News and updates from the world of staff immigration in 2024. Please let your colleagues know about this page if you think our updates would be useful to them.
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News and updates from 2023 are on our archive page.
Newly issued eVisas for GAE (Temporary Work) visa holders may show incorrect information. The Home Office has confirmed that there is an issue within their system which leads to GAE eVisas showing work conditions for an International Agreement (Temporary Work) visa. The underlying permission is correct and they are working to fix this but, in the meantime, we are required to contact the Employer Checking Service to evidence the person's right to work in the UK.
If you see the text below on a GAE visa holder's right to work, next to their photo, please inform them of the situation and:
- ask them to sign a copy of the ECS permission letter and send it to you; and
- if they have a vignette sticker in their passport, send that to you as well; and
- send the signed permission letter and a verified copy of both the vignette and the right to work document to the HR Compliance Team (if they do not have a vignette sticker in their passport, just send the verified right to work document please).
The HR Compliance Team will carry out the ECS check.
The visit/employment can begin once you have undertaken the right to work check, even though the eVisa has the wrong details.
Incorrect text |
Correct text |
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Conditions
Working for an overseas government or international organisation If they work for an overseas government or international organisation, they must work for the employer who sponsored them. They can do additional part-time work. This can be done:
Working as a private servant If they work as a private servant, they can stop working for their sponsor and start work as a domestic worker in a different household. They can only be employed in a job that is the same type of job as the one they are sponsored for. Restrictions They cannot work as a professional sportsperson or coach. |
Conditions They must work for the employer who sponsored their current grant of permission to enter or stay. They can only work in the role for which they are being sponsored. They can also work in a part-time job (up to 20 hours per week) if it is one of the following:
The part-time job must be outside the hours of their main job. They can also:
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*UPDATE* The Home Office has announced that you can continue to use a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), an EU Settlement Scheme Biometric Residence Card (EUSS BRC) or a vignette sticker in a passport expiring on or after 31 December 2024 as valid evidence of permission to travel until at least 31 March 2025 (previously 31 December 2024) as long as your permission itself remains valid. We have updated our webpage with advice for those travelling over the next 3-4 months.
5 December 2024
Visitor visa holders who are visiting the UK for 6 months or less: vignette stickers in passports will remain beyond the end of 2024. The Home Office plans to begin phasing these out towards the end of 2025, and they will be replaced by an eVisa.
14 November 2024
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) production has now ceased, and the eVisa creation process has been upgraded for BRP holders and those who have a legacy document (eg ILR vignette in a passport). The Home Office has also provided a means of checking an eVisa is correct before an individual travels overseas.
We have updated the introduction, BRP holders and legacy document holders sections of our eVisas webpage.
1 November 2024
The Home Office has confirmed that production of BRPs will cease on 31 October 2024.
- If you have already applied for either entry clearance or permission to stay in the UK but you have not yet received a decision, or if you are about to apply, you will not receive a BRP. Instead, a digital status will be granted to you. If there is no start date on your digdital status, it is valid immediately.
- If you are a 'legacy document' holder (for example if you have an Indefinite Leave to Remain stamp in your passport), you will still be able to use your legacy document for as long as it remains valid, with your current passport, to travel. However, the Home Office encourages you to create a digital status to ensure that you can prove your rights in the UK.
We have updated our eVisas webpage.
21 October 2024
Creating a UKVI eVisa account is now open to all BRP holders whose BRP expires on 31 December 2024 but their actual permission expires later than this. We have updated our eVisas webpage.
9 September 2024
You may have seen that the process to create a UKVI eVisa account was originally open to only those who received an email from UKVI inviting them to do so, but that the ability to create an account would be available to all who needed to do it from 3rd June 2024. Unfortunately, this date has been delayed, and the process is still limited to those who are invited by UKVI. We will let you know via this page when that changes.
20 June 2024
The UK Government is in the process of replacing physical immigration documents with a digital proof of immigration status, known as an eVisa. This will be completed by the end of 2024, and will affect anyone who currently holds a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), Biometric Residence Card (BRC), or any other paper document to evidence their rights in the UK.
Please see our new webpage for further information.
13 June 2024
The Home Office has begun addressing the phasing out of Biometric Residence Permits (the plastic credit-card sized card). All new BRPs have, for a while now, had an end date of 31 December 2024, even if the person's permission expires after that. No new BRPs will be produced from January 2025, everyone's permission will be digital and the holder may need to create a Home Office account.
At the moment, the ability to create an account is by invitation only. You can download an example of the email which BRP holders will receive - you'll note it's not personalised, so people may think it's spam or phishing. If you're asked, please would you reassure them that it is not (or provide them with the above link if they want to see the example), and ask them to go ahead and create their account. The Home Office's plan is to make the system 'public' from early June, and we'll let you know once that happens.
April 2024
*UPDATE* From 27 November 2024, a further group of non-EEA nationals should apply for an ETA before travelling to the UK, if their travel date is on or after 8th January 2025.
Citizens of the countries listed do not need an ETA if they are travelling to the UK before 8th January 2025.
