iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Jonathan Kingham @jonkingh.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

New immigration fees from 8 April 2026 just out. Most fees going up by 6 or 7%. Settlement (ILR) going up from £3,029 to £3,226 per applicant (so £12,904 for a family of 4). Cost to Home Office of deciding each application: £523 (£2,092 for a family of 4).

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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 18/03/2026

We've got delicious ideas to help celebrate the end of Ramadan. nyti.ms/4rACjhH

Delicious Recipes for Your Eid al-Fitr Feast

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CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

TLDR no, but an interesting read.

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Epic analysis of the new immigration rules by @alexinlaw.bsky.social

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Important write up by @alexinlaw.bsky.social of an important Court of Appeal case on children and the immigration rules freemovement.org.uk/important-co...

But this could potentially have enormous implications for children of British or settled parents for as long as the rule lasts. At present, child dependants of Appendix FM partners apply for limited leave, in line with their non-settled parent, and do not settle until they do, which takes five years at a minimum and sometimes longer. However, following this decision, where the British/settled sponsor is the child’s parent, it may be possible to apply for settlement for the child immediately under para 297(i)(f) instead of spending many years and many thousands of pounds on extension applications.

It is also possible for children already in the UK to apply for indefinite leave to remain under para 298, which has an equivalent provision. In circumstances where both parents are in the UK, one of whom is settled or British while the other has limited leave, it is difficult to imagine the Home Office reasonably concluding that the exclusion of their minor child is desirable, if the application is carefully prepared with strong evidence. This is particularly the case if the child is already living with them in the UK, as the disruption of the status quo is one of the factors that would be taken into account as part of the assessment.

This doesn’t just apply to people here in a family route like Appendix FM, either. There is nothing stopping, for example, a family in the UK in the Global Talent route from making this application on behalf of their minor child when the main applicant settles, provided the child is under 18 at the date of application. As the main applicant will usually qualify for indefinite leave to remain after three years, while dependant partners need to complete five years, this may help their children settle earlier.

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

It's time we asked a different question about migration: Why are so many British people leaving the UK? inews.co.uk/opinion/immi...

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

I'm reading through the white paper or whatever it is. RESTORING ORDER AND CONTROL: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy www.gov.uk/government/p...

gov.uk

Asylum and returns policy statement

This policy statement sets out significant reforms to the UK’s asylum and returns policy.

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Luke Piper @lukepiper.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

A friend and I spent a rainy day looking at this and there are some changes that essentially means that an "exceptional circumstances" test will be applied to those in this situation. Superior analysis here @alexinlaw.bsky.social : freemovement.org.uk/new-suitabil...

freemovement.org.uk

New suitability rules will apply to Appendix FM and other human rights applications - Free Movement

One of the biggest changes introduced by the most recent statement of changes is not so much the replacement of the Part 9 grounds for refusal with a new yet

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Really fun Tudor fact: Katherine Parr, Henry III’s sixth wife, is named after Catherine of Aragorn, his first wife, because her mother was her lady in waiting. Henry VIII was in the wife business for so long that his last wife was named after his first wife.

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Freedom United @freedomunitedhq.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

The UK’s National Referral Mechanism traps migrant workers like Cynthia—who escaped abusive employers—in limbo without the right to work, leaving them vulnerable to re-exploitation. Advocates demand real protections beyond this ineffective “band-aid” system. www.freedomunited.org/news/uk-surv...

freedomunited.org

UK system trapping survivors in “the grey zone” - FreedomUnited.org

Survivors in the UK are being left without the right to work, trapped in a grey zone facing ongoing uncertainty and insecurity.

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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

NEW Explaining a 31-month sentence for a tweet How a mixture of court process, law and sentencing policy led to the lengthy imprisonment of Lucy Connolly By me Substack: emptycity.substack.com/p/explaining... Personal blog: davidallengreen.com/2025/05/expl...

emptycity.substack.com

Explaining a 31-month sentence for a tweet

How a mixture of court process, law and sentencing policy led to the lengthy imprisonment of Lucy Connolly

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Court of Appeal really lays into the EUSS rules for being basically impenetrable in a recent case.

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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

So after months chasing after Reform votes and a major announcement which caused widespread offence and anger among everyone left of Robert Jenrick, a full four per cent of Reform voters now have a favourable impression of Labour, top work from all concerned

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

I am obviously extra conscious of this since Alex's article (freemovement.org.uk/housesitters...) but a health warning on this would be sensible especially given the recent reports of tourists getting banged up on the US border

If your budget is tight, consider the Worldpackers travel and volunteering community. In exchange for a few hours of work, you get free accommodation in hostels, farms, homestays, eco-lodges, NGOs and schools, says Bhattacharya.

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

What a lot of people are missing about Trump’s meeting with Zelensky is that there was a massive language barrier which obviously hindered communication. But if Trump takes some English lessons before their next meeting, it might be more productive.

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

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Colin Yeo @colinyeo.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

Top 10 Free Movement blog posts of 2024 by page views. Some of these were open access already and I’ve removed the lock on the others.

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

The potential concession is a youth mobility scheme, possibly along the lines of free movement for under 30s but no details have been hashed out yet.

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Some positive news! The Home Office are piloting giving newly recogised refugees 56 days before they lose their asylum support instead of the current 28 days. Some concerns about the details, but 28 days isn’t long enough to find somewhere to live & another income www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/home...

standard.co.uk

'Move on' period for refugees doubled to 56 days in victory for the Standard

The Standard has secured a major victory in its A Place to Call Home winter appeal

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

I really want to spread awareness of this ridiculous Home Office requirement that doesn’t get enough coverage in the hopes that it will finally be scrapped (since even the Home Office probably doesn’t want it) so please RT widely!

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CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

I was blown away to discover recently that fees for loads of stuff were only introduced in 2003. And the fees that did exist were pretty affordable - 33 quid for a student visa!

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

Immigration lawyer Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social is here!

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Alex Piletska @alexinlaw.bsky.social · 10/10/2023

Quoting the new Home Office fees is painful but not as painful as it will be once IHS goes up as well 😬

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