UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand immigration services

Archive for the ‘UK news’ Category

Changes in UK marriage and partner visa rules affecting overstayers

A recent announcement by the Minister for Borders and Immigration, Mr Liam Byrne, will bring a fairer, simplified approach to the issues surrounding husband or wife UK visas, as addressed in DP3/96 and DP2/93, resulting in the withdrawal of these enforcement-related marriage policy guidances.
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Changes in UK Settlement Visa Rules

Changes in the rules of UK Settlement Visas were addressed recently by the Minister for Borders and Immigration, Liam Byrne. Following the updates put in place from April 1st 2008 onwards, the minister was able to clarify a few points that were raised.
It is clear that the changes to the rules on refusal of a [...]

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UK marriage visa age raised from 18 to 21

The last week of July 2008 has seen an important development in the Government’s commitment to stamping out forced marriages, with a five point plan to significantly strengthen the safeguards against them.
A major development came in the announcement that the age in which someone can apply for a marriage visa will increase from 18 to [...]

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UK settlement visa backlog caused by major technical problems

The UK Boarder Agency advises that due to major technical problems occurred on October 9, 2008 some fiancée and marriage visa applications may be subject to processing delays. Settlement and non-settlement applications submitted online on or after October 10, 2008 are unaffected.
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UK Home Office starts issuing biometric identity cards

Effective 25th November 2008, the UK Home Office started issuing biometric identity cards to foreign nationals. For applicants who are applying for further leave to remain (FLR) in the UK, including those originally in possession of a UK fiancee visa, some may be required to gain an identity card.
The applicants who will initially be expected [...]

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British Consulate in Seoul is no longer processing fiancée, spouse and partner visa applications

Effective January 12, 2009, the British Consulate in Manila, Philippines begins processing settlement visas for South Korean citizens. Previously, those applying for a fiancée, spouse, de facto partner, or proposed civil partner visa in South Korea had to submit their documents to the British Consulate in Seoul through the accredited UK Visa Application Centre (VAC). [...]

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Fee Increases Accross the UK Visa Application Spectrum

Recent changes to the fee structure of both onshore and offshore UK visa applications came into effect on Monday 6th April 2009, having initially been announced in February, and apply to all applicants looking to visit, work or stay in the UK, including fiancee, partner and marriage visa applications.
These fee changes are in direct response [...]

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Current UK fiancée and spouse visa approval times

One of the most frequently asked questions our clients ask about the UK settlement visa application process is “How long does it typically take to obtain a visa?” We are pleased to provide you with the most up-to-date information on the current processing times. The table shown below represents cases that have been approved within [...]

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Changes to Knowledge of Life Requirement for UK Settlement Applications

The Knowledge of Life test for those visa applicants of all categories, including UK marriage visas and partner visa applications, has just got a little bit stricter.
While the test itself is, in many ways, a continuous work of changes and amendments in response to the changing face of life in the UK, an announcement made [...]

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