Terence Ray Solicitors

02/08/2025

❗️Important update for UK travellers to the EU

From 12 October 2025, passport stamps will be replaced with biometric checks at EU borders as part of the new Entry/Exit System (EES).

✈️ What this means:
• UK citizens will need to register their fingerprints and have their face scanned when entering the EU.
• Biometric data will be collected at airports, ports, and train stations using dedicated booths.
• Refusal to register means you won’t be allowed entry into the EU.

🛂 Once registered:
• Your data will be valid for 3 years for most travellers.
• On later trips, checks will be quicker – just a biometric scan, no stamping.
• If you overstay your 90-day limit, your data will be held for 5 years.

🆓 There’s no cost for EES registration.

🇪🇺 Full rollout across all EU countries will take six months, with full implementation by April 2026.

⏳ Warning: queues are likely at the start – the UK government advises being prepared for longer waits.

🚗 Special measures:
• Car travellers (e.g. Eurotunnel) may register using hand-held devices.
• French border checks remain in place at Dover, Folkestone, and St Pancras.

✅ Once EES is live, UK nationals will be allowed to use EU e-gates at participating borders (like in Germany and Bulgaria), if they are registered.

21/05/2025

Some extracts from the Government White Paper - Restoring Control over the Immigration System Presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for the Home Department by Command of His Majesty May 2025

1. EARNED SETTLEMENT

- We will therefore reform the current rules around settlement through an expansion
of the principle behind the Points-Based System, that individuals should
earn their right to privileged immigration status in the UK through the long
term contribution they bring to our country.
- This expansion of the Point-Based System will increase the standard
qualifying period for settlement to ten years.
265. We will continue to offer a shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK
dependants of British citizens to five years, provided they have remained
compliant with their requirements, and we will retain existing safeguards to
protect the vulnerable, including settlement rights for victims of domestic
violence and abuse.
- Through the expansion of the Point-Based System, individuals will also
have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period based on Points-Based
contributions to the UK economy and society. We will consult on these
changes later this year.
- Whilst we develop and implement the new ‘Earned Settlement’ model we will
make further changes to settlement rules in the near term. These include:
• The creation of a new bereaved parent route, allowing those in the UK on
the route of a parent of a British or settled child, but who have tragically
lost their child, to settle immediately.
• Ensuring children who have been in the UK for some time, turn 18 and
discover they do not have status, are fully supported and able to
regularise their status and settle. This will also include a clear pathway
for those children in care and care leavers.
2. EARNED CITIZENSHIP

- We will introduce reforms to citizenship to align to earned settlement
reforms, building on the expansion of the Points-Based System to settlement
and citizenship.
- Similar to Earned Settlement, we will increase the standard qualifying
period and expand the Points-Based System to allow those with greater
contributions to qualify sooner. We will also conduct a refresh of the Life in
the UK test and how it operates. Finally, we will consider measures to reduce
the financial barriers to young adults, who have lived here through their
childhood, from accessing British nationality.
3. ENGLISH LANGUAGE

- To support this, we will introduce new English language requirements
across a broader range of immigration routes, for both main applicants and
their dependants, to ensure better knowledge of English, including an
assessment of improvements over time.
- We will increase language requirements for Skilled Workers and workers where a language requirement already applies from B1 to B2 (Independent User) levels, in accordance with the Common European Framework for Reference for Languages (CEFR).

- It is important that we ensure better integration and consistency in our requirements of family members across the immigration system so we will introduce a new English language requirement for all adult dependants of workers and students at level A1 (Basic User) to align to spousal and partner routes and will work towards increasing this requirement over time.

- We want individuals to improve their English language skills over time as they continue their stay in the UK. We will introduce requirements to demonstrate progression to level A2 (Basic User) for any visa extension, and B2 (Independent User) for settlement.

- We will increase our existing requirements for settlement across the majority of immigration routes from B1 to B2 (Independent User).

4. GRADUATE VISAS

- We will reduce the ability for Graduates to remain in the UK after their studies to a period of 18 months. The Government will explore introducing a levy on higher education provider income from international students, to be reinvested into the higher education and skills system. Further details will be set out in the Autumn Budget.

5. GLOBAL TALENT

- We will go further in ensuring that the very highly skilled have opportunities to come to the UK and access our targeted routes for the brightest and best global talent

6. SKILLED MIGRATION

- we will lift the level for skilled workers back to RQF 6 and above. Salary thresholds will rise.

