UK immigration has long been a matter of hotly contested debate, with successive governments forming new immigration rules as they come to power. In short, immigration law affects people from countries outside of the UK who want to gain a UK work permit or study visa and reside in the country on a short or long-term basis. The current rules that govern immigration not only dictate whether people from other countries are allowed to stay in the UK, but also whether they are allowed access to benefits, and whether they can invite relatives over to stay with them.
UK Immigration for citizens of the European Union
Immigration rules depend largely on which country an immigrant originates from. As the UK is a member state of the European Union (EU), European citizens are able to immigrate to the UK far easier than people outside of the EU. This is because ‘Article 18 right’ (from the specific article in the Treaty of Rome, 1957) grants EU citizens the right to move and reside in any other EU state. Therefore, any person who is a resident citizen of an EU member state has the legal right to live and work in the UK.
UK Immigration for non-EU citizens
However, current UK immigration rules restrict citizens from countries outside of the European Union from having the same opportunities as EU citizens. For example, current UK immigration rules (for non-EU citizens) include a myriad of necessities such as complying with biometric regulations; with any non-compliance likely to lead to expulsion from the UK or a civil penalty.
Immigration solicitors
Obtaining expert advice from immigration solicitors can often be very beneficial to immigrants as their expert knowledge and specialist services can be of great assistance when it comes to obtaining a UK work permit or study visa.