5 May 2016
The opportunities and pitfalls of surrogacy for same sex couples
Reports last week of a gay couple fighting for custody of their surrogate child gives a harsh warning on the pitfalls of international surrogacy. Happily, the couple have won their custody battle with the surrogate mother, who changed her mind about handing over the child when she discovered the intended parents were a gay couple. The American-Spanish couple entered into a surrogacy arrangement in Thailand where same sex marriage is not recognised. Their child was born in January 2015. Thailand is no longer an option for foreign surrogacy, which since this case has been banned, but we find that when one country closes its borders to international surrogacy, another one opens, and intended parents must be extremely cautious when choosing where to enter into their surrogacy arrangement (and where the child is to be born).
27 April 2016
Webinar: Tier 2 Changes – “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)’s report on its review of the Tier 2 visa category was published in January 2016. Despite fears that the restrictive measures recommended by the MAC would be followed in their entirety, the government has adopted a more cautious approach in a number of areas and decided not to introduce some of the changes which would have been most damaging to businesses. Following our blog dated 29 March 2016, which you can find HERE, in this webinar we will consider more closely the proposed Tier 2 changes for Autumn 2016 and Spring 2017.
29 March 2016
The Home Office announces changes to Tier 2
Following the publication of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC)’s report on its review of the Tier 2 visa category in January 2016, the Home Office has now announced details of the changes it will introduce for the Tier 2 visa route. Despite fears that the restrictive measures recommended by the MAC would be followed in their entirety, it is to be welcomed that the government has adopted a more cautious approach in some areas and decided not to introduce some of the changes which would have been most damaging to businesses.
23 March 2016
Further details regarding the Immigration Skills Charge announced
As you are aware the government is proposing to introduce an Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) for Sponsors who hire Tier 2 migrants and we last wrote to you about the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations with regard to this in our 20 January 2016 alert. This week you may have come across reports which seek to confirm the details of the Charge.
11 March 2016
Government publishes its latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules
The government published its latest Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules today and contrary to expectations, none of the widely anticipated new measures have been introduced, following the recommendations of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in its Tier 2 Review report in January.