Huge numbers of Brits applying for non-UK passports post-Brexit!

More than 350,000 Brits have applied for a non-UK passport as an insurance policy post-Brexit, in the hope that it will grant them immunity from any negative outcomes of exiting the EU.

This surge has been rising steadily since the result of the EU referendum back in 2016, with some even forfeiting their British passport to retain their EU rights after Brexit.

For many this is a protest against Brexit, and a way to show their personal connection to the EU, and for others it shows nothing more than a desire to get through airport security as quickly as possible.

No matter the reason, the sheer amount of people going for a different passport is hard to ignore.

Popular choices

One of the more popular countries people are applying for an alternate passport is Ireland, due to the close ties between Ireland and the UK and the fact that many English people can claim blood ties to Ireland in their ancestry.

However, there has also been high amounts of applications for French, Swedish and German passports as well, showing a tenfold rise in naturalisation of British citizens.

In Sweden the number of passports granted to Britons between 2016 and 2019 rose from 942 to 4,267, while in Germany they rocketed from 622 in 2015 to 6,640 in 2018, with figures for 2019 expected to show another increase.

Spain, Denmark and Finland have also shown sharp increases in British people applying for passports and naturalisation.

Just over 32,000 citizens in Northern Ireland and Great Britain applied to receive Irish passports in 2015 for the first time. This has almost quadrupled in the last four years with figures for 2019 showing 131,817 new applications for Irish passports, with nearly 55,000 from GB alone.

What’s the point?

As Ireland is still a member of the EU, an Irish passport will allow holders to bypass the effects of the UK leaving the EU.

Are you eligible for Irish citizenship?

Around five million Brits are eligible for an Irish passport. You can apply if:

If either of your parents was an Irish citizen born in Ireland, or if you were born in Ireland to Irish parents, you are automatically a citizen.
If any of your grandparents were born in Ireland, you are eligible for citizenship by descent, but you must first register your birth on the Foreign Births Register.
If your parents were foreign nationals legally resident in the island of Ireland for three out of the four years prior to your birth, you are entitled to citizenship.
If at least one of your parents was an Irish citizen but not by birth, ie by naturalisation or marriage, you can become an Irish citizen after registering your birth on the Foreign Births Register.
You can also become a citizen through naturalisation, either as a migrant or through a spouse. The requirements are complex – you can read them here.

All the information you need about applying for an Irish passport is here.

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What’s the score with Brexit’s Transitional Period?

Whether you are for it or against it, Brexit will be officially happening at 11pm tonight (31.01.20). This means the UK will be separate from the EU from this point forward, but the effects on everyday life will not become obvious due to a ‘transitional period’ which will last until the end of the year.

Here is everything you need to know about how this period of Brexit limbo, officially known by the Government as an “implementation period”, will work.

How long is the transition period?

This period will end in 11 months’ time, at the end of 2020. Boris Johnson has said he will not be expending the period, and doing so would cause much political embarrassment for the UK.

What will happen during the transition period?

Both UK and EU negotiators will be working hard to arrange as much of a future partnership as possible, so that it can be ready to be put in place on the date the transition period ends.

Much of the focus will be on solidifying a UK-EU free trade deal. This will be essential if the UK wants to be able to continue to trade with the EU with no tariffs, quotas or other barriers after the transition.

Aside from trade, many other aspects of the future UK-EU relationship will need to be decided. For example:

Law enforcement, data sharing and security
Aviation standards and safety
Access to fishing waters
Supplies of electricity and gas
Licensing and regulation of medicines

The UK will also need to design and implement many new systems, such as how it will handle immigration once freedom of movement comes to an end.

Will freedom of movement continue to apply?

Yes. The transition period requires that the United Kingdom follows the same rules as an EU member state, so freedom of movement will be part of this.

Will it affect daily life in the UK?

There will not be a very noticeable effect of daily life, as the period serves to artificially extend the current conditions of life as part of the EU by continuing to see European law applied during the period, and the European Court of Justice still holding jurisdiction.

