hallidayreeves Law Firm

Firms News

2010-03-07T16:33:00.003Z

Fund raising for Haiti

Friday in all offices marked a casual end to the week with eager participants choosing to wear casual gear for the day in exchange for a donation to help those in Haiti. A fund raising quiz and other activities have also been organised

Special thanks goes to those within the firm who have organised this worthwhile event for a good cause

Our thoughts & prayers go to all those touched by tragedy around the World

Legal News

2010-02-08T12:17:00.000Z

Shortage Occupation List

The Home Office published the new Shortage Occupation List on 14th December 2009.

The new list can be found at;
http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/workingwithus/indbodies/mac/.

As you will note, skilled ‘Skilled Chefs’ still remain on the list. The Home Office have stated the main conditions that skilled chefs can apply for work permits under the new Points Based System without their employers having to advertise the post, provided the following criterion are satisfied;

1. The skilled chef is paid a minimum of £8.45 per hour on a 30 hour contract per week;

2. The job in question is at N/SVQ Level 3 and above,

3. The job in question requires 3 or more years relevant work experience;

Please consult Halliday Reeves Law Firm if you intend to apply for a Tier 2 Points Based System work permit, or if you wish to employ a foreign national under the ‘skilled chef’ category.

Firms News

2009-12-22T14:07:00.001Z

Middlesbrough Expansion

We are very pleased to announce that from the New Year we have been able to expand our suite of rooms within Erimus House in Middlesbrough. At the same time we are also looking to recruit a Probationer Caseworker to work within that office which will allow us to provide a more comprehensive service to our clients on Teesside

Firms News

2009-12-15T14:00:00.002Z

Christmas and New Year Hours:

Please note we will be closing at 12.30pm on Thursday 24th December and will re-open at 9am on Monday 4th January.

Best Wishes to all for Christmas and the New Year

Legal News

2009-12-04T09:50:00.001Z

European Union Nationals

UK based employers who employ European Union nationals are under specific obligations to adhere to stringent ‘record keeping’ of the European Union nationals (including any other foreign nationals) whom they employ in their businesses. Should the UK Border Agency (Home Office) visit a certain premises at any given unannounced time, and find the employer has insufficient records on their foreign national employees (ie contact details, immigration status etc), then they face a fine of up to £10,000 per employee for non-compliance with the immigration rules.

Furthermore, it appears that some European Union nationals are unaware of the need for them to register under the Worker Registration Scheme in the first instance and continue to be employed by UK based businesses unaware of their obligations to the Home Office to keep specific and detailed information on the migrants at the business premises. Some UK based employers continue to employ EU workers on the premise they are already registered with the Home Office without making adequate checks, which in some instances make them liable of a fine of up to £10,000 as per above.

For further information and guidance, please refer to http://www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk/ website.

Legal News

2009-11-24T09:08:00.001Z

Permission to Work

It has been some time since we first revealed the Court of Appeal decision granting permission to work for those who have been waiting more then 12 months for a decision on a fresh claim. Since this time a lot of people have made applications but few of these have been successful.
We felt that it was about time we brought you an update on this matter.

We are in the process of bringing a Judicial Review action to the court arguing that it is unreasonable for them to refuse to decide permission to work applications as any delay is compounding the unfairness which already exists. This Judicial Review is still in its early stages but we will keep people updated with our progress.

There has also been confirmation that any permission to work application refused, where a person has a genuine entitlement, can be appealed successfully. A new High Court case has been decided and we hope to bring full details of this shortly.

Firms News

2009-11-05T16:24:00.005Z

New Central Telephone System & PO Box goes live

We are delighted to announce that after many months of hard work our new telephone system and PO box went live on 2nd November 2009.

We now have one telephone number (0844 8112147) that takes advantage of the most up to date VOIP technology to connect all of our offices together. For our clients this takes ease of access to a new level where there is only one number to remember and call to speak to us- all at low call rates.

Our Fax and Internal post is also centralised so that one number (0844 8112148) will handle all fax for the Practice and one Postal address will serve all of our post. Using state of the art IT, post will be quickly and efficiently processed internally, so that the person who needs to see it gets to see it promptly whichever office they are working from offering unrivalled customer service.

We were determined to upgrade the way in which we interacted with our clients, particularly for clients who are dispersed across the region to different addresses.

It means quite simply that where ever a client is located or moves to, the same contact numbers & postal address are to be used to contact their adviser.

It also means that through the centralisation of our data, all of our advisers in all of our offices have access to the same information, making it easier for clients to take advice on a local level by visiting any of our offices.

We believe it truly brings together the efficiencies of a centralised service facilitating good quality advice on a local level..........

Legal News

2009-10-13T15:19:00.000+01:00

Sri Lanka

Secret Tamil Policy revealed.

