First Channel crossings under new UK government resume after 11-day hiatus
UKVI updates published visa-processing times: what business travellers need to know
Home Office warns EU Settlement Scheme holders to update e-Visa details before new border checks
Latest News
UKVI publishes July update of licensed-sponsor register ahead of salary-threshold rise
UKVI’s 22 July update lists 128,029 organisations authorised to sponsor migrant workers – data global-mobility teams can use to audit suppliers and prepare for the September salary-threshold rise.
Commons Library publishes definitive guide to UK immigration appeal rights
Parliament’s research service has issued an up-to-date explainer on who can still appeal a Home Office immigration decision. Most work and study refusals lack appeal rights, but EU Settlement Scheme and human-rights cases do. The briefing is a must-read for HR teams handling refusals and potential removals.
FCDO adds EU Entry/Exit System warning to Germany travel advice
On 22 July the UK government inserted detailed guidance on the EU’s new Entry/Exit System into its Germany travel advice, warning of possible delays at Dover, Eurostar and continental airports once biometric border checks begin on 12 October. Firms should adjust travel-risk and scheduling policies accordingly.
MPs invite evidence on sweeping new Immigration and Asylum Bill
Parliament’s Public Bill Committee has begun gathering evidence on the Immigration and Asylum Bill, which would tighten sponsorship rules, limit visa switching and create fast-track asylum appeals. Businesses and universities have six weeks to lobby for amendments before detailed scrutiny starts in September.
Home Office weekly small-boat statistics confirm lowest July totals since 2021
Official Home Office data for the week ending 22 July show only 251 small-boat arrivals – the lowest July week in five years. The publication inaugurates Labour’s promise of timelier border statistics and gives employers better visibility of accommodation and workforce-planning pressures.
Sponsor register tops 77,000 employers after latest Home Office update
The 22 July update to UKVI’s sponsor register shows steady growth to over 77,000 licensed employers but also a sharp rise in compliance downgrades. Mobility teams should monitor the register to avoid placing staff with non-compliant partners.
Free Movement tracker flags switch to eVisa-only status for Homes for Ukraine applicants
Free Movement’s 22 July feed highlights a Home Office change: Homes for Ukraine visa holders will now receive eVisa status only, signalling the accelerating phase-out of physical BRP cards. Corporations employing Ukrainian nationals should move quickly to eVisa-based right-to-work processes.
FCDO updates Sri Lanka travel advice as Middle East tensions disrupt flight routes
UK officials have warned that Middle-East airspace closures are disrupting UK–Sri Lanka flights and advised travellers to check alternative routings. The update also makes Sri Lanka’s ETA free until November 2026. Businesses should review itineraries and insurance coverage.
EU’s new Entry/Exit System triples airport queue times for British travellers
The EU’s new biometric Entry/Exit System (EES) went fully live this month and is already causing hour-plus queues for UK nationals at major European airports. Airlines and travellers are warning of missed connections and urging extra buffer time, while UK officials advise travellers to expect longer border formalities. Until technology teething problems are solved, corporate mobility teams face higher duty-of-care costs and potential itinerary disruption.
UK-India Young Professionals Scheme: second 2026 ballot opens
The Home Office opened the second 2026 India Young Professionals Scheme ballot on 21 July, giving Indian graduates 48 hours to vie for the remaining 1,200 two-year UK work visas. The scheme offers employers short-term access to talent without sponsorship but requires forward planning for longer-term hires. Companies are urged to prepare to move quickly once ballot results are released early August.
Graduate-visa guidance updated: UKCISA clarifies reduced post-study work length from 2027
UKCISA has updated its Graduate Route webpages to incorporate July’s Immigration Rules changes, confirming that master’s graduates applying from 1 January 2027 will receive only 18 months of post-study work permission. Employers and universities must adjust recruitment timelines accordingly, as the government tightens post-study immigration paths.
RMT calls three-day strike on East Midlands Railway over train-safety faults
RMT will stage strikes at East Midlands Railway on 1, 8 and 15 August over unresolved safety faults on new Class 810 trains. The action threatens to disrupt key business-travel routes linking East Midlands Airport, St Pancras International and onward Heathrow connections, forcing corporates to secure alternative transport and reassess duty-of-care plans.
Signal failure triggers Heathrow rail bottleneck as Elizabeth and Piccadilly lines hit by delays
A signal failure at Hayes & Harlington caused ‘severe delays’ on the Elizabeth line, while a separate fault at Osterley hit the Piccadilly line on 21 July, slowing both public-transport links to Heathrow Airport for several hours. The disruption led to missed rail-air connections and forced travel managers to arrange alternative transport, highlighting the vulnerability of Heathrow surface access during the summer peak.
Singapore Airlines to double Gatwick flights and lift UK weekly total to 49
From late-October Singapore Airlines will increase UK flights to 49 per week, doubling its Gatwick service and maintaining robust Heathrow and Manchester operations. The uplift boosts seat supply for corporate and leisure travellers and underlines growing UK-Asia demand.
Late-night engineering works divert Dover-bound Southeastern trains this week
Night-time engineering on Southeastern’s London-Kent lines from 20-24 July is diverting or replacing late services to Dover and Canterbury. Travellers making early Channel crossings face extended journey times and should re-check itineraries.
Sponsor-licence register tops 130,000 employers as new platforms enhance searchability
Daily-synced data show the UK’s sponsor-licence register now tops 130,000 employers, a 13 % annual rise. New search tools make it easier for companies, job-seekers and regulators to analyse sponsorship activity, but also expose low-usage licence-holders to greater scrutiny.