New ruling over UK immigration marriage rules

The rules concerning immigration into Britain, whether people are seeking a UK work permit or anything else, are complicated and they have a tendency to change. It is therefore little wonder that demand for immigration solicitors remains high.

One recent alteration to such legislation concerned marriage visa. As of November 28th, married and equivalent couples aged between 18 and 21 years were re-allocated the right to be eligible to apply for spouse visas.

The change was made in the wake of a ruling by the Supreme Court in the case of Quila and Bibi v Secretary of State for the Home Department, which sought to overturn a ruling made in 2008 by the Labour government. This ruling had resulted in a rise in the eligibility age to 21 and it was intended as a means of cracking down on immigration fraud and forced marriages.

However, the challenge to this amendment was successful. Judges concluded that despite the underlying purpose of the amendment to cut down on crime, the exclusion of genuine couples aged between 18 and 21 signified a breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Responding to the development, Marissa Murdock, a spokeswoman for the UK Visa Bureau, stated: “I would anticipate quite a notable increase in the number of settlement applications being lodged both in-country and abroad,” UK Visa Bureau reports.

The expert went on to remark: “The intention to now drop the age back down to its original 18 years is one that will be met with a lot of anticipation and relief. A great many couples abroad, or where one partner is in the UK and the other waiting abroad until both parties are 21, can now apply to be together.”

According to Ms Murdock, families that have been separated for some time will be able to reunite as a result of this change.

People seeking marriage visas, a UK work permit or anything else of this nature may benefit from sourcing immigration solicitors online.

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