Immigration and Migration

Permission granted in judicial review challenges to British citizenship ‘good character’ policy

Permission granted in judicial review challenges to British citizenship ‘good character’ policy On 11 February 2025 Free Movement reported on the Home Office’s amended policy guidance, published the day before, which changes how good character is assessed in British citizenship applications. These changes make it much harder for refugees and others who ...

Immigration roundup podcast: January 2026

Immigration roundup podcast: January 2026 In Sonia’s final episode, we cover the first substantive judgment concerning the use of “public order disqualification” powers in trafficking cases, an updated CPIN on Pakistan for LGBT+ people and the policy that’s pushing people in conflict zones to make ...

Youth Mobility visa: what is it and how does it work?

Youth Mobility visa: what is it and how does it work? A Youth Mobility visa enables people aged 18-30 (or 35 for some countries) to live and work in the UK, usually for up to two years. It used to be called the “working holiday-maker scheme” and some people may still ...

A fairer pathway? How the “earned settlement” proposals risk discriminating against migrant women

A fairer pathway? How the “earned settlement” proposals risk discriminating against migrant women We are hurtling towards the deadline for the government’s “earned settlement” consultation, ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement‘, which closes on 12 February 2026. Whilst there are many elements of the proposals which certainly cannot be considered “fair” to migrants living ...

New government memo on prosecution of asylum seekers and refugees A new Memorandum of Understanding between The Crown Prosecution Service, Immigration Enforcement, the National Crime Agency and National Policing on Immigration Crime has been published. It is dated 5 January 2026 although the final signature, that of Grace Ononiwu CBE ...

How to apply for a student visa

How to apply for a student visa The student visa is the main way to for individuals from overseas to come to the UK to study. It was introduced in 2020 replacing the Tier 4 (General) route. Studying in the UK is permitted on other visa routes, ...

Job Ad: Refugee and Migrant Network Sutton (RMNS) are seeking to recruit a temporary Immigration... Refugee and Migrant Network Sutton (RMNS) are seeking to recruit a temporary Immigration Advice Worker, part-time (17.5 hours) for a period of up to 6 months to 30th September 2026 to cover sick leave. About us Refugee and Migrant Network ...

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #105

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #105 Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! It’s Jasmine here, taking the reins from Sonia who has been bringing you the immigration news for the last two and a half years. The Home Secretary has confirmed that 281 people have been removed ...

Can I apply for indefinite leave to remain early?

Can I apply for indefinite leave to remain early? Given the enormous changes to the settlement framework planned for later this year — potentially as early as April — many people who expect to be negatively affected by the proposed changes in the government’s “earned settlement” policy are looking ...

Immigration Advice Authority annual report reveals ongoing decline in number of immigration advisers

Immigration Advice Authority annual report reveals ongoing decline in number of immigration advisers The Immigration Advice Authority, or IAA, has published its first annual report since being renamed from the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner at this time last year. The number of individual immigration advisers fell slightly from 3,900 last year ...

What to do if you are stopped and refused entry at the UK border

What to do if you are stopped and refused entry at the UK border Being refused entry at the UK border can be an upsetting, frustrating and confusing experience. Border force officials have the authority to deny travellers entry to the UK if they are not satisfied that the immigration rules are met, even ...

Making sense of sole responsibility for child visas in immigration law

Making sense of sole responsibility for child visas in immigration law The “sole responsibility” immigration test comes into play where one of the parents of a child is relocating to the United Kingdom and one parent remains abroad. The United Kingdom’s immigration rules effectively presume that a child should remain outside ...

Job Ad: Senior Immigration Solicitor at Southall Black Sisters

Job Ad: Senior Immigration Solicitor at Southall Black Sisters Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Post Title: Senior Immigration Solicitor (Violence Against Women and Girls & Migrant Justice). Contract Type: Fixed Term (until March 2028 with a view to extend subject to funding). ...

Briefing: how to apply for a high potential individual visa

Briefing: how to apply for a high potential individual visa The high potential individual visa is aimed at individuals who have recently graduated from a top global university. There is considerable international competition to attract these sorts of individuals, who ministers like to call the “brightest and best”. A visa ...

Briefing: AI and immigration law – what guidance is there for lawyers?

Briefing: AI and immigration law – what guidance is there for lawyers? Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the complexity of immigration law combined with the ongoing legal aid advice crisis mean that many people (both lawyers and migrants) are increasingly tempted to turn to generative artificial intelligence (I will just ...

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #104

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #104 Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! First of all, huge congratulations to Doughty Street’s Alasdair Mackenzie, as it was announced last week that he has been appointed King’s Counsel following the 2025 competition. My personal favourite of Alasdair’s cases will always ...

Possibility of legal aid in some Windrush compensation cases opened up by Court of Appeal

Possibility of legal aid in some Windrush compensation cases opened up by Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal has upheld a decision of the High Court that a refusal to grant exceptional case funding for legal aid to a person applying to the Windrush compensation scheme was lawful. However the court also gave its ...

Claim for British Overseas Citizenship made by UK-born child of Northern Rhodesian parents rejected by...

Claim for British Overseas Citizenship made by UK-born child of Northern Rhodesian parents rejected by... The High Court has dismissed a claim for a declaration that a woman was a British Overseas Citizen on the basis that her parents were born in Northern Rhodesia. The case is Sinkala v Secretary of State for the Home ...

Partial success for immigration barrister in challenge to Legal Ombudsman decision

Partial success for immigration barrister in challenge to Legal Ombudsman decision A barrister has succeeded in arguing that the Ombudsman made a mistake of fact in its decision on a former client’s complaint, but the majority of his grounds for judicial review were rejected by the High Court. The Ombudsman will ...

High Court exceeded powers in making orders in Afghan cases

High Court exceeded powers in making orders in Afghan cases The Secretaries of State for Defence, the Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs have succeeded in an appeal against three orders made by the High Court in litigation arising from the Afghan data breach which came to light ...

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