Citizens rights will remain the same as they were while the UK was part of the EU. However, the UK will no longer be represented in EU institutions and decision-making, so it will not have a direct say on what the club does during this period. But it will have to uphold the obligations of a member state for that period.

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Tonnes of Talent! New Visa Type Explained in Statement of Changes to Immigration Rules

Boris Johnson has said numerous times that he wants the UK to be seen as a country of ideas and that a major part of his time as Prime Minister will be dedicated to attracting the ‘brightest and best’ people from around the world to live and work here.

A statement of changes to the Immigration Rules made today (30.01.2020) revolves around the new Global Talent Visa, which seems to prove that Johnson meant what he said.

What is the Global Talent Visa?

The Global Talent visa will be replacing the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa from the 20^thof February 2020, nationwide. Any applications made before this date will be considered under the old rulings.

The Global Talent visa is aimed at exceptional individuals in the science, digital technology and artistic sectors.

The existing ways of getting a Global Talent (formerly Exceptional Talent) endorsement will remain in place. Those are:

The “standard” route where an academic/scientist/researcher can ask for peer review of their career under the categories of “promise” or “talent”
The “accelerated” route for those in receipt of a job offer for a senior role at a UK university or research institution
A further accelerated route where the person holds a prestigious grant/fellowship (with the list of eligible fellowships to be expanded)

As announced in December, the changes significantly expand the number of fellowships that qualify for fast track consideration by the Royal Society, British Academy or Royal Academy of Engineering, allowing a larger number of applicants to qualify without the need for a full peer review.

More settlement possibilities:

Applicants endorsed by the endorsing bodies responsible for science, engineering, humanities and medicine will be able to apply for settlement after 3 years regardless of whether the applicant is granted under “promise” criteria, “talent” criteria or the new endorsed funder option. The qualifying period to apply for settlement under “promise” criteria for digital technology and arts and culture applicants will remain as 5 years (as was previously required under Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent).

Also, applicants will be able to choose how much leave, in whole years, up to a maximum of 5 years they wish to be granted in a single application.

This means that Global Talent applicants who only wish to come to the UK for 2 years in this category will not need to pay the maximum 5-year Immigration Health Surcharge payment. This means successful applicants will not be tied to their host institution, meaning no restrictions on their ability to move between roles and employers, provided the above rules were met at the outset.

Benefits of a job offer

A researcher and/or specialist who is offered a job at a UK university or research institution, and whose job title or name was included within an application for qualifying research funding as a directly incurred cost, will be automatically eligible for a Global Talent visa.

This allows the relevant institutions considerable freedom to recruit the researchers and specialists it needs via the medium of research grant funding, without day-to-day Home Office scrutiny.

Requirements:

There will still obviously be some hoops for applicants to jump through before they are considered. For example:

The person must be named or appointed to a role on a successful grant application from a recognised funder
The person must be employed, hosted or in receipt of a job offer from a UK university, independent research organisation or public sector research establishment
The research grant must have been awarded under the “peer review” principle
The minimum value of the grant must be £30,000 and must support a project of at least two years in duration
The person must have, or be given, a contract of at least two years in duration at the point of application for endorsement, and work at least 50% FTE

News for individuals currently under the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa:

Applicants who already hold Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) leave and who wish to extend their leave, will be able to do so under the Global Talent category. As with initial applications, the extension requirements for Global Talent do not generally differ from Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent). The only exception to this is that the Rules do not specify exactly what documents must be supplied to demonstrate that an applicant meets the criteria. This allows a wider range of evidence to be supplied.

Settlement applications from Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) Migrants will continue to be accepted, without the need for applicants to first switch into the Global Talent route.

Positive outlook

This seems to be a positive move both for the United Kingdom as a nation and for those who have worked hard to stand out in their respective fields. Like all new visa routes it will take some time to see the benefits, but as far as we can tell it is a step in the right direction and should hopefully attract some brilliant individuals to the country.

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A new dawn for UK immigration? Here is what to expect.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is hugely influential on the Home Office and the rules they bring in when it comes to migrants coming to work and settle in the UK. Today (28.01.20), they have released their official report on how they believe the Home Office should operate in this area.

