https://freemovement.org.uk Updates, commentary, training and advice on immigration and asylum law Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:42:21 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://freemovement.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/cropped-Goose-logo-32x32.png https://freemovement.org.uk 32 32 https://freemovement.org.uk/how-to-apply-for-electronic-travel-authorisation-to-enter-the-uk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-apply-for-electronic-travel-authorisation-to-enter-the-uk https://freemovement.org.uk/how-to-apply-for-electronic-travel-authorisation-to-enter-the-uk/#respond Wed, 08 Jan 2025 08:42:19 +0000 https://freemovement.org.uk/?p=189884&preview=true&preview_id=189884 The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme was first announced in the March 2023 Statement of Changes to the immigration rules HC 1160. This post explains what the scheme is, who needs an electronic travel authorisation, and how to apply. The relevant immigration rules are found in Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation and Appendix ETA National List. There is also […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/how-to-apply-for-electronic-travel-authorisation-to-enter-the-uk/feed/ 0 https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-alleged-deception-innocent-mistakes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=general-grounds-refusal-alleged-deception-innocent-mistakes https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-alleged-deception-innocent-mistakes/#comments Fri, 20 Sep 2024 07:30:44 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=10265 Making a mistake on an immigration application form can be disastrous. If the mistake is interpreted by officials as an attempt to mislead or deceive, the application may be refused and can also lead to a ten-year ban on re-entry to the UK. Following a Court of Appeal decision that drew a distinction between submission […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-alleged-deception-innocent-mistakes/feed/ 3 https://freemovement.org.uk/visa-routes-for-overseas-entertainers-have-descended-into-farce-how-they-can-be-improved/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=visa-routes-for-overseas-entertainers-have-descended-into-farce-how-they-can-be-improved https://freemovement.org.uk/visa-routes-for-overseas-entertainers-have-descended-into-farce-how-they-can-be-improved/#comments Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:30:00 +0000 https://freemovement.org.uk/?p=210749 Being somewhat of a dinosaur (55) I can remember when the UK had a work permit system specific to entertainers and sportspeople. A little team of civil servants beavering away in an office near the Houses of Parliament, deciding who gets a work permit and who doesn’t. For two years I was one of those […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/visa-routes-for-overseas-entertainers-have-descended-into-farce-how-they-can-be-improved/feed/ 1 https://freemovement.org.uk/immigration-rules-for-visitors-to-the-united-kingdom/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=immigration-rules-for-visitors-to-the-united-kingdom https://freemovement.org.uk/immigration-rules-for-visitors-to-the-united-kingdom/#comments Fri, 05 Jul 2024 07:30:09 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=21180 A visit visa allows a person to visit the United Kingdom on a temporary basis, usually for up to six months at a time. As is typical of many sections of the immigration rules, the rules for visitors are complex and spread across several different appendices. The rules are also updated frequently by the Home […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/immigration-rules-for-visitors-to-the-united-kingdom/feed/ 1 https://freemovement.org.uk/more-flexibility-for-business-visitors-from-today/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=more-flexibility-for-business-visitors-from-today Wed, 31 Jan 2024 08:30:00 +0000 https://freemovement.org.uk/?p=203681 On 7 December 2023, the Government announced changes to the immigration rules relating to visitors with a new statement of changes. In short, the changes have created some flexibility to the permitted work-related activities that visitors can undertake and are primarily aimed at those conducting business in the UK. While this expands the activities that […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/do-foreign-gamers-need-a-visa-to-play-competitive-esports-in-the-uk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-foreign-gamers-need-a-visa-to-play-competitive-esports-in-the-uk Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:30:00 +0000 https://freemovement.org.uk/?p=194852 In this article we look at how foreign eSports (competitive video gaming) competitors can use the visitor route to participate in UK competitions and what the rules say about earning prize money. We also look at options for gamers looking to apply their trade in the UK on a long-term basis. While most gaming is […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-criminal-convictions-public-good-character-conduct-associations/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=general-grounds-refusal-criminal-convictions-public-good-character-conduct-associations Fri, 15 Sep 2023 07:00:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=46971 Criminal convictions and other signs of poor character can, unsurprisingly, negatively affect applications for leave to enter or remain in the UK. Those caught out by these rules over the years include former boxer Mike Tyson, Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman, Tyler, the Creator and perhaps OJ Simpson. By their nature, blanket rules can […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/there-is-no-180-day-rule-for-visitors-to-the-uk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=there-is-no-180-day-rule-for-visitors-to-the-uk Tue, 11 Jul 2023 09:35:33 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=124186 One of the most common UK immigration myths is that there is a maximum permitted stay of 180 days in a year (or six months in 12 months) for UK visitors.  This myth has been propagated not just by migrants but also by advisers and even UK Border Force staff. In reality, there is no […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/briefing-what-is-the-common-travel-area-and-how-does-it-work/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=briefing-what-is-the-common-travel-area-and-how-does-it-work https://freemovement.org.uk/briefing-what-is-the-common-travel-area-and-how-does-it-work/#comments Mon, 12 Jun 2023 08:00:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=188025 The common travel area enables passport-free and legal travel between the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands for British and Irish citizens and migrants with lawful status. Once a person is within the common travel area, there are no routine passport checks on local […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/briefing-what-is-the-common-travel-area-and-how-does-it-work/feed/ 1 https://freemovement.org.uk/visit-visa-operations-are-refreshingly-well-run/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=visit-visa-operations-are-refreshingly-well-run Fri, 21 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=187876 The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has now published a report on visit visa operations between December 2022 and January 