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Changes from 8 October 2026

Immigration Rules changes from 8 October 2026 (HC 584)

Applications made before 8 October 2026 under the affected visitor, student and suitability rules will generally be decided under the rules in force on 7 October 2026.

  • Visitors: visitors can take part in workshops, debates and skills competitions. Visitors coming for training no longer need to show the training is unavailable in their home country. Artists, entertainers and musicians may attend rehearsals. New permitted activities apply to Erasmus+ participants.
  • Students: changes support the UK rejoining Erasmus+, including Erasmus+ courses that do not lead to an approved qualification and work placements. From 30 November 2026, the student maintenance amount increases — check GOV.UK for the figures.
  • EU Settlement Scheme: joining family members must normally apply within 3 months of their latest lawful entry to the UK. Some pre-settled status holders who no longer meet the requirements may keep their status where removing it would be disproportionate. The EUSS travel permit is withdrawn, so use Update My Details instead. From 9 December 2026, an expired biometric residence permit (BRP) can no longer be used as identity evidence in EUSS applications.
  • Skilled Workers: workers identified as victims of modern slavery may work for any employer for the rest of their current permission.
  • Hong Kong BN(O): dependent children no longer need to complete 5 years’ continuous residence to settle alongside their parents.
  • All routes (suitability): in-UK applicants who previously absconded or failed to report while on immigration bail may now be refused on that basis.

Not sure how this affects you? Contact us for a consultation.

Standard Visitor

Planning a holiday, a family visit, business meetings or a short course? We help you check whether you need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and we prepare a clear, well-evidenced application.

You may be eligible if you:

  • are visiting for a permitted activity, such as tourism, seeing family, permitted business activities or study of up to 6 months
  • will leave the UK at the end of your visit, usually within 6 months
  • can support yourself and pay for your return journey, or have someone who will fund this
  • will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, or do work that is not permitted

Some nationalities need a visa. Others need an ETA, and some need neither. If you plan to marry or give notice of marriage in the UK, you need a Marriage Visitor visa instead.

NATURALISATION / BRITISH CITIZENSHIP

We help settled residents and spouses or civil partners of British citizens apply to naturalise as British citizens.

You may be eligible if you:

  • are 18 or over and have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status
  • have usually held ILR or settled status for 12 months, unless you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen
  • meet the residence requirement (usually 5 years, or 3 years if married to or the civil partner of a British citizen) and the limits on absences
  • meet the English language and Life in the UK test requirements
  • meet the good character requirement

We also help with registering a child as a British citizen in straightforward cases.

UK SETTLEMENT (ILR)

Indefinite leave to remain lets you live, work and study in the UK without time limits. We check your route, your continuous residence and your evidence before you apply.

You may be eligible if you:

  • have completed the qualifying period on your route, for example 5 years as a Skilled Worker, partner, UK Ancestry or Scale-up visa holder, or 3 years as an Innovator Founder
  • meet the continuous residence and absence rules for your route
  • continue to meet the route requirements
  • pass the Life in the UK test and meet the English requirement

Please note: for settlement applications made on or after 26 March 2027, most routes will require English at level B2 in speaking and listening, unless you are exempt. As at 4 October 2026, earned settlement reforms are not yet in the Immigration Rules.

FURTHER LEAVE TO REMAIN / VISA EXTENSIONS

If your current permission is due to expire and you still meet the rules of your route, you can usually apply to extend (further leave to remain / permission to stay) from inside the UK. We help you apply in time, with the right form and evidence for your category.

You may need an extension if you:

  • hold limited leave (for example as a partner, parent, Skilled Worker, Student, UK Ancestry holder, or on the private life route) and want to stay longer on the same route
  • are approaching the end of a grant and are not yet ready or eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain
  • on long residence, meet the 10-year residence rules but not yet the English or Life in the UK requirements, and need further permission instead of settlement

Apply before your current permission expires. If you apply in time, you can usually stay in the UK while a decision is made. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while an in-country application is pending — travel can withdraw the application. Extension rules differ by route. We work within our IAA authorisation on straightforward extensions; switches or human-rights-only applications that need higher-level advice will be referred.

