Power cut shuts Birmingham Airport radar, causing overnight flight chaos
Court of Appeal confirms children with one settled UK parent can obtain immediate ILR
Rail commuters face Gatwick delays after overnight engineering overrun and midday points failure
Latest News
Veteran civil servant Paul Morrison takes charge of UK visas, passports and citizenship services
Paul Morrison CBE has been appointed Director General for Visas, Passports, Citizenship and Resettlement Services, giving the Home Office an experienced hand just weeks before full ETA enforcement and amid ongoing visa-service reforms.
UK Immigration Policy Updates for 2026: What Employers Need to Know
Jobbatical’s 11 January bulletin confirms that 2026 ushers in tougher English tests for work-visa applicants, mandatory ETAs for all visa-free visitors from 25 February, and a longer ten-year path to ILR. Employers should pre-test language skills, build ETA prompts into booking tools and rethink retention strategies.
Sponsor-Licence Crackdown: New Rules Ban Salary Kickbacks and Fee Recovery
New Appendix Skilled Worker guidance bars employers from counting any salary that a migrant later reimburses to the sponsor and prohibits passing on sponsor-licence costs to staff. Non-compliance risks licence revocation, making an urgent policy review essential.
Visitor Visa Overhaul: Paid Engagements Folded into Standard Visitor Route
The UK has scrapped the standalone ‘Permitted Paid Engagement’ visa. Short-term paid engagements must now be carried out on a Standard Visitor visa, with stricter documentation and a 30-day activity limit. Companies must refresh invitation letters and coach visitors on declaring the engagement at the border.
Fee Hikes Loom: Home Office Plans 60 % Increase for Key Immigration Charges
A Home Office proposal would lift the ETA fee to £16, more than double the CoS cost, and raise naturalisation charges—moves expected to generate £269 million a year. Companies and applicants should budget now and, where possible, file before the increases are implemented.