In a recent case before the courts (R (on the application of B) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2009] EWHC 2273 (Admin) it has been discovered that the Home Office have had an undisclosed policy of not returning Tamil applicants to Sri Lanka. Although the reasons for the policy are not as yet clear it would appear that this is a result of the acceptance of a risk on return. This discovery has a number of effects.

Hallidayreeves are currently requesting further information on this matter under the Freedom of Information Act but if you are a Tamil from Sri Lanka and fall into the following categories then feel free to contact our office.

1. Had a decision on an initial asylum application on or after 25th April 2009.
2. Refused by the AIT on or after 25th April 2009
3. Appeal rights have been exhausted and wish to make a fresh claim applicationDetained by the Immigration Services after 25th April 2009 or still in Detention and wish to review the lawfulness of this continued or former detention

Firms News

2009-09-28T12:00:00.001+01:00

Appointments available

We felt it was worth reminding everyone of our long standing policy to offer immediate appointments at our offices in Gateshead, Doncaster and now Wakefield

We appreciate that if you have made the decision to instruct us, the sooner you are able to receive our advice the better particularly when there is a deadline looming

It is of course best to make an appointment but new clients are additionally always welcome to drop into our offices and hopefully will be seen without a prior appointment. (This is of course subject to availablity)

Remember to bring with you any important documents that you have

Legal News

2009-08-27T13:00:00.003+01:00

Catering Establishments

The Home Office announced on 15th June 2009 that a “skilled chef/cook” can be classed as a shortage occupation. This means that prospective employers that work in the catering industry no longer need to advertise the post. Prospective employers, must ensure that the skilled chef/cook will be earning at least £8.45 per hour after deductions of accommodation and meals etc.

Please note that the shortage occupation list is reviewed every 6 months so please check with us that the position is still current if you would like to make use of this.

If you want to check the position yourself then you may like to refer to the UK Border Agency website for further details;

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points/sponsoringmigrants/employingmigrants/shortageoccupationlist

Legal News

2009-08-07T15:03:00.001+01:00

Ankara Agreement

There have been some recent developments in the Court of Appeal with regards to Turkish Nationals who have been refused under the Ankara Agreement. The case of Sonmez v SSHD [2009] EWCA Civ 582 (http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/582.html) considered the position for those who have been refused permission to work under the agreement because of their past immigration history.

If you have been refused as a result of your immigration history it may therefore be possible to consider making a new application. If you would like to discuss a previous refusal under the agreement or simply find out whether you are eligible under the Ankara Agreement then please feel free to attend one of our offices.

Legal News

2009-07-08T10:34:00.001+01:00

The Home Office have introduced a very helpful new feature on their website in the last couple of weeks which could be useful to anyone waiting in the so called legacy backlog.

The following link will allow you to locate the department responsible for handling your case. In order to use this you will need your Home Office reference number. This is a letter followed by 7 numbers and should appear at the top of any letter from the Home Office.

http://ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/asylum/oldercases/who-is-processing-my-case/

From this site you will be able to check that your application is still outstanding and that it is awaiting consideration by a particular team. If your case is not listed on here it may be that you have not been allocated to a team. If this is the case please feel free to drop in and let us know and we can make enquiries to find out whether your case has been considered and if not why no allocation has been made.

Firms News

2009-06-22T12:09:00.002+01:00

Successful Tender-Wakefield Office

We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in a tender to the Legal Services Commission which allows us to open a new office in Wakefield. This further extends our ability to provide high quality local advice to those who need Immigration Law advice. We are hoping to be able to launch this office in August 2009.

We will then have permanent offices in Gateshead, Doncaster & Wakefield and outreach facilities in Middlesbrough, Sunderland & Hull

Check back here for further information

Legal News

2009-06-18T11:00:00.001+01:00

Following our post last week regarding the case of ZO, MM, DT [2009] EWCA Civ 442 (http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2009/442.html) we can confirm that we are now accepting the cases of clients who would like to make an application for permission to work on this basis.

In order to qualify for permission to work there are a number of requirements which can include:

1 - Submitted a fresh claim application more than 12 months ago
2 - Have complied with the Immigration Services during the last year (have informed them of your address/complied with reporting restrictions)
3 - Have not committed any criminal offences

The case itself states that in order to come within the definition of a fresh claim the applicant must have made a claim for international protection and therefore whilst asylum and Humanitarian Protection claims should be considered applications on Article 8 and policy based cases may not and each case would need to be assessed on an individual basis.

In addition to cases falling within this policy we are also considering the cases of those who fall within Rashid and R (S) Afghanistan and those who were asked to complete a legacy questionnaire more than 12 months ago.

We would ask you to note that the Home Office have appealed to the House of Lords and there could therefore be delays in these applications. We will therefore carefully consider each application we make to ensure all relevant issues are highlighted to the Home Office.

If you feel that you qualify under the above criteria or just want advice on whether you could make a permission to work application then feel free to contact our office or call in- if you are not sure if this applies to you then remember we offer a free 15 minute “no obligation” assessment!

