Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 31 January 2025

Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 31 January 2025

This week marked significant updates to the Protection policy, entry clearance procedures, sponsor compliance and administrative updates to UKVI’s Naturalisation forms.

The Home Office has revised its Guidance on Revocation of protection status, introducing significant changes to the review process. From the start of 2025, a notable shift has occurred in which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will no longer participate in reviewing individual cases where protection status may be revoked. This update, marked as version 2.0, reflects a new agreement between the Home Office and UNHCR, removing previous requirements for UNHCR consultation on individual cases. Whilst UNHCR has stepped back from case-specific involvement, they will maintain their strategic partnership with the Home Office on broader policy matters concerning cessation, cancellation and revocation processes. This streamlined approach aims to create a more efficient system for reviewing protection status cases in the UK.

On the entry clearance front, the “Using the ‘UK ETA’ app guidance has been updated to include a new section about scanning United States passports. Specifically, the update advises users that if scanning the front cover of a U.S. passport does not work, they should try placing the passport on a flat surface to improve scanning success

Further on, the Home Office has consolidated its guidance on right of abode, releasing an updated version this week. This latest revision, marked as version 8.0, represents a thorough overhaul of the previous guidance, notably merging the Entry Clearance Officer guidance into a single comprehensive document. Published internally for Home Office staff use from 23 January 2025, this streamlined approach aims to provide caseworkers with a more cohesive and accessible resource for handling right of abode applications in the UK.

In line with the above, the Home Office introduced significant changes to the naturalisation process in January 2025, with key revisions to Form AN (Application for naturalisation as a British citizen) taking effect from 29 January. The updated form features enhanced privacy notices about data handling, specific guidance for Windrush Scheme eligibility checks, and refined instructions across various application sections. Alongside these form changes, the Home Office has proposed increasing the naturalisation application fee to £1,605, though this adjustment requires parliamentary approval before its planned implementation in Spring 2025.

Two interesting case law precedence have surfaced this week.

The case of BLZ, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 153 (Admin) revolves around two interconnected judicial review claims concerning the care and accommodation needs of a vulnerable individual (known as BLZ). The claimant is a foreign national with leave to remain in the UK, who has a medical disability and is a convicted sex offender, currently residing in asylum accommodation. The case gained particular significance when the claimant’s legal team sought to extend existing anonymity protections in light of recent violent disorder across the country. The primary focus of the proceeding’s centres on the extent of anonymity required to protect not only the claimant’s identity but also the identities of the involved Local Authorities and the location of the asylum accommodation, balancing these protective measures against the principle of open justice in the courts.

The High Court’s decision in the case of Hartford Care Group Ltd marks a crucial victory for sponsor employers, particularly in the care sector. The ruling established that the Home Office’s approach of requiring guaranteed-hours contracts to prove genuine vacancy was unlawful and irrational. Most significantly for employers, the Court recognised that it was unreasonable to demand evidence of guaranteed hours in contracts when such arrangements aren’t standard practice in the care sector, and that employers can legitimately recruit based on anticipated future demand rather than just immediate needs. For care sector employers who previously had sponsorship requests refused solely due to lack of guaranteed hours in their contracts, this ruling provides grounds to reapply with a reasonable expectation of success, provided they can demonstrate their genuine need for workers through other means such as organisational charts and staffing plans.

The Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC) has recently published its updated Court appearances guidance, highlighting serious enforcement actions against individuals providing unauthorised immigration advice. The document reveals a concerning list of prosecutions and arrest warrants for those engaged in unlawful immigration advisory services and related fraudulent activities, including several cases of unqualified advisors operating beyond their permitted scope.

Considering this increased scrutiny, particularly of Level 1 advisors undertaking Level 2 and 3 work, HJT’s newly scheduled IAA Level 2 and 3 courses present a timely opportunity for immigration advisors to level up their qualifications and ensure full compliance. With the IAA intensifying its oversight of immigration advice provision, these courses offer a pathway to legitimate practice expansion whilst maintaining professional standards.

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For more information on our other live online courses, visit here

Additionally, all significant updates on Rules, Case Law and procedural changes are covered comprehensively in Mastering Immigration Law. The comprehensive resource ensures immigration advisors can meet the everyday challenges through effective interpretation of the legal resources to accelerate their case successes.

For enquiries and FREE DEMO, contact us enquiries@hjt-training.co.uk or call 075441 64692.

For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, SEE BELOW

Immigration News

Cate Blanchett launches fund for refugee film-makers – The Guardian

The actor Cate Blanchett is to lead a new grant scheme for refugee filmmakers, offering up to €100,000 (£84,000) each to five people to create short works focusing on the experiences of displaced people.

