Settlement & Citizenship•9 min read
When Can I Get UK ILR?
Qualifying periods on the main routes to Indefinite Leave to Remain, continuous residence and absences, English and Life in the UK requirements, and fees.
Sep 24, 2026Read more →
IMS · UK Visa & Immigration
Immigration Legal Insights & Resources
Practical guidance on visas, ILR, citizenship, appeals and sponsor licences from IMS solicitors
Settlement & Citizenship•9 min read
Can I Apply for UK ILR If My Partner Is British?
The 5-year partner route to ILR: the income requirement, English and Life in the UK test, what counts towards the 5 years, fees, and citizenship afterwards.
Sep 24, 2026Read more →
Domestic Abuse•9 min read
Can I Apply for UK ILR as A Domestic Violence Victim?
Settlement under the Victim of Domestic Abuse route: who can apply, evidence, applying with no fee if destitute, and the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession.
Sep 24, 2026Read more →
Employer Sponsorship•9 min read
How to Keep Your Sponsor Licence: Duties, Home Office Audits and Revocation Risks
Reporting and record-keeping duties, what happens at a Home Office compliance visit, B-ratings, suspension and revocation, plus a pre-audit checklist for employers.
Sep 24, 2026Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Global Talent Visa?
Who qualifies in academia, arts and culture or digital technology, how endorsement and the prize route work, costs, family, and when you can settle.
Sep 24, 2026Read more →
Immigration Updates•7 min read
HC 584 Immigration Rule Changes 2026: Key Dates and Who Is Affected
New rules from 8 October 2026: modern slavery protections for Skilled Workers, a wider Victim of Domestic Abuse route, religious worker changes, higher student maintenance and the end of BRPs as EUSS ID.
Sep 24, 2026Read more →
Family & Partner Visas•9 min read
Partner Visa Documents Checklist: Evidence Strategy & Common Mistakes
The relationship, financial, accommodation and English evidence you need for a UK partner visa, with a step-by-step bundle plan and common mistakes to avoid.
Sep 24, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Skilled Worker Visa: Salary Thresholds & SOC Codes Explained
How to match a role to the right SOC code, meet the salary thresholds and avoid common CoS mistakes. For applicants and sponsors.
Sep 26, 2025Read more →
Settlement & Citizenship•10 min read
ILR via Long Residence (10-Year Route): Evidence, Absences & Common Pitfalls
Build a clean 10-year timeline, count absences on a rolling basis, prove lawful residence and put together your ILR bundle.
Sep 28, 2025Read more →
Visitor & Short-Term Visas•10 min read
Are There Any Other Temporary Entry Visas to The UK?
Short-term UK entry options beyond the Standard Visitor visa, including the Youth Mobility, Creative, Charity, Religious and Seasonal Worker routes.
Sep 28, 2025Read more →
Domestic Abuse•10 min read
Can A Domestic Violence Victim Get UK Immigration Status?
The protections open to domestic abuse victims under Appendix FM and the Domestic Abuse Rule.
Sep 28, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•10 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Charity Worker Visa?
If you want to work for a humanitarian cause in the UK, the Charity Worker visa may be your route.
Oct 11, 2025Read more →
Domestic Abuse•10 min read
Can A UK Spouse-Visa Holder Go to The Police If There Is Domestic Violence?
If you are on a UK spouse visa, fear of deportation can stop you reporting domestic violence. You can go to the police.
Oct 11, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Creative Worker Visa?
The Creative Worker visa lets creative professionals from overseas live and work in the UK.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Expansion Worker Visa?
The UK Expansion Worker visa lets overseas companies send key staff to the UK without first setting up a full UK entity.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Graduate Trainee Visa?
The Graduate Trainee visa covers structured professional training that moves you from academic study into an industry role.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK International Agreement Visa?
International Agreement visas let you work or study in the UK under a special treaty, often where the standard routes would not.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK International Sportsperson Visa?
The International Sportsperson visa lets elite athletes from overseas train and compete in the UK.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Religious Worker Visa?
If you want to serve a religious organisation in the UK, the Religious Worker visa gives you a legal route to do it.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Seasonal Work Visa?
Harvesting crops or working on poultry farms in the UK: eligibility, sponsorship, costs and the step-by-step application for the Seasonal Worker visa.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Secondment Worker Visa?
Working in the UK through your employer's global network: eligibility, sponsor and salary requirements, and how long the Secondment Worker visa lasts.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Service Supplier Visa?
If you are a professional from a treaty country, the UK Service Supplier visa lets you do short-term work in the UK under an international agreement.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Visitor & Short-Term Visas•8 min read
Can I Apply for A UK Standard Visitor Visa?
Eligibility for the Standard Visitor visa, how to show you intend to leave the UK, permitted activities and the documents you need.
Oct 14, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•10 min read
Can I Apply for The UK Government Authorised Exchange Visa?
If you want to come to the UK on a professional exchange, the Government Authorised Exchange visa could be the route for you.
Oct 17, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•10 min read
Can I Apply for The UK Youth Mobility Scheme Visa?
The Youth Mobility Scheme visa lets young people from certain countries live and work in the UK for two years.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →
Immigration Status & Rights•10 min read
Can I Apply for UK Status If I Have Overstayed for More than 20 Years?
Overstaying need not shut you out for good. The 20-year long residence rule and Article 8 human rights protections may give you a way to stay.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →
Immigration Status & Rights•10 min read
Can I Be Removed from The UK If I Am Pregnant?
If you are pregnant and facing removal from the UK, you may have protection under Articles 3 and 8 ECHR, plus access to NHS maternity care.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →
Work Visas•10 min read
Can I Extend A UK Seasonal Work Visa?
Whether you can extend a Seasonal Worker visa, how to come back for another season, costs and other options if you want to stay longer.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →
Immigration Status & Rights•10 min read
Can I Get NHS Treatment in The UK If My Visa Expires?
Which NHS services stay free after your visa expires, how hospital charges and exemptions work, and how unpaid NHS debts can affect future applications.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →
Immigration Status & Rights•10 min read
Can I Open A UK Bank Account If I Don’t Have A Visa?
Find out if you can open a UK bank account without a visa, what documents you’ll need, and which banks accept alternative proof of identity or residence.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →
Visitor & Short-Term Visas•10 min read
Can I Travel to The UK for A Medical Appointment on A Visitor Visa?
Coming to the UK for medical treatment: who qualifies, the documents and proof of funds or insurance you need, how long you can stay, extensions and common reasons for refusal.
Oct 18, 2025Read more →