2019 was an eventful year for Britain. We had a new Prime Minister, not to mention the first December election in 60 years. Brexit was supposed to happen in March, and then it didn't. It was also supposed to occur on Halloween, but again, it didn't. The minimum wage rose and South Africa beat England in the Rugby World Cup final.
On 30 March 2019, the UK government opened the EU Settled Status scheme for EU/EEA nationals living in the UK.
Most of the 3.4 million EU/EEA nationals living in the UK who wish to remain after Brexit must apply for Settled or Pre-Settled Status. Although most applications are approved without incident, serious concerns surrounding the scheme developed throughout 2019.
In December, the Public Law Project (PLP) released findings from a series of Freedom of Information Requests. They showed 89.5 o;f Settled Status decisions subjected to Administrative Review were overturned.
In 2016/17, before the Settled Status scheme being opened, the success rate of Administrative Reviews was 3.4.<;/p>
Following the release of the figures, the PLP raised concerns that the high success rate of Administrative Reviews relating to Settled Status applications indicated immigration caseworkers were making many mistakes.
Failing to gain Settled Status could affect an EU migrant's ability to find housing, employment, and access healthcare, even if they have lived in Britain for decades.
There is also concern that the scheme could result in another Windrush scandal in the future. Research collected from churches, schools, homeless day centres, and other similar organisations from EU nationals who are elderly, disabled, under 18, homeless, lack key life skills, isolated due to where they live or work, victims of modern slavery, or members of the Roma community show that many are disengaged from the Settled Status Scheme process. Many do not have smartphones or access to the Internet or have criminal records and are therefore fearful of applying for Settled Status.
"We found that people are sometimes disengaging from the app when it fails to find any data on them. This mainly applies to women who stay at home to look after children and struggle to supply any obvious additional evidence - such as tenancy agreements and bills held by their working partner - so their advice needs are much more significant. The app also does not allow users to go back and correct any mistakes in the application."
These people are at high risk of not only being deported once the Settled Status scheme closes in June 2021 but of being exploited by 'cowboy' advisors charging extortionate amounts for legal guidance.
Always check that your immigration Solicitors is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority before you instruct them. The information will be on the firm's website.
In March 2019, with almost no warning, the Government announced that the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa and the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa were closing. At the same time, it was announced that the Innovator Visa and the Startup Visa would replace these entry routes.
The replacement of the Tier 1 entrepreneur routes was preceded by recommendations from the Migration Advisory Authority (MAC) in 2015.
Since its launch in March 2019, there has been a low take-up of the Innovator Visa. One of the reasons is that many of the official endorsing bodies have been unable to accept applications due to lack of readiness and/or government information. For example, Tech Nation, which is charged with endorsing applicants wanting to launch a technology business in the UK, is not accepting Innovator Visa endorsement applications until April 2020.
On the face of it, the Innovator Visa looks more attractive than the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa, especially given the fact an applicant must only provide £50,000 in investment funds rather than £200,000. However, there is concern that the lack of support endorsing bodies have received means that people who have the brains, energy, and ambition to launch a successful start-up, create jobs, and grow their business in both national and international markets will look elsewhere. After all, the UK is not the only country that wants to attract bright entrepreneurs.
Despite the initial negativity, it should be noted that most of the applications received under the Start-up and Innovator visa scheme have been granted. We feel that if endorsing bodies receive the guidance and support required, the new scheme will provide greater flexibility for talented entrepreneurs entering the UK.
One of the biggest controversies of former Home Secretary/Prime Minister, Theresa May's immigration figures was that they included international students. This was especially misleading given that those on a Tier 4 Student Visa currently only have four months to obtain a job with an employer who holds a Sponsor Licence and apply for a Tier 2 (General) Visa.
In 2016, the Prime Minister of India was especially dismissive of Theresa May's attempts to discuss a post-Brexit trade deal with unless rights for Indian students and workers wishing to come to the UK were improved.
India's High Commissioner, Dinesh Patnaik, stated:
"Students, tourists and short-term visitors are not migrants under any definition.
"Post-Brexit, you need Indians. Our tourists... don't come to Britain due to difficult visa conditions."
To entice more international students, the Conservative government announced late last year that a new scheme would be brought in allowing graduates to stay in the UK for two years after completing their studies. During this time, graduates can either work or look for work. Once they find a position, they will have the opportunity to switch to a Tier 2 Visa.
Two years is a more realistic timeframe for students who do not want to leave Britain immediately after their course ends to find a suitable job
Details of the new graduate visa have yet to be announced; however, we will update you as soon as more information is made available.