16/05/2025

UK government intention to limit skilled migrants to the UK lacks all the facts.. By this I mean the actual costs that migrants pay to remain in the UK has totally been omitted from the government white paper and therefore given the public only the idea that migrants are here to drain the UK resources. Let’s break it down a bit. A migrant will pay Immigration Health Service of around £1035 per year of the period visa is granted whether they use NHS or not during their stay in addition to visa fees or around £1321 every 2.5 years and almost. Multiply that by number dependants and you will see that some families pay thousands of pounds every 2.5 years. Further, migrants provide services that British citizens cannot fill up and pay taxes in the process, rent houses, buy consumer goods etc. from this above, it’s a win win situation for the government. However, formpokitical expediency, the government only addresses what the UK public wants to hear leaving out the facts. The UK has internal laws that regulate illegal overstayers not to access public services and these laws can be used to manage migration rather than issuing blancket statements that only raises hate and prejudice to migrants who actually contribute more to the UK economy and well being than they are made to appear.

12/05/2025

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-unveils-new-plan-to-end-years-of-uncontrolled-migration

Home Office to unveil new rules for foreign migrants.

The Prime Minister will today announce an end to Britain’s failed experiment in open borders that saw migration soar to one million a year by ensuring people coming here earn the right to stay in the country.

18/04/2025

Home Office fees have gone up. It is advisable for clients that have extensions every 2.5 years to plan ahead over the period and avoid shocks when time comes for extensions.

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas from all of us at Terence Ray Solicitors!

20/12/2024

Right to Work: A Quick Guide for Employers

All employers must check their employees' right to work. Failing to do so, or hiring someone without permission, could result in fines up to £60,000, criminal penalties, or even business closure.

When should checks be done?
Right to work checks must be done before employment begins. Employers must verify identity, citizenship, and visa status (if applicable) to ensure eligibility for the role.

Which verification method should I use?

Manual Checks:

Suitable for employees with British or Irish passports, visas, or naturalisation certificates.
Employers must check the original documents in person or via video.
See the Employer Guide (App A) for a list of acceptable documents: gov.uk guide.

Online Checks:

Mandatory for employees with biometric cards or permits.
From 6 April 2022, physical biometric cards won’t be accepted.
Use the online verification service with the employee's share code: gov.uk view-right-to-work.

Identity Verification Technology:

Suitable for UK and Irish citizens with valid passports (including Irish passport cards).
Employers must use an approved identity verification provider.
More details: gov.uk guide.

Steps to carry out the check

Regardless of the method, employers must:

Ensure documents are valid and belong to the employee.
Check for any work restrictions (e.g., student work hours).
Store copies of documents or verification results during employment and for two years after the employee leaves.

Do I need to do second checks?
For employees with temporary visas, rechecks are required when the visa expires. If the employee has applied for an extension, they can continue working while the application is being processed.

Use the employer verification service if you can't verify eligibility online or with original documents: gov.uk verification service.

13/12/2024

If There is No Decision from the Home Office for a Long Time

On occasion, a decision on your immigration matter may be delayed beyond the typical timelines published by the Home Office.

Visa Processing Times:
- Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK
- Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK

After having checked the deadlines above, if the delay is significant, you can consider the following steps:

1. Contact the Home Office
• Where possible contact them in writing including the following:
- Full name, date of birth, nationality
- Reference number and application date
- Application type (e.g., spouse visa, ILR)
- Address
- Expected decision date (from the links above)
- Previous correspondence dates
- Impact of the delay on you and your family

 For UK applications, contact the department where you submitted your application.
 For overseas applications, find the contact details here: Contact UKVI
 Always use written communication for confirmation.

2. File a Formal Complaint

• If no response or an unsatisfactory response is received, file a complaint: Complaints Procedure
• Include your case details and any previous correspondence. The Home Office should respond within 20 business days.

3. Contact Your MP

• You can contact your local MP for assistance. Their request should be considered within 20 working days.
• Find your MP’s contact information here: Find Your MP

4. Judicial Review – Pre-Action Protocol (PAP)

• Judicial Review (JR) allows a court to review illegal actions by the Home Office.
• If necessary, consult an immigration solicitor or OISC level 3 advisor to submit a PAP letter.
• The Home Office must respond within 21 days, often resolving the delay.

5. Full Judicial Review

If the Home Office does not act after the PAP, you can file a JR in the High Court. This is expensive and should only be used in extreme cases, as it forces a decision without addressing your immigration issue.

