Are you an aspiring Level 2 or 3 Immigration Advice Authority caseworker? Join our live exam preparation workshop for advice on exam technique, practice questions and a full mock exam. Book now https://freemovement.org.uk/product/workshop-exam-preparation-for-iaa-levels-2-and-3-aug-26/

📣 FINAL CALL! 📣 Join us tomorrow morning for a live webinar on using AI safely, lawfully and effectively in immigration practice, hosted by Colin Yeo. Book your place here: https://freemovement.org.uk/product/webinar-using-ai-safely-lawfully-and-effectively-in-immigration-practice/

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📣FINAL CALL📣 Join us tomorrow afternoon when we'll be discussing the good character requirement in nationality applications. Book your place here: https://freemovement.org.uk/product/webinar-advising-on-the-good-character-requirement-in-nationality-applications-june-2026/

📢 Final call! 📢 Join us this morning at 11am when Colin will be talking us through the immigration rules for children, specifically focusing on the sole responsibility requirement: https://freemovement.org.uk/product/webinar-sole-responsibility-and-the-immigration-rules-for-children-june-2026/

⏰LAST CHANCE!⏰ Join us on Wednesday when we'll be taking a look at sole responsibility and the immigration rules for children. Book your ticket now: https://freemovement.org.uk/product/webinar-sole-responsibility-and-the-immigration-rules-for-children-june-2026/

⏰LAST CHANCE!⏰ Tomorrow's workshop is designed to help team leaders in immigration practice build supportive, sustainable working environments. 👉 Book your place now! https://freemovement.org.uk/product/workshop-beyond-burnout-trauma-informed-supervision-for-immigration-team-leaders/

📢 Join us next week! This small-group workshop is designed specifically for team leaders in immigration practice to give you the language, insight and practical tools you need to build a sustainable working environment for yourself and your teams. 👉️ Limited places - book now buff.ly/JQ2jIaq

⏰️LAST CHANCE⏰️ Join us for a practical 90-minute webinar on challenging sponsor licence decisions. We'll be covering fresh applications, error correction requests, and judicial review. 🗓️ Wednesday 13 May | 10:30-12:00 💻️ Zoom Book your place now: freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

Join us next week for a 90-minute webinar, led by Paolo Barbato, where we'll be looking at the options available to challenge a decision to refuse, suspend or revoke a sponsor licence. Book now 👉️ freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

⏰️Final call!⏰️ It's your last chance to get tickets for Wednesday's webinar with Diana Baxter: Mastering self-employment and director income under Appendix FM. 🗓️ 29 April 🕚️ 11am 💻️ Online via zoom Reserve your place now! freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

Looks like we’re gonna have to update this one again 🙄 freemovement.org.uk/general-grou...

Ready to pass your IAA Level 1 exam? Join our small-group exam preparation workshop next week for exam tips, practice questions, expert guidance and a full mock exam. Places are limited - book now! buff.ly/akyZQNf

📢 New workshop! Join our upcoming workshop, 'Understanding international surrogacy in UK immigration law', to gain a firm grounding in the legal processes involved in bringing a child born abroad through surrogacy to the UK. Places are limited, book yours now: buff.ly/nY2jbWc

📢 New webinar! With the Home Office stepping up sponsor licence enforcement, a mock audit can help your clients identify and address compliance issues early. Our webinar, led by Paolo Barbato, will show you exactly how to design and deliver one. 👉️ Book now: freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

Our webinar on 25 February will focus on how to advise sponsored workers through routine and complex circumstances, from curtailment and changing jobs to visa costs and compliance concerns. Book now to take advantage of our early bird discount! freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

🇪🇺 Tomorrow Chris Benn returns to give us an update on all things EU Settlement Scheme. Sign up here: freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

It's your last chance to sign up for this morning's webinar on understanding the 5- and 10-year routes to settlement in family immigration cases. Sign up here: freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

Next week Colin and Sonia will be talking through the new consultation on "earned settlement" in a webinar that is free for members. More details and booking here: freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

Onto returns, voluntary returns have continued to decrease and enforced returns to increase, the latter saw a 22% year on year increase. This is attributed to factors including the reallocation of 1,000 staff to immigration enforcement last year (from where, i am curious?)

There was a 17% increase in the number of people being detained (22,661) in the y/e Sept 2025. Over half of the people who left detention were released on immigration bail and just under half (43%) of people leaving detention were removed from the UK

Looking at students, in the y/e March 2025 there has been around one dependant for every 20 main applicants. This is a decrease from around 6 dependants for every 20 main applicants in y/e September 2023. To watch: what if any impact will the new levy have? www.gov.uk/government/c...

Interesting to note that the Home Office attributes the fall in work route grants not just to fewer applications but also a drop in grant rate (interesting to me because I am currently working on a challenge to a very poor refusal)

The earned settlement consultation makes clear that the government also has access to citizenship in its sights. Too early to see now of course, but I would like to see a significant spike in naturalisation grants starting next year - people who can and want to apply should probably do so.

Of the non-EUSS cases, the biggest group is work, then family and then refugee. If the earned settlement changes are applied people who are already here then the refugee figures would be expected to drop significantly and immediately, size of potential decrease in other groups is currently unclear

One to start monitoring more closely given last week's news: settlement www.gov.uk/government/s... Vast majority are via the EUSS

Anyway, here's the main chart. That peak in partner applications was rush before the minimum income requirement was increased

Moving on to family applications (www.gov.uk/government/s...) as noted above, the data here was already poor but they seem to have managed to make it worse

There has been a 13% year on year increse in people claiming asylum. 41% (45,183) arrived via the Channel, 11% (12,176) arrived via other irregular routes, 38% (41,461) were able to enter with a visa for another route

There has been a 40% year on year increase in irregular arrivals. Most are people arriving across the Channel, there have been decreases in people detected arriving by other methods