UK Visa/Passport News

11 percent more Indian travelers have visited the United Kingdom from July 2018 to June 2019, compared to the same previous 12-month period. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics latest quarterly report on Migration Statistics over 503,000 Indian passport holder were granted with visitor visas for the year ending June 2019. British High Commissioner to India, Dominic Asquith asserts that the new figures are good news for the relationship between the UK and India. He [...]

The head of two Home Office sections, Mark Thomson,  director general of HM Passport Office (HMPO) and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), will leave his office in March next year. Thompson's decision was made known through a leaked email that he sent to his staff. “The sharp-eyed amongst you may notice that my job has been advertised today. I wanted to let you all know that after five years in the Home Office I have decided the [...]

A no-deal Brexit scenario could now mean no more visa-free traveling to the UK for citizens of the EU countries as of 31 October, the day on which Brexit has been scheduled to take place. The new Home Office Secretary of the Boris Johnson Government, Priti Patel, allegedly wants to toughen the Home Office's stance when it comes to freedom of travel. Senior officials from the Home Office have traveled to Singapore, on Patel's orders, to study [...]

Within four and a half months since the EU Settlement Scheme was launched in the United Kingdom, about a million EU citizens living in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have received the status granted under the scheme. Acceding to a press release of the UK government more than 50,000 people lodged their applications in the opening weekend alone. Up to the end of July, 950,000 applications were filed in England, 50,000 in Scotland, 15,000 in Wales [...]

The potential successor of Theresa May as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, current Home Secretary Sajid Javid wants to create a better environment for foreign students in the UK who wish to stay and work post-graduation. [adinserter block="1" check="exceptions"] Pakistani-origin minister, who is one of the 10 persons that may succeed May as the leader of the UK Conservative Party, recently said that as a PM he would make a post-study program for foreign students [...]

A dozen of authors from African and Middle East countries, who were scheduled to participate at last year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival, had failed to participate after their visa applications were rejected at least once by the UK Home Office.  Organizers of the festival fear that the same may happen this year, thus stopping authors from attending the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Though the artistic director of the festival Nick Barley, says it is too early to [...]

The United Kingdom is set to keep its position as the second country in the world with most international students, even after Brexit. Previously in March, the UK Government's Department for Education published a new International Education Strategy outlining plan that aims to boost the number of international students in the UK. It is estimated that if the law is introduced it will increase the number of internationals studying in the UK universities by over 30% during [...]

The United Kingdom government has set out provisions for EU citizens coming to the UK, upon Brexit, in case of a no-deal. According to an outline published in the UK govt portal, if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, the government will seek to end free movement as soon as possible. Nationals of the EEA and Switzerland, as well as their family members will be able to travel to the UK for visits, work and study. [...]

Nationals of the European Union living in the United Kingdom will no longer need to pay to remain in the country post-Brexit. The UK Prime Minister Theresa May has decided to scrap the £65 fee that previously announced. According to her, the decision has been taken to remove the "financial barrier for any EU nationals who want to stay.” “I can confirm today that when we roll out the scheme in full on 30 March, the government [...]

Despite of issuing a press release last week, claiming that the Tier 1 Investor Visa route would be suspended, such a thing will not happen. A short statement issued by a Home Office Spokesperson claims that the former decision has been overturned. No further explanation has been given in this regard. “The Tier 1 Investor visa is not currently suspended, however we remain committed to reforming the route. A further announcement will be made in due course,” [...]