Visas and immigration

There are various routes under which a non-UK resident may come to live and/or work in the UK. Much will depend on the individual's nationality, their financial resources, employment or business prospects, their intentions for staying in the UK on a long-term basis and the ability or desire to bring family members with them to the UK. This subtopic looks at the routes most commonly used by private clients and their companies. It also considers procedural matters, citizenship issues, the differing position of European Economic Area (ie the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) (EEA) and non-EEA nationals as well as offences relating to hiring illegal workers.

For information on coming to the UK as a visitor, ie for a temporary purpose without the intention of living in the UK, see: Visitor—overview.

The main statute in this area is the Immigration Act 1971 (IA 1971), which provides for the content of the Immigration Rules and for them to be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. The Immigration Rules are made by the Secretary of State for the Home Office and set out detailed

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