With the Covid-19 vaccine being rolled out on a global scale, on the whole, immigration to the UK appears to have resumed, with exceptions. Within the UK, visa application centres (UKVCAS Service Points) are classed as an ‘essential service’ and therefore remain open despite any Covid-19 measures in place....
The British government has put rules in place banning travel from certain ‘red list countries,’ which currently include: ...
Monica Atwal, managing partner of law firm Clarkslegal, says there are a number of questions an employer should ask if it is looking to adopt a ‘work from anywhere’ strategy. “The reality is that the business will need to do a detailed assessment of the consequences to both them and the employee,” she advises....
The end of the Brexit transition period has led to a steady increase in sponsor licence applications. The licence, which is required to now sponsor EU nationals for work, is subject to compliance checks by the Home Office. As a part of this compliance, the Home Office routinely make announced or unannounced compliance visits. ...
The UK Home Office has granted more than 2,000 sponsor licences to eligible organisations since July 2020. The total number of licenced sponsors has now increased to 33,000, which allows them to sponsor a worker under either the Skilled Worker or the Intra Company Transfer visa. ...
The Hong Kong BNO (or British National Overseas) visa route is now officially open. The route is specially aimed at residents of Hong Kong who hold a British National Overseas passport. Importantly the visa allows its holders to live, work and study in the UK. ...
The unified immigration system came into force in 2021, coinciding with the end of free movement. As the dust settles, many businesses have now begun to grapple with the consequences of the end of unrestricted mobility to the continent. In this article we look at the key immigration routes for 2021. ...
The Government has updated its policy for all new arrivals entering the UK from next week. Those entering the UK using any mode of travel will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken less than 72 hours from arrival. ...
The Government has now published detailed guidance on applying for a Frontier Worker permit following the end of the Brexit transition period. The scheme is open to Frontier Workers who have worked in the UK prior to 31 December 2020....
The Sponsorship Management System (SMS) is a key part of a Sponsor Licence. The system is undergoing an essential upgrade in preparation for the new immigration system that is to commence from 1 December 2020....
Last month our article discussed the employment law implications to consider if your employees are working from abroad during the pandemic....
The Home Office has now published their policy guidance for the new immigration system which goes live on 1 December 2020. The new policy guidance update covers the Skilled Worker and the Intra Company Transfer routes....
The new immigration rules were announced last week. While most of the changes will be applicable from January 2021, the Skilled Worker route will replace the current General Work visa (Tier 2) from 1 December 2020....
The new immigration rules for the Post-Brexit Immigration system have been laid before parliament today. These rules will govern the entry and exit of all non-UK nationals, including nationals of the EU from 1 January 2021....
The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory fee payable to the Home Office when applying for a long-term visa. The Surcharge, which was initially introduced in 2015, has seen regular increases since its inception. On 27 October 2020, the IHS will increase to £624 for most applicants....
Clarkslegal prides ourselves on our excellent client service, so it is wonderful to be recommended by Legal 500 UK for our efforts especially during this different time for us all. We are delighted to announce that we have been recognised for the following practice areas; Construction, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Property, Corporate & Commercial, Employment, Immigration and Public Sector....
The UK immigration system will face its most significant change in recent history from 1 January 2021. The changes will impact most sectors in the UK. In this blog we have a brief look at the key changes to expect....
The UK Visas & Immigration service continues to face a backlog owing to the COVID-19 lockdown. Since the reopening of centres in June ...
The UK government has published ‘last-minute’ guidance for individuals who are unable to leave the UK by 31 July 2020. The additional extension is termed a ‘grace period’, which means that individuals will not be penalised if they have overstayed their visa between 24 January 2020 to 31 August 2020....
The UK government has finally published official guidance on the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa....