UK Immigration News

Work Permit UK is currently trying to allocate resources to improve their service standards and urges applicants to allow for extended waiting periods depending on the application.

If you intend to apply for a Leave to Remain in the UK, Work Permit UK urges you to allow for up to 10 weeks to process the application.

Work permit applications will be processed and decided upon within five working days if all information provided is correct. For the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, applicants may have to wait up to 24 weeks for a reply from the application date.

Gurkha soldiers from Nepal have won their legal battle that will allow some of them to obtain British citizenship. In this latest decision, those who served in the British army after July 1, 1997, have been given citizenship rights.

"This is undoubtedly a historic decision by the British government," said retired major Deepak Bahadur Gurung, chief of a former soldiers' group in Nepal. The decision should bring about 230 soldiers from Nepal and about 800 dependents into Britain each year.

In an effort to stop illegal immigrants at the source, British immigration officials will set up Passport controls for all UK-bound Eurostar trains, in Brussels and Paris, and at intermediate stops along the way.

British officials have warned that, for the past 18 months, under-staffing of customs stations has allowed 160 Eurostar trains, with up to 200,000 passengers, into Britain without having performed proper travel document inspections.

Those with stolen, fake or insufficient travel documents will be refused entry onto Channel Tunnel trains.

Information about cases currently under consideration by the UK Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate as of September 27th, 2004.

Leave to Remain applications sent to ATOS Cannock before 15 July 2004: The IND is currently working on cases received 28 May 2004.

Leave to Remain applications sent to ATOS Cannock after 15 July 2004: The IND is currently working on cases received 3 August 2004.

Work Permit Applications: The IND is working on cases received 24 September 2004.

The Home Office has announced that fees for work permit and other leave to remain applications will be increased beginning April 2005 in order to save UK taxpayers approximately £100 million in 2005-06.

Information about cases currently under consideration by the UK Home Office's Immigration and Nationality Directorate as of September 6th, 2004.