Changes to the UK Immigration Rules

24 December 2004

Changes to the UK Immigration Rules agreed by Home Office Ministers on the 21st of December will come into force from 1 January 2005. The following changes will affect foreign nationals, overseas students, spouses looking for settlement and humanitarian crisis victims.

Changes affecting foreign nationals applying for entry clearance overseas:

The age at which a person can be given a visa for marriage, as a fiance(é), or as an unmarried partner, will be raised from 16 to 18 years old;
Overseas students will be able to apply for entry to the UK to study only at institutions on the Department for Education and Skills' (DfES) register of education and training providers. The register will be available on the DfES website from 23 December: Department for Education & Skills - Providers' Register;
Provisions for the settlement of dependants (spouses, partners and children) in line with the new HM (Armed) Forces Rule introduced in October;
Creation of a category of leave to enter or remain for the purpose of "Temporary Protection" in line with the Temporary Protection Directive agreed by European member states to provide temporary sanctuary to victims in the event of a major large scale humanitarian crisis.

You will find further details of UK immigration in the UK section of our site.