It's a shame that you dont have an 'Excellent' star rating on here, as my experience with Reiss Edwards is nothing short of an excellent rating. They handled my application for an Indefinite Leave to remain in April 2014 and did my husband's one very recently including my daughter. Every time i have approached them, they have continued to treat me with courtesy, respect and patience. Amar was indeed a very thorough and professional gentleman. He is very knowledgeable, corporative and engaging. He responded to my emails, calls and enquiries promptly. He was always reassuring. I could not have asked for a better Immigration service. I would recommend them over and over again for anyone looking for an immigration advice. They gave me a free immigration advice when i called them, and the quality of the advice was something other charge thousands for. If you need a particular, name, Amar would be it. He exemplifies, for me, the true, professional gentleman. He is a valuable asset to Reiss Edwards.
I am glad that i instructed Reiss Edwards on my visa matter. It started with a 20 minutes free immigration advice. I met with Amar to discuss my ILR refusal. He gave me a great deal of quality advice and decided to take on my messy case. I had doubts on the merits of my case by he was relatively convinced he could win it. That made me quite secure. To be honest, things did not start as quick as I would have wanted, but they kept on communicating the process and state of things to me.A big thank you to Verusha and Foram. They were also very helpful. Brilliant and informative. Their fee was fair and reasonable, especially if you compare them to other law firms and immigration law firms in London; some of whom even told me that i would not be able to get an indefinte leave to remain in this country. The process was long but was worth it. In the end, a big thank you to Reiss Edwards.
Investing over 2 million pounds is defintely not a routine decision. We had to make sure that the Tier 1 investor immigration lawyers that we'd be picking has to be one of the best within the Tier 1 investor category. We contacted Reiss Edwards and they were able to get us not only the Tier 1 investor visa but also suggested profitable investment portfolios in addition to what we already had in mind.
TI have just had British Citizenship application approved. Prior to making the application, i was not sure which law firm i should hire to facilitate the paperwork. After a few hours of research, i decided to go with Reiss Edwards and i must confess that i wasnt disappointed. The immigration lawyers at Reiss Edwards handled my case well and they really knew what they were doing. They were fully aware of what documents I needed and it was easy for them to tell if my case was going to be easy or not. At the end of the day, I have not received my British citizenship within 3 months. If anyone is looking for a good immigration lawyer to handle thier case, contact Reiss Edwards.
Fantastic Solicitors!!!
My wife's spouse visa extension application was refused by the Home Office and they gave her 14 days to leave the country. We contacted Reiss Edwards and they said "OK don't worry we will sort this out". They put together the list of documents for me to obtain and they prepared a bundle which was as thick as the printer it came out from.We followed everything they asked us to do and in the end we won our appeal and got our spouse visa. We can't recommend them enough and we have promised ourselves never to make any more UK visa applications without them.
The team of lawyers at Reiss Edwards are very professional and friendly people. Their experience in and around UK immigration law is quite extensive; be sure that you application is in safe and competent hands. My immigration matter was an indefinite leave to remain application based on Tier 1 on a self-employment basis. The immigration lawyers at Reiss Edwards made sure that the application was perfect and ready to be accepted. I got a positive decision and I recommend them highly for anyone who needs a UK immigration help.
I contacted Reiss Edwards to help me with my wife's UK settlement visa. They acted with utmost professionalism throughout the entire application. I spoke with Joe Dinh, he is an immigration solicitor and he is one of the best solicitors out there. He ensured that there was little to no room for error. At some point I thought he was over cautious. He remained calmed and continued to assure us on our immigration matter. Most people in his position would have panicked but he was calmed and continued to assure us. We received out positive outcome very quickly.
I have been using Reiss Edwards for three years now for my family's immigration application. Both for my initial application and extension. They are really affordable. The team of solicitors at this firm are probably one of the most efficient and economical in terms of cost. They offered free advice over the phone and spent good time with us before inviting us for consultation.
Reiss Edwards is a top notch immigration service company. The way they handled our documentation and also the list of documents they sent was efficient and top quality. They helped us professionally throughout the process. We are very happy with the immigration advice we received from the team. We highly recommend them.
I used Reiss Edwards immigration lawyers to assist with my immigration matter and that of my family. It was an EX1 application. They dealt with the matter properly and even when complications were coming up from the Home Office, they helped resolve the issue properly. They are very professional and are very popular in London. I am happy to have worked with them.
This is the only firm that i spoke with that didn't ask for money before listening to me, will be using them again.
I used Reiss Edwards for my Tier 2 visa application and it was successful. The team was ever present and happy to answer my question. The caseworker that dealing with my case went on holiday yet by case did not suffer one bit. Another lawyer stepped and took over the case without any hassle.
My Tier 1 Investor Visa was dealt with quickly and without issue. Would recommend Reiss Edwards as an Immigration law firm in London. Thank you to the team.
1st Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QT, United Kingdom