The latest developments regarding immigration laws to England 2023

Immigration laws of European countries and especially England have undergone changes in line with recent changes and developments. These changes include increasing visa application fees, increasing insurance and health costs, changing the status of applicants from temporary to permanent residence, changing the rules regarding children’s visa appointments, etc. In this article, the latest developments regarding immigration laws to the UK 2023 are examined.

Increased visa fees and immigration health surcharges

The UK government has announced that it will increase visa fees and IHS immigration health fees as part of efforts to raise salaries and raise funds in the public sector. Application fees for work visas and visit visas are expected to increase by 15% for all visa categories. In addition, the certificate of financial ability and the application for obtaining citizenship and residence will be increased by 20%. IHS health charges have increased by around 66%, from £624 per year to £1,035 per year for adult applicants.

It has not yet been announced when these changes will be implemented, but we will definitely see them in the near future. Pay attention to the following table on how to increase the cost of obtaining a UK residence visa in 2023 (1401-1402):

Employers may wish to further investigate UK work visa fees. Based on this, they raise the following questions:

• Are applicants expected to cover their own living expenses?
• Will support for dependent family members be provided?
• Do you want to offer a loan as an employee benefit to help with visa costs (similar to seasonal loans)?
• Do you want to sign a clawback contract with the employee?

Automatic renewal for applicants with pre-settled status in the EU Residency Program

First, we need to explain about the pre-deployment situation. Applicants who have been legally resident in the UK for 5 years under the pre-settlement program can apply to change their visa and permanent residence.

The UK Home Office has confirmed that from September 2023 (September 1402) applicants who have pre-settled status in the EU residency program will automatically have their residence visa extended for up to 2 years before the visa expires, if who have not changed to permanent residence status. The Ministry of Interior also plans to take steps during 2024 (1402-1403) to automatically convert as many pre-settlement status holders to permanent residency status as possible (currently, applicants are required to before the temporary visa expires, submit a request to convert to a permanent residence status). The Ministry of Interior will contact applicants who will benefit from these automated processes through this new law.

This is good news for temporary residence permit applicants who may not be eligible to apply for permanent residence status and visas, and now receive a residence permit for an additional period of stay in the UK at no cost.

Applicants with EU residency are advised to ensure that their online account is up to date to ensure that any relevant correspondence is received and that their status is corrected correctly.

The Home Office also announced that the Surinder Singh (for family members of British nationals who have exercised their right to free movement in the EEA or Switzerland and are returning to the UK) and Zambrano (for primary carers of a British national) routes will be closed from 8 August. 2023 (August 17, 1402) will be closed to replace new programs.

E-Gate users at UK airports

From July 24, 2023 (2 August 1402), the UK Home Office has changed the rules for children who use electronic gates in passport control. Prior to this law, children under the age of 12 did not need to use electronic gates for passport control and instead had to wait to meet with border officials in person. But according to the new rules, children aged 10 and above from eligible nationalities can use electronic gates. This is expected to reduce the queues of children for in-person visits and improve the experience of travelers at border control for everyone. It was a nice change before the busy summer holiday period started.

Youth Dynamics Program – New Zealand Points

On June 29, 2023, the UK-New Zealand Youth Mobility Scheme was implemented. One of the important changes of this program is increasing the age of eligible applicants. Based on this, the age limit of eligible persons for this visa has been increased from 30 to 35 years. Eligible applicants can now extend this visa in the UK for a further 12 months in addition to the 2 years granted on the entry permit.

Australia from January 31, 2024 (11 February 1402) and Canada in 2024 (1402-1403) are considering such similar changes in providing important points.

This is good news for UK employers who now have access to a wider pool of talent who do not need a sponsorship visa to come to the UK.

Skilled workers – authorized absences

One of the conditions for the work visa and employment of skilled workers is to have a maximum of 4 weeks of unpaid leave. There are exceptions to this new rule, including maternity, paternity, adoption leave and sick leave. A new point has also been added to allow services that may be requested from citizens to be recognized as authorized absences. Employers must continue to monitor their sponsored workers to ensure that they return to work after performing the services requested of them.

