6 May 2022
The High Potential Individual visa – a route with… high potential?
Launching on 30 May 2022, the High Potential Individual (“HPI”) visa will be one of several new immigration routes introduced by the Home Office this year. Designed to attract “the brightest and best” to the UK, the HPI visa appears to form part of the Government’s wider plan to deliver an ‘elite points based system’, as announced in their ‘Build Back Better: Plan for Growth’, to ensure the UK maintains its status as a “leading international hub for emerging and disruptive technologies”.
8 April 2022
The Ukrainian Temporary Protection Scheme in the EU: Comparisons with the UK
On 24 February 2022 Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine. At the time of writing, hostilities are on going. According to UNHCR over 4 million people have fled Ukraine mainly heading west towards and into EU Member States. On 4 March 2022, the EU opened a temporary protection scheme for Ukrainians (and others who were resident in Ukraine and had to flee) using a directive which was adopted in 2001 but had never been used since. In this blog we will examine the scope of the scheme in light of both the Decision which opened it and the Commission’s operational guidelines issued a few weeks later to clarify Member States obligations. The purpose is to understand what those fleeing Ukraine can expect to receive by way of assistance in the EU and compare the UK’s scheme with it.
16 March 2022
Change of Plan? The House of Lords’ apposite amendments to the Nationality and Borders Bill
As Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II has unfolded in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the House of Lords has finalised its reporting stage review of the Nationality and Borders Bill.
11 March 2022
A lack of compassion. The UK’s disappointing response to fleeing Ukrainian refugees
The UK government’s so far meagre UK immigration options for Ukrainians are set out in our FAQs.
22 February 2022
UK says it’s not all about the money. After the closure of the Tier 1 (Investor) category – what options are there for potential investors?
The Tier 1 (Investor) category was abruptly chopped out of the UK’s immigration system for new applicants at 4pm on 17 February. After previous and on-going reviews, in what appears to have been a hot-headed moment responding to political tensions with Russia, the category has been closed to new applicants. Deadlines (called ‘sunset clauses’) of 17 February 2026 for extension applications and 17 February 2028 for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) applications have also been introduced for those already holding investor status.