We have summarised the most important points for you below so that you can be aware of the many changes the MAC have recommended, as the Home Office are bound to take the report very seriously and heed much of the advice within it.

Main areas of interest:

Would a points best immigration system work in the UK?
Should salary thresholds change for migrants?

These two questions make up the bulk of the report, and the way in which the MAC have answered them will be massively important to the Home Office and may affect all people either migrating to the UK or trying to settle here.

Current rules:

So you know what to compare the new rules to, here is a brief summary of the current ones:

Since April 2017, the general salary threshold has been £30,000 or £20,800 for new entrants. New entrants currently meaning those aged under 26 on application, switching from Tier 4, or the role was advertised through a university milk round.

In terms of a points based system (the Australian-style immigration system that the government wants to re-introduce), there is not currently one in place but there have been similar policies implemented in the past to varying effect.

Recommendations – Points based system:

The MAC has recommended retaining the existing framework for Tier 2 (General). This means that this visa type will remain the same in terms of application procedure, with no points based system. This is partly because applicants on this visa type usually have a job offer already, meaning there is less need for a rigorous vetting scheme such as a points based system.

However, the Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa does not rely on a job offer. The MAC have advised the Home Office to consider modifying Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) in the following ways:

There should be an overall annual cap on those admitted;
The route should operate on an expression of interest basis creating a pool of migrants interested in coming to the UK;
There should be a monthly draw from this pool with those selected invited to submit a full application;
The selection of those invited to apply should be based on those who have the highest number of points in the pool using a points-based system with tradeable points;
There should also be an absolute minimum number of points;
Points should be given for characteristics that the Government wants to attract through this route and for whom other routes are not suitable;

What characteristics should earn applicants points?

According to the report, points should be given according to the following:

Qualifications
Age of applicant (the younger the better, essentially.)
Evidence of having studied in the UK
Skilled in priority areas such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths.)

The MAC has recommended this points based system for Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) Visas because it says the current system is too hard on applicants and relies on a proven track record of success, rather than the potential an applicant shows.

Recommendations – Salary threshold:

The biggest highlight for this area is the fact that the MAC have recommended reducing the minimum salary threshold to around £25,600, instead of the current £30,000.

This reduction to the wage threshold would allow most employers to hire migrants at wages that many existing workers are currently on.

This reduction will be UK-wide at first, as the MAC does not want to over-complicate the matter by regionalising this change.

However, they also recommend that there should be a separate pilot visa for ‘remote’ areas of the UK, part of which could have even lower salary thresholds for migrants into those areas. This should only be done with a full evaluation to understand its effectiveness and impacts.

Also, the MAC have recommended that occupations on the Shortage Occupation List should not have lower salary thresholds for entry.

Going forward, the MAC have also called for more in-depth monitoring of how migrants are faring in the UK labour market after entry and advising for on-going reviews of how these changes to the salary thresholds are going.

Some other interesting recommendations regarding salary thresholds:

Salary thresholds should not be pro-rated to allow for part-time work.

The Government should consider more flexibility (i.e. prorating salary thresholds) for visa holders switching to part-time work after becoming a parent.

Only salary on the main job should be used to determine whether the salary threshold is met. Allowances, equity and employer pension contributions should not be included.

The definition of a new entrant should be widened to include those are working towards recognised professional qualifications and those who are moving directly into postdoctoral positions.

The occupation specific threshold should be the 25th percentile of the full-time annual earnings distribution for that occupation.

We will wait and see

Many interesting points raised here, we look forward to seeing if they all come to light after the Home Office considers them. As we said at the start of this article, the MAC holds considerable weight with the Home Office, so it is likely that the report will be treated with the utmost respect by most politicians and policy makers.

We will be sure to keep you right up to date with how this progresses.

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Boris Johnson signals to get rid of £30,000 threshold for immigrants by 2021

The Prime Minister is planning on wavering plans on putting a £30k minimum wage threshold for immigrants coming to work in the UK after Brexit, according to recent reports.

