Immigration Legislation

Legislative framework for immigration control, visa policies, citizenship, asylum procedures, and border security.

The Tribunal Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025, effective May 30th, 2025, amend several sets of tribunal procedure rules.

Key changes include clarifying that tribunals can set aside decisions on their own initiative or applications by parties, and mandating written notification to all parties when a decision is set aside. Additionally, a specific amendment restores community patient rights regarding hearings in health-related cases.

These amendments improve procedural fairness and address issues identified in past legislation and case law.

The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025

The Consular Fees (Amendment) Order 2025, effective April 9th, 2025, amends the Consular Fees Order 2012.

It increases the fees for Emergency Travel Documents and Emergency Passports from £100 and £75 respectively to £125.

The Order applies to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and no significant impact on the public, private or voluntary sectors is anticipated.

The Immigration (Biometric Information etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Published: Tue 25th Mar 25

These regulations amend existing UK immigration legislation concerning the collection, use, and retention of biometric information.

Key changes include expanding biometric data requirements to include entrants to the UK, allowing for electronic submission of data, clarifying the process for issuing biometric immigration documents, and updating data retention periods.

The amendments affect multiple regulations dating back to 2006, and incorporate the use of the new 'eVisa' system.

The Immigration, Nationality and Passport (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

The Immigration, Nationality and Passport (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 increase fees for various immigration, nationality, and passport services across multiple schedules.

These amendments, effective April and May 2025, adjust numerous fees in the Immigration and Nationality (Fees) Regulations 2018 and the Passport (Fees) Regulations 2022.

Amendments also clarify references to updated appendices within Immigration Rules.

Furthermore, regulations remove fee entries for assessment of overseas qualifications not operational from 1 May 2025.

The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2025

The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2025, effective March 13, 2025, adds Trinidad and Tobago to the list of countries whose citizens require a transit visa to pass through the UK without entering.

A transitional provision exempts those who already had bookings for arrival before April 23, 2025, and arrived by that date.

The Order is supported by Sections 41 and 166(3) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025

Published: Thu 6th Mar 25

This Order amends the 2016 and 2018 Immigration and Nationality (Fees) legislation by increasing several fees related to immigration and nationality matters and removing references to obsolete Electronic Visa Waivers.

The amendments were approved by Parliament and increase fees for various services, ranging from £1 to several hundred pounds, to reflect increased costs and maintain the system's financial viability.

The changes came into effect the following day after the Order was made.

The Immigration (Biometric Registration) (Civil Penalty Code of Practice) Order 2025

Published: Thu 6th Mar 25

The Immigration (Biometric Registration) (Civil Penalty Code of Practice) Order 2025 establishes a revised code of practice for sanctions related to non-compliance with biometric registration regulations, effective March 27, 2025.

The revision facilitates a transition from physical to digital immigration documents and was preceded by public consultation.

The order applies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The Recognition of Overseas Qualifications (Charges) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025

These regulations establish the fee structure for services related to recognizing overseas qualifications in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

They detail charges for statements of comparability, qualification reference statements, bundle services (standard and refugee-focused), and subscription packages to a qualification database.

Payment is made to the Secretary of State or a designated organization, with provisions for refunds.

These regulations replace the 2024 regulations, addressing drafting errors and incorporating feedback from devolved governments.