The new British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, is planning to use immigration to stimulate and boost economic growth in the UK.

During her leadership race, she promised to raise the cap on the Seasonal Agricultural Scheme and expand the Shortage Occupation List to help UK businesses recruit more overseas workers. The UK Government is also planning to reform the visa system to attract more talent from overseas. 

The good news is that the Shortage Occupation List is already under review. Breytenbachs expect the UK Government to shortly add more occupations to the Shortage Occupation List, enabling people from more professions to come to the UK under the Skilled Worker Visa Scheme. Please keep an eye on our social media for announcements in this regard. 

The exciting new Scale-up Worker visa route was already implemented at the end of last month. The UK Government opened this route to provide fast-growing UK businesses (also called scale-up businesses) greater flexibility and power to employ talented workers from overseas.

Care workers wanting to work in the UK must take heed of the deadline of 15 February 2023 to apply for the UK Health and Care Worker Visa.

Breytenbachs cannot assist with job placements but can assist with your Health and Care Worker Visa.

We recommend arranging a consultation with one of our qualified immigration consultants to discuss the specific requirements for this application and advise on the types of employers you need to secure employment with.

My daughter and grandchildren live in the UK. Can I apply for a visitor visa that will allow me to visit them often?

If you visit the UK regularly, it might be best to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa. You can apply for a two-year, five-year or ten-year long visa. However, it is important to note that you will still only be able to stay for a maximum of six months every visit.

Also, keep in mind that you may not use the visitor visa as a means to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits. The Home Office may cancel your long-term Standard Visitor visa if they believe you are repeatedly living in the UK for extended periods. 

The UKVI is currently very strict in adjudicating Visitor Visas to the UK, requiring very specific information and evidence. Breytenbachs are receiving many calls from persons whose Visitor Visa applications have been refused. Don't lose time as well as your visa application fee. Rather get Breytenbachs for advice and support throughout your application process. 

It is very important for companies sponsoring or seeking to sponsor workers under the Skilled Worker visa category to understand the difference between Undefined and Defined Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS). Especially as the Home Office may refuse Skilled Worker visa applications if the applicant applies with the wrong kind of CoS for their circumstances. 

If the migrant will be lodging their Skilled Worker visa application from overseas, then a Defined CoS would be needed. If they are making their application from within the UK, an Undefined CoS is required.  

The Home Office has updated its guidance on continuous residence in the UK for the ILR requirement under the 10-year family route. A person can now qualify for settlement in the UK after ten years of continuous residence under certain routes. 

An applicant will break continuous residence if they are absent for more than 180 days in any twelve months without permitted reasons. Unfortunately, this means that excessive absences from the UK will now prevent those on the ten-year route from applying for ILR.

These provisions could benefit clients who have been in the UK for ten years under different routes and who have been granted Leave To Remain under the five or ten-year routes.

The Expansion Worker Visa allow persons to come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that is not yet trading in the UK. 

There are very specific eligibility criteria for this visa. You must, among other things, have worked for your employer for at least 12 months outside the UK unless you earn more than £73,900 per annum.

The Expansion Worker Visa is a temporary visa; a person can usually stay for twelve months. It is possible to extend the visa by 12 months. However, the maximum time you will be allowed to stay in the UK is two years.

Partners and children of the UK Expansion Worker applicant can apply to join or stay in the UK as dependants.

Breytenbachs have a team of Immigration Consultants specialising in business visas, such as the UK Expansion Worker Visa. We assist both employers and employees with sponsor certificates and the visa application process. 

Do you qualify for British citizenship following the British Borders and Nationality Act amendments?

Marriage to a British National before 1983

Historically, only women married to British men were allowed to register themselves as British nationals. As such, the law discriminated against women. To correct this historical injustice, the new changes allow men married to British women before 01 January 1983 to register as British citizens. 

Maternal grandparents born in the UK

Historically, British nationality could only be passed through the male line. Over the years, however, changes have been made to British nationality to correct this discrimination, but these changes were limited. Under the new changes, applicants may be able to register as British nationals if they meet certain requirements.

Contact us if you think you might have a claim to British citizenship. 

Breytenbachs is delighted to inform clients that we offer early morning appointments with a Level 3 OISC consultant.

We have time slots available from 06h00 British Summer Time every weekday or 07h00 South African Standard Time.

Holders of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permits (ZEPs) will be relieved to hear that the SA Minister of Home Affairs has extended the ZEPs by six months. All ZEPs will now automatically extend to 30 June 2023. 

Zimbabwean nationals in SA with a ZEP now have until 30 June 2023 to regularise their stay in South Africa. There are several ways to regularise your stay in SA. Breytenbachs can assist with all options available, including the Critical Skills Visa, Spouse Visa and Life Partner Visa.

Breytenbachs have good news for persons applying for South African long-term visas from overseas.

Earlier this year, the South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) implemented a regulation whereby all long-term visa applications for South Africa must be sent to the South African-based DHA to be decided. They thus wanted the adjudication of these SA visas to be centralised. However, this resulted in lengthy delays and many complaints from frustrated applicants.

Fortunately, the DHA reversed their decision on 1 September 2022. The result is that consular officials at SA missions abroad can again handle long-term visa applications for South Africa.

Breytenbachs is delighted by the news and believes that this reversed decision will bring turnaround time down significantly. If you want to apply for a South African visa to live or work in South Africa, please contact our SA Immigration Department. 

"For those looking for an efficient and effective agency to assist in one of the most important moves of our life, look no further than Breyenbachs.

Not only are they efficient communicators who answer every email and query you may have, but they also understand the decision you have made is life-changing, and they are there with you every step of the way, encouraging and, most importantly, reassuring.

When I had a time constraint requiring me to meet my family overseas for an important anniversary event, they left no stone unturned, leveraging contacts to provide effective assistance which successfully enabled me to get where I needed to be in the nick of time to reunite with my family."

Mike Bolstridge

Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd

Fleet House, 8 - 12 New Bridge Street

London EC4V 6AL, United Kingdom

+44 207 442 2160

SPACES, 1 Bridgeway Road

Bridgeways Precinct

Century City

Cape Town, 7441 South Africa

+27 21 879 0969

SPACES, Byls Bridge Office Park

Ground Floor and First floor

Building 14 Block B

Centurion, South Africa

+27 12 460 9959

SPACES, 2 Ncondo Place

Umhlanga Ridge, 4320

+27 31 880 2777