Radar Failure at Birmingham Airport Causes Overnight Chaos and Major Flight Diversions
Migration Advisory Committee Expands New Immigration Salary List to 21 Occupations
Home Office Appoints Paul Morrison CBE as New Director-General for Visas, Passports and Citizenship
Latest News
National Rail Lifts Storm Goretti Disruption Notice but Urges Travellers to Build Resilience Plans
National Rail ended its Goretti weather alert on 12 January, restoring the UK rail network to normal status after almost two weeks of severe disruption. Corporates should still expect residual delays and review compensation policies as further flooding risks loom.
UK Immigration Policy Updates for 2026: What Employers Need to Know
Jobbatical’s 11 January bulletin confirms that 2026 ushers in tougher English tests for work-visa applicants, mandatory ETAs for all visa-free visitors from 25 February, and a longer ten-year path to ILR. Employers should pre-test language skills, build ETA prompts into booking tools and rethink retention strategies.
Sponsor-Licence Crackdown: New Rules Ban Salary Kickbacks and Fee Recovery
New Appendix Skilled Worker guidance bars employers from counting any salary that a migrant later reimburses to the sponsor and prohibits passing on sponsor-licence costs to staff. Non-compliance risks licence revocation, making an urgent policy review essential.
Visitor Visa Overhaul: Paid Engagements Folded into Standard Visitor Route
The UK has scrapped the standalone ‘Permitted Paid Engagement’ visa. Short-term paid engagements must now be carried out on a Standard Visitor visa, with stricter documentation and a 30-day activity limit. Companies must refresh invitation letters and coach visitors on declaring the engagement at the border.
Fee Hikes Loom: Home Office Plans 60 % Increase for Key Immigration Charges
A Home Office proposal would lift the ETA fee to £16, more than double the CoS cost, and raise naturalisation charges—moves expected to generate £269 million a year. Companies and applicants should budget now and, where possible, file before the increases are implemented.