UK Visas and British Citizenship

“Happy to report we got the visas! Sometimes just two words can have a lot of content behind them: THANK YOU. Fantastic job.  I will write back with some questions about the future a little later, after we drink some Champagne. :)” This came from Mr N who applied for Entry Clearance in Israel for his Spouse and 2 children. This case was very interesting because we were able to combine earnings of the Sponsor from self-employment in Israel with a job offer in the UK. Furthermore, self-employment earnings were from the Sponsor’s limited company in Israel, meaning we could use the salary earnings in the last 12 calendar months, rather than in the last ‘financial year’ as the case would have been for owners of the UK-registered companies. We did not need to wait for the company accounts or tax documents.    For an individual advice or to make an application please contact us:  info@1st4immigration.com  or visit  www.1st4immigration.com   If you are an Immigration Adviser or a So

A very welcome change in the Rules: it is now possible to switch while in the UK from any visa (other than a visitor)   to a PBS Dependant visa for spouses and partners. For example, to switch from a Tier 4 visa to a Tier 2 Dependant partner visa. Or from a Tier 2 visa to a Tier 1 Dependant partner visa. Or, a very common situation, from a Tier 2 main visa to a Tier 2 Dependant visa. Before 1 October 2013 it was not possible, a 1 st Dependant visa had always started from abroad, then the partners could follow the main applicant as dependants all the way to an ILR (but they had to apply from outside the UK for the 1 st Dependant visa). This is a welcome change, plus such applications can be processed on the same-day service at the UKBA, which we can help with. For an individual advice or to make an application please contact us:  info@1st4immigration.com  or visit  www.1st4immigration.com   If you are an Immigration Adviser or a Solicitor please visit our immigration

This seems to be the most confusing subject at the moment – which level of English language is needed from 28 Oct 2013 for those applying for a Spouse/Partner/Fiancee visa? The short answer is “Still the same – A1 level in Listening and Speaking”. Yet why is there such confusion? First of all, this article only relates to spouses/partners of British citizens and spouses/partners of permanent residents (or ILR holders). This article is not applicable to partners of Points-Based System Migrants and to partners of EU (non-UK) nationals. I had already written in this blog, back in December 2012, about 2 meanings of a term ‘Settlement’ when it comes to the UK visas, so this is what has created the current confusion. The Rules on English are changing indeed from 28 October 2013, however, the new Rules will apply to those applying for ‘Settlement and Citizenship’. The term ‘Settlement’ here represents ‘Permanent Residency’ in the UK, known as an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). So, thos

It is useful if you need to travel abroad and cannot be without your passport. But the main benefit in our opinion is, although more expensive, it allows the applicant to know result right on the day, including if there are any problems, rather than waiting for 3-4 months postal service and then possibly being told there is a problem or even that application has been refused. We at 1st 4Immigration are authorised by The UK Border Agency to submit clients' visa applications using this service in Croydon, south London. Same-day service is available for applications: - Indefinite Leave to Remain for those holding Tier 1 General, Tier 2 General, Work Permit, Ancestral visas - SET (O) form. - Indefinite Leave to Remain for those holding a Spouse/Partner visa - SET (M) form. - Tier 1 General extensions. - Tier 2 General and Intra-Company Transfer. - Tier 4 Student. - Extensions for domestic workers. - Ancestral visa extension. - Visas for dependants of Points-Based System

1st 4Immigration is an accredited CPD distance learning provider, o ur online training courses are accepted by the OISC and SRA, CPD provider ref number EJE/14IM. Current online courses:   What’s Next after Post-Study Work and Tier 4 Visas? 4.5 hours CPD credit.   British Citizenship - a Dream for Many! 7 hours CPD credit.   OISC Level 1. 16 hours CPD credit     Download from our website, study in your own time on any computer, iPad or iPhone, complete the test and we will award your CPD hours and send you a certificate. Visit website now: http://www.1st4immigration.com/training The courses are offered by our company, 1 st 4Immigration Ltd, which is a practising immigration company, registered by The OISC at a highly respectable Level 2, based at the Royal Mint in Central London. We are also accredited by the UK Border Agency in Croydon and submit applications using Premium service for accredited representatives. We provide biometric appointments every week

