The UK Ancestral Visa remains one of the most popular ways for Commonwealth Citizens to live and work in the United Kingdom.

So, your beloved partner lives in the UK and you’d like to join them. Well here’s some good news: If you’re in a relationship with an Ancestry visa holder, EU citizen or UK citizen, you will be able to move to the UK and live with them. There are various criteria and qualifications, but most of them are simpler than you think.

As a recent arrival in Britain, or as someone still planning their move from South Africa, you may already be familiar with the UK Immigration Health Surcharge. This is a fee payable by non-EEA nationals (including South Africans) during the visa process to reflect the cost of making use of Britain’s National Health Service (NHS).

The UK Immigration rules, fortunately, make provision for non-British parents to exercise their right of access to children resident in the UK. There are however strict requirements to be met.

The year 2016 was a busy year for UK Immigration, with events like the vote for Brexit that caused a lot of concern for immigrants in the UK. There were also some other major immigration changes, such as the new minimum pay threshold that impacted significantly on the lives of many immigrants.

Moving countries is daunting. Letting go of the familiar to embrace a new culture can be tricky, albeit exciting.

On a daily basis, the consultants at Breytenbachs Immigration encounter cases where clients have been fed incorrect information, and given often ill-advised advice, by unqualified and unscrupulous immigration advisors.

Clients who receive their first UK Visa, often think of the British Citizenship application as something that needs to be handled somewhere in the distant future. The truth is however that one needs to prepare for the British Citizenship application from the first day you set foot in the United Kingdom!

The English Language requirement for non-EEA partners and parents will be changed to Level A2 on 1 May 2017.

Expert advice for businesses and individuals wanting to settle in the UK.

The UK Government has announced that it is making changes to the Tier 2 Immigration Category.  The changes will apply to all applications made on or after 24 November 2016.

So you’ve taken the plunge and booked your one-way ticket straight out of O. R. Tambo International Airport to join the huge expat community of Saffas already living in London. What next?

A lot of South Africans are dead keen on getting their hands on that maroon British passport. The good news? It could be a lot easier than you think. Thanks to the shared history between the two countries, there are loads of South Africans who can trace their ancestry back to the UK or one of its former territories.

Since 1 February 2016, all new tenants have to prove that they have a right to rent a property in England. Should a person not be able to provide the acceptable documents, he/she will not be able to rent property in England.

Persons are often unsure about when it is possible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK or, as it is sometimes known, Permanent Residence.

From April 2017, new rules are set to be introduced that will significantly change the circumstances under which non-domiciled (non-dom) status can be claimed by those that are UK tax resident.

Many persons are often surprised to find out that they can qualify for permanent residence in the UK, despite the fact that most of their time spent in the UK is not on visas leading to permanent residence.

Over the past year, the Tier 1 Entrepreneur immigration route to the UK has grown in its popularity amongst non-EU citizens.

Currently, one of the most popular immigration routes among South Africans wanting to establish a business presence in the UK is the Sole Representative Visa. This immigration route allows the overseas company to send one key individual to the UK to establish a wholly owned subsidiary or UK branch for the overseas company.

Teaching is considered one of the most rewarding careers out there.

South African citizens wanting to join the British Army will be delighted to hear that the British Army has a selection of Army roles for which Commonwealth Citizens do not need to meet the five-year residency requirement.

The Tier 2 General Immigration Category is one of the most popular immigration routes for non-EEA nationals to live and work in the UK.

The consultants at Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants Ltd (BIC) hear heart-breaking stories on a regular basis of people who fall victim to immigration scams.

You have finally reached your goal of obtaining British citizenship. But still, you have some niggling questions at the back of your mind. What now? Are there still things left to do?

Brexit has left in its wake an opening for South Africans with entrepreneurial skills to acquire British residency and citizenship.