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| UK Immigration News |
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Latest News & Articles _ August 2009
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Revised Age requirements for spouses or civil partners under the points-based systems
The UK Border Agency has recently announced that in order to be allowed to enter the United Kingdom as the husband, wife or civil partner of a PBS applicant, the dependant and the main applicant must both be aged 18 or over on the date when they are due to arrive in the United Kingdom.
Date: 25/08/2009
The UK Border Agency has published its policy for the return of Certificates of approval’s application fees
If you applied for a certificate of approval between 1 February 2005 and 8 April 2009, you may now be eligible to have the fee returned to you if you can demonstrate that payment of the fee caused you real financial hardship at the time you paid the fee.Please not that this new Scheme will run until 31st July 2010.
Sri Lankan Nationals facing Visa difficulties
Since the UK visa application process was outsourced to Chennai, India, visas are taking longer than usual to process which is having a knock on effect on outbound Sri Lankan tourism. More and more visa applications including simple tourist visa are being refused resulting in frustration and anger within the Sri Lankan community.
Date:01/08/2009
Asylum seekers: early victims of the economic crisis?
The Government has decided to reduce public spending in the face of economic decline in the UK and the first to be affected by it will be asylum seekers. The new spending cut sparked outrage and is accused of targeting the most vulnerable people of society, many of whom have suffered traumatic experiences and who are displaced. Asylum seekers aged over 25 will see their NASS (National asylum seekers support) cut from £42.16 to £35.13 a week and, in the future, single asylum seekers will be expected to live on just £5 a day whilst allowances for certain other categories will be frozen. Refugee groups have protested against the move to reduce allowances set to take effect as of October this year.
Date: 30/07/2009
UK marriage laws to split Canadian woman from Welsh husband- the Forced Marriages Act 2007
19 year old Rochelle Wallis, a Canadian national, faces deportation from the UK because of laws aimed at preventing forced marriages. Deportation would mean that Rochelle will be separated from her husband for a period of 18 months (until she turns 21) before she can apply to join him in the UK again.
Currently, UK marriage laws stipulate that the minimum age for spousal visas is 21. This applies to both parties to the marriage (which does not include European Union citizens). The UK Border Agency maintain that this is an important piece of legislation intended to protect young British women particularly from Asian backgrounds from being forced into marriage, which is currently a social problem in the UK. The UK Border Agency states that this is a human rights measure which is proportionate to the aims and which far outweighs any drawbacks.
The UK Border Agency state that Rochelle’s age was not the reason why the application was refused and considered that there were no compelling or compassionate reasons to exercise their discretion differently.
The new Immigration rules increasing the spousal visa age from 18 to 21 can potentially raise age discrimination issues. At Ergen & Sharif, we believe that people who wish to legitimately marry without any issue of force, should not have their right to marry and establish a family life interfered with.
24th July 2009
New One Stop Shop
UK Border Agency opens a new ‘one stop’ shop in Belfast. The new office is offering a wide range of immigration services to people in Northern Ireland. The UK Border Agency intends to set up several more like offices across the UK.
22nd July 2009
Visa requirement for South Africa enforced today
Visa regimes for visitors have now been imposed on five new countries – Bolivia, Venezuela, South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Visa requirement for South Africa enforced today
New HPDL Application Form
The UK Border Agency has published a new HPDL application form to be used for applications made on or after the 2nd April 2007.
The HPDL application form should be used if you have been granted one of the following:
· exceptional leave for a period of less than 4 years
· humanitarian protection
· discretionary leave
28 June 2009
Points-based system: New application forms for students and for PBS dependants.
The Home Office have announced some changes to the Points Based System for Tier 4 students. In summary, the main changes are:
The transitional arrangements on maintenance have been extended and will remain available to applicants until 30 September 2009.These transitional arrangements on maintenance allow applicants to show they have the money needed to meet the maintenance requirements of tier 4, on the day that they apply, rather than for a period of 28 days prior to their application.
The letter from an appropriately regulated financial institution confirming availability of funds in the form of a loan no longer need to include the account number.
Official financial sponsors will be permitted to extend their financial sponsorship to cover the tier 4 migrant's dependants.
Now either a digital signature or a scanned signature on the Visa letter will be accepted as an 'electronic signature'.
The higher maintenance requirements for London students now apply only to applicants who will be studying in inner London and that applicants who will be studying in outer London or elsewhere in the United Kingdom, will be assessed against the lower requirements.
The date of application inside the UK is now taken to be the date of posting , where the application from is sent by post or the date on which it is delivered in if sent by courier.
1 June 2009
The name and address of the CRD team is now available on the UKBA website.
The name and address of your case resolution directorate (CRD) team is now available on the UKBA website and can be found on the following link:
This can only be used if you made your claim before 5 March 2007.
19 May 2009
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