For tailored advice, book a consultation with us.

BUSINESS / INNOVATOR FOUNDER

For entrepreneurs with an innovative, viable and scalable business idea. The Start-up visa has closed to new applicants.

You may be eligible if you:

  • have an endorsement from a Home Office-approved endorsing body
  • have a business idea that is new, innovative, viable and scalable, with plans to create jobs and grow
  • will be actively involved in running the business
  • meet the English language and financial requirements on GOV.UK

Visas are granted for 3 years. You may be able to apply to settle after 3 years.

SPOUSE AND PARTNER VISAS

For husbands, wives, civil partners and unmarried partners of British citizens, settled persons and certain others, under the 5-year partner route.

You may be eligible if:

  • you and your partner are both 18 or over, in a genuine and subsisting relationship and intend to live together in the UK
  • you are married or in a civil partnership, or have lived together in a relationship like marriage for at least 2 years
  • you meet the financial requirement in current Home Office requirements (see GOV.UK); different rules may apply if you first applied before 11 April 2024
  • you have adequate accommodation without using public funds
  • you meet the English language requirement for your stage

Applications relying on exceptional circumstances or human rights grounds are referred to a higher-level adviser.

FIANCE(E) AND PROPOSED CIVIL PARTNER

For couples who plan to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK.

You may be eligible if:

  • you are both 18 or over and have met in person
  • you intend to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK within 6 months of arriving
  • you meet the financial, accommodation and English language requirements (see GOV.UK)
  • after your marriage or civil partnership, you then apply for a partner visa from within the UK

SPONSOR LICENCE

We assist businesses with sponsor licence applications, so they can employ eligible overseas workers.

In general, your business will need to:

  • be a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK
  • have a genuine vacancy that meets the skill and salary requirements of the relevant visa route
  • have suitable people in place to manage the licence
  • have appropriate HR and record-keeping systems, including right to work checks
  • have no history of serious immigration non-compliance or relevant unspent criminal convictions

For tailored advice, book a consultation with us.

UK ANCESTRY

For Commonwealth citizens (and certain British nationals and Zimbabwean citizens) with a grandparent born in the UK.

You may be eligible if you:

  • are a Commonwealth citizen, British overseas citizen, British overseas territories citizen, British National (Overseas) or citizen of Zimbabwe
  • are 17 or over and can prove a grandparent was born in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man (including Ireland before 31 March 1922)
  • intend to work in the UK
  • can support yourself without public funds

You apply from outside the UK. The visa lasts 5 years, after which you may extend or apply to settle.

EU SETTLEMENT SCHEME

We help eligible EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members with EUSS applications.

We can help with:

  • straightforward applications by joining family members of EUSS status holders
  • applications where there are clear reasonable grounds for applying late, within our IAA authorisation
  • updating your details and linking a new passport to your status

Complex EUSS cases (retained or derivative rights, Surinder Singh, some late applications) are outside our IAA authorisation and will be referred.

CHILD DEPENDANT

For children joining or staying with a parent in the UK.

Your child may be eligible if they:

  • are under 18 when first applying, or are already in the UK as your dependant
  • are not married, in a civil partnership or living an independent life
  • will live with and be supported by you, with suitable care and accommodation
  • are applying with, or joining, parents who have suitable permission

Cases relying on sole responsibility or serious and compelling family reasons may need a higher-level adviser.

7 YEARS CHILD ROUTE (PRIVATE LIFE)

If your child is under 18 and has lived continuously in the UK for at least 7 years, they may be able to apply for permission to stay on the private life route. We help families prepare a clear, well-evidenced application based on the child’s residence and circumstances.

You / your child may be eligible if:

  • the child is under 18 on the date of application
  • they have been continuously resident in the UK for at least 7 years (time with or without permission can count, subject to the continuous-residence rules)
  • it would not be reasonable to expect them to leave the UK
  • they apply from inside the UK

Applications that turn on complex “reasonableness”, Article 8 outside the Rules, or linked parent claims that need higher-level advice will be referred. We do not conduct appeals.

For tailored advice, book a consultation with us.

