At Azarmi Law, we specialise in guiding businesses through the complex and sometimes costly landscape of UK immigration law, including when faced with substantial penalties. We work with Immigration and Criminal law counsel on such cases. We recently acted for a...
Latest insighs
Sally Azarmi just keeps on running – now in training for the 2023 London Marathon and aiming to raise money for Age UK
The London Marathon is back in its April slot this year, and Sally has been training (or trying to) since November. This is not the first time that Sally has put herself under such physical pressure. Back in 2016, she ran the London Marathon in memory of her late...
Azarmi Law is a Legal 500 2023 “Firm to Watch” for Immigration
Although we have been around since 2012, this has been the first year we have made submissions to the annual round of legal directories. We appreciate that it can take a while to make it on to the researchers’ radar and so we are delighted that this year’s efforts...
Tamzin Impey graduates with first class honours and now fully on board as a Trainee Solicitor at Azarmi Law
We are delighted that Tamzin Impey has successfully completed her law degree at the University of Westminster, achieving a very impressive First. This top honours included coming second in her year for the Human Rights module cohort. Tamzin joined Azarmi Law as a...
Home Office announces wholesale changes to the Immigration Rules
by Sally Azarmi The Home Office has announced an overhaul of the ‘Pre-Brexit’ immigration system and introduced several new routes into the UK. This shift brings the UK’s system closer to that of Australia – the template the Government indicated it would be using...
Sally Azarmi (and Zeus) go walkies in support of access to justice
Sally Azarmi and her four-legged fundraiser Zeus are taking part in this year’s London Legal Walkies on Saturday 23 April in Greenwich Park. They will be raising money for access to justice for vulnerable people who find themselves in great difficulty, needing a...
Home Office Closes Investor Visa – With Immediate Effect
by Tamzin Impey
The Tier 1 Investor Visa, often referred to as the ‘Golden Visa’ has been closed today by the UK Government with ‘immediate effect’. The visa was launched in 2008 for high net-worth individuals to invest at a minimum of £2 million into the UK economy.
The route has been under review amid security concerns over Moscow’s influence in the UK, alongside opinion that the route was ‘vulnerable to exploitation by those marketing complex investment arrangements in order to facilitate entry under the route without making any genuine investments in the UK’. The announcement today confirms that the visa route will be closed completely as tension continues to rise about the potential for a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, has confirmed that the closure will not come with the usual 21 days’ notice due to concerns of a ‘closing down sale effect’ of applications, many of which could include ‘individuals that represent some degree of potential harm’.
A statement of changes published by the Home Office, updating the Immigration Rules to give effect to the closure has been made, coming into force at 4pm on 17 February 2022.
This closure will no doubt have caused considerable difficulties for those planning on entering the UK through this route. If you would like to talk with us about possible alternatives, or new routes of entry that may be coming into force in the coming months, please get in touch to set up your free consultation.