This comes as part of Boris Johnson’s new immigration policy post-Brexit, for which he is said to be inspired by the current Australian system.

As it stands, due to rules brought in under Theresa May during her time as Home Secretary, experienced workers from outside the European Union hoping to live in the UK must be able to earn at least £30k to qualify for a work visa. Recent graduates are required to earn at least £20,800.

Former PM Theresa May had planned to allow a long transition period before a new system is enforced after Brexit.

Under her blueprint, the current level of new arrivals would last until 2022 in a concession to worried businesses in sectors like hospitality who feared a collapse in their workforce.

Boris wants change

The government has asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to look into the call they previously made under Theresa May relating to this wage threshold, after many Cabinet members voicing their opinion that the threshold may deter skilled migrants from coming to the UK, these rules are being reconsidered.

It is predicted that the MAC will now advise scrapping the £30k threshold in favour of a different approach to immigration.

New rules?

The wages that an immigrant will be earning should they come to the UK will still be taken into consideration, but that consideration will run alongside a host of other factors including English language skills, occupation and qualifications.

An emphasis on skills

While some people will see the throwing away of the £30k threshold as a positive move for lower-skilled workers who are often paid less, this may not always be the case. As part of the new system the government will be looking more closely than before at the type of job the migrant is taking, and what personal skills and qualifications they can bring to the UK. Age will also be taken into consideration.

For example, let’s say there is an unskilled 40 year old labourer coming from Australia to the UK where he has been offered a job within a building company being paid £30k per year. Just because he will earn £30k does not mean he will get the job, due to his other attributes.

However, a 21 year old from Japan with a Chemistry degree who has been offered a role in a laboratory which only pays £23k per year might still get the job due to the field they are going into and the skills they are bringing to the UK.

That being said, some politicians are optimistic for lower-paid workers. Responding to news that the £30,000 limit was likely to be dropped, the shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said it showed that the UK economy needed a broad range of workers.

“We always said their plans were unworkable, as many employers in the private and public sector need what the government insists on calling ‘low-skilled workers’. But all workers need decent pay, reasonable conditions, a right to a family life and trade union rights, wherever they are from. We will continue to fight for them,” she said.

Everyone in agreement?

It is predicted that the move will not be universally agreed with, especially in terms of other Conservative politicians.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith is already warning ministers to “be cautious about ditching the £30,000 threshold”.

He says, “they will need to have very strong checks in place to ensure that they deliver on their pledge to control immigration.”

New immigration policy to come in sooner?

Boris Johnson plans to bring in this new immigration scheme in 2021, a year sooner than the date announced by Theresa May when she was PM. It is being dubbed an Australian style immigration policy.

Some employers of people on low-pay, such as the hospitality industry and the cleaning industries, have voiced their concerns that there will not be enough of a transition period. The Prime Minister has responded that Britain has been leaving the EU since 2016, and there has been ample time to prepare and plan for these changes.

We will bring you more on this as it comes.

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UK Immigration Rules to be Completely Overhauled!?

The Immigration Rules are the document that set out the precise criteria for granting or refusing permission to enter and remain in the United Kingdom. It is a massively important document, but often people who use it the most (legal professionals, visa applicants) complain that it is very poorly constructed and difficult to understand.

Due to these ongoing complaints the Law Commission has called for major changes to be made to the 1,100 page document (which was initially a much smaller 40 pages), including a complete restructure and a limit on the amount of alterations that are made to the document in the future, as part of the problem is constant small changes that get made to the rules. It makes it extremely difficult to keep up.

The hope is that by improving the drafting, restructuring the layout and removing inconsistencies, the recommendations will make a positive difference by saving money and increasing public confidence in the rules.

What are the changes?

