Immigration and Visa
Advice
FIRST CLASS INITIATIVE
ABOUT US
First Class Initiative offers comprehensive immigration support to both individuals and corporate clients. Regulated by the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), we are authorized to provide immigration advice in the UK.
Our law firm specializes in UK and EU Immigration services. We will guide you through the visa application process and make it stress-free.
We offer a free case assessment to see how we can assist you. During the assessment, we will ask you questions to understand your situation. A free assessment may also include a review of documents if required.
If you prefer to complete an application yourself, we are happy to offer a document-checking service.
Serving Bournemouth, Southampton, Poole, Salisbury, Portsmouth, UK and all surrounding areas.
Get in touch to schedule an in-person or online consultation.
Business, Work and Study Visas
A Sponsor Licence, issued by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), allows UK-based organizations to hire skilled foreign workers from overseas. This license enables employers to address labor shortages or bring in specific skills. To obtain it, organizations must meet the following criteria:
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Being a legitimate business,
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Having suitable HR systems,
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Demonstrating non-discriminatory employment practices,
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Understanding immigration rules, and maintaining financial solvency.
Compliance with these requirements is crucial, as failure can lead to license revocation. The eligibility and suitability criteria encompass factors like legitimacy, absence of criminal history, HR capabilities, employment practices, knowledge of immigration rules, financial stability, and compliance track record if previously licensed.
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If an organisation already has the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) in place, we can offer additional support by managing the system on their behalf.
Our immigration lawyers are qualified to serve as approved Level 1 and Level 2 users, assisting your organisation. This service can be provided on either a temporary or long-term basis, depending on the specific requirements of the organisation.
For more information and a free telephone consultation, please call +447523281911
In the context of business immigration, ensuring your organisation adheres to relevant laws and regulations is crucial. An immigration audit helps identify any areas that may need adjustments to ensure full compliance.
Before approving your sponsor licence application, the UKVI may conduct an inspection of your company premises.
An immigration audit generally involves a thorough review of your organisation's policies, procedures, and sponsorship records. It’s important to remember that even if your organisation has successfully passed a previous immigration audit, you may still be subject to future audits.
UKVI compliance visits are unannounced inspections to verify that your organisation is meeting its sponsorship responsibilities.
We can help you prepare for a compliance visit. Contact us today to discuss your case: +447523281911
The Skilled Worker Visa is available to individuals who have a job offer for an eligible skilled role in the UK from a Home Office-approved sponsor. This visa can lead to settlement, and applicants can normally bring dependent partners and children with them.
To obtain a Skilled Worker Visa, you must be sponsored by an employer licensed by the Home Office for a specific job that meets the required skill and salary levels.
To be eligible for consideration for the Global Talent Visa, applicants must secure an endorsement from one of six authorized endorsing bodies.
For those seeking endorsement in fields such as science, engineering, medicine, social science, humanities, academic roles, or research, the Home Office will forward their applications to either the Royal Society, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Royal Academy of Engineering, or the British Academy.
The endorsing body will then evaluate the application based on the applicant's profile and the evidence provided.
For applicants in non-academic sectors like arts and culture or digital technology, their applications will be directed to either Arts Council England or Tech Nation.
It's essential to understand that each endorsing body operates according to its own set of criteria. These criteria consist of two main categories:
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Global Talent criteria, designed for applicants who have already demonstrated significant leadership in their field.
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Exceptional Promise criteria, tailored for applicants who may be in the early stages of their careers but exhibit the potential to become future leaders in their respective fields.
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The self-sponsorship visa is an immigration route designed for entrepreneurs and business professionals who aspire to establish and manage their own businesses in the UK.
This visa allows individuals to either start a new UK company or take over an existing one, enabling them to sponsor their own employment and remain in the country. It offers a practical option for those looking to grow their business ventures and advance their careers in the UK.
Geared towards individuals who can demonstrate their potential to contribute to the UK economy, the self-sponsorship visa requires thorough planning and adherence to immigration regulations.
Settlement and British Citizenship
You can normally apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if you have been living in the UK for a certain period of time and meet specific eligibility criteria. The residency requirement for ILR can vary depending on the visa category. You will normally qualify for ILR after you have been living in the UK continuously for 5 years on a work visa (Tier 2/Skilled Worker), some business visas, family or ancestry visas. If you changed visa categories but have lived in the UK continuously for 10 years, you may be eligible for ILR Long residence. Some categories such as Global talent will allow you to apply for ILR after 3 years of living in the UK.
Naturalisation
Adults may be eligible to apply for British citizenship through naturalisation if they have lawfully lived in the UK for five years and have been settled for at least one year. A spouse or civil partner of a British citizen can apply after three years of residence if they are settled in the UK. Applicants must also meet the requirements for permitted absences, good character, and demonstrate knowledge of the English language and life in the UK.
The cost of naturalisation is £1630.
Registration as a British Citizen
If a child is not automatically British at birth, they may be eligible to apply to the Home Office for registration as a British citizen.
A child has the right to register as a British citizen if any of the following conditions apply:
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They were born in the UK, and one parent later becomes a British citizen or obtains settled status before the child turns 18.
