Immigration Blog

This post offers a guidance on how to plan your trips outside the UK after you have submitted an application to become a British citizen.

In light of the forthcoming changes to the standard qualifying period for ILR, Skilled Workers may choose to top up their income from sponsored employment by taking on additional and supplementary work. This may help to meet the stricter eligibility requirements after 2026 changes come into effect. This post explains the rules regarding permitting activities and restrictions that apply.

The Immigration Reform 2026 follows the Immigration White Paper of May 2025 and sets out a wide-ranging overhaul of the UK immigration system. The reforms aim to reduce net migration by tightening eligibility for workers and students, extending the qualifying period for permanent settlement, and introducing an earned settlement scheme with new income requirements. While some changes have already been implemented in 2025, further proposals due to take effect from April 2026 could significantly affect skilled workers, care workers, graduates, and dependent family members. This article outlines the changes introduced so far, the reforms under consultation, and the potential impact on settlement, family life, and long-term residence in the UK.

A longer route to settlement Earned settlement scheme stipulates a new 10-year baseline requirement for settlement which will apply across most immigration categories and may, in some cases, extend the residence requirement for ILR to 30 years. Dependants will no longer qualify for ILR at the same time as the main applicant or after 5 years

On 21 November 2025 the government published a new policy paper, Restoring Order and Control: A Statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, described as “perhaps the most substantial reform to the UK’s asylum system in a generation”. In the Foreword to the Statement, the Prime Minister goes out of his way to proclaim

If you are unfortunate to have been refused a visa, you may be faced with a choice – go for an immigration appeal (if you have the right of appeal) or make a fresh application. I will try and give you here some guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of appeals and fresh applications. The

Last month the government announced the intention to overhaul the immigration rules and make the path to settlement and British citizenship a longer journey for most. It will also be more difficult for employers to sponsor a worker and the duration of a graduate visa will be refused. Some international students may now rush to

Immigration rules expressly prohibit passing the sponsorship costs to the employee. However, visa fee and the IHS can be paid by either employee or the employer. The new rules explain when and how the sponsor may recover these costs.