Persons moving to Manchester for personal reasons, work reasons, business reasons and any other type of situation prescribed by the law have to comply with various immigration rules. The procedures a person must follow can vary based on the purpose of the stay, the duration of the stay and the nationality of the foreigner.
Our lawyers can help in obtaining a visa based on your particular situation (work, family reunification, etc.), a residence permit, the citizenship and in any other matter concerning relocation in Manchester.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Who can request the services of our immigration solicitors in Manchester |
Foreing individuals and companies (persons relocating here, foreign workers re-assigned in the UK, investors, students, visitors, refugees or asylum seekers, etc.) |
|
Legal representation for short-term stays (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Areas of assistance for short-term stays in Manchester |
– visitors visas, – business visas for short-term stays, – visas for medical purposes, etc. |
| Legal assistance in immigration for work purposes (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Assistance in obtaining a visa for business purposes (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Legal assistance in family reunification programs, offered by our immigration solicitors in Manchester | Yes – reuniting spouses and partners, children with parents and other dependant persons. |
| Legal representation for long-term or permanent relocation (yes/no) | Yes |
| Assistance in obtaining a permanent residence permit/citizenship |
Yes, foreigners can be assisted by our immigration solicitors in Manchester in the procedures for pemanent residency and citizenship (preparing the documents and the forms, assistance in verifying the eligibility requirements, etc.) |
| Asylum services for refugees (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Persons entitled to obtain asylum |
– asylum seekers (persons who have left their countries because of an immediate life threatening event and who have not yet received the right to stay in a country), – refugees (persons who left their home countries due to the same reasons, and who received asylum) The asylum can be granted to persons who fled their countries based on reasons such as: race, religion, nationality, political issues, membership to a particular group/identity or due to war. |
| Basic immigration rules for non-EU/non-EEA citizens |
They have to apply for visas based on the purpose of stay (exemptions can appear based on the nationality and they can apply only for short-term stays). |
| Basic immigration rules for EU/EEA citizens |
EU and EEA citizens must present a valid passport to enter the UK and they must also apply for visas, but the visas are not required for short-term stays. |
| Basic requirements for becoming a citizen |
The requirements can vary depending on the citizenship route (by naturalization, by descent or by birth). Most of the situations are related to citizenship by naturalization and the conditions for this are: – an age of minimum 18 years old, – be the holder of an Indefinite Leave to Remain for minimum 12 months, – legal residency in the UK for minimum 5 years, – proof of having the minimum English language skills, – pass the Life in the UK test. |
| Immigration services for investment (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Main immigration programs for investors |
– Business Visitor Visa, – the Tier 1 Investor Visa, – the Tier 1 Start-up Visa, – the Innovator Visa. |
Given that there are many variations, we advise foreigners to request legal advice from our immigration solicitors in Manchester, who can present the current immigration law and procedures, based on the particular situation of each person.
We also recommend you address to our immigration lawyers in Manchester if you already live here and you are concerned about the procedures that have been applied after the 31st of December 2020, as since then the UK ended the transition period after the Brexit.
Table of Contents
What immigration services can one obtain in Manchester, UK?
A foreigner already living in Manchester, UK, or another one who wants to arrive here, can benefit from a wide range of immigration services, which are guaranteed by the applicable immigration law.
This is why our immigration solicitors in Manchester for legal aid was created to cover all the aspects a foreigner might need help with, as follows:
- legal advice in obtaining a visa for touristic purpose and assistance on the issuance of a transit visa;
- legal assistance on obtaining a visa for studies (issued for short-term enrollment or for long-term);
- legal advice on the work visas that foreigners can obtain (issued for paid employment and for voluntary work);
- advice on how to obtain a visa for business purposes and for investments in Manchester, UK;
- legal assistance in obtaining a visa for reuniting with family members;
- step-to-step assistance on how to obtain a permanent residence permit, which can entitle the foreigner to apply for the British citizenship in specific conditions.
Foreigners can rely on our immigration solicitors in Manchester for legal representation in applying and obtaining asylum here.
Persons of all ages can apply for asylum if there are plausible reasons for requesting it. It must be noted that minor children are allowed to apply for asylum on their own if they do not have an adult relative to apply for them.
You can rely on our team for legal advice on the applicable immigration legislation, for legal representation for any of the above, as well as for assistance in preparing the documentation necessary for your particular case.
Persons currently living in Manchester, who are citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland are legally required to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Although citizens of such countries were entitled to live here under the right of free movement of persons when the UK was an EU member, after the Brexit, they need to comply with special procedures to continue to have the right of living here.
Please mind that persons who have already obtained their permanent residency in the UK as citizens of the above mentioned, will still have to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme. The process can be detailed by our immigration lawyers in Manchester.
We invite you to watch a short video presenting the services of our immigration solicitors in Manchester:
What are the visa options for work in Manchester?