10 YEARS LONG RESIDENCE (INCLUDING CHILDREN)

The long residence route is for people who have lived in the UK lawfully and continuously for 10 years. A child or young person who meets those requirements can apply in their own right. We check which periods of leave count, absences, and whether settlement or a further grant of permission is the right next step.

You / your child may be eligible if:

  • they have completed 10 years’ lawful continuous residence in the UK
  • that time was spent with permission that counts toward long residence (most routes count; visitor, short-term student, Seasonal Worker and Ukraine scheme permission generally do not)
  • they meet the continuous residence rules (including usual limits on absences)
  • for settlement, if they are aged 18 to 65, they normally need the Life in the UK Test and the English language requirement — if they do not yet meet those, they may be able to extend instead

This is separate from the 7-year private life child route. We prepare applications and advice within our IAA authorisation. Complex suitability or human-rights-only cases may need a higher-level adviser.

For tailored advice, book a consultation with us.

ADULT DEPENDENT RELATIVE

The Adult Dependent Relative (ADR) route is for an adult (18+) who needs long-term personal care with everyday tasks because of age, illness or disability, and who will be cared for by a qualifying relative in the UK. We help sponsors and applicants gather medical, care and financial evidence for an entry-clearance application.

They may be eligible if:

  • they are the parent, grandparent, son, daughter, brother or sister of the UK sponsor
  • because of age, illness or disability, they need long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks
  • for entry clearance, that care is not available or not affordable in the country where they live, even with the sponsor’s financial help
  • the sponsor is a British or Irish citizen, settled in the UK, has protection status, or is a specified EEA national with the relevant pre-settled status
  • the sponsor can provide adequate maintenance, accommodation and care without public funds, and will sign a maintenance undertaking
  • the applicant applies for entry clearance from outside the UK (in-country extensions are only for people already on this route)

This route has strict evidence requirements (independent medical evidence is essential). It is not a visa for healthy but financially dependent parents. Article 8 arguments and cases outside the Rules are often complex and may sit outside our IAA authorisation — we will say so clearly and refer where needed. We do not conduct appeals.

For tailored advice, book a consultation with us.

SCALE-UP WORKER

For skilled workers joining a fast-growing UK business that holds a Scale-up sponsor licence.

You may be eligible if you:

  • have a job offer of at least 6 months from an approved Scale-up sponsor, with a certificate of sponsorship
  • will work in an eligible occupation, paid at least the current salary requirement (see GOV.UK)
  • meet the English language requirement (currently B2 for new applicants)
  • have the required personal savings, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance

After 6 months you can change jobs without sponsorship. You may be able to settle after 5 years.

SKILLED WORKER

For workers with a job offer from a Home Office–licensed sponsor. We help applicants and employers check the occupation, salary and English requirements and prepare a complete visa application.

You may be eligible if you:

  • have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed UK employer
  • will work in an eligible occupation (see the current GOV.UK eligible occupations and going-rate tables)
  • will be paid at least the current minimum salary for your role — for most new applicants this is the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation (lower figures can apply in limited transitional, shortage-list, healthcare/education or extension cases — check GOV.UK)
  • meet the English language requirement: B2 for most new applicants; some existing Skilled Workers remain at B1 under transitional rules

From 8 October 2026 (HC 584): Skilled Workers identified by the Home Office as victims of modern slavery may work for any employer for the rest of their current permission.

Your visa can last up to 5 years before you need to extend. After 5 years you may be able to apply to settle if you still meet the route requirements.

For tailored advice, book a consultation with us.

STUDENT VISA

For students aged 16 or over offered a place by a licensed student sponsor.

You may be eligible if you:

  • have a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from a licensed student sponsor
  • can pay your course fees and meet the maintenance requirement (see GOV.UK)
  • meet the English language requirement for your course
  • have parental consent if you are 16 or 17

Dependants are usually only permitted for postgraduate research students or those on certain government-funded scholarships. Graduate visas applied for on or after 1 January 2027 will last 18 months, not 2 years (PhD holders still get 3 years).

BRITISH PASSPORT

We help British citizens prepare first adult, child and renewal passport applications and check that the right supporting documents are included.

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