On 7 December 2023, the Home Office announced various changes to a number of UK immigration routes, as well as the introduction of several new appendices to the Immigration Rules.

Commencing on January 31, 2024, these activities expand the range of permitted activities for visitors in the UK, including remote work, research, providing legal services, and paid engagements. The Youth Mobility Scheme is modified to include individuals from Uruguay and to arrange the rules for Japanese and South Korean citizens.

Changes to the Visitor Rules

As stated in the Spring Budget 2023, the government is changing the list of permitted business activities individuals on a UK visit visa are allowed to engage in as follows:

• Intra-Corporate Activities: The government is removing the restriction on visitors working directly with clients in an intra-corporate context. However, a new requirement is being introduced: client-facing activity must be incidental to the visitor’s employment abroad and should not amount to the offshoring of a project or service to their overseas employer.
• Remote Working: Visitors are allowed to work on activities related to their overseas employment, provided this is not the primary purpose of their visit. The guidance states that visitors are permitted to undertake activities ‘relating to’ their overseas employment, such as responding to emails or answering phone calls. The new Rules contain no restriction on the range of work activities that may be carried out remotely on behalf of an overseas employer.
• Providing Legal Services: The expansion of permitted activities for legal professionals offers them greater flexibility during their visits to the UK.
• Aviation Industry: Flight crew members can come to the UK between March and October as part of a wet lease arrangement approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. This adjustment formalizes an existing concession outside the rules, bringing it into the Visitor rules.
• Research for Scientists, Researchers, and Academics: Academics, scientists, and researchers will be allowed to carry out research in the UK as visitors, provided this is for a specific project directly relating to their employment abroad. Under the current visitor Rules, research is restricted to independent research and research for an academic’s own purposes while they are on a sabbatical from their home institution. These changes do not apply to academics applying for a 12-month visit visa or those seeking to extend their permission from within the UK.
• Permitted Paid Engagement: The government is also reforming Permitted Paid Engagements (PPEs), by including speaking at conferences in the list of permitted engagements. The government is also incorporating the provisions of the Permitted Paid Engagement Visitor route into the Standard Visitor route. This means all visitors will be able to undertake PPE without the need for a special visa. However, visitors intending to undertake PPE must still have arranged their PPE activity prior to travel to the UK, and this must be undertaken within 30 days of arrival in the UK as a Visitor.

International Sportsperson

Starting on 31 January 2024, International Sportspersons who wish to travel to the UK for a period of 12 months or less can apply for entry clearance from any country that they are already in, as long as they can prove that they are there legally and engaging in sports-related activities. The change rectifies a prior mistake in the drafting error.

Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

The government would ban irregular arrivals to the UK, including small boat arrivals, as well as illegal entrants, from submitting a valid application to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as a joining family member. The government is implementing this change to strengthen its approach in addressing illegal migration.

The UK government mandates that anyone visiting the country must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) as a joining family member within three months of their arrival unless there are valid reasons for a delay in submitting the application. This conforms with the provisional safeguarding of rights granted to them under the Citizens' Rights Agreements for a period of three months starting from their arrival in the UK.

Introduction of the new Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse 

The government is implementing a settlement route for victims of transnational marriage abandonment who are residing outside the country.

Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse enables individuals who have been subjected to domestic violence, along with their dependents, to apply for permission to enter the UK from abroad. Their provision applies only to cases where the victims have been abandoned overseas, and it is acknowledged that their abandonment is due to the domestic abuse they have endured.

The application for settlement as a Victim of Domestic Abuse, whether submitted outside or inside the country, is eligible for a fee waiver based on destitution. The provisions for Victims of Domestic Abuse and their dependent children in Part 8, Appendix FM and Appendix Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules are replaced by the Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse. This will provide an integrated set of rules for victims of domestic abuse who are seeking settlement.

Introduction of new Appendix Statelessness

The provisions for Stateless Persons in Part 14 of the Immigration Rules are replaced by Appendix Statelessness.

Starting on 16 January 2024, a partner or child will no longer qualify to apply for permission as a dependent under the stateless route. Instead, they must meet the requirements in order to enter or remain in the UK as a partner or child of a stateless individual, according to the family rules outlined in Appendix FM.

The rules outlined in Appendix FM have been modified to allow a person without nationality to act as a sponsor for their spouse and dependent child. Applicants under Appendix FM need to pay the application fee or receive a fee waiver, in addition to satisfying the necessary partner or child requirements.

An individual who is currently permitted as a partner or child of a stateless individual under the existing Stateless Immigration Rules in Part 14 will be eligible for an extension of their permission to enter or remain in the UK under those rules.

Other changes allow Stateless applicants to combine the amount of time spent on other routes that enable an applicant to become eligible for settlement after a 5-year qualifying period. To combine time spent on other routes, the applicant must have entered the UK lawfully and must have had permission on the stateless route for a minimum of 1 year at the time of applying for settlement.

Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) 

• Citizens of Uruguay are eligible to apply under the scheme; Uruguay is being added to the list of countries and territories participating in the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) after the UK government negotiated a YMS arrangement with the South American country.
• Enhancement with Japan and the Republic of Korea: The total number of allocated places for nationals of Japan and the Republic of Korea participating in the YMS will increase to 6,000 and 5,000, respectively. Citizens of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) can now participate in the scheme until the age of 35, providing a wider opportunity for involvement.
• Simplified Application Process for Japanese and South Korean Citizens: In a move to simplify the Youth Mobility Scheme for nationals of South Korea and Japan, the invitation to apply is no longer necessary.



If you have any questions about the points set out in the statement and how these changes may impact your business or employee, please contact us or leave a message.