The Home Office has released the first Statement of Changes for 2023. We have highlighted some of the most important changes announced on this occasion, including the Electronic Travel Authorisation, the Innovator Founder Visa / Start-Up Visa, the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa, the Expansion Worker Visa and the Youth Mobility Visa.
Continue reading “U.K. Immigration: Statement of Changes, 9 March 2023 – Points of Interest”
The Global Talent visa scheme launched in February 2020 as a bespoke immigration route designed to attract talent to the United Kingdom (U.K.).
Foreign nationals can apply for a Global Talent visa to work in the U.K. if they are a leader or potential leader in the fields of academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.
Most applicants, unless they have won an eligible award, can only apply for a Global Talent visa if they have successfully obtained an endorsement from an approved body that verifies them as a leader or a potential leader in their field.
The Home Office has now released details relating to its new visa scheme, the India Young Professionals Scheme visa. In November 2022, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the planned introduction of the scheme during the G20 summit in Indonesia. Full details have now been released, and the scheme will formally come into operation from 28 February 2023. The scheme is part of the planned increased collaboration between India and the United Kingdom (UK) through their free trade agreement currently being negotiated, and it aims to bring up to 3,000 Indian nationals to the UK each year.
Continue reading “The India Young Professionals Scheme UK Visa: Ballot Launching Soon”
As part of its new universal “Permission to Travel” scheme, the United Kingdom (U.K.) government is introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visa-exempt individuals visiting the U.K. By requiring everyone wishing to travel to the U.K. to have permission in advance of travel, the U.K. government intends to implement security checks at an earlier stage. The government believes that this should result in a more seamless and efficient entry process at the U.K. border.
Continue reading “U.K. Immigration: Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme to Launch in 2023”
By the end of 2023, it is anticipated that visitors to the European Union (EU) who do not require a visa will have to apply for authorisation through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). This new pre-travel screening system will apply to visitors to countries that are in the Schengen Area of the EU. Countries within the Schengen Area include all EU member states (except for Ireland), as well as the four members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Although Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania are not currently within the Schengen Area, as EU member states that are expected to join Schengen, they will be part of ETIAS.
Continue reading “Visiting the EU from November 2023? You May Need to Apply for ETIAS Authorisation”
While U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) made clear that it would not be increasing the $2,500 premium processing fee in its latest round of proposed fee increases, the agency announced on January 12 its final phase of premium processing expansion for EB-1 and EB-2 Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers.
Beginning January 30, 2023, USCIS will accept Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service for all EB-1 multinational executive and manager petitions and all EB-2 national interest waiver (NIW) petitions. Notably, unlike previous phases of premium processing expansion, this phase applies to all petitions, both new (initial) and previously filed (pending) under the EB-1 multinational executive and manager petitions and all EB-2 NIW categories.
Continue reading “USCIS Announces Expansion of Premium Processing”