies to application inside the UK, such as switching to a different category, extension or settlement (Indefinite Leave).    Examples of eligible categories inside the UK: Skilled Worker visa (which replaced Tier 2 General); Health and Care Worker visa, Student visa (which replaced Tier 4), Tier 1 Investor and dependants of these. Plus, Tier 1 Entrepreneur Indefinite Leave (but not extension). Priority services cost more in Government fees: 5-working-day option costs extra £500 per person; 24-hour option costs extra £800 per person.    Priority services for visas for spouses and families of UK citizens have not resumed (yet).    Applications outside the UK: depends on your location, Priority services resumed in many countries for all visa categories including for spouses and families of UK citizens.    For more information or to start your application, pleas

🇬🇧 Covid and UK visas: 5 most current questions

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  #1 What’s going on in the lockdown? #2 My visa expires soon but I need to do an English or Life in the UK test, is anything open?  #3 My visa expires soon but I haven’t met the income requirement or was on furlough.  #4 I had to stay abroad longer than planned, will this affect my next application or settlement? What if my visa expired while abroad? #5 Is the new ‘Brexit’ Points Based System operating?  The answers:  #1 What’s going on in the lockdown? The immigration work continues, the UK authorities consider applications and issue visas. This work is done remotely, without facing a Government official, although this has been the case for over 2 years now. What did change due to Covid were the processing times: many applications take longer (but not all, we had some cases approved within days), plus there is no Priority services. Visa application centres in the UK are classed as essential services and remain open in the lockdown. Visa centres outside the UK remain open in most coun

🎓 Livestream OISC Level 1 training 26-27 January 2021

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  We have moved all our training online!    We now offer OISC Level 1 course livestream on Zoom and Skype 26-27 January 2021.   It is a 2-day course, 10.00 - 16.00 with breaks. CPD 10 hours. Price £250+VAT. It is live training (livestream), where you can interact with the tutor and ask your questions. You can check the date and book here: https://www.1st4immigration.com/training/     Extracts from Description:   THE BASICS – CRUCIAL TO YOUR WORK! Covid-19 concessionary policies and links 2 systems of immigration law: UK law, European law and Brexit Types of visas: Entry Clearance, Visitor visa, Leave to Remain, Leave to Enter, Residence Permit, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Indefinite Leave is not  indefinite’ ‘Settlement’ and 2 confusing meanings of this term Common question: Passport has expired, do I have to transfer my visa to a new passport? The answer is both Yes and No What is Switching? Common examples when switching is not allowed What is the Date of Application and why it

New five-star testimonial in the New Year!

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    New five-star Google review of our immigration services! Abraham: I suppose we weren't the "easiest" of clients, as our nerves were shot for most part of the Visa process due to Covid restrictions. Jules helped us through all of this, and we got a  positive result in the end. Hats off to Jules Review link:  https://goo.gl/maps/efG2d1PHJwqtK8WQ6    We are here to help if you wish to talk to an Immigration Lawyer or to start the process of preparing your visa application. We work with customers worldwide via What's App, Skype, Facebook, email as well as in person at our office in the City of London.  The best start is  to book an online consultation on our website here . As always, a consultation fee counts towards our full service!    1st 4Immigration  is one of the most experienced UK immigration law companies, OISC - accredited at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 10 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year ac

HappiER New Year! 🍾🎇

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  The New 2021 Year is almost here. 2020 has been unusual but rather than indulge in cliché, we’d like to highlight the positive things. #1 As always, you, our customers, kept us busy.  And for that, we are saying a Big Thank You! The immigration work doesn't stop in the pandemic, visas still expire and need to be renewed or changed from one to another. We have adapted by offering more online consultations and appointments (face-to-face meetings are still available, subject to the London restrictions); using Dropbox for the documents and generally, working in the "new normal”.   #2 UK Visas & Immigration was still processing applications and issuing visas.  Yes, the process wasn't anywhere near as fast as normal, and Priority services were paused (still mostly the case now), but the Government officials did adapt, in their own ‘Government’ way. When visa centres shut their doors in the spring (when we all thought it would be over by the summer), we were asked to email