Please see the gov.uk webpages on ETAs for further information and a link to apply for an ETA.
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The following groups are exempt from requiring an ETA:
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27 November 2024
From 10th September 2024, citizens of Jordan who wish to come to the UK can no longer apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). Instead, they must apply for an appropriate Visitor visa.
However, transitional arrangements are in place for those who already have an ETA and will arrive in the UK before 3pm UK time on 8 October 2024 - please see gov.uk for details.
10 September 2024
The UK Government is introducing Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for any non-UK/Irish citizens coming to the UK who do not have a visa. ETAs will be phased in, starting with Qatari nationals travelling to the UK on or after 15 November 2023 - the application process is now open via an app which can be downloaded to iPhone and Android smartphones with the correct specification.
Citizens of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be able to apply from 1 February 2024, for entry into the UK from 22 February 2024.
Nationals of other countries who do not currently need a visa to enter to the UK may continue to travel to the UK without ETA. More nationalities will be able to apply later.
An ETA is not part of the right to work system, but anyone who needs an ETA but does not have one will not be allowed to travel to the UK. You can find more information on gov.uk's Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) webpages.
25 October 2023
The Home Office announced in 2023 that it was making some changes to the way Pre-Settled Status (PSS) under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) works:
- As long as the PSS holder remains eligible for the status, it will be automatically extended by 5 years before its expiry date
- A right to work check is only required before employment/work/a visit begins - no follow-up checks are necessary (this also applies to the right to rent)
- PSS expiry dates will not be visible to employers, landlords and other checkers of the holder's digital status
These changes are as a result of the February 2023 High Court ruling which found PSS holders must not lose residence rights just because they do not make a second application to the EUSS before the expiry of their existing status.
We have therefore amended our process around PSS end dates. These are entered onto CHRIS as 31/12/2100. This should be mirrored in the Cambridge Casual Worker System (CCWS) please so that the system does not end a person's right to work prematurely.
10 October 2024
Visa application centres in the UK and some centres overseas will have a new operator between now and January 2025. Overseas, some centres will move from TLScontact to VFS Global. Visa applicants will be contacted using the email address they provided in their application and should read all emails carefully in case action is required.
In the UK, from 15 October 2024 the operation of UKVCAS centres will be taken over from Sopra Steria by TLScontact. Visa applicants will not be required to take any action.
The change in operator will not affect the visa application decision, or how long it takes to get a decision.
25 September 2024
*UPDATE* The UK Government wrote to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) on 10 September to request that it undertakes a review of the previous government's intention to make two further increases to the minimum income requirement for family visas by early 2025, to £34,500 and then to £38,700. The MAC's report has been requested within the next 9 months (ie by mid-June 2025).
25 September 2024
As part of the Immigration Rules updates in April 2024, the Conservative government announced that the minimum income requirement for those applying for a visa to join a UK/Irish national or holder of Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK would increase to £38,700 (phased approach starting at £29,000).
The Labour government has confirmed that, though the minimum income has increased to £29,000, any further increases will be postponed pending a full review of the appropriateness of this by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The MAC review has not yet been commissioned (as at 9 September 2024) and is likely to take several months to complete. The Home Secretary has confirmed that "The Minimum Income Requirement is currently set at £29,000 and there will be no further changes until the MAC review is complete."
9 September 2024
The University has recently updated its provision of financial support for visa applicants. There are now 3 schemes:
- Visa fee payments for new employees (from 1 October 2024)
- Visa reimbursement scheme for new employees (from 1 October 2024)
- Visa loan scheme
Where can I find details of the schemes?
Please see HR's new webpage for details of each scheme.
Why am I/is my colleague not eligible for the new schemes (1 and 2 above):
The University's Human Resources Committee considered various options and, based on costs and tax implications, made the recommendation to Council to offer to only pay for new employees starting on or after 1 October 2024 who require a skilled worker or global talent visa. No other circumstances are therefore in scope for the visa fee payment and visa reimbursement schemes, but you/your colleague may be eligible for the visa loan scheme.
Why does funding have to be met by the department and not centrally?
All new employees from overseas who start with the University on or after 1 October 2024 will have their Skilled Worker or Global Talent Visa costs paid from any relevant grant or from the Department. Any questions on the impact of this on departmental budgets should be discussed with the relevant Finance Business Partner.
If you have any queries after reading the above and checking our webpages, please contact the HR Compliance Team. Please note that the team was not involved in establishing the new schemes and is therefore unlikely to be able to answer your question(s), but may be able to pass your email to someone who can.
20 September 2024
Two updates were included in the Key Issues Bulletin of 6 June 2024:
Pre-settled status extensions and right to work checks
The Home Office has advised that all holders of EU pre-settled status in the UK will receive an automatic five-year increase to the length of their pre-settled status. This is an increase from the previously announced two-year extension. Staff with pre-settled status do not need to take any action as a result of this change: the extension will be reflected in their digital status and the Home Office will contact them directly to let them know this has been done.
Employers will not be required to conduct a further right to work check if the individual remains in their employment, so there is no need for pre-settled status holders to provide the University with a share code after their status is extended.
