Clients who receive their first UK Visa, often think of the British Citizenship application as something that needs to be handled somewhere in the distant future. The truth is however that one needs to prepare for the British Citizenship application from the first day you set foot in the United Kingdom!

Since 1 February 2016, all new tenants have to prove that they have a right to rent a property in England. Should a person not be able to provide the acceptable documents, he/she will not be able to rent property in England.

Many persons are often surprised to find out that they can qualify for permanent residence in the UK, despite the fact that most of their time spent in the UK is not on visas leading to permanent residence.

The consultants at Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd (BIC) hear heart-breaking stories on a regular basis of people who fall victim to immigration scams.

When a person applies for his or her British Citizenship, one of the checks undertaken by the UK Home Office is to the good character of a person. If a person does not fulfil this criterion, the application may be denied. It is thus important that a future British citizenship applicant, keep this in mind, in preparation for the future application.

Since the first announcements were made about the possible introduction of the Minimum Pay threshold, there has been much confusion about what it entails, and exactly who will be affected by its introduction.

Many clients from Zimbabwe incorrectly believe that they do not qualify for the UK Ancestral Visa, as Zimbabwe is no longer part of the Commonwealth.

Many persons are surprised to know that the UK Immigration rules make specific allowance for domestic workers to accompany their employers to the UK.

Choosing the best educational institution and course of study is never an easy decision. This is especially true for non-EEA nationals wanting to study in the UK, who are not always aware of all the risks and factors that they need to take into consideration. To make the process a bit easier for prospective Tier 4 Students, Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants has compiled a short guidance specifically relating to the costs associated with studying in the UK.

Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants receives a wide range of questions from clients on a daily basis. Below we have compiled a selection of these for your information. If you have any questions that you would like us to answer, please feel free to send them to info@bic-immigration.com

With the EU Referendum fast approaching, we look at the possible repercussions for South Africans.

South Africans are fortunate enough to be allowed to hold more than two nationalities. It is, however, important to note that a person must first apply to retain his or her South African citizenship before taking on any other nationality through naturalisation. Should you fail to do so, you will automatically lose your South African citizenship. The exception to this rule is for persons who acquire nationality via descent.

The United Kingdom is still one of the most popular tourist destinations for South Africans. With the large South African community in the UK, there is also a very large number of South Africans who visit the UK to spend some time with their families. Others need to travel there for business purposes.

The Breytenbachs Immigration Consultant offices have received an influx of calls over the past weeks from EU nationals (including South Africans who are living and working in the UK on EU passports), who are extremely concerned about their future immigration status in the UK. This follows news reports about the real possibility of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, and the upcoming UK referendum on membership of the European Union, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday 23 June 2016.

Are you currently studying or thinking of studying in the United Kingdom? If so, once you have completed your studies, you may be able to switch to the Tier 2 (General) category from within the United Kingdom. This will put you on an immigration route which would lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.

The preparation for the route to Indefinite Leave to Remain and eventual British Citizenship should be kept in mind from the day that the initial UK Visa or Permit is granted to a person.

There are some important UK Immigration changes that are coming into effect on 6 April 2016. These changes could have a significant effect on some readers.

According to the latest available statistics from the UK Office for National Statistics, there were 114,720 divorces in England and Wales in 2013. Unfortunately, many South Africans living in the UK are part of these statistics.

The changes in, and selection from, a fire pool of full of Finance Ministers have taken many advisers’ eyes off the ball.

The UK Ancestry Visa remains one of the most popular immigration routes to the UK. Provided of course that you are one of those persons fortunate enough to have a British born grandparent.

The breaking down of your marriage need not compromise your Immigration Status in the UK. There are circumstances in which you will have a Right of Residence after Divorce.

In a surprising move earlier this month, the UK Home Office has announced that the occupation of Nursing is now included on the UK Shortage Occupation List.

The loss of a loved one is a traumatic experience, so much more if this also affect your right to remain in the UK. Fortunately, the UK Immigration Rules make provision for such unfortunate circumstances.

Learn more in this article on the various ways in which your child can obtain British Citizenship

The South African Immigration Department of Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants provide some valuable advice to South Africans who want to travel to South Africa with their children, not registered as South African citizens.