Latest News about Immigration
With almost daily Home Office updates on Brexit and immigration law, even the most experienced London immigration solicitors can feel as if Brexit will never end. That’s perhaps not surprising given its over three years since the Brexit referendum. However, if immigration solicitors think that Brexit will never be out of the news or off the political agenda, spare a thought for EU nationals living in the UK, not knowing what their best Brexit options are.
Settled Status solicitors
Thursday, 05 December, 2019
The question ‘can I change job on a Tier 2 (General) visa?‘ is one that both non-EEA workers and UK employers want answering because whilst employees want flexibility their employers want to know to what extent their recruitment needs could change if their Tier 2 (General) visa employees decide to switch employer for more pay or better conditions.
Work visa solicitors
Friday, 29 November, 2019
In all the chaos and confusion surrounding Brexit it is easy to focus on the politics and forget the people. However, Permanent Residence immigration solicitors will tell you that the people matter. It isn’t just the moral responsibility of looking after EU nationals who chose to settle in the UK under the EU freedom of movement rules but it is also in the best interests of UK businesses to ensure that current EU workers have security and status in the UK post Brexit.
Friday, 29 November, 2019
It is a difficult enough decision to end a relationship but if your ability to stay in the UK rests on your relationship and your spouse visa it can be tempting to stay with your partner, even if you have been the victim of domestic violence. If you are in that position it is crucial that you understand your family and immigration law options so that you can make the best choices for you and your family.
Spouse visa solicitors
Wednesday, 27 November, 2019
Many applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain are a bit bemused by the Home Office requirement that they have to pass a ‘Life in the UK’ test in order to meet the eligibility criteria for an Indefinite Leave to Remain application. The good news (at least if you are nearing your sixty fifth birthday) is that you do not need to sit the Life in the UK test if you are under the age of eighteen or over the age of sixty five or if you fall within other limited exemptions.
Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors
Thursday, 21 November, 2019
It is natural to assume that once you have secured Indefinite Leave to Remain your permission to live in the UK is indefinite in nature and therefore cannot be lost or cancelled by Home Office officials. However, immigration solicitors will tell you that Immigration Rules provide for the loss of Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors
Tuesday, 19 November, 2019
Immigration appeal lawyers have been waiting for the decision in Lal v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWCA Civ 1925. Appealing a Home Office decision isn’t easy as the case of Lal demonstrates but the Lal case offers guidance for immigration appeal lawyers and those contemplating appealing a visa decision.
Immigration appeal lawyers
Monday, 18 November, 2019
Wanting to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen and a history of absences from the UK are not mutually exclusive. At least that is what most UK immigration solicitors think. However, the Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance sets out the law and policy on how applications for British citizenship will be viewed by UK Visas and Immigration officials when you have a history of absences from the UK.
British nationality solicitors
Thursday, 14 November, 2019
Immigration solicitors are often asked to explain what a biometric residence permit is by confused immigration clients. It isn’t surprising that immigration clients do not know what a ‘biometric residence permit’ is. It sounds like the sort of document you need to gain access to a bio nuclear installation.
Thursday, 14 November, 2019
Most of us wonder whether Brexit will impact on every part of our day to day lives, from the cost of buying a pint of milk, to the availability of prescription drugs. With Brexit pushed back to January 2020, there is additional time for families to think through the potential consequences of Brexit and the impact on them and their families and for immigration solicitors to look at the topic of Brexit and spouse visas.
Spouse visa solicitors
Wednesday, 13 November, 2019
You may be questioning what good character has got to do with British nationality. Immigration solicitors would say that it is a good question because if you are born British your subsequent ‘character’ is rarely relevant to your status as a British national. However, if you want to apply for British nationality and you are over the age of ten, then you have to satisfy the Home Office that you are of ‘good character’ as part of your naturalisation application.
British nationality solicitors
Thursday, 07 November, 2019
It is bad enough to go through the trauma of a separation or a divorce without also experiencing worry about the effect of your divorce on your spouse visa. It is not surprising that many partners stay in unhappy marriages because they do not know what to do for the best. If you are in that situation then immigration solicitors urge you to take legal advice about your spouse visa. That way, you can make informed decisions about the future of your marriage based on what is best for you and your family.
Spouse visa solicitors
Thursday, 07 November, 2019
By Jayanaben Rathod
Wednesday, 06 November, 2019
It is a tricky question to ask if you need British citizenship if you have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. It is a question many immigration clients ask their London immigration solicitors as they want to know whether British citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain is the best option for them. There is not a right or wrong answer to the question “is British nationality or Indefinite Leave to Remain best?” as the reply from an immigration law specialist will depend on your personal circumstances.
Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors
Wednesday, 30 October, 2019
With all the turmoil and uncertainty over Brexit, you may question who would contemplate establishing a branch office or a wholly owned subsidiary company in the UK with just one employee, at a time of unprecedented political upheaval. However, the best London immigration solicitors find that the most ambitious non-EEA entrepreneurs and business owners say that the time to expand into new markets is when times are challenging so that you can steal a march on the competition.
Tuesday, 29 October, 2019
Saying that you have ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK’ is a bit of a mouthful. It is also a phrase that does not mean a great deal to the person you are speaking to, unless they are an immigration solicitor or Home Office official.
Monday, 28 October, 2019
By Toby Hiscock
On 18 October 2019 the House of Commons Library published a briefing paper called ‘The UK’s future immigration system’. The paper examines the Government’s vision for a unified immigration system after Brexit and explores some of the changes and additions that have been proposed for Britain’s post-Brexit immigration system.
