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While the UK might be the ideal destination for many people living abroad, it is best to know all about the place you are planning to build your future.
Hence, we’ve laid down some lesser-known facts about migrating to the UK or getting a visa that could answer many of your questions.
Lesser Known Facts About Getting a UK Visa
Here are some unique and lesser-known facts about getting a UK Visa.
1. Getting a Visa for Your Partner or Spouse
1.1 About ID Cards in the UK
Many countries have Identity cards. In some states, having an identity card is compulsory for all residents or citizens of a certain age. The law governing the use of ID cards in the UK was established in March 2006.
1.2 What Information Will ID Cards in the UK Contain?
UK ID cards will roughly be the same size as credit cards. It will contain the name and photograph of the holder. Each card will also have an exclusive Identity Registration Number. This card will also have encoded biometric data, including iris and facial recognition data and fingerprints.
If you already live in the UK, your spouse (husband, wife, or civil partner) or your fiancé will require a visa to join and live with you for over six months.
For that matter, a family member or a spouse who joins you in the United Kingdom based on your right to live in the UK is known as a ‘dependant.’ The host is, on the other than,d known as a ‘sponsor.’
Your dependant will need to apply from outside the UK if they want to be in the UK for more than six months.
If your partner or spouse wants to visit the UK for not more than six months, you will need to fill in a visit visa for them instead.
If your application is rejected, your appeal will take between six and nine months. So it is vital to seek help from an immigration specialist or adviser.
1.3 Check What Visa Suits Them Well
While we usually think the visa your partner needs is a ‘spouse visa,’ the actual visa they will need majorly depends on your circumstances. If you visit an immigration adviser, they will help you make the right choice.
1.4 How to Fill in the Application for Them
You can fill in an application for your spouse or family member online using a link. However, the online application does not list the available visas by name.
Therefore for you to find the visa you need, you will have to answer some questions. On the online form, there is an “apply for someone else” option.
2. Distorted Facts – Are International Students Overstaying In the UK?
International Students in the UK have enjoyed the benefits of top-quality education and a fantastic learning environment for years. Until 2012 to be exact.
That is when the anti-immigrant poison seeped in and ended the prospects of better education for millions of students.
The previous government reported that many international students had stayed in the UK beyond their expiry visas. The damage done was catastrophic as the PSW came down and hostility towards those students increased.
However, in a recent study, it has come to light that about 97 per cent of the students left the country, and only about 6 per cent returned.
Under the MAC (Migration Advisory Committee) supervision, the (ONS) Office for National Statistics has refuted the previous government’s claims.
The arrival and departure dates of students revealed a completely different scenario. The previous report was based on International Passenger Surveys (IPS) carried out by the Immigration Department on every flight. But this time, officials had access to the ‘exit checks’ data.
The ONS conducted a report on 1.3 million visas granted to nationals outside the EEU. It concluded that there was a lack of evidence supporting the claim that there was a problem with non-EU students overstaying beyond their visa expiry.
Diane Abbot, Home Secretary of the Labor Party, sharply criticized the government for its unfounded opinion about international students, resulting in a gross fallacy. She also appreciated that some officials had started to see through the veil and recognize the contribution of international students to the UK.
It may reflect a positive change, indicative of a silver lining. It may take some time to propagate the sentiment across the parliament.
But the damage has been done.
3. Tier 2 Visa is in Decline
According to the records revealed by the Home Office, the Tier 2 Visa is slowly descending into the depths of unpopularity.
Their statistics point towards a recent 4 per cent drop in the number of applications. This is one of the consequential events of the continuous application of numerous restrictions in the UK’s immigration policies.
Most people move to the UK for employment through the Tier 2 route. They then head back to the end of the time limit. The employer in the UK needs to hold a Tier 2 Sponsor’s license.
The employer also needs to register as a legitimate Tier 2 Sponsor in the records. They need to undergo a labour market test to find UK and EU citizens before looking elsewhere.
Indians form a majority of the applicants, mostly in the technology and digital technology sectors. But reports from Home Office show a steady decline in the number of applications coming from India.
A similar phenomenon exists in the US. Trump’s crusade against immigration has mired the H-1B visa in caps and processing slowdowns. Employers in these countries continue to be concerned about the shortage of skillsets when the inevitable happens.
3.1 Decline Not Slowing Down
The trend shows clear signs of frustration despite pleas and requests from influential citizens like Lord Jitesh Gadhia and the government’s willingness to introduce a favourable immigration atmosphere.
Not all is going downhill, though. The recently leaked document from the Home Office indicates the possibility of a fair job market and the end to preferential treatment of EU citizens.
This can mean good news to the Indian applicants since the employers can unshackle themselves from at least a part of the labour market test. Testing times may lie ahead, but positive developments can be in store in the following years.
4. Many Indian Students Leave The UK After Graduating
Most of the Indian students graduating from the UK leave the country upon graduating from college. According to the statistics, most numbers of students have left the UK before their visa expiry. This has taken place at a rapid rate between the years 2016-17.
Around 7,469 students left the UK before their visa expiry, and only 2,209 Indian students chose to extend their stay in the UK.
The Office of National Statistics stated that the data shows students from India, China, and the US were the most likely to leave the US after completing their course of study and before the expiry of their visa than those from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Russia. These latter nationals are more likely to extend their visas for a further stay in the UK.
The UK considers Indian students as a crucial part of their overseas market for foreign education. They bring a lot of value to the nation’s economy, and that value must not be underestimated, mentioned Andrew Cooke, the CEO of London and Partners Limited.
He also mentioned that the economy that the Indian students bring should not be underestimated. It contributes a large part of the economy concerning the sector.
It is the 4th largest overseas population in London. They contribute about 130 million pounds to the UK economy through their expenditure.
It is now a huge concern for the UK government to ensure that Indian students are welcomed well enough to invest more of their time in the UK and help build their economic growth side by side.
The focus is more on allowing and helping more Indian students study in London. Migration Advisory Committee head Amber Rudd has also accepted that the higher education sector has a key opening to the UK’s success.
5. The UK Needs Better Immigration Laws To Tackle Growing Population
A report by Downing Street forecasts the United Kingdom’s population will most definitely cross 70 million by the end of 2030. In 2016, the UK had a population of 65.64 million.
This only means that the UK needs to reduce the immigration rate. The UK government announced that it would soon put a post-Brexit immigration law into action. It will also reduce immigration counts to tens of thousands per year.
A report published by National Statistics says that between 2016 and 2041, the Uk population will grow by 7.3 million. That is the combined population of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, said that the numbers are future projections. Former Prime Minister David Cameron and his administration failed to control immigration during this tenure.
They have helped us conclude that we need to bring down immigration rates and make them sustainable.
The ONS had projected that the population would increase to 70 million by 2027 in 2014. But they made a revised report, saying that it will increase to 70 million by 2030.
ONS also said that the rate of immigration is slightly lower now. The number of children per woman has become less. The rate of life expectancy is also lowered.
6. Number of Inhabitants Highest in the UK as Compared to EU Countries
The number of inhabitants is growing in the UK at a rate of 16 per cent. This is the predicted rate of growth from 2015 to 2041. It is 10 per cent for France and four per cent for Germany. On the other side, Italy’s population is on the decline.
The UK will have a higher older population. In 2016, 1.6 million people in the UK were senior adults. It is projected to double to 3.2 million by 2041; for a small island, that is a lot of population. There will be problems with accommodation and prices will rise.
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