Big changes were announced by the UK government recently concerning their immigration rules. So today we’ll be primarily talking about alterations around the visit visa, student visa, and the EU Settlement Scheme.
These updates are pretty significant and will certainly have a knock-on effect on employers, students, and immigrants. So, let’s dive into these changes and explore what they mean for all the parties involved.
Automatic Extension of Pre-settled Status
The first thing to note is a neat tweak to the rules around Pre-settled Status. From August 9, 2023, the pre-settled status of an individual can be extended automatically.
This can happen even if the person hasn’t made a formal application to the Home Office. It seems the Home Office is taking on board some of the feedback from a successful legal challenge by the Independent Monitoring Authority. They’re also looking at a process to auto-convert pre-settled status holders to settled status if they are eligible, which sounds promising!
Evaluation of Late Application Justifications
Basically, this is how they’re going to be looking at late applications to the EUSS. The new rules mean that assessing if someone has a reasonable excuse for submitting a late application will be tied to whether their application is valid, rather than whether they’re eligible.
Updates to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL)
When it comes to job-related changes, there have been some significant updates to the Shortage Occupation List or SOL. Starting from August 7, 2023, a bunch of jobs in the construction and fishing industry have been added to the SOL.
What does this mean?
Well, If you’re a worker applying under these categories, you can look forward to lower visa fees and salary thresholds.
It’s important to remember that while some of these rule changes are the UK Government’s attempt to reduce net immigration, adding certain occupations to the shortage list could well lead to an increase in immigration.
It’s crucial that everyone, including employers, sponsors, visa nationals, and immigrants, fully understand these changes. This will ensure you’re all following the rules, but more importantly, it’ll help you make the best, most informed decisions.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on UK immigration.
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