Monday, 28 October, 2019
It is a tricky question to ask if you need British citizenship if you have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. It is a question many immigration clients ask their London immigration solicitors as they want to know whether British citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain is the best option for them. There is not a right or wrong answer to the question “is British nationality or Indefinite Leave to Remain best?” as the reply from an immigration law specialist will depend on your personal circumstances.
Indefinite Leave to Remain solicitors
Friday, 25 October, 2019
The asylum interview by UK Visas and Immigration officials is a two-stage process:
• The asylum screening interview;
• The asylum substantive interview.
Although the Top London immigration solicitors say both interviews are important, the substantive Asylum interview is the lengthy, detailed interview.
Thursday, 24 October, 2019
In the words of the Beatles classic song ‘Can't buy me love’, money can't buy you love but money is part of the UK spouse visa’s financial requirements and money is therefore an essential factor in successfully applying for a UK spouse visa.
Spouse visa solicitors
Wednesday, 23 October, 2019
When you think of British nationality your thoughts might turn to cricket, the royal family and all the other things that are quintessentially British. For example, complaining about the weather or adopting a stiff upper lip in times of trouble. However, what British nationality and British citizenship means and feels like to you can be very different depending on whether you are a British national or you are wanting to apply to naturalise as a British citizen.
British nationality solicitors
Wednesday, 23 October, 2019
We are always delighted to receive feedback from our clients about our legal services. These are some of the wonderful testimonials we just received for our Personal and business immigration lawyer Kristine Lauriaga:
Thursday, 17 October, 2019
Home Secretary, Priti Patel, says the UK should adopt an Australian points based system. However, as OTS Solicitors’ Senior Immigration Lawyer, Stephen Slater, points out, this already matches the points based system the UK currently has in place. Concerns about the shortage in agricultural labour in the UK are result of the increased minimum wage other EU countries currently offer in comparison. Stephen Slater discusses these and other concerning points Brexit still raises in an interview with talkRADIO.
Thursday, 17 October, 2019
There are over 132,000 Filipinos living in the UK, and this number continues to rise. With many Filipinos living away from their families and friends in the Philippines, Nollienne and Kristine talk about how you can apply for a Visitor Visa to come to the UK.
Nollienne and Kristine will be uploading a series of videos in Tagalog which provides guidance and insight into UK immigration law.
Tuesday, 15 October, 2019
The Sole Representative of an Overseas Business sounds like a lonely job, especially in the UK’s current fast paced changing political environment and Brexit uncertainties. However, most economists say expansion is the key to success even in times of economic uncertainty.
Tuesday, 15 October, 2019
The BBC is reporting that Home Office minister, Brandon Lewis, has told a German newspaper that EU citizens will have to leave the UK if they do not apply for Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme in time. We are not scaremongering. There is reference to deportation in the BBC news headline.
Same day Settled Status application service
Friday, 11 October, 2019
OTS Solicitors have officially “arrived” on the London legal scene for immigration law by inclusion in not one but the two leading legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession.
Thursday, 10 October, 2019
Hold the date: London 17 January 2020
Hard work and Immigration legal training go into making either a great Immigration solicitor or a lawyer who knows enough about British Citizenship law to realise when expert help is required.
Thursday, 10 October, 2019
If you are applying to the Home Office for a Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa, it is vital that you and your overseas employer fully understand the Sole Representative visa rules and requirements.
Thursday, 10 October, 2019
When you are planning your wedding, low down on the list of priorities are the unromantic things, like sorting out the correct immigration visa or signing a prenuptial agreement. After all, it is far more exciting to plan the honeymoon or even to design the wedding invitations.
Thursday, 10 October, 2019
Those wanting to challenge home office decisions will hear top London immigration solicitors talk about appeals and judicial reviews. It is often assumed that they are the same but they are not.
What is a judicial review?
Tuesday, 08 October, 2019
If you are not a London immigration solicitor, you may be forgiven for thinking that the phrase “the centre of operations” is something to do with surgery or even where some secret UK government department is based. Neither is right. Understanding and complying with the Home Office definition of “the centre of operations” is vitally important if you are applying for a Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa.
How can OTS Solicitors help?
Tuesday, 08 October, 2019
By Hans Sok Appadu, solicitor
Thursday, 03 October, 2019
London immigration solicitors are having non-stop Brexit and EU Settlement Scheme application discussions with worried EU nationals and their dependants. There is good news for concerned EU citizens and UK companies who employ EU nationals.
Thursday, 03 October, 2019
The immigration team at OTS Solicitors just cannot quite get to grips with it. Not the fact that the Legal 500 has again recognised the expertise of OTS Solicitors and increased the firm’s rankings in business immigration and personal immigration. No, what has the immigration team flummoxed was that whilst the Legal 500 has published its 2020 rankings with its usual speed and accuracy, the UK are still in the throes of sorting out Brexit.
Wednesday, 02 October, 2019
It is vital that if you are making an immigration application that you do your utmost to get the application right first time around. Why is it so important to take care with the application and to get it right? Well, if you do not do so, then top London immigration solicitors advise you that you risk inadvertently being classified as an “overstayer”. Many immigration applicants would question how they could possibly be labelled as an overstayer if they have submitted an immigration application prior to the expiry of their current visa.
Tuesday, 01 October, 2019
On Wednesday, the 6 March 2019 the Supreme Court ruled in the case of KV (Sri Lanka) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] UKSC 10. Asylum seekers and top London immigration solicitors should be jubilant about the landmark decision.
Tuesday, 01 October, 2019
