IMMIGRATION GLOSSARY

Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 gives the Home Secretary power to deny support to asylum seekers who have not applied for asylum ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’. In December 2003, the Home Secretary provided further clarification by ...

When the Home Office believes that the asylum seeker comes from a safe country and would not face a risk of being persecuted, it deems it a ‘clearly unfounded case’. Cases from certain countries are always certified as clearly ...

The two countries that joined the European Union on 1 January 2007: Bulgaria and Romania.

Eight Central and Eastern European countries that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The A8 does not include the other two countries that joined on this date: Cyprus and Malta.

The acceptance of a country as a new member of the European Union.

Countries which joined the European Union in 2004 and which had a low per capita income compared to the UK (i.e. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary and Estonia). These also include countries which joined the European Union ...

Accession Worker Cards are required by Bulgarian and Romanian nationals if they wish to work in the UK.

To make a decision or determination, usually related to a legal issue or dispute. When an immigration case has been “adjudicated,” this means that an officer has made a decision to either approve or deny the case.

"The enforced removal to their country of origin of an overstayer of an illegal entrant by the UK Border Agency. Administrative removal is authorised under section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. A person who is not a British citizen ...

If your immigration application is refused and you do not have the right to appeal the decision, you may be able to apply for an administrative review. Under this process, UK Visas and Immigration will review the application that was ...

After-entry application to vary leave to remain is an application from a person wishing to extend or change the status of their stay in the UK. An individual is required to make an application for an extension or change in ...

"An Age disputed application occurs when an asylum applicant claims to be a minor but his/her appearance strongly suggests that he/she is over 18. The Home Office policy is to treat the applicant as an adult until there is ...

An age-disputed child is an asylum applicant whose claimed date of birth is not accepted by the Home Office and/or by the local authority who have been approached to provide support. This term is usually used to refer to ...

If you are a commonwealth citizen aged 17 or over and you have a UK born grandparent, you can apply for a UK ancestry visa to come to the UK to seek and take up work. To qualify you will need ...

If your immigration application is refused and you have a right of appeal, this means that you can challenge the decision in Court, initially the First-tier Tribunal. You will have an opportunity to put forward evidence in support of your ...

"The person appealing a decision. In an immigration appeal, the Home Office or Secretary of State for the Home Department, is the Respondent. An applicant who has applied for leave to enter or remain in the UK and is appealing ...

ARC is a credit card sized document issued to asylum applicants after screening to show that they have applied for asylum. It is also used as evidence of identity, immigration status and entitlements in the UK. It holds identifying information ...

A quarterly survey of British households. See our data sources and limitations page for a detailed description.

Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) states that ‘No one shall be subjected to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment’. A person can make a claim for protection based directly on Article 3 of ECHR ...

Article 31 of the 1951 Refugee Convention prohibits states from penalising a refugee for illegal entry when the purpose of their entry is to claim asylum.

Article 8 of the ECHR states that “Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence”. Article 8 issues may be raised as part of an asylum application, or in the context of ...

Affording sanctuary to nationals of foreign countries in accordance with the requirements of the 1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees. Signatory states to the Convention undertake not to return to his country of origin any person who is able ...

The first tier Asylum and Immigration Tribunal hears and decides appeals against decisions made by the Home Office in matters of asylum, immigration and nationality. Decisions can be appealed in the second tier (Upper) Tribunal on points of law. In ...

Individuals who come to the UK to apply for protection as refugees and who are still waiting for a decision on their claim.

An asylum interview is a substantive interview about a person’s reasons for claiming asylum in the UK.

The asylum screening unit  in Croydon is the entry point into the asylum system. It is here that in-country asylum seekers make their initial asylum claims and where immigration officers conduct screening interviews. Within the screening unit the Asylum ...

"An asylum seeker is someone who has lodged an application for protection on the basis of the Refugee Convention or Article 3 of the ECHR. A person who has applied for asylum but whose application is still pending, or a person ...

Asylum seekers who are destitute may be able to receive accommodation and/or subsistence support from the Home Office. It was previously known as NASS support. An application for support has to be made on the ASF1 form. Accepting accommodation ...

Asylum Support Adjudicators consider appeals by asylum seekers against Home Office decisions to refuse or terminate asylum support.

ASYS is the Home Office asylum seekers support system database, which contains details of asylum seekers applying for and receiving support.