The wait is over! This is a most requested training course and you can now download our OISC Level 1 training course to your computer and study in your own time - to prepare for your OISC accreditation and Level 1 Assessment. No need to travel to a classroom, no need to wait for the next date. You can start your immigration training right now! As we are a practicing OISC-accredited immigration company, we have designed this basic level course to be of practical help for those who are preparing for OISC accreditation at Level 1 (Initial Advice) and for compulsory Level 1 Assessment. Or perhaps to those who are planning to open a UK immigration consultancy based overseas. It would also be of interest for practicing advisers and immigration lawyers as well as for community group advisers, council or Citizens Advice Bureau workers, volunteers etc. This is not a boring coverage of the Immigration Rules! We tried to keep the language as simple and entertaining as possible. See the C

When the New Rules were introduced on 9 July 2012 using the value of property was not allowed at all. Rental income from it - Yes, but not the value of a house or a flat. The only way was to sell a property, put the proceeds in a cash account, wait for 6 months and then apply for a visa using a Savings category to meet the Financial Requirement.  The same was applicable to the funds held in investments (stocks, bonds, funds etc), however, from April 2013 the 6 months period can be combined of the time the funds were held in investments and the time when the money was transferred to a cash account.  Finally, a similar change in the Rules is coming  on 1 October 2013 . Instead of waiting for 6 months after selling a property, it will be possible to sell a property, put the proceeds (after mortgage and fees) on a cash account and apply for a visa right away. As long as the last 6 months period can be made up of the time the property was owned by the applicant/Sponsor and the t

“Thanks for all you advice and assistance to become successful in my bid to get the spousal visa. I do not believe that the final outcome would have been so quick or so positive without your professional approach to the whole manner. I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend your company to anyone.” Melvin, applied for a Spouse visa from Canada. Melvin and his British wife lived in Canada for many years and now decided to relocate to the UK. Both the applicant and the sponsor were living/working in Canada, so Melvin’s spouse had to come to the UK and look for a job , to enable them to meet the Financial Requirement. Even though Melvin himself (the applicant) was the main earner, the Rules do not allow to count the earnings of the applicant at Entry Clearance stage (ie for applications outside the UK). After Melvin’s wife has secured a job in the UK, with a salary over 18,600, the couple were OK on meeting the 2 nd part of the Financial Requirement.   However, the 1 st pa

The new rule on English language is not bringing anything ‘horrible’ but does mean more to do for quite a few migrants, both EU and non-EU nationals. Probably even more for Europeans than for non-Europeans because European nationals don’t need to evidence English language ability up until the Citizenship stage. Unlike non-EU migrants, many of whose need to meet English language requirement if they want to work, study or join a partner. The change: from 28 October 2013 those applying for settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain, Permanent   Residency) or for British Citizenship need to pass a Life in the UK Test and also demonstrate English language ability in Speaking and Listening at a B1 level. For many it will mean having to take 2 tests: Life in the UK and English. Those applying (if eligible on residency rules, criminality etc) before 28 October 2013 can only pass a Life in the UK Test, at the moment it is sufficient on its own. Once this requirement has been met, it i

Multi Travel Visas Ltd is accredited with various Embassies and official visa centres in London. FAST CHINESE VISAS: we can submit applications any day without appointments. processing time 3 or 4 working days. RUSSIAN VISAS and INVITATIONS: work, business and tourism on next-day service or 1-week service. We have a Russian-speaking member of staff to process and read visa invitations. SAUDI ARABIAN visas in 3-4 working days. INDIAN VISAS: Same-day business visas are available without appointments. 1 week service is also available as standard for both business and tourist visas. SAME-DAY UK PASSPORT RENEWAL: We can assist with renewing a UK passport using same-day or 1 week service at the Passport Office in London. We submit applications on next working day after receiving your documents, there is no need to wait for an appointment. Our service fee £152 plus official fees. If we have your documents before 12pm we can also submit on the same working day and your new passport

Multi Travel Visas Ltd has been accredited for years with various Embassies in London. FRENCH SCHENGEN VISA takes 4 working days from the date of the biometric appointment for most nationals (personal a ttendance required for the biometrics). We use separate appointments for agencies and can provide one much sooner. PORTUGUESE SCHENGEN VISA takes 1 week from the nearest available Wednesday. No biometrics, no personal attendance needed. FAST CHINESE VISAS: we can submit applications any day without appointments. processing time 3 or 4 working days. RUSSIAN VISAS and INVITATIONS: work, business and tourism on next-day service or 1-week service. SAUDI ARABIAN visas in 3-4 working days. INDIAN VISAS: Same-day business visas are available without appointments. 1 week service is also available as standard for both business and tourist visas. SAME-DAY UK PASSPORT RENEWAL: We can assist with renewing a UK passport using same-day or 1 week service at the Passport Office in London.