Change in student visa route

On July 17, 2023 (July 26, 1402), the British authorities made extensive changes to the student visa rules. International students on UK student visas are no longer able to change sponsored and supported work paths in the UK unless they have completed their course of study. It is possible to send applications for undergraduate and graduate students before the end of the course, as long as their starting date is not before the end date of the academic course. Students who enroll in doctoral programs can apply after completing 2 years of study.

Students applying for a UK study visa from 1 January 2024 (11 January 1402) will no longer be able to bring their dependents to the UK, unless they are studying for a PhD, other PHD or higher education-based degree. Apply for research.

New jobs in the field of construction have been added to the list of jobs needed in the UK

The UK government has added some construction occupations to the Skilled Worker visa program that are now eligible for the sponsored visa program. These occupations have also been added to the UK Occupations in Demand List (SOL). The SOL UK Jobs in Need List is designed to attract the right workforce to the UK and fill vacancies in areas where demand is high and where there is a shortage of jobs. The main advantage for employers sponsoring a foreign worker in a job that is on the SOL is that the minimum salary threshold and application costs for that job are lower than jobs that can be sponsored under the Skilled Worker title.

The new occupations added to the UK SOL occupations list are:

• All occupations in the field of brickwork and masonry (standard occupation classification (SOC) code 5312)
• All occupations in the construction of normal and flat roofs, pitched roofs, tilers and masonry (standard occupational classification (SOC) code 5313)
• All jobs in carpentry and woodworking (standard occupation classification (SOC) code 5315)
• All occupations in the field of construction and construction not classified elsewhere (Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) code 5319)
• All occupations in the field of plastering and construction (SOC occupational standard classification) code 5321)

The UK Home Office adds new countries to the visa list

On June 19, 2023, the UK Home Office added the following nationalities to the list of applicants who must apply for a visitor visa before coming to the UK:

• Nationals or citizens of Dominica
• Nationals or citizens of Honduras Honduras
• Nationals or citizens of Namibia
• Nationals or citizens of Timor-Leste
• Nationals or citizens of Vanuatu

Applicants from the above countries who have a confirmed British reservation ticket on July 19, 2023 (July 28, 1402) before 3:00 PM British Summer Time and their entry to the United Kingdom no later than August 16, 2023 (August 25, 1402) are possible. accepted, will be allowed to enter the country under the old visitor visa rules and will not need to apply for a visa before travel.

Priority service

On June 21, 2023, the UK Home Office changed the application process for priority processing of sponsored visa applications. This step is now included in the online application system. In fact, both the request and the payment of priority services can be done at the same time without the need to send separate emails to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Although this update should in theory make the process simpler and faster, in practice it falls somewhat short of its goal. Often there is no option to actually pay for priority services. This work remains limited in time and is released only at 9:00 a.m. each day. It is hoped that these problems will eventually be resolved.

Changes in the sponsorship management system (SMS) for level 1 users

Currently, sending SMS is mandatory for level 1 users to add their National Insurance number to the system. The update is done immediately after entering and saving the information in the SMS. This process is available to new Tier 1 users as well as existing Tier 1 users, so existing users need to add this information in the SMS. It is expected that soon this condition will be extended to senior officers and important contacts.

Changes to UKVCAS systems and processes

Changes to the UKVCAS document upload system are scheduled to take effect on 27 July 2023 (5 August 1402). It will be a phased implementation so that programs started before the new system goes into effect will remain on the old version, while programs started on or after July 27 will The new version will benefit. The new version has a bulk upload feature that allows uploading up to 20 files at once.

In addition to these changes, UKVCAS is revamping its appointment booking system: free Saturday appointments will no longer be available anywhere in the UK. Working hours will be during the working week (Monday to Friday). These rules are being implemented to standardize the provision of services across the UK as well as the availability of appointments abroad.

Conclusion

In this article, the recent changes and developments regarding the laws of immigration to England were examined. The most important of these changes are the increase in residence visa application fees, changes in the way to obtain UK student visas, the addition of some jobs to the list of required jobs in England, and changes in the youth dynamics program. Many of these law changes will take place in other countries such as Canada and Australia in the coming days. In general, the changes in the immigration laws towards more convenience and ease for the applicants to obtain a residence visa, of course, are accompanied by an increase in the application fee. If you have any questions about how to get a UK student visa, UK work visa and other residence visas in this country, you can contact the consultants of Esthebanati Immigration Institute. This immigration institution has successful cases of obtaining UK study and work residence visas.