BritCits

Justice for domestic workers

https://twitter.com/EiriOhtani tweets :
At Justice for Domestic Workers, family separation due to family migration rules is a huge issue. Required income level beyond reach of many
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Via Transpondia ( https://www.facebook.com/Transpondia ) :

Earlier this year, they changed the visitor rules in a way that requires more from the sponsor.  The sponsor is the person in the UK who extends the invitation.  To comply with the new rules, the sponsor should make some explicit confirmations and back them up with supporting evidence if needs be.  These things would be [1] that the sponsor is able to provide accomodation and maintenance (and provide proof); and [2] that the sponsor INTENDS to provide accomodation and maintenance (and provide proof); and [3] that the sponsor is lawfully in the UK (and provide proof); and finally [4] that the sponsor will be in the UK at the time of the visit.

Some of these were implicit in the old rules, but now they are explicitly stated (in Paragraph 41 to be exact).   We have interpretted item [4] to mean for the entire duration of the visit, and we doubt if this is a criterion for which evidence can be provided in the first instance. 

There is not enough case law or guidance at this point to predict what will happen if a sponsor does not provide these things, but there is indeed sufficient evidence to show that the current regime at UKBA is one that celebrates refusals and tries to get as many as they can.  So pay attention to these requirements!  Correspondingly, if someone has invited you to the UK for a visit, make sure that they are aware of these changes in the rules.

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There seems to be anecdotal evidence that visiting the UK is becoming harder for general visitors. More here :

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/britain-expat-forum-expats-living-uk/155300-visitor-visa-nightmare.html

http://gigigriffis.com/congratulations-british-customs-youve-obviously-just-caught-a-dangerous-criminal/

http://britcits.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-change-in-weather-via-contact-and.html
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https://twitter.com/SueLukes tweets :
Time for more music from detention. Peace and happiness from yarlswood
http://www.musicindetention.org.uk/music/?location=bedford-yarls-wood-irc
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I am an undocumented immigrant at Stanford University.

Without immigration reform I will be left jobless and exposed after I graduate. This isn't just a political issue to me.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/16/immigration-reform-real-lives-at-stake
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https://twitter.com/nellieghusayni tweets :
Living in America is bad for your health. The Health Toll of Immigration http://nyti.ms/10aK6R7
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https://twitter.com/MigrantVoiceUK tweets :
North Carolina needed 6,500 farm workers. Only 7 Americans stuck it out.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/15/north-carolina-needed-6500-farm-workers-only-7-americans-stuck-it-out/