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They were born in the UK before 1 July 2006 to a British or settled father who was not married to the child's mother.
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They were born in the UK and have lived here for at least 10 years.
The Home Office also has the discretion to register any child as British, but it’s recommended to seek legal advice to determine if such an application is viable.
To apply for British citizenship, the child must submit an application to the Home Office. The registration fee is £1,214 unless the child qualifies for a fee waiver. A child aged 10 or older must also meet the good character requirement.
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Settlement in the UK for EU-Nationals
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Family Visas
Whether you wish to come to the UK as a visitor, for work or to join your family, you may be required to apply for an entry clearance depending on your nationality. Entry clearance is the process conducted by UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) to ensure that individuals meet the immigration rules before they are allowed to enter the UK. If you’re granted entry clearance, you will receive a visa vignette that will be placed in your passport.
At First Class Initiative we will guide you through all steps of applying for an entry clearance:
1. Advise on available immigration routes based on your goals
2. Provide full assistance and guidance with preparing your supporting documents.
3. Handle the visa application process for you
4. Deal with complex matters related to your case
A spouse visa allows individuals to join their partner in the UK. This type of application requires the applicant and their sponsor to meet specific requirements which include:
1. The financial requirement: you will need to provide proof that you can support your family without recourse to public funds. A minimum income threshold was recently raised to £29.000/year.
2. The accommodation requirement: you should have suitable accommodation in the UK for you and your family.
3. The genuine relationship requirement: you will need to demonstrate that you are in genuine relationship and intend to live permanently together.
4. Additionally, your spouse has to meet the English language requirement.
We offer comprehensive support with spouse visa applications.
A UK visitor visa allows individuals to travel to the United Kingdom for short stays (usually up to 6 months) for purposes such as tourism, business, family visits, or medical treatment. Below is a general overview of the UK visitor visa:
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Standard Visitor Visa: For tourism, visiting family or friends, business activities, or short-term study (up to 6 months).
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Business Visitor Visa: For business-related activities such as meetings, conferences.
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Medical Treatment Visitor Visa: For individuals who wish to receive medical treatment in the UK.
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Academic Visitor Visa: For academics visiting the UK for short-term research or to attend a conference.
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The Ukraine Family Scheme closed on 19 February 2024, and applications are no longer being accepted. If you were previously eligible for the Ukraine Family Scheme, you may now be eligible to apply for the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.
Ukrainians granted permission to stay in the UK under any of these routes are permitted to work, study, and access public funds.
The new Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will allow eligible applicants to apply to remain in the UK for an additional 18 months.
Applications will open from early 2025.
You will need to apply in the last 3 months before the expiry date of your current leave.
EEA citizens who were residing in the UK before 1 January 2021, could secure their immigration status in the UK after Brexit under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The deadline to apply under the scheme was 30 June 2021 with some exceptions.
The process of accepting new applications under the EU SS is now closed and the Home Office will only review late applications under very specific circumstances.
If you're looking to make a late application under EU Settlement Scheme, please contact us for an advice.
Your family members, known as dependants, have the option to accompany you or join you in the UK by obtaining a dependant visa. It's essential for them to secure the visa before traveling to the UK, except in cases where their individual circumstances grant them the right to reside in the UK without requiring a dependant visa.
A “dependant” is one of the following
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Your spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner
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Your child under the age of 18 (children aged 16-18 must not be living independently)
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Your child over 18 if they are presently in the UK as a dependant.
Dependants planning to relocate to the UK to accompany you must apply for a dependant visa prior to their travel. The visa's validity will align with the expiration date of your Skilled Worker visa.
Typically, dependant applications are lodged concurrently with the main applicant's. However, if your family intends to join you in the UK at a later stage, separate applications for dependants can be submitted. Although they won't need a Certificate of Sponsorship, each dependant will have to submit an individual application.
To initiate the process, complete an online application for each dependant by accessing the designated portal and selecting either a Partner or Child dependant visa application.
Once the application is submitted, the system will generate a checklist outlining the necessary supporting documents.
Dependants will need to provide the following documents:
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A valid passport
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A medical TB certificate (if applicable)
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Marriage or Civil Partnership Certificate (for married/civil partners)
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Evidence of the relationship with the main applicant (for unmarried partners) demonstrating cohabitation and a relationship akin to marriage for at least 2 years
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Birth Certificate (for children under 18)
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Additional evidence for children over 16 to demonstrate they are not leading an independent life
Maintenance requirement:
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If the Certificate of Sponsorship doesn't specify that the sponsoring company will cover the maintenance requirement for your dependant(s), and
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Your dependants haven't resided in the UK with permission to enter/stay for over 12 months
Biometric Appointment
As a crucial step in the application procedure, you must arrange a biometric appointment to obtain a biometric immigration document, often referred to as a biometric residence permit.
This entails each applicant visiting a visa application centre to have their fingerprints and photograph captured.
Costs
The visa application fee, Immigration Health (NHS) Surcharge will be paid as part of the online application. The application fee varies based on the main applicant's current or requested permission type and the selected service.
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