Melanie Gower

The Government has created a new visa for people from Hong Kong with British National (Overseas) status. The five year visa will enable BN(O)s and their dependent family members to live, work and study in the UK, and give them a route to permanent settlement and British citizenship. It will launch in January 2021.

The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2019-21 has completed its Committee stage and is due to have its Report stage and Third Reading on 30 June. The Bill was passed by the Public Bill Committee without amendments.

Efforts by the Home Office to remedy the injustices suffered by people caught up in the Windrush scandal are ongoing. The Windrush compensation scheme is operational, and legislation underpinning the scheme received Royal Assent in June 2020. But some stakeholders remain dissatisfied with aspects of the Home Office's response to the scandal, for example citing ongoing delays in processing cases and applications for compensation.

Most non-EEA nationals applying for temporary leave to remain in the UK must pay an 'Immigration Health Surcharge' (IHS) to the Home Office, in addition to the immigration application fee. The Government has a manifesto commitment to increase the charge and extend it to EEA nationals after the Brexit transition period. The charge, and the proposed increases, have generated some controversy, particularly against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. Following a recent change of policy, the Government now intends to exempt NHS and care workers from the IHS in the future, although it has not yet confirmed when this will take effect.

The tables in this paper provide a summary of the UK and EU positions in the future relationship negotiations, based on their proposed draft treaty texts and other publicly available statements

This paper provides an update on the first three rounds of negotiations on the future UK-EU relationship and analysis of the draft new partnership treaty tabled by the EU in March 2020

This briefing provides an overview of the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2019-21, in advance of its Second Reading debate.

In February, the Government published a policy statement on the new points-based system for immigration. The new system is due to take effect in January 2021, when EU free movement law has ceased to apply in the UK. Some of the Government's plans are similar to proposals in the May Government’s December 2018 immigration white paper, and recommendations made by the independent Migration Advisory Committee. But some of the ideas in the policy statement differ to both of those.

This briefing summarises who is subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) visa condition and how it is applied. It also identifies what state support and concessions might be available for migrants with NRPF during the coronavirus crisis. It does not cover migrants’ entitlements to NHS healthcare, or the position of European Economic Area nationals.

The UK's Immigration Rules allow for refugees to be joined in the UK by immediate family members in certain circumstances. Provisions in EU law (the Dublin III Regulation) can also be used to reunite families separated across the EU/UK. The Regulations will cease to apply in the UK after the Brexit 'transition period'. This has given extra impetus to pre-existing calls to widen the scope of the UK's rules.

This research briefing deals with the provisions in the Coronavirus Bill which concern emergency powers and national security. This briefing paper has been updated to reflect changes made to the Bill in the House of Commons.

The Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Bill 2019-20 is due to have its Committee and remaining stages in the Commons on 24 March.

This reading list presents a selected snapshot of responses to the February 2020 Government policy statement on a new points-based system for immigration.