Global Business Mobility routes

The Global Business Mobility routes came into force from 11 April 2022, via Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1118. They consolidate a number of existing routes and expand on the provisions for overseas businesses seeking to establish a UK subsidiary/branch or temporarily transfer specialised employees to the UK through a client, supplier or their own UK entity. The routes were trailed as part of the previous Conservative government’s ‘Plan for Growth’, and their introduction followed the October 2021 publication of the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) report on the Intra-Company routes. However, they have not seen significant take-up in practice. All of the Global Business Mobility routes require a licensed sponsor. Despite the recommendation of the MAC on this point, there is no provision for settlement on any of the routes. Also, time spent in any Global Business Mobility route cannot be aggregated towards settlement in any other route, eg if

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Latest Immigration News

ICIBI launches call for evidence on Home Office approach to overstayers

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) has launched a call for evidence examining the Home Office's approach to managing visa overstayers. The inspection seeks input on five key areas: visa application screening, communications with suspected overstayers, identification methods, management procedures, and deterrence information. The call for evidence remains open until 16 April 2025, with information submitted potentially being quoted anonymously in the final inspection report. Evidence can be submitted to the Independent Chief Inspector by email to overstayers@icibi.gov.uk.

Immigration weekly highlights—27 March 2025

Welcome to the 27 March 2025 highlights from the Immigration team, which provides links to key news stories from the last week, as well as a round-up of new and updated content in Immigration.

New guidance issued on applying the Biometrics Registration Regulations Code of Practice

The Home Office has published its new ‘Code of Practice about the sanctions for non-compliance with the biometric registration regulations’, further to linked amendments to the Immigration (Biometric Registration) Regulations 2008, SI 2008/3048 (Biometric Regs 2008) made on 27 March 2025, and section 13 of the UK Borders Act 2007. This updated Code of Practice was previously published in draft form, and reflects the transition from physical to digital documents in the form of an eVisa. Key changes include mandatory facial image updates every ten years for adults under 70 (five years for under-16s), the introduction of share codes for status verification, and a comprehensive sanctions framework for non-compliance. For those who fail to update their facial image, and other maintenance breaches, the normal sanction will be preventing the person from creating a ‘share code’ necessary to share their status with a third-party checker. The Home Office has also now issued new guidance for Home Office caseworkers and Border Force staff on applying the sanctions.

Expired BRPs can be used for up to 18 months for various ID verification purposes

Various Home Office guidance documents have been amended on 27 March 2024 to confirm that expired Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and EU Settlement Scheme Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) can be used for up to 18 months after the expiry date as a valid identity document for verification of immigration status purposes in various interactions with the Home Office, provided the holder still has valid leave. These include opening a UKVI account in order to access an eVisa, using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to make an application, confirming that you are free from immigration time restrictions for the purposes of an application for citizenship, applying for change of conditions to obtain access to public funds, and sitting the Life in the UK test. This follows the coming the into force of amendments to the Immigration (Biometric Registration) Regulations 2008, SI 2008/3048 on the same date, which gives holders of expired BRPs who are under 70 years old a deadline of 18 months within which to replace their ex BRP with an eVisa. Appendix EU of the Immigration Rules is also being amended on 9 April 2025, further to Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 733, to allow a non-EEA national applicant in an EUSS application to use a BRC or BRP for up to 18 months after its expiry as proof of identity and nationality and without having to re-enrol fingerprints. It remains the case that expired BRPs/BRCs can still only be used for travelling back to the UK until 1 June 2025 after which an eVisa will be required.