Most of the foreigners who chose to relocate to Manchester arrived here for employment purposes. Given now that UK is no longer part of the EU, EU citizens must also apply for suitable visas if they want to arrive here for employment opportunities.
There are more visas options, depending on the skills of the worker, the industry of interest any many others, and this is why it is best to find out in-depth information concerning this from our immigration lawyer in Manchester.
One of the ways to arrive here for work is to apply for the Skilled Worker Visa, which is a new visa type that has replaced the Tier 2 visa. The 2 visas are similar, only that now the new visa model applies a point-based system.
Of course, as the name suggests, only persons who can qualify as skilled workers can apply for this visa type. Another condition to comply with is to obtain an overall score of minimum 70 points.
Persons who comply with these 2 basic conditions – meaning, skilled worker abilities and minimum 70 points will not automatically receive the visa. They will only qualify to the next stage of the visa application process, which refers to the review of the local authorities.
Only when the response is a positive one, then the foreign applicant will be able to obtain the document. It is also important to know that this visa type can open the opportunity to relocate to Manchester on a permanent basis.
This is known now as the Indefinite Leave to Remain, but one can apply for permanent residency only after living in the UK for 5 years, as per the current immigration rules.
Besides the conditions presented above, a foreigner can apply for this visa in the case he or she complies with the following as well:
- you have found an employer in the UK (in this particular case, in Manchester), that is approved by the Home Office;
- you have received a certificate of sponsorship from the employer in UK;
- you perform a job activity that is included in the list of occupations that are considered skilled employment;
- you will receive a certain minimum salary, in accordance with the activity carried out.
Please mind that you can’t move to Manchester by applying for this visa if you have not yet obtained a job in the UK, so finding the job is the main priority of any person wishing to obtain a Skilled Worker Visa.
You can also be in the UK and apply for this document, but only as long as you have arrived here under another visa type.
It is also mandatory to speak, read and write in English and for this, a proof of language skills may be required. In general, it is recommended to start the visa application procedure with minimum 3 months before the date when you will need to start your employment activity.
However, please mind that the visa application procedure will not take 3 months. Generally speaking, once the application file is submitted, the British authorities will issue a decision in a period of 3 weeks in the case of persons who applied from outside the UK, and in 8 weeks, for those who are here.
What rights are granted under the Skilled Worker Visa in Manchester?
Foreigners who will immigrate to Manchester will receive additional rights, except for the right of living and working here. The holder of this visa is also allowed to study in this country or to participate in voluntary work.
Besides this, in certain situations, the person can have the right of signing additional work contracts. Of course, family reunification is included in this visa program.
Through this, the visa holder can bring in Manchester his or her children (dependent children) and partner. One also benefits from the right to freely travel to and from the UK.
You can find out more information concerning this visa from our immigration solicitors in Manchester.
If you will work in the UK, we invite you to address to our team of employment lawyers in Manchester, who can present the main regulations concerning work in this country.
The law is comprised of regulations such as the National Minimum Wage, the Equality Act 2010, the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, the Employment Rights Act 1996 and others, on which an employment contract should be based on.
The employment regulations applicable at a national level provide rules concerning the rights and the obligations of the employee, their free days, the number of hours to work in a week and many others.
You can request more information on this from our solicitors in Manchester city centre, who can present what other rights are available for employees, as well as the rights of the employers.
How can one become a British citizen?
The British citizenship can be obtained by foreigners who are not related to British citizens only if they have a permanent residency here.
Our Manchester solicitors can explain the entire procedure, which is rather complex and needs the applicant to comply with numerous aspects, including the good knowledge of the English language, history and culture, as stipulated by the British Government.
What are the immigration trends in Manchester?
Manchester has an important share of foreigners living here for various purposes.
It must be noted that the city has an internal migration, which refers to local citizens migrating to and from British cities for employment opportunities, for example, and international migration, which refers to foreigners relocated here.
This has led to a diversified and multi-cultural society, and some of its characteristics are the following:
- according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 26% of the population of the city is of foreign-born origins (data measured for 2019-2020);
- in Manchester, 50% of the births recorded in 2019 were registered from mothers that were born in non-UK countries;
- the estimates for the residential population of Manchester showed that the city accounted for 578,500 persons in 2020, according to the data of the Manchester City Council;
- in 2021, the population kept on growing, reaching 586,100 persons;
- the data for March 2022 shows that the largest number of asylum seekers in the North West region could be found in Manchester (more than 5,000), compared to the 2nd most important city, Liverpool, which received approximately 2,500 persons;
- the top languages spoken in Manchester are English (92.1%), Urdu (1.2%), Polish (0.8%), Bengali (0.7%), and Punjabi (0.6%).
Please contact our immigration lawyers in Manchester for additional information on the ways through which you can obtain various immigration papers in this country. Our Manchester solicitors are ready to provide you with professional legal assistance and help you ease this process.