The amount of recommended changes is vast, here are some of the key points that the Law Commission have recommended:

A new 24-part structure to the Rules, covering definitions, commons provisions and specific routes
Giving each paragraph a number, rather than a confusing blend of letters and numbers, making it easier to reference
A new drafting guide, including advice such as “get straight to the point” and “use simple, everyday English”
An advisory committee to review the text at regular intervals
Producing “booklets” of the Rules that apply to each visa category (making it easier to find specific information)
Simplifying and consolidating Home Office guidance documents in tandem with tackling the Rules themselves
“A less prescriptive approach to evidential requirements”, with lists of accepted and acceptable evidence provided (similar to the approach in Appendix EU)
Only two statements of changes to the Rules a year, unless there is “an urgent need for additional change”

There is a heavy focus on how the understandable to the general public the new Rules should be.

The Law Commission recommend that the following principles should underpin the redrafting of the Immigration Rules:

(1) suitability for the non-expert user;

(2) comprehensiveness;

(3) accuracy;

(4) clarity and accessibility;

(5) consistency;

(6) durability (a resilient structure that accommodates amendments); and

(7) capacity for presentation in a digital form.

Barry O’Leary, a member of the Law Society’s immigration law committee, said he was pleased that the commission has taken on board many points made by Chancery Lane and others: ‘We welcome how far they think we should go in terms of redrafting, and acknowledging that the rules need to be suitable for the non-expert user, accurate, clear and consistent.’

Money saver:

It is predicted that these improvements will mean less unnecessary cases for the immigration tribunals and in Home Office casework costs, resulting in up to £70 million being saved annually.

More flexibility?

The Law Commission also considered reducing the level of specificity be reduced regarding things such as lists of possible evidence and circumstances when judging cases, leaving the caseworker with more room to manoeuvre. However, the current thought on this is that it would increase levels of uncertainty in the applicants who sometimes want specific guidance on what the need to provide to be successful.

As a compromise the Law Commission recommend “making the lists of evidence contained in the Rules non-exhaustive”. The idea is that the criteria for a given visa would still be detailed, but there would be more flexibility on the evidence required in support of the application.

Maintenance and future alterations:

It has been recommended that the amount of alterations, and the way they are made, is reduced. The Commission has said that consultations with ‘expert groups’ would be beneficial to any changes being considered, as opposed to the relatively ad-hoc way changes are made now. It becomes very hard to follow.

This committee would include “Home Office civil servants, immigration practitioners and organisations representative of non-expert users of the Rules, including those representing vulnerable applicants”. There would also be an online portal for user feedback.

Change made will also be more obvious to spot. When changes are made, it is suggested that the Home Office release a document containing the changes written in red, with the old rules being written with a line through them. This would make it a lot easier to keep track of what has changed.

We will wait and see…

Currently, this is all just based on the suggestions made by the Law Commission to the Home Office – although they are a highly respected organisation who hold a lot of weight and respect. It is likely that much of these recommendations will become a reality.

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New update on family reunions and biometrics collection information

There is a minor update and change in the Family reunion application category in regards to their location of the application and place for the biometric information to be taken from now onward.

All applications made in the UK for the family re-union must be sent to:

UKVI Family Reunion Team,

Admin Team 7th Floor,

Capital Building,

Liverpool,

L3 9PP

In addition to this, in the UK if there is a new arrival in the UK under a family reunion entry clearance visa then:

1. On arrival in the UK, a Border Force officer must be satisfied as to the identity of the family member and will examine the individual’s entry clearance visa to ensure that the family member is joining family in the UK for the purposes of family reunion.

2. The applicant will be required to collect their biometric residence permit (BRP) from their chosen Post Office within 10 days of arrival in the UK. The BRP does not confer status in line, only leave in line.

If for some reason the visa has been endorsed in error with leave that is different to that held by the sponsor the applicant, sponsor or their representative can ask to have it amended by contacting UK Visas and Immigration within the specified time in due course.

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January 14, 2020
Divorce, Family Law, Law, New Bill, Policy

New Bill Puts End to Divorce ‘Blame Games’

Divorce is always going to be a hard thing to go through, whether you’re one half of the unhappy couple, a child of divorce or a close friend caught in the crossfire. It can be a hugely emotional time and often it’s made worse by the ensuing legal battles concerning property and custody of kids.

But, for once, there is some good news for divorce.