A pre-employment right to work check will still be required for all newly employed pre-settled status holders but no follow-up check will be necessary when the status expires.
New standard occupational classification (SOC) code for research staff skilled worker visas
Following changes to the immigration rules on 4 April 2024, a new SOC code 2162 should now be used (instead of SOC 2119) for visas for researchers working in any field of research at the University. The new code enables researchers to undertake cross-disciplinary work, change their field of research, and move freely between departments within the University.
7 June 2024
With apologies for the delay, the Q&A document produced from the queries at the briefing is now available.
May 2024
In March, the UK Government asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a 'rapid review' of the Graduate visa route as a result of concerns regarding "immigration abuse or visa exploitation" and as part of wider plans to reduce net migration to the UK. The MAC conducted its review and recommended that the route "remain[s] in place in its current form" (read the full report).
The Government has now announced that, though the Graduate visa route will be "kept under review", it will accept the MAC's recommendation in full.
24th May 2024
We're still working through the updates to both the Skilled Worker and GAE routes, and the sponsor guidance shows additional requirements for us when we assign a CoS. We've therefore had to update our Skilled Worker and GAE CoS forms, which can be downloaded from the Forms, templates and webinars page. We recommend you bookmark the page, rather than saving copies locally, so you don't miss out on any further changes.
Please note also that the cost of an in-country Skilled Worker visa application of more than 3 years will increase from £1,500 to £1,636 with effect from 10th April 2024.
5 April 2024
Good morning, welcome to the new world of Skilled Worker (4th April 2024)! The following updated information is available:
- University salary webpages have been updated to provide the various possibilities with regard to minimum payable salaries. You'll now need to log in with your Raven username/password to see the detail.
- We are still in the process of updating the Colleges salary page, which currently has up to date information for JRFs, lectors/lectrices and lecturers. More will be added soon.
- There's a new University SWV CoS form (College form coming soon).
- When we send you a CoS, the only attachment will be the CoS form itself, everything else will be provided as links within the email.
- We've got new FAQs for overseas and in-country applicants.
- Permitted absence reasons have been updated in the letter for Skilled Worker visa holders.
- SOC codes have been updated on the ATAS guidance page.
- Skilled Worker visa holders can now undertake supplementary work in any sponsorable SOC code, not just the same one as they're sponsored in.
- You can watch a recording of our recent SWV briefing and take a look at the slides. A Q&A document which answers the questions raised at the briefing will be available soon.
There is more to be done, and we'll let you know via this page as soon as that happens.
Please let us know if you have any queries. As you'll see from the Compliance Team email autoreply, we're currently short-staffed (Graeme, Karen and Jo are all ill or on annual leave) so please bear with Emma and Lisa, we're doing the best we can do get everything updated, deal with our 'business as usual' and respond to your emails.
4 April 2024
We are working hard to assign CoS received before 25th March under the existing SWV salary rules.
The Home Office has advised that the Sponsor Management System (SMS), where we assign CoS, will be unavailable on 2nd and 3rd April so they can apply the required updates. Therefore:
- CoS forms received between 25th March and 1st April may be processed under current salary rules, but we cannot guarantee it.
- CoS forms received after 1st April will be processed under the new rules.
Please note that:
- we cannot process a form if information or supporting documents are missing; and
- we cannot assign a CoS more than 3 months before the work start date/expiry of existing Skilled Worker visa (as appropriate).
We will be updating our webpages and guidance during week commencing 25th March. Please check whether the section relating to your job has been updated and, if not, contact us if you are unsure if a job can be sponsored under the new rules, providing the following information:
- further particulars/job description; and
- grade/point if not stated in FPs/JD; and
- if you have a candidate in mind:
- the maximum salary you are willing to pay
- whether they already have a Skilled Worker visa and, if so, the date it was granted
- whether they have a PhD which is relevant to their role and, if so, whether or not this is a STEM PhD
- whether they would qualify as a New Entrant under the new rules.
March 2024
The Home Office is looking for individuals to be amongst the first group of people to participate and test a new eVisa account creation process. By participating on Day 1 of this private test, you will have the opportunity to use the eVisa process, provide feedback, and help shape the final product before its official launch.
This will be in a private test phase and as part of this, the Home Office is looking for BRP holders on the following application routes:
- Skilled Worker
- Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) via the Long Residency (10 Year) route (main applicant and dependent)
- General Student Leave To Remain
The private test will start week commencing 18th March. If you would like to take part, please email DoNotReply.eVisaDirectMail@homeoffice.gov.uk by 13th March confirming:
- your immigration status or visa type in the subject line of the email; and
- that you have your BRP card number to hand; and
- that you would like to take part in the trial.
Once the Home Office receives your email, they will provide further details directly to you, including access instructions.
Participation in this trial is purely voluntary, there is no obligation on your part.
March 2024
To find out about updates to the Skilled Worker visa route taking effect on 4th April 2024, please book onto our Skilled Worker briefing on Thursday 21 March, 11.00 – 12.30, on Teams. The session will be recorded for those who are unable to attend at that time.
March 2024