Appendix EU offers post-Brexit hope to those who are stuck for evidence of Treaty Rights. **NO THANKS FOR ME – I WILL NO LONGER WORK WITH EEA CASES FROM MARCH ’19***

Posted on by October 6, 2018

Over the last two years, we were told a lot of various things about the new system designed to issue some sort of “settled status” to EU citizens and family members after Brexit. Government position paper in June described a brave new world of Android apps, where it wasn’t clear if anyone would ever check if anyone ever exercised Treaty Rights, and the whole thing would be online only. I finally got some time yesterday to read through the Appendix EU, introduced into the Immigration Rules to accommodate the transition. It is supposed to take effect in   March 2019 and … Continue reading →

Success in direct nationality registration for a child “left behind” by the Immigration Rules: what is a “sole responsibility” rule and does it make any sense?

Posted on by October 20, 2018

I just had a success registering  an almost- 16-year old young man as British recently, in a complicated case that perhaps most aptly highlights the misgivings of UK immigration policy in relation to immigration of children whose other parent stays overseas. Restrictions on such immigration are least known and often ignored by prospective immigrants, leading often to disaster. Several of such cases with families from the US were recently in the news – the “white distress” thing again –  but I have had numerous Russian ones as well. The issue is exacerbated by people not even having a clue that … Continue reading →

British immigration lawyer’s adventures at the California Bar (exam, so far)

Posted on by August 12, 2018

As many of you know, a couple of weeks ago I was in Sacramento, CA, finally taking the CA bar exam, all part of my new UK-US oriented business model. This was a weird experience in many respects. One, is that overwhelming majority of Bar takers are 24, in other words, my oldest daughter’s age. They all type on laptops and are very purpose-filled. In the corner they have a corral for handwriters, invariably those few 40+ oddballs, yours truly including. That’s a combination of out of state and foreign attorneys, career changers, perennial bar failers and, I imagine, disbarred … Continue reading →

First and last, literally: one of my first ever clients Kamal K finally gets his Residence card 4 years later, just as I am about to hang up the… (whiteboard?)

Posted on by July 30, 2018

I am inseparable from the whiteboard, of course. But the rest is true.  As I am no longer taking on representation cases in UK in-country and EEA applications, I may have finally achieved the once bragged about 100% success rate again, and one of my first ever cases becomes one of the the last ones to conclude. Years ago, I expected a big party in West London and a lot of fanfare when this day finally comes as I knew it would –  but it turns out everyone is just tired. I wanted to scream, “Kamal got a residence card!” … Continue reading →

My FTT appeals May-June 2018: 18-month St Prix leave, WRS “job start date”, Ibrahim/Texteira “alternative carer” test

Posted on by July 29, 2018

I do not have a huge appellate practice, as you folks know, which is, as I like to repeat, because my applications are usually successful, or I am able to casework into such success with further out-of-court bickering. However I appeared in a couple of notable appeals in the last couple of months, one in Taylor House and one in Belfast, of all places (a culture shock of its own!). Both of them were allowed, and SSHD had not pursued PTA in either (not surprised as they were both unopposed by SSHD – a PTA would have been really rich!).  … Continue reading →