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Home Office announces changes to the Immigration Rules

Summary
A number of minor changes to the Immigration Rules have been published which will come into force on 1 July 2013
By EIN
Date of Publication:

The Home Office yesterday announced that a number of minor changes to the Immigration Rules have been published which will come into force on 1 July 2013.

They Home Office said in a press release that the changes include:

• changes to the documents required for approved English language tests;

• clarification that 'regulated financial institutions' means those regulated to provide personal savings accounts or student loans;

• more legal courses are now exempt from the time limit on study for Tier 4 student visas; and

• a resident labour market test is not needed for applications for a religious worker (Tier 5) extension.

Other changes include:

• some minor updates and clarifications to the family Immigration Rules;

• changes to the list of financial institutions in Bangladesh and Ghana from which documents can be verified.

• Tuberculosis screening is now required in more countries including:

• China;
• Cameroon;
• Ethiopia;
• Gambia;
• Hong Kong;
• Indonesia;
• Macau;
• Malawi;
• Morocco;
• Sierra Leone;
• Uganda;
• Vietnam; and
• Zambia.

For full details of all changes please see the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC244) and explanatory memorandum on the UKBA website at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/statementsofchanges/2013/hc244.pdf?view=Binary.