VisaProAdviserVisas, migration and life abroad
UK Home Office rules in practice: visa decision waits, Rule 34BB variations, biometrics, reporting conditions, asylum claims, settlement and right-to-work checks.
17 articles tagged Home Office (UK)
Shabana Mahmood announced care workers may reach ILR in 5 years on £25,000+ pay; other Skilled Worker visa holders face 10 years. Here's what's confirmed.
The UK may raise the wait for settlement (ILR) from 5 to 10 years, with 3 years for high earners and 30 years for overstayers. Here's the proposal.
On 2 Nov 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled Earned Settlement, doubling the ILR wait from 5 to 10 years. Can skilled workers challenge it?
Settled status lapses after 5 years outside the UK (4 years for Swiss nationals). Here's what resets the clock and when the status is lost for good.
The UK spouse visa income threshold is £29,000, not £38,700. Covers cash savings of £88,500, DWP benefit exemptions, and the human rights route.
Employer fine for illegal workers: £45,000 first offence, £60,000 repeat. Article 8 reform, Channel crossings drop, Home Office raids — October 2026.
The Home Office is the UK government department responsible for immigration, borders, policing and national security, and it is headed by the Home Secretary. Its immigration work is split between three parts: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), which decides visa, settlement and citizenship applications; Border Force at ports of entry; and Immigration Enforcement, which handles reporting conditions, compliance and removals.
The Immigration Rules it applies are made under the Immigration Act 1971 and amended through Statements of Changes laid before Parliament, so requirements can shift several times a year. Applicants who apply from outside the UK receive a GWF reference number, which is used to track the case and in correspondence with the department. When an application is refused, the options depend on the route: administrative review for caseworking errors, an appeal to the First-tier Tribunal where a human rights or protection claim is refused, or judicial review.
The Home Office is often confused with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which runs consular services abroad but does not decide visas, while HM Passport Office sits within the Home Office itself. Members of Parliament can raise delayed or disputed immigration cases with the department on behalf of their constituents.