🧐 Furlough leave and UK visas

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If you have been furloughed, how does it affect your UK immigration status? Here at 1st 4Immigration it has been a common question during 2020.   Spouses/Partners of British citizens - Financial Requirement £18,600. The time you spent on furlough can be considered as ‘normal' employment on a full pay. For example, if you normally earn a salary of £18,600 pa, and were paid 80% of that while on furlough, your salary will be treated as being £18,600 for the purpose of the visa application. Tier 2 (General) workers - appropriate salary. The short answer is Yes, it's OK to be furloughed under the Government scheme, ie Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, with the salary reduced accordingly. It wouldn't be a problem in the next visa application (extension or Indefinite Leave). The migrant workers are eligible for these schemes in the same way as resident workers. However, such reductions in salary must be temporary and a part of a company-wide policy to avoid redundancies and in whi

New five-star Google review of our immigration services!

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    New five-star Google review of our immigration services! Syed: I would like to thank everyone at 1st4immigration for their excellent work, professionalism, kindness and understanding, especially on those occasions when I must have asked what could have been construed as pretty 'silly' questions. At a time when things were very stressful and anxious, I always felt that however busy Joules  was, I was always lent a sympathetic ear which was very much appreciated. I hoped for total support from 1st4immigration when I instructed them, I got so much more. I would highly recommend 1st4immigration (Joules )would definitely use them again in the future. Many many thanks again for Joules, you were brilliant” Review link: https://goo.gl/maps/efG2d1PHJwqtK8WQ6    1st 4Immigration team    We are here to help if you wish to talk to an Immigration Lawyer or to start the process of preparing your visa application. We work with customers worldwide via What's App, Skype, Facebook, email

🇬🇧 UK PR options through studying and working

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  Study - Work - Settle     Student visa (formerly called Tier 4) is to come and study in the UK. If you study at a degree level at a UK university, you can work part-time 20 hours a week during the term, full-time on vacation and full-time for 4 months after completion of the course.    You can switch to the new Skilled Worker visa after completion of a degree course, or even within 3 months before that! There are benefits for employers to hire Student graduates – they can offer a New Entrant salary, which makes it more affordable for the employers and makes sponsorship more likely for the migrants. After 5 years on this visa you can qualify for settlement.   If you are a business, looking to hire and sponsor migrant workers, including graduates, please visit  our page for UK Employers here     Study – Post Study Work – Work – Settlement      There is an exciting development coming soon – a revival of a Post-Study Work visa! It existed before 2012 and was a visa for 2 years, allowing

👉 Online OISC LEVEL 1 Course. CPD 16 Hours. Only £199 + VAT. 👈

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Our OISC Level 1 training is a bestseller! With the online version, you can download it on your computer and study in your own time. The course is great for you if: - you are preparing to take a Level 1 OISC exam and become an immigration adviser. - you are a practicing adviser or solicitor and wish to broaden your knowledge about other visa categories, such as to learn in detail about the Points-Based System. You will earn 16 CPD hours! - you work in HR; you are a business owner or a landlord and need to learn about how your employees or tenants can stay legally in the UK so that you don't face penalties. With over 10 years of experience, we designed this course to be of practical help! It's full of useful advice, explanation of how to understand Immigration Rules, where to find the information during a case and many case studies. Unlike most training other there, this is not boring coverage of the Immigration Rules, we tried to keep it as entertaining as possible!   Read deta

✈️ Brexit travel rules for British citizens

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Dear customers of 1st 4Immigration and Multi Travel Visas,     Normally, we explain the UK rules for foreign citizens. Today, however, we explain the opposite - rules for British citizens to travel to Europe after Brexit. At the moment, the new rules are still expected to start from 1 January 2021 unless something changes.  If you happen to have a residency document in an EU country, your rights remain the same as before Brexit. You may need to register online under the national scheme in your country, similar to our EU Settlement Scheme. For all other British citizens, the same rules will apply as, say, for Americans visiting Europe for holidays and short business trips: maximum 90 days stay in every 6 months. You won’t need a visa (a visa stamp or online authorisation) prior to travel, unless this arrangement changes, and if it does, it is likely to change for many non-EU citizens, not just for the Brits.  You also need to have a passport that is 1) valid for 6 months on the day you