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.
Our services
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.
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.
Coming soon - further information on this topic.
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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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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Coming soon - further information on this topic.
Coming soon - further information on this topic.
Coming soon - further information on this topic.
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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Exceptional 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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Coming soon - further information on this topic.
EU Schengen visa, EU Business visa
Schengen visa to any EU country: Preparation of documents and biometrics appointment's booking
Coming soon - further information on this topic.
Non-working visa to Spain and Portugal
EU Blue Card for professionals
Digital Nomad visa for Spain/Portugal
