The Home Office has announced new immigration rules which will make it faster and more affordable for young people who have grown up in the UK to get Indefinite Leave to Remain. The concession on early settlement announced in October 2021 will be brought into immigration rules in June 2022 but these new rules also broaden those eligible to settle after five years to include all children on the private life route.
After four years of campaigning for this rule change, we at We Belong are overjoyed at this news. These new rules will be life-changing and transformative for our young people. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with the home office to disseminate this new information, so we can reach all young people affected. Our aim has always been to see tangible changes for the lives of young migrants in the UK who are 'British in all but paperwork'.
The rules and the explanatory notes can be found here
Here is a summary of the highlights which will be in place on June 20th 2022:
· Young people and children who have grown up in the UK: Children who weren’t born in the UK but have lived here for 7 years, there is a new accelerated route enabling them to get ILR after five years’ leave instead of ten. The same applies to young people who have lived in the UK for more than half their lives, subject to other criteria listed in the rules.
· For children born in the UK: They will be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after reaching age seven, subject to residence and reasonableness conditions
· Children and young people under private life: can now apply for 30 months leave or 60 months leave. Appendix Private Life now allows young adults and seven-year children to choose whether to apply for 30 months’ or 60 months’ permission
We Belong aims to host further information sessions, as well as advice sessions with Immigration lawyers regarding this rule change in the coming months. If you want to be informed about the upcoming advice sessions, please fill out our information session survey here.
In the meantime, we can be contacted at info@webelong.org.uk for further information. But we must emphasise that we are not able to provide legal advice and nothing in this article should be taken as legal advice. We can only provide guidance and support. We recommend anyone interested in making an application consults a lawyer.