Brexit - EEA Nationals: The Impact On Your Immigration Status

It is not clear exactly when the Brexit will occur but many EEA nationals will be anxious about their Immigration status. As of now it is unclear as to when and what changes will occur in relation to migration between Europe and the UK. However, nothing is going to change for at least 2 years as there is still a lot of negotiation to be done between the countries.

As a European national you can be in the UK without holding any documents to confirm your Immigration status in the UK. If you have obtained a residence card or permanent residence to show your right to remain in the UK it is unlikely that the brexit will affect you. However, the brexit brings with it much uncertainty about the future of EEA nationals without any documentation to confirm their Immigration status. Therefore if you have resided in the UK for more than 5 years and have been exercising treaty rights then it may be a good idea to apply for permanent residence. Once you have obtained permanent residence then you would need to wait a year before you are eligible to apply for naturalisation.

Judicial Review Fees: Recently it has been announced that the fees for the permission stage of Judicial Review applications will be rising by 10%. To apply for permission to make an application for Judicial Review the fee has increased from £140 to £154. The fees have also increased for an application to reconsider a refusal of a permission application and also for proceeding to a full hearing if permission has been granted from £350 to £385.00.

Landlord and employer checks: For a long time it has been illegal to both employ or rent a property to someone who is subject to immigration control. However, recently the Home Office have become extremely strict on this requirement, landlords and employers are expected to complete right to rent and right to work checks. If employers and landlords do not follow the procedures then they risk facing a penalty which could be a fine but could now also result in imprisonment if they are found to have employed someone without any legal status in the UK.

Increase in application fees: Since the 18th of March this year, there has been a substantial increase in most application fees to the Home Office. An example would be the fee for applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain which has gone up by £375 from £1500 to £1875 or the fee for further leave to remain applications which has gone up from £649 to £811.

English Language: Since November 2015 there has been a major change to the rules on which English Language tests meet the requirement for Home Office purposes. Now only two English language test providers; Trinity College London and Cambridge English Language Assessment are accepted by the Home Office. Furthermore, all English Language tests have been given a validity of only two years. However, in certain circumstances you may still be able to utilise the test certificate which you provided in a previous application. This is applicable in a spouse extension application if you had previously completed a test at the required A1 level.

Recent Case Law on Elderly Dependant Visas: There is some positive news at this end. There has been a recent case in which the applicant won under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998.

If you require a UK immigration lawyer Uxbridge for assistance with any of the matters above or with any aspect of UK immigration law whether from inside the U.K or from overseas, contact Shalini V Bhargava of Aschfords Law in Harrow, London. We also provide legal advice and assistance in respect of Family Law, Wills & Probate, Litigation, Landlord & Tenant.

Please contact us today on +44 (0) 7582932830 or visit our website on www.aschfordslaw.com

Brexit: Should we stay or leave?

On 23 June 2016 the British electorate will be asked whether the UK should remain as a member of the European Union. The issue of Immigration will play a significant role in the decision.

The UK is part of a single market which provides for free movement of people, goods and services within the European Union. While there are numerous advantages to being part of the Union, it also brings certain responsibilities; Currently British citizens can work, stay or study in any member state which means that citizens of those states can also do the same in Britain.

Exiting the Union could result in the loss of millions of jobs, a higher cost of goods and the probability that the UK would have consent to both free movement and some form of EU budget contribution.

On the other hand many believe that leaving the EU will be beneficial in a number of ways, including more control over borders which will enhance security and Immigration oversight as well as relieve the pressure on the NHS.

Migration from the EU to the UK has significantly increased in the last 10 to 15 years. Net migration reached a record high in the year to June 2015. 180,000 of 336,000 migrants were from the EU, which is more than half.

The UK would first need to determine how to manage EU nationals currently exercising their treaty rights in the UK, as well as UK citizens residing in Europe. It is unlikely that sudden large deportations on both sides of the Channel would occur if we were to leave the EU as so many British citizens live across Europe. Therefore some sort of Immigration agreement would have to be reached if the U.K decides to leave.

Many feel politically more secure with better opportunities in the larger marketplace and they fear institutional racism will be kept in check with the highest court being offshore rather than in Britain.

Therefore there are many benefits and drawbacks to leaving the EU and if the UK does leave then many Immigration systems will have to change to allow for migration into the EU and into the UK for European citizens.

If you need a UK immigration lawyer London & need assistance with any aspect of UK immigration law whether from inside the U.K or from overseas, contact Shalini V Bhargava of Aschfords Law in Harrow, London. We also provide legal advice and assistance in respect of Family Law, Wills and Probate, Litigation, Landlord & Tenant.

Please contact us today on +44 (0) 7582932830 or visit our website on www.aschfordslaw.com

6 Different Types of UK Citizenship and Nationality

Depending upon your present citizenship or nationality, you might have the capacity to apply in a few ways. We can likewise help you with your application for Naturalization to have the capacity to apply for a British visa.

The types of nationality are:

• British citizenship

• British abroad citizenship

• British abroad territories citizenship

• British national (abroad)

• British secured individual

• British subject

COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS

There are 54 nations that are members from the Commonwealth Nations. These are:

The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Cameroon, Canada, Grenada, Guyana, Kenya, Kiribati, India, Jamaica, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, The Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papa New Guinea, Rwanda, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa,, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Uganda, Vanuatu & Zambia, Nigeria, Pakistan, St Christopher & Nevis, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Swaziland.

You may have the privilege to residence in the UK if one of you guardians was still a district subject after 13 December 1982.

Moreover, if you are a lady who is an individual from a Commonwealth Nation and is or has been hitched to a British subject before 1 January 1983, you may have the privilege to residence in the UK. If you are an offspring of such a mother then you may have the privilege to homestead in the UK.

Moreover, there might be different ways accessible for a person who is an individual from a ward country and who has ancestral routes to the UK. If you don't mind get in touch with us, the UK Immigration Uxbridge, for direction and help on the abovementioned matters.

For more information, visit: http://www.aschfordslaw.com/settlement-and-british-citizenship.html