Blog
Press Round-Up: Regulatory and Professional Discipline – August and September 2025
Imogen Roberts
10 April 2018
UK Immigration Authorities complete a ‘180’ on absences from the UK
Since 13 December 2012, Americans coming to the UK with a visa issued under one of the popular ‘Points Based System’ categories, have been allowed to spend up to 180 days outside the UK in each 12 month period and still qualify for indefinite leave to remain at the end of five years. This 180 day period was calculated by looking back at each fixed 12 month period in the five years leading up to the date the applicant applied for indefinite leave to remain. Unfortunately, a change to the Immigration Rules which came into effect on 11 January 2018, has thrown this careful planning into disarray. The 180 day limit is now to be applied to a rolling 12 month period. This new calculation is also to be applied retrospectively and will impact anyone who applies for indefinite leave to remain after January 2018.
21 November 2016
Immigration update - Further expansion of UK Registered Traveller Service
The Home Office has announced the expansion of the UK Registered Traveller Service to applicants from 16 new countries, with effect from today. Business travellers and frequent visitors will be able to benefit from faster entry to the UK as the Government’s Registered Traveller Service is expanded. Membership will now also be open to passengers from Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Uruguay, subject to meeting the membership criteria.
26 January 2016
Lords propose closure of the Tier 1 (Investor) visa
Baroness Hamwee and Lord Paddick (Liberal Democrat) have tabled an amendment to the 2015 Immigration Bill proposing the abolition of the Tier 1 (Investor) visa.
Their proposal would see the route closed both to new applicants and those switching their visas to the Tier 1 (Investor) route in the UK from 1 January 2017.
16 October 2015
A welcome visa scheme for the tech community that might actually be fit for purpose
Amongst the doom and gloom of the Government’s anti-immigration rhetoric and with the threat of further restrictions on companies sponsoring highly skilled migrants looming over us, we finally have a ray of bright digital light. Tech City UK today announced the Tech Nation Visa Scheme, which has been agreed by the Home Office after extensive complaints from the digital technology sector that the current system was not allowing the top global talent to come to the UK.
30 September 2015
Immigration Bill 2015 – the real impact of creating a ‘hostile environment’
Earlier this month, the Government published the Immigration Bill 2015, which introduces further measures to create a ‘hostile environment’ for unwanted migration in the UK. This blog explores the background and key aspects of the new Bill and sets out the potential economic and human impact this may have if the Bill is passed and becomes law. It also includes a worked example to illustrate how some of the proposed rules will inadvertently impact all migrants and their families, including British employees, landlords and families.