The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union provisionally agreed on rules to make the Schengen visa process digital to make the processing of visas more efficient, cheaper and user friendly.
Continue reading “EU Preliminary Agreement on Digitalisation of the Schengen Visa Procedure”
On 13 April 2023, the Home Office launched the Innovator Founder visa route. This visa route is designed for entrepreneurs who intend to establish a business in the UK and replaces the Innovator visa and Start-Up visa routes. The main difference between the Innovator Founder and Innovator routes is that the new route will not require individuals to demonstrate they have access to funds of at least £50,000 to invest in the business, albeit the applicants will still be required to show they have sufficient funds to operate the proposed business.
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”