06/12/2024

Information about the new eVisas

As you may be aware, the BRP and BRC plastic biometric cards are due to expire on 31 December 2024. After this point, eVisas will officially enter into force.

This week, the Home Office published a message on its website that the cards will still be accepted by airlines and carriers as a confirmation of UK entry until 31 March 2025.

For Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status holders

If you're using a passport stamp or vignette to confirm your rights, you can continue to use these documents just like before, including for travel. However, you are encouraged to apply for No Time Limit to get access to eVisa.

These temporary measures have been introduced by Home Office to avoid disruptions when switching to eVisas. However, there are already many complaints regarding passengers not always being able to access their electronic data, especially from abroad.

More details about this can be found at the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/visa-holders-should-switch-to-an-evisa-now?fbclid=IwY2xjawG_9GtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTZVdhTE63zzMyzoTsi6fWoLI4zZ5z7VGRKqV68MbXe9MEqDdMaaiHtzJg_aem_vYq7oce5gsiDLbcm-yj_IA #:~:text=To%20help%20ensure%20a%20smooth,will%20be%20kept%20under%20review

29/11/2024

This week, 26/11/2024, the Home Office announced the extension of the scheme- Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE). Acceptance of applications will begin from 9:00am on 4 February 2025.

This extension will allow Ukrainian citizens and their families in the country under existing Ukrainian schemes to remain in the UK for another 18 months. Unfortunately, there is no additional information regarding what will happen after this deadline. It should be noted that being in this immigration category does not lead to IMF, but you can switch to other visa categories from the Ukrainian scheme.

Extending the permit will enable Ukrainians on this scheme to continue to live, work and study in the UK, as well as access government benefits.

You must be in the country at the time of applying and have resided in the UK since you received permission under the Ukrainian scheme.

If your child was born in the UK after 18th March 2022, you can apply on their behalf if you are on the Ukrainian scheme.

Important:
• Apply only if the period of your current authorization expires in 28 days or less.
• Late filing of an application can lead to the loss of rights, including the opportunity to work and receive benefits, as well as the need to return received government funds.

Click the link for more details: https://www.gov.uk/.../applying-to-the-ukraine-permission...

22/11/2024

Electronic Visa (E-VISA)

From 1 January 2025, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) will be switching to a digital immigration system, replacing physical documents with E-Visa.

WHAT’S GOING TO CHANGE?
Physical documents - biometric residence permit (BRP), biometric resident cards (BRC), passport visa markings and visa stickers are being replaced.
However, until the end of 2024, you must continue to carry a physical document and registered passport with you.

BENEFITS OF E-VISA:
- Cannot be lost or stolen.
- Fast processing at the border.
- Easy exchange of status with employers and landlords.

E-VISA REGISTRATION:
First, register on the UKVI website to create a personal account, access and exchange your eVisa.
Registration is possible without receiving an email with instructions. You can create an account and access your E-Visa here: https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa

BRP OWNERS
If your BRP expires on 31st December 2024, the UKVI will provide you with instructions on how to create an account by this date.

BRC OWNERS
You already have an e-Visa, and a personal office was created when submitting documents according to the European scheme. Continue to carry your BRC with you on international trips until the end of 2024.

OTHER PHYSICAL DOCUMENTS CONFIRMING STATUS
If you are eligible for a Permanent Residence (PMH) and you are currently confirming your immigration status using another physical document such as a passport visa stamp or visa sticker, you should apply for a ‘NTL’ application. If your NTL application is successful, you will receive a Biometric Residence (BRP) to confirm your rights. After which you can set up a personal UKVI to access your eVisa later this year.

15/11/2024

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW AFTER APPLYING FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP?

We are often asked whether those who initially needed a UK visa can leave the country after applying for naturalisation as a UK citizen.

In short, yes.

You can leave outside the UK while your application is being considered in the Home Office. When applying you can provide a passport copy, use your current passport for biometrics and then travel outside the UK.

If the Home Office make a positive decision, you are obliged to attend the Citizenship Ceremony within three months from the date of receiving the Home Office decision.
From the moment you receive the Certificate and until you receive a British Passport, it is not advised to leave the country, as there can be problems upon your return.

Once you have received a Certificate of Naturalisation, your current immigration status loses its power, and you must obtain a British passport.

As soon as you receive a British passport, cut your ILR or BRC in half and send a piece in a closed envelope to the Home Office (the letter will provide the address to send the liquidated card) with a letter stating that you are now a British passport holder, otherwise there will be a fine.

This will be in effect until the end of 2024, after which all physical status cards will be replaced with an electronic entry.