About Immigration Law
As the rules and policy on UK immigration grow more and more complex, it’s getting harder and harder to stay up to speed on the latest changes (especially when one source seems to contradict another).
EU law rights and EU Settlement Scheme
Our content deals with the mechanics of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and eligibility, as well as the citizens’ rights aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement, that broadly underpins the scheme.
Sponsored work
We deal with the key sponsored and non-sponsored work immigration routes. We have Practice Notes covering all aspects of eligibility (from the point of view of the sponsor and the sponsored migrant) and common pitfalls.
UK immigration control
How immigration law works. Submitting an application, grounds for refusal, conditions of permission, and various sources of law. Plus analysis of the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules from 2013.
Policy
As the rules and policy on UK immigration grow in complexity, it’s tricky to stay up to speed on the latest changes (especially when one source seems to contradict another). We’ll help keep you up-to-date.
Topics We Cover
Latest Immigration News
The Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Committee has launched a call for evidence for its inquiry into settlement, citizenship and integration, seeking...
Welcome to the 11 December 2025 highlights from the Immigration team, which provides links to key news stories from the last week, as well as a...
On 9 December 2025, the Home Office laid Statement of Changes HC 1491, introducing minor amendments to the Immigration Rules with effect from 9...
The Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) has published a statement of consensus opposing the UK Government’s asylum and returns policy....
The Migration Observatory has published a briefing identifying ten significant problems in the UK's immigration data and evidence base for 2025. The...
Latest Immigration Practice Notes
Suitability grounds for refusal and cancellation of permissionThis Practice Note looks at the ‘grounds for refusal’ of applications which are set out...
False representations etc, deception and challenging suitability grounds for refusalThis Practice Note looks at the common grounds for refusal and...
Suitability and previous conductThere are a number of suitability grounds for refusal which apply to most categories in the Immigration Rules and...
Immigration calendarPre-2025DevelopmentKey date(s)Further readingIllegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA 2023)Received royal assent on 20 July 2023, with...
The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) schemeThis Practice Note looks at the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, which was introduced in...
Latest Immigration Precedents
Spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners under Appendix FM: grant of leave to remain—information sheetYou have now been granted leave to remain...
Spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners: extension of stay or indefinite leave to remain—letter in support from sponsoring partner[Insert your...
Fiancé(e)s and proposed civil partners applying under Appendix FM: grant of entry clearance—information sheetYou have now been granted entry clearance...
Representative of an Overseas Business: extension application—additional checklistA. Additional documents for main applicantEvidence of your continued...
Children applying for indefinite leave under Part 8—letter in support from sponsor(s)[Insert current residential address(es) of sponsor(s)][Entry...
Latest Immigration Q&As
Featured Immigration content
Parental consent for minor child—letter
Parental consent for minor child—letter[Insert address of [parent OR guardian] in home country][Insert Home Office address where application is...
Can an applicant have two applications pending with the Home Office at the same time, where one application has been made under the Immigration Rules, and the other under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016?
Changes of law and policy, rights against retrospective legislation, and legitimate expectation
Changes of law and policy, rights against retrospective legislation, and legitimate expectationChanges to immigration law may mean that a person who...
Biometric Immigration Documents
Biometric Immigration DocumentsWhat is a Biometric Immigration Document?A Biometric Immigration Document (BID) is the key ‘document’ that evidences...
If an individual is a student holding an Asylum Registration Card (ARC), and (1) the ARC does not confirm any restriction on working hours, and (2) the Employer Checking Service check simply confirms ‘ARC Student: Student restrictions (no self-employment)’, will the 20-hour work week limit apply to this individual or are they permitted to work full-time within a Shortage Occupation role?
Passport stamps, vignettes and codes—examples and common problems [Archived]
Passport stamps, vignettes and codes—examples and common problems [Archived]This Practice Note is no longer updated as it relates to the position...
When a skilled worker is about to go on maternity leave, does the employer have an obligation to top up any statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance in respect of— a) the employee’s continued employment as a sponsored worker, in order for the employer to meet its sponsor obligations b) the employee’s ability to extend their visa, to ensure they meet the salary requirements for an extension, and/or c) the employee’s ability to apply for settlement?
Applying for a sponsor licence under Workers and Temporary Workers: eligibility and suitability
Applying for a sponsor licence under Workers and Temporary Workers: eligibility and suitabilityThis Practice Note summarises the eligibility and...
Do you need to submit a separate VAF4A (Appendix 2) form when making an entry clearance application using the new online form? On what basis can the Home Office request this?
What is the right of abode?
What is the right of abode?The right of abode—statusThe right of abode in the UK is an immigration status. A person who has the right of abode is free...
Is there a positive legal obligation for an employer to report to the Home Office where they discover that an employee, or ex-employee, does/did not have the right to work? Is the position different where the employer is a licensed sponsor?
Examination, entry, search and seizure powers of immigration officers
Entry, search and seizure powers of immigration officersIP COMPLETION DAY: The Brexit transition period ended at 11pm on 31 December 2020. At this...
Retention of documents by the Home Office [Archived]
Retention of documents by the Home Office [Archived]Important note—Archived Practice Note: this Practice Note is no longer updated as it relates to...
Children applying for indefinite leave under Part 8 and Appendix FM: procedure
Children applying for indefinite leave under Part 8 and Appendix FM: procedureA child may be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to enter or remain...
Adequate maintenance
Adequate maintenanceFor partners and children applying under Appendix FM where the sponsoring partner is receiving one or more specified benefits,...
Approval of naturalisation application—information sheet
Approval of naturalisation application—information sheetI am pleased to enclose a letter from the Home Office that confirms that your application for...
Appendix FM: the suitability requirements and the general grounds for refusal
Appendix FM: the suitability requirements and the general grounds for refusalThe suitability requirements in Appendix FM mirror, to a certain extent,...
Is it possible to add further branches to a sponsor licence where all of the entities have the same parent company, but the parent company or head office itself is not the licence holder? Also, what is the situation if one operating company applies for the licence, but the intention is to subsequently form a parent company and other subsidiaries which will also need to sponsor workers?
Associated legal terms
Entry clearance
A visa, entry certificate or other document which, in accordance with the Immigration Rules, is to be taken as evidence or the requisite evidence of a person's eligibility, though he is not a British citizen, for entry into the United Kingdom: see Immigration Act 1971, s 33(1).
Immigration Rules
Statements contained in House of Commons or Command Papers setting out the practice to be followed in the administration of the Immigration Act 1971 for regulating the entry into and stay in the United Kingdom of those who do not have the right of abode (including the period for which leave is given and the conditions attached in different circumstances).
Leave to remain
Permission given to a person who is already in the UK, and who would have required leave to enter (whether or not he has such leave), to stay in the UK.
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