A Y & J Solicitors

The global pandemic has thrown working lives in the air as we grapple with the ‘new normal’ and find ourselves looking for certainty in an uncertain employment world.

A migrant who fled poverty to build a successful immigration advice service in the UK is now offering free legal guidance for migrants attempting to cross the Channel, in the hope of saving lives.

London, August 12: Yash Dubal, Founder and Managing Director of A Y & J Solicitors has been shortlisted for Director of the Year Awards 2020 under the category of “SME up to 5 million “ in the Institute of Directors London and South Director of The Year awards. The finalists were nominated from the hundreds of directors across ten categories.

Pandemic is the latest blow that has thrown millions of lives into disorder, however, one must not forget that the Brexit Train is gradually continuing to steam forward. On 31st January 2020, the United Kingdom has left the European Union by signing a withdrawal agreement with the EU. This momentous shift marks a significant transition from the freedom of movement to the Points-Based system, and the introduction of some new visa categories to come into force from 01 January 2021. This departure from the EU is expected to bring a drastic overhaul in the key immigration system. 

Regardless of the Brexit outcome, the United Kingdom will remain one of the world most powerful economies. With a market of 65 million people and close ties with Europe, many overseas-based organisations look to establishing a subsidiary or branch office in Britain. To achieve such a commercial ambition,companies often send a sole representative to the UK to establish contacts,investigate the market, and start building a sales pipeline. One of the most effective visas for this purpose is the Representative of an Overseas Business Visa.

The plight of those denied a UK Spouse/CivilPartnership Visa or a Spouse/Civil Partnership Visa extension continues to feature in the headlines. In August 2018, the Guardian reported on one young woman, driven to attempt suicide after her fiancé, an Albanian national, was not permitted to enter the country.  The Home Office ruled Paige Smith, a British Citizen, did not meet the £18,600 income threshold.  It later transpired the Home Office lost a crucial payslip proving that Ms Smith met the criteria, a document the department had been sent four times by a Solicitor and Ms Smith’s MP.  The appeal Judge took ten minutes to rule the Visa should have been approved; however, the couple still had to wait two months for the Home Office to declare it would not appeal the decision.

A Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa provides a gateway to entry and settlement in the UK for non-EEA individuals who wish to launch a start-up or invest in and become a director of a UK company running the business. There are advantages to entering Britain on the entrepreneur visa route; an applicant can bring their dependent family members with them, and there is also an opportunity to fast-track settlement applications if certain criteria are met. However, the refusal rate for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa is high. According to immigration statistics, in the last quarter of 2017, 48% of entrepreneur visa applications were declined. The toughening up of rules surrounding the Tier 1 Entrepreneur route resulted from a spate of bogus applications in recent years. Now those wishing to enter the UK on an entrepreneur visa must have a first-rate application, demonstrating they can meet the visa requirements and add value to the economy.

The UK leaves the European Union in less than six months. With the number of EU nationals coming to the UK for work reducing, having a valid Tier2 Sponsor Licence is more crucial than ever for organisations whorely on foreign talent to meet customer demands.Sponsor Licenceholders who do not have the advantage of large HR departments to monitorcompliance need to be mindful of Home Office actions while observing the non-compliance,including licence suspensions.