Immigration Law in the UK: Two Separate Areas

The main thing to bear in mind, where immigration in the UK is concerned, is where the immigrant is entering the country from. The UK is legally bound to apply laws that have been established through international treaties and the European Union especially.

If you enter the UK from a non EU country, you are going to be subjected to the most stringent immigration laws. However, this will depend considerably on the actual country you enter the country from.

At the end of the day, this all boils down to very political considerations; in other words, some countries’ inhabitants will be more welcome in the UK than others. For the countries that would be considered as friends of our great nation, the procedures required to come and remain will be more simple than a country that may be considered as a threat to our security.

So, for example, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America are all viewed as being desirable countries and the inhabitants of these countries will be treated the most leniently if they wish to come to the UK. They will still be required to adhere to certain conditions and it is never possible for just anyone to enter the UK from this country. If you find yourself wondering exactly how you can satisfy the relevant criteria, in order to gain entry into the UK, you should check out the relevant Embassy/High Commission website for more information.

If you possess skills that are seen as desirable to the UK, this will increase your chances of gaining entry. You may also be able to come to the UK to study and the onus here will be on your proving that you will be able to support yourself and will not be looking to gain access to the UK’s welfare system.

Countries that pose a threat to our security will see their citizens subjected to even more stringent criteria to overcome. Trust me, at the end of the day, this would be totally reciprocated by their nation, if a British citizen were looking to gain entry into their country. Visa requirements will become necessary here and there are a number of countries that are really not that keen on seeing us move within their borders. As I said earlier, this is all very political and oh so childish really.

If you are a citizen of another European Union country, there is legislation in place that has had to be incorporated into the legal systems of the United Kingdom to allow such people to travel within the Union freely. However, there are conditions imposed even to this. As a general rule of thumb and especially where stays of more than six months are concerned, the entrant would have to prove that they are able to support themselves and are not likely place any burden on the welfare system.

Immigration law in the UK; and all other countries for that matter, is always a very complicated affair. This article can only ever provide a small snapshot as an overview of this area of law. If you are seeking more in depth immigration law, it would be essential for you to approach a solicitor who specialises in this particular area.