An American mother living in Scotland has been given bittersweet news this Christmas.
Angela Faye Smith, 41, had been facing deportation following the breakdown of her marriage and an unsuccessful visa application. Ms Smith, who had initially entered the UK on a marriage visa, had been informed that she would need to leave the UK on 13th December as her application had been rejected and, as she did not have possession of her two children’s passports, she would have to leave them both in the UK when she was made to return to the USA.
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Immigration consultant UK immigration, USA immigration immigration, Marriage visas, UK, UK Border Agency, USA, Visa
One of the most frequently asked questions our clients ask is “How long does it typically take to obtain a UK settlement visa?” We are pleased to provide the most up-to-date information regarding the current processing times for fiancée, partner and marriage visa applications at some UK visa-issuing posts abroad that our office deals with on a regular basis.
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Immigration consultant UK immigration Marriage visas, spouse visa, UK, UK fiancée, Visa
Home Secretary Alan Johnson has recently been in talks with the UK Border Agency to look at ways in which the proposed identity card scheme for foreign nationals may be speeded up.
The current plans see all foreign nationals requiring compulsory identity cards within three years, meaning that any person from outside the European Economic Area wanting to live and work in the UK for more than six months will have to go through the rigorous process of obtaining an identity card, which includes both personal and biometric information.
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Immigration consultant UK immigration UK, UK Border Agency
Recent changes to the fee structure of both onshore and offshore UK visa applications came into effect on Monday 6th April 2009, having initially been announced in February, and apply to all applicants looking to visit, work or stay in the UK, including fiancee, partner and marriage visa applications.
These fee changes are in direct response to the review conducted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regarding consular and visa services, with a general consensus reached that those that use the service should be covering the associated costs. Foreign Office Minister Gillian Merron explained, “It is right that those who benefit from consular services should meet the cost of them, rather than the UK taxpayer. The new fees represent the full economic cost of what we do, and will ensure that British missions continue to provide a high standard of service to consular customers.”
more details at marriagevisahelp.com
Immigration consultant UK immigration Fee, UK, Visa
The Knowledge of Life test for those visa applicants of all categories, including UK marriage visas and partner visa applications, has just got a little bit stricter.
While the test itself is, in many ways, a continuous work of changes and amendments in response to the changing face of life in the UK, an announcement made on 19th March 2009 has highlighted the necessity for UK visa applicants of all categories to pass the Knowledge of Life test before settlement can be granted.
This is a core change to the current visa application process because, prior to this announcement which came into affect on 31st March 2009, some UK settlement visa applications that met all the relevant requirements except the Knowledge of Life test were able to be automatically considered for limited leave to remain to be granted in the same category, with the difference in monetary fees being refunded.
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Immigration consultant European immigration, UK immigration settlement visa, settlement visa application process, UK
One of the most frequently asked questions our clients ask about the UK settlement visa application process is “How long does it typically take to obtain a visa?” We are pleased to provide you with the most up-to-date information on the current processing times. The table shown below represents cases that have been approved within the last two months.
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Immigration consultant European immigration, UK immigration Marriage visas, Processing Times, settlement visa application process, UK, UK fiancée
On 1st June 2009, the UK Border Agency brought an important change into effect regarding the processing of a range of visa-related applications.
The core change is that applications for registration certificates, residence cards, family member residence stamps and confirmation of permanent residence in the United Kingdome by European nationals and their families will now be checked for accurate completion as soon as they are received by the UK Border Agency.
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Immigration consultant European immigration, UK immigration EU, UK, UK Border Agency