At the moment, one spouse has to make accusations about the other’s behaviour, such as being abusive, committing adultery, or otherwise face years of mere separation before a divorce can be official granted – regardless of whether a couple has made a mutual decision to separate permanently.

A new Bill brought forward:

A Bill known as the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill, has been brought to Parliament this week which aims to eradicate these ‘blame games’ that so often occur during divorce proceedings. This is to reduce the level of stress and conflict within the affected families.

The new Bill will achieve this by allowing one spouse – or the couple jointly – to make a statement of irretrievable breakdown. It will also stop one partner contesting a divorce if the other wants one – which in some cases has allowed domestic abusers to exercise further coercive control over their victim.

Some of you may remember this Bill being announced back in June 2019, but it has only officially been brought to Parliament following the latest General Election.

Justice Secretary & Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland said:

“The institution of marriage will always be vitally important, but we must never allow a situation where our laws exacerbate conflict and harm a child’s upbringing.

Our reforms will stop divorcing couples having to make unnecessary allegations against one another and instead help them focus on separating amicably.

By sparing individuals the need to play the blame game, we are stripping out the needless antagonism this creates so families can better move on with their lives.”

Main properties of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill:

Replace the current requirement to evidence either a conduct or separation ‘fact’ with the provision of a statement of irretrievable breakdown of the marriage (couples can opt to make this a joint statement).
Remove the possibility of contesting the decision to divorce, as a statement will be conclusive evidence that the marriage has irretrievably broken down.
Introduces a new minimum period of 20 weeks from the start of proceedings to confirmation to the court that a conditional order of divorce may be made, allowing greater opportunity for couples to agree practical arrangements for the future where reconciliation is not possible and divorce is inevitable.

A positive step

This Bill is a step towards a more harmonious path to family justice – avoiding confrontation wherever possible and reducing its damaging effect on children in particular.

Crucially, it will also introduce a 20-week period between the initial petition stage and when the court grants the provisional decree of divorce. This will provide a meaningful period of reflection and a chance for the couple to change their minds, or where divorce is inevitable, it will provide a decent amount of time for them to make plans for dealing with the divorce in the future, and make appropriate arrangements.

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Immigration law at music festivals – what’s the score?

Music festivals can be great fun, and are becoming more popular than ever. Attendances have been increasing steadily, with around 4 million people in the UK now attending at least one per year.

When music-lovers are pitching their tents and discussing which of the performers they want to watch during their time at the festival, immigration law and other rules the event organisers have had to abide by to make it all possible are seldom topics of conversation within the camp.

However, it is an important and interesting subject and an area of immigration law often forgotten by the masses – we are here to tell you what is required for a festival to go on in the UK and to allow migrants to perform in these festivals as entertainers.

Qualifying circumstances:

There are certain requirements that need to be met if a new festival is going to be accepted onto the list of official permit free festivals in the UK.

They must have:

been established for at least 3 years
had an audience of at least 15,000 for each of the last 3 festivals
an expected audience of at least 15,000 throughout the forthcoming event
at least 15 non-European Economic Area (EEA) performers who have performed at each of the last 3 festivals
at least 15 non-EEA performers who have been invited for the current year

Supporting documents related to the festival:

Prospective festival organisers must show:

paper copies of the event brochures or programmes for the last 3 years
a letter from the Arts Council, or another such body if they support the event
press cuttings relating to the event for the last 3 years
confirmation of ticket sales and attendance details for the last 3 years
a letter from the local police or licensing authority concerning the cultural event or festival
the number of all non-EEA performers and their nationalities for the last 3 years and for the forthcoming event
other additional evidence if requested by the Home Office

Who is eligible to perform?

Performers who meet the criteria of the Standard Visitor route. This means that they:

will leave the UK at the end of their visit; and
will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home; and
is genuinely seeking entry for a purpose that is permitted by the visitor routes (these are and
will not undertake any prohibited activities; and
must have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit without working or accessing public funds. This includes the cost of the return or onward journey, any costs relating to dependants, and the cost of planned activities such as private medical treatment.