As part of our services we offer advice session, which can be at our office (Tower Hill in central London) or over email. This is available to the migrants as well as to fellow immigrations advisers and solicitors. Email advice is becoming very popular because it is available to anyone anywhere in the world, plus answers are written and you can refer to them later without a fear of forgetting the advice given. You can also show it to your partner or to your employer. We promise to provide answers to your queries by the end of the next working day after receipt of advice fee, which is £70 and is counted towards our service fee if you proceed with an application through us later. Advice fee can be paid online on our website or to our bank account. Examples on the issues we can advise during the session: absences from the UK for an ILR (are they within the limit?), what to do if you have a criminal conviction or a driving offence, how   your British spouse/partner can meet the F

‘Can apply’ is not the same as ‘need to apply’.    To start with, the child’s parents can wait until it’s time to apply for the parents’ next visa, such as a Tier 2 General extension, and then include a child in that application. In this example the child will receive a Tier 2 Dependant visa at the same time as his/her parents receive a main Tier 2 visa and a Tier 2 Spouse visa.    If the next visa happens to be an ILR then again, a child can be included into an ILR application. However, both actions above are not compulsory because of this: if a child is born in the UK he/she can be registered as a British citizen as soon as at least one parent secures an ILR. It may be worth applying for a Dependant visa if the parents want to take a child abroad then he/she would need a visa to come back to the UK, so in this case parents have no choice but to apply for a Dependant visa for the child. Or perhaps some non-immigration authorities want to see a proof of the child’s immigration

Imagine this: you are making an application today but tomorrow the Rules are changing, which rules would apply? Or you have made an application a month ago, your visa expires in 2 weeks time and your application is not going to be decided before then, are you going to become an overstayer through no fault of your own? A Date of Application idea deals with such issues. If the date of your application is before the Rules changed then your application is going to be considered under the Rules in place before the changes. For example, Spouse/Partner visas rules were significantly changed on 9 July 2012, yet those who applied before that, even on 8 July 2012, had their applications considered under the old rules, even if the decision was made a few months after the rules changed. If the date of your application is before your last visa expired then your status remains the same as it was on the date of application for as long as it takes for a new application to be considered. Howeve

Switching is not an official term. Switching simply means changing a visa category while inside the UK, ie switching from one to another, such as from a Tier 4 Student to a Tier 2 General; or from Tier 4 to a Spouse visa. Officially it is called ‘applying for a leave to remain in a Tier 2 General category’ or ‘applying for a leave to remain as a Spouse of a UK citizen’. So, we can simply say ‘Switching from a Student visa to a Spouse visa’. The significance of switching is this: switching means applying inside the UK and it is only allowed if the Rules specifically allow so. If switching is not allowed then the applicant has to return to their country and apply for a visa from there. Whether a migrant can switch or not is a matter of the Rules. It has nothing to do with an inconvenience of having to travel to one’s country of origin just to make a new application can come back. If the applicant is trying to switch where the Rules don’t allow so then he/she will be refuse

Multi Travel Visas can submit applications on next working day after receiving your documents, to the Passport Office in London, with authorisation from you as per the government requirements. For an extra charge we can submit on the same day if we receive your documents before 12pm, see below. No need to wait for an appointment, which can be weeks away and no need to travel to a passport office. We offer practical help when you need a new passport very quickly but cannot get an appointment soon enough. For example, if you are living/working abroad (you can courier documents to our London office) and we can submit them promptly for same-day service, this includes if your passport has run out of pages. Or you don't have time to travel to a Passport Office yourself we can apply on your behalf (you don't have to come to London). Plus we check the documents, help complete the form and advise on requirements. FEES: Official fees of Passport Office (we pass them on t

For our colleagues Immigration Advisers and Solicitors: Our online training course is accepted by The OISC and SRA, CPD ref number EJE/14IM.   What’s Next after Post-Study Work and Tier 4 Visas? 4.5 hours CPD credit.   Download from our website, study in your own time on any computer, iPad or iPhone, complete the test and we will award your CPD hours and send you a certificate.   Visit website now:  http://www.1st4immigration.com/training/whats-next-after-post-study-work-and-tier-4-visas-cpd.php   The course is offered by our company, 1 st 4Immigration Ltd, which is a practising immigration company, registered by The OISC at a highly respectable Level 2, based at the Royal Mint in Central London.   We are also accredited by the UK Border Agency in Croydon and submit applications using Premium service for accredited representatives. We provide biometric appointments every week (ILR, Tier 1, Spouse/Partner etc) and we have permanent slots to subm