The initiative will launch as a pilot scheme but is planned to evolve into a long-term project, headed by Blanchett, a two-time Oscar winner and a goodwill ambassador for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

For full report, click here

Family visa rules are ‘a tax on love’, says MP – BBC News UK

Children are “bearing the brunt” of a “cruel” immigration policy which is keeping families apart, according to campaigners. As of April 2024, a British citizen or settled resident must earn at least £29,000 to apply for a visa for their partner – up from £18,600 previously.

For full report click here

Woman held for taking citizen tests ‘in disguise’ – BBC News UK

A 61-year-old woman has been arrested after allegedly dressing up in a series of wigs and disguises to take Life in the UK tests on behalf of others. Immigration enforcement investigators arrested the woman at an address in Enfield on Monday on suspicion of fraudulently completing the citizenship tests for at least 14 applicants, both male and female.

For full report, click here

Immigration officials in Bengaluru catch man from Punjab with fake UK visa – The Hindu

Immigration officials at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru caught a 32-year-old man from Punjab who tried to board a flight to London with a fake UK visa. The accused, Pradeep Singh, is a private firm employee from Jalandhar. He has submitted the travel documents for verification before boarding the flight on January 25.

For full report, click here

Migration Set to Drive UK Population to 72.5 Million by 2032 – Bloomberg

The UK’s population is set to hit 72.5 million by mid-2032, according to official projections, an upward revision of more than 100,000 people that will pile pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to crack down on immigration. The Office for National Statistics thinks the population will increase by 4.9 million in the decade from mid-2022, or 7.3%, driven entirely by net migration as births and deaths roughly equalize.

For full report, click here

Anti-Migrant Rioters Set a U.K. Library on Fire. The Community Rallied. – The New York Times

When the rioters came for Spellow Library, they used the nonfiction section as kindling.

Deborah Moore, then the library’s manager, arrived the next morning to find that the shelves and couches purchased as part of a recent refurbishment had been stacked up to build a pyre. The books that had survived the riot, part of a wave of anti-immigrant, racist disorder that erupted across Britain in August last year, were yellowed by smoke, their pages curled from the heat.

For full report, click here

Case Law

Hartford Care Group Ltd, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 3308 (Admin)

The High Court ruled that the Home Office’s approach to assessing ‘genuine vacancy’ requirements for care sector sponsorship was unlawful. The case centred on a care home operator’s request for 70 defined certificates of sponsorship, which was initially refused because they couldn’t provide contracts with guaranteed hours from local authorities. The Court deemed it irrational for the Home Office to demand evidence of guaranteed hours in contracts, acknowledging that such rigid arrangements are not standard practice in the care sector. Notably, the Court also rejected the Home Office’s position that vacancies must be based solely on current rather than expected demand. This ruling represents a significant victory for care sector sponsors, suggesting they can now demonstrate genuine vacancies without needing to provide contracts with specific guaranteed hours, and can recruit based on anticipated future needs.

For full decision, click here

BLZ, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 153 (Admin)

The High Court issued a particularly restrictive interim anonymity order that not only protects the claimant’s identity but also conceals the identities of the involved Local Authorities and the asylum accommodation location. Mrs Justice Yip DBE made this temporary order in response to concerns about recent violent disorder across the country but notably emphasised that such significant restrictions on open justice require careful consideration. The judge directed that the full scope of anonymity should be properly reviewed at the substantive hearing on 3 September 2024, allowing media representatives and interested parties to make representations.

For full decision, click here

Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates

Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Using the ‘UK ETA’ app has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Visit the UK as part of a French school trip has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Visit: caseworker has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Revocation of protection status: caseworker has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Form: Register as a British citizen (form B(OTA)) has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Settle in the UK as a Grenfell Tower survivor: form SET(GT) has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Become a British citizen by naturalisation (form AN) has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Register as a British Overseas Territories citizen (form BOTC(M)) has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Register as a British Overseas Territories citizen (form BOTC (F)) has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Application to register child under 18 as British Overseas citizen has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Register as a British citizen (form UKF) has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Form: Child citizenship fee waiver request has been updated on 29th January 2025. To view the updated Form, click here

Guidance: Ukraine: country policy and information notes has been updated on 28th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Right of abode: caseworker guidance has been updated on 27th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) has been updated on 27th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Botswana: tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa has been updated on 24th January 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here

Guidance: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK has been updated on 24th January 2025. To View the updated Guidance, click here

Written by Shareen Khan 

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