Immigration | Kingsley Napley

Kim Vowden is looking forward to attending the paradiGM-GMS European Conference in Athens, Greece, from Thursday, 13 February - Sunday, 16 February 2025 #KingsleyNapley #CILS

In January 2020, the UK officially left Europe via the Withdrawal Agreement.   Five years later, it is difficult to look at the challenges the UK faces and not question whether it has been very problematic for the UK’s economy.   Immigration Partner Marcia Longdon reflects on the last five years and the impact this has had.   Read more in the blog here: https://lnkd.in/eSmKn68A   #KingsleyNapley #Immigration #Brexit

The cost of the UK's recently introduced Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is already set to increase but as Immigration Partner Katie Newbury notes in Business Travel News Europe, the real issues relate to the major processing challenges ahead: "The Home Office expects there to be around 30 million applications for ETAs a year. If only 1% of those have criminal convictions, this will generate an extra 300,000 visa applications per annum for the Home Office to process." Katie also expressed concerns about the capacity of the Home Office staff and potential legal issues. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e9QjHiRn #KingsleyNapley #Immigration #UKVisa

From April, EU tourists and business travellers will need a £10 visa-waiver to enter the UK. However, the new system could put pressure on the UK's already overstretched immigration services, warns our Head of Immigration Nick Rollason in The Guardian. He notes that "with 30M+ expected applicants, if even a small portion of theses, like 1%, get pushed into the visa system it is just going to overwhelm them." He added "The biggest travel groups are from the US and Europe and this has the potential to create huge queues and backlogs." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/d6Aa7JcK #KingsleyNapley #Immigration #UKVisa

I was quoted in The Guardian today, expressing concerns about the possible Visa backlogs which could start piling up once the number of rejected ETA applicants start to have to apply for visit visas when the system rolls out to EU nationals in April. The Home Office have reassured us that they have made contingency plans, but trying to predict exactly how many new Visa applications this is going to create is somewhat difficult. The other issue which the gradual launching of the ETA to all travellers to the UK will highlight is just how harsh and unfair the UK’s rules on previous criminal convictions are. Individuals who were convicted many decades ago and who are fully rehabilitated and wanting to come to the UK face mandatory Visa refusals. This is because anyone who was sentenced to 12 months or more in prison ( even if they gave only served a few months inside) at any stage in their life cannot argue that they are rehabilitated, And are participating fully in civic life and contributing to their communities. They will simply be refused on mandatory grounds. This must be reviewed by the government on an urgent basis. Everyone deserves to have the chance to be rehabilitated and not to be excluded from the UK forever. #immigration #ETA

📢 Important UK travel update: starting today (January 8 2025), travellers from 48 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia, must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before visiting the UK. Immigration expert Katie Newbury notes in Travel And Tour World this change represents a significant shift in UK border control that will affect millions of visa-exempt travellers. Planning to visit the UK? Make sure you're prepared for these new requirements. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e-rEnYH6 #KingsleyNapley #UKTravel #Immigration #ETA

From today, non-EU/EEA nationals who don’t need a visa to travel to the UK will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA).   Nick Rollason, Head of Immigration practice, told The Telegraph that “if the application system remains relatively quick, cheap and easy, it will be a matter of ensuring proper communication with passengers to ensure that they are aware of the need for an ETA.”   Subscribers of the Telegraph can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ekTev-Ws   #KingsleyNapley #Immigration #ETA #Visa

From today, non-EU/EEA nationals who don’t need a visa to travel to the UK will need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA). In this short video, our immigration expert Katie Newbury tells you all you need to know about the ETA: - Who needs to apply - How you can apply - What challenges it may cause for businesses and visitors - Some tips for a smooth application process. You can watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eAwvH6xq   #KingsleyNapley #UKImmigration #BusinessTravel #UKVisa #ImmigrationLaw #ETA

UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Scheme Starting 8 January 2025, many more visitors to the UK (including from the US, Canada, Australia & more) will need to have an ETA before their trip. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals will need to have an ETA from 2 April 2025. This requirement means: • Criminal background checks for all ETA applicants • Potential visa applications for those denied ETAs • A £10 fee, but be prepared for delays! • Travellers with past convictions may face challenges entering the UK. This change represents a real shift in how people visit the UK. In this blog we give you all the information you need to know to be ready for the rollout of ETA! At Kingsley Napley we are ready to assist with any issues you might face as this new system comes into force. https://lnkd.in/e-eP8sGG #KingsleyNapley #Immigration #ETA

UK immigration: 2024 in review and 2025 outlook 2024 saw significant shifts in UK immigration, from a change in government to the continued digital transformation of immigration processes. - New business visitor rules made client-facing activities easier without work visas - Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) nearly doubled, impacting visa costs - Civil penalties tripled for employing illegal workers - Restrictive changes to legal migration aimed at reducing net migration numbers - Major steps toward digitalization with eVisas replacing BRPs. Looking ahead to 2025, we anticipate further policy reviews, the impact of the White Paper on visa training, and challenges with digital immigration systems. Stay informed on the latest immigration updates for the UK and beyond. https://lnkd.in/dhiFAcgH #KingsleyNapley #UKImmigration #2024Review #eVisa #ImmigrationLaw