2023 which confirms that overall, this area of the Home Office is functioning well, with an apparent “focus on improving the operational effectiveness of the workflow tool”. Post-pandemic, managers reported struggling to recruit […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-owing-debt-nhs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=general-grounds-refusal-owing-debt-nhs https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-owing-debt-nhs/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2022 10:00:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=44772 Owing a debt to the National Health Service is a ground for refusing applications for permission to enter or remain in the UK. Such debts arise because “overseas visitors” are charged for certain types of NHS treatment. The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015 No. 238) required NHS trusts in England […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/general-grounds-refusal-owing-debt-nhs/feed/ 1 https://freemovement.org.uk/business-travel-between-the-uk-and-eu-post-brexit-schengen-eta-etias/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=business-travel-between-the-uk-and-eu-post-brexit-schengen-eta-etias Mon, 28 Mar 2022 10:00:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=164581 Before 1 January 2021, British and EU citizens did not require a visa to travel across the Channel on a business trip. This is largely still the case post-Brexit, so we’ve been left with the appearance that nothing has really changed from a legal perspective. But with the end of free movement, immigration rules between […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/pakistani-property-tycoons-excluded-from-the-uk/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pakistani-property-tycoons-excluded-from-the-uk Mon, 06 Dec 2021 09:30:49 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=161817 A visit visa can be cancelled for a variety of reasons. One such reason is that the person’s exclusion from the UK is “conducive to the public good” due to their conduct, character and associations. The Court of Appeal considered this provision in Hussain & Anor v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/immigration-rule-pa7-short-term-work-on-a-visit-visa-permitted-activities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=immigration-rule-pa7-short-term-work-on-a-visit-visa-permitted-activities https://freemovement.org.uk/immigration-rule-pa7-short-term-work-on-a-visit-visa-permitted-activities/#comments Wed, 06 Oct 2021 11:30:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=160499 British businesses have long relied on workers from the European Union to come in for short or medium-term projects. Before Brexit, this was frictionless from an immigration perspective. People arrived, people worked, people left and businesses were happy. EU free movement ended (for the UK) on 31 December 2020, but the impact has been largely […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/immigration-rule-pa7-short-term-work-on-a-visit-visa-permitted-activities/feed/ 1 https://freemovement.org.uk/eu-citizens-are-being-denied-entry-to-the-uk-what-are-the-visa-rules-for-visitors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eu-citizens-are-being-denied-entry-to-the-uk-what-are-the-visa-rules-for-visitors https://freemovement.org.uk/eu-citizens-are-being-denied-entry-to-the-uk-what-are-the-visa-rules-for-visitors/#comments Fri, 21 May 2021 08:30:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=153673 Travel to the UK is opening back up, but not as we previously knew it. The news has been replete with examples of EU citizens being denied entry at UK airports and detained for removal. These stories are nothing new to jaded non-European ears. But for many European travellers, this early post-Brexit period is the […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/eu-citizens-are-being-denied-entry-to-the-uk-what-are-the-visa-rules-for-visitors/feed/ 1 https://freemovement.org.uk/tour-visa-fears-are-overstated/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tour-visa-fears-are-overstated https://freemovement.org.uk/tour-visa-fears-are-overstated/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2021 08:00:37 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=146214 No doubt you will have read about the mudslinging between the UK and EU over the lack of a visa-free deal for touring musicians and entertainers. This has been retweeted and attacked by seemingly every artist you’ve heard of, and even been debated in Parliament. The claims are that the lack of a deal means […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/tour-visa-fears-are-overstated/feed/ 2 https://freemovement.org.uk/new-look-appendix-v-changes-to-uk-visit-visa-rules-from-1-december-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-look-appendix-v-changes-to-uk-visit-visa-rules-from-1-december-2020 https://freemovement.org.uk/new-look-appendix-v-changes-to-uk-visit-visa-rules-from-1-december-2020/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2020 14:50:33 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=138807 New Statement of Changes alert! With the end of EU free movement nearly here and the visitor route likely to see greater use in future, changes to the route have (in the nick of time) now been announced. A new Appendix V will replace the existing version, with a key focus on a consolidated and […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/new-look-appendix-v-changes-to-uk-visit-visa-rules-from-1-december-2020/feed/ 2 https://freemovement.org.uk/upper-tribunal-reminds-visitors-not-to-try-and-stay-in-the-uk-permanently/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=upper-tribunal-reminds-visitors-not-to-try-and-stay-in-the-uk-permanently Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:00:00 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=123806 What happens when you enter the UK as a visitor and then apply to remain here so that you can stay with your British family members? Most immigration lawyers can easily answer this question: your application will be refused. But things can get a bit more complicated. While it is clearly preferable to make the […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/passport-egates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=passport-egates https://freemovement.org.uk/passport-egates/#comments Mon, 12 Aug 2019 08:45:20 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=103297 Every immigration lawyer in the UK will, at least once in their career, be sat in front of a nonchalant non-visa national (usually American, Canadian or Australian) who is blissfully unaware that they have either overstayed their leave as a visitor, breached the conditions of their leave as a visitor, or a bit of both. […]]]> https://freemovement.org.uk/passport-egates/feed/ 2 https://freemovement.org.uk/mps-publish-damning-indictment-of-uk-visa-process-for-african-visitors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mps-publish-damning-indictment-of-uk-visa-process-for-african-visitors Tue, 16 Jul 2019 12:22:30 +0000 https://env-7121714.mightybox.site/?p=101616 A cross-party group of MPs has published a highly critical report on the Home Office’s treatment of visit visa applicants from Africa. It forms part of an ongoing inquiry into the high level of visa refusals for Africans seeking to visit the UK for professional or business reasons. The report, published today, has been issued […]]]>