If you are living and working in the UK on a time-limited visa and building towards permanent residence, the proposed changes to settlement rules are important. The UK government has consulted on an earned settlement model that would increase the standard qualifying period for many migrants from 5 years to 10 years, with possible reductions…
UK net migration has fallen sharply, and the speed of that decline is shaping what comes next from government. The latest ONS estimates show that long-term net migration fell to 171,000 in the year ending December 2025, down from 331,000 in the year ending December 2024. The ONS also records the recent peak at 944,000…
Many visitors who previously travelled to the UK with only a passport now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, commonly known as an ETA, before travelling. This is a major change for tourists, business visitors, family visitors, short-term students and some transit passengers. It affects many people who do not normally need a visa to visit…
The UK’s Skilled Worker route has changed significantly following the Government’s wider plan to reduce net migration and link immigration more closely to higher-skilled employment and domestic workforce planning. The changes are particularly important for UK employers with sponsor licences, businesses planning to hire overseas workers, care providers, and migrants already working in the UK…
A major report published by the House of Commons Education Committee has placed immigration policy firmly at the centre of the financial crisis facing higher education in England. The message from MPs is direct: the Home Office plays a “significant, even preeminent” role in the sector’s financial health, and the government must be clearer about…
The UK’s register of licensed sponsors changes regularly, and the 30 April 2026 update is a useful reminder that employers and sponsored workers should not treat sponsor status as something to check only once. The GOV.UK register lists organisations licensed to sponsor workers under Worker and Temporary Worker routes. It shows the category of workers…
Genuine Founder-Led Businesses Should Not Be Refused by Default Garth Coates Solicitors has recently achieved successful outcomes in three separate self-sponsorship Skilled Worker cases, where previously refused Home Office decisions were withdrawn and overturned following legal challenge. The cases involved genuine UK companies and genuine investor-entrepreneurs whose applications had been refused despite evidence that the…
The UK asylum system has entered a new phase following the Home Office’s decision to reduce the standard period of refugee leave for many new applicants from five years to 30 months. The policy applies mainly to people who claim asylum or make further submissions on or after 2 March 2026. Under the new framework,…
Self-sponsorship has become an increasingly discussed option for entrepreneurs, directors, shareholders and businesspeople who wish to establish or grow a company in the United Kingdom. However, it is important to understand the route correctly. “Self-sponsorship” is not the name of a separate UK visa category. It is a practical term used to describe a structure…
The Home Office’s information booklet for asylum applicants was updated on 30 April 2026. This is the document given to people who have registered, or are considering registering, an asylum claim in the UK. It explains the asylum process, the applicant’s rights and responsibilities, what support may be available, and what can happen after a…