Usually, working and earning money in the UK is a prohibited activity on this visa type. However, an act is allowed to earn money by performing at a permit free festival if they meet the other criteria.

The Permitted Paid Engagements visa is often used by artists performing at festivals.

Eligibility requirements for a permitted paid engagements visit visa or leave to enter. The service that the visitor will provide must:

be arranged before the applicant travels to the UK; and

be declared as part of the application for a visit visa or leave to enter; and

be evidenced by a formal invitation, as required by Appendix 4; and

relate to the applicant’s area of expertise and occupation overseas.

Paying the performers:

Performers will usually expect to be paid for their services and can often make a lot of money from festivals, especially if they are a headline act. For example, rap superstar Eminem was paid £2m for a single performance at V Festival.

Less well known artists can be paid for their participation in the festival under the Standard Visitor route. Where entertainers or artists are established professionals it may also be possible for them to use the Permitted Paid Engagement visitor route.

Which festivals already make the list?

Africa Utopia (Southbank Centre)

Aldeburgh Festival

Barbican Festivals (Only Connect, Summer Festival, Autumn 1, Autumn 2)

Belfast International Arts Festival

Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance

Boomtown Festival

Breakin’ Convention

Brighton Festival

Brighton Fringe

Brouhaha International Street Festival

BST Hyde Park

Cambridge Folk Festival

Camp Bestival

Celtic Connections

Cheltenham Festivals (Jazz/Science/Music/Literature)

Cornwall International Male Choral Festival

Dance Umbrella

Download

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Glasgow International Jazz Festival

Glastonbury

Glyndebourne

Greenbelt

Harrogate International Festivals

Hay Festival

Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival

Isle of Wight Festival

Latitude

Leeds Festival

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod

London Jazz Festival (EFG)

Manchester International Festival

Meltdown (Southbank Centre)

Norfolk & Norwich Festival

Reading Festival

Snape Proms

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Wireless

WOMAD

WWE Live

How can people apply to start up a festival?

Budding festival organisers can send evidence electronically to the permit free festival admin inbox. Large documents can be sent as zip files.

Hard copies of brochures or programmes can be sent to:

Visit and Visa Policy
Border Security and Visa Policy
Home Office
2nd Floor Peel
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

If festival organisers have a query about these provisions please contact the permit free festival admin inbox.

Need legal advice? Contact us!

If you have any questions relating to this topic, or have any other legal enquiry, please do not hesitate to contact us on 020 7928 0276 or email into info@lisaslaw.co.uk.

lisaslaw@web

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January 8, 2020
2020, Christmas, Law Firm, New Year

Happy New Year from Lisa’s Law!

A new year has begun and we wanted to take the time to wish all of you the very best for 2020! We are excited to embark on a fresh decade and have many great things to share with you in the coming months.

We hope that you all had wonderful Christmas breaks and have come into this New Year raring to go, as we certainly have!

Speaking of Christmas break, we hope you enjoy the pictures below taken from our festive party which was held at the beautiful Sofitel St James Hotel in central London!

Xmas Festivities!

We were picked up by a vintage London bus, complete with Lisa’s Law written on the front! We thought that was a very nice touch.

Our theme for the night was Masquerade Ball!

The venue was very nicely lit up, and the food provided was delicious. We would definitely recommend it if anyone is thinking of hosting an event.

We were welcomed with a champagne reception which helped everyone stay in the festive spirit!

Once everyone was seated our Managing Director, Chuanli Ding, gave a speech to congratulate everyone on a successful year.

A professional singer serenaded us while we ate, playing a selection of Christmas hits as well us other familiar tracks.

We had a great time, it was a splendid way to end a busy and productive year.

Here’s to 2020, we wish you all the very best and as always, please never hesitate to contact us. We are here for all your legal needs and look forward to what this new decade will bring.

Happy new year!

Contact us!

If you have legal enquires, please do not hesitate to contact us on 020 7928 0276 or email into info@lisaslaw.co.uk.

lisaslaw@web

See Full Bio

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