Legal News

2009-06-09T14:33:00.001+01:00

The Court of Appeal have now issued a new decision regarding Permission to Work in the United Kingdom.

This decision is known as ZO, MM, DT v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2009] EWCA Civ 442 and examines European laws on when permission to work should be granted.

In essence the court have said that permission to work should be granted to those who have submitted a fresh claim application more than 12 months ago and have yet to receive a decision from the Home Office.

We are currently investigating the position to see whether or not the Home Office are going to make an appeal against this decision and hope to have a policy established soon for dealing with permission to work applications.

Firms News-

2009-06-09T14:31:00.001+01:00

Firm News

hallidayreeves have just released some new leaflets giving information about some of the services which are available. Our new initiatives include a 15 minute free advice service. This 15 minutes is outside of the scope of our Legal Help contract and is available with no obligations to all clients regardless of finances. The session is intended to provide very brief advice on what alternatives are available to allow clients to decide whether they wish to instruct us.

We have also lowered the cost of our citizenship applications which can now be made at a fixed fee of £260.00 for straightforward applications.

Welcome to our Blog

2009-06-09T14:28:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the Hallidayreeves Blog. Here you will find an updated source of news both about our firm and the area of law we work in.

We hope that this can become a useful resource both for our clients and for the wider community who are interested in this increasingly complex area.

Whilst we can not offer specific legal advice on this blog we hope to provide general information about new cases, policies and rules which will enable you to decide whether you could benefit from legal advice.

Whether you have claimed asylum or have an Immigration query we hope that you will find something useful here.

2009-06-06T22:45:00.001+01:00

Legal Update: R (S) Afghanistan

If you claimed asylum from one of the following countries before the date indicated you could be entitled to Indefinite Leave.

Angola - 31st October 2002

Afghanistan - 18th April 2002

Burundi - 7th October 2002

Iraq (GCA only) - 20th February 2003

Liberia - 7th October 2002

Rwanda - 27th August 2002

Sierra Leone - 6th September 2001

Somalia - 10th September 2001

We are also considering the cases of those from Iraq KRG who claimed before the 20th October 2000 or those who received a refusal between 20th October 2002 and 20th March 2003

If you are from any of the above countries and claimed asylum before the dates above, then why not drop into any of our offices and ask for a “free 15 minute assessment”. Our specialist advisors can speedily assess your case and advise what your options are. This is outside of the Legal Aid scheme and there will be no charges for this advice. If there are applications or representations that we can make on your behalf and you want to instruct us we can discuss (without obligation) your entitlement to legal aid or our very competitive private rates.

There is no need to make an appointment. Try to bring with you 1) any Home Office decision you have 2) any Court determination 3) Proof of your means 4) any new evidence you wish to rely on.

2009-06-06T22:41:00.001+01:00

Legal Update:RN Zimbabwe

Are you a Zimbabwean National?

Is your Asylum Claim at an End?

Are you living in the UK and do not support the current regime?

Recent Case law from the Tribunal may allow you to make a fresh claim for asylum.

If you answered “Yes” to one or more of the above questions, then why not drop into any of our offices and ask for a “free 15 minute assessment”. Our specialist advisors can speedily assess your case and advise what your options are. This is outside of the Legal Aid scheme and there will be no charges for this advice. If there are applications or representations that we can make on your behalf and you want to instruct us we can discuss (without obligation) your entitlement to legal aid or our very competitive private rates.

There is no need to make an appointment. Try to bring with you 1) any Home Office decision you have 2) any Court determination 3) Proof of your means 4) any new evidence you wish to rely on.

2009-06-06T22:39:00.003+01:00

Legal Update:Naturalisation

Have you been legally resident in the UK for 5 years?

Have you had Indefinite Leave to Remain for 12 months?

If you answered “Yes”, then why not drop into any of our offices and ask for a “free 15 minute assessment”. Our specialist advisors can speedily assess your case and advise you if you are eligible to apply for British Citizenship. This is outside of the Legal Aid scheme and there will be no charges for this advice. If there are applications or representations that we can make on your behalf and you want to instruct us we can discuss (without obligation) your entitlement to legal aid or our very competitive private rates.

There is no need to make an appointment. Try to bring with you 1) any Home Office decision you have 2) any Court determination 3) Proof of your means 4) any new evidence you wish to rely on.

2009-06-06T22:34:00.002+01:00

Legal Update:EEA Applications

Are you a European National exercising treaty rights in the UK?

Do you want to settle permanently in the UK or simply regularise your status for the future?

Would you like confirmation of your right to work in the UK by applying for a Registration Certificate.(If you are currently on the workers registration scheme you can apply for this after 12 months of continuous employment)?

Been in the UK continuously for 5 years and want to apply for permanent residence?

If you answered “Yes” to one or more of the above questions, then why not drop into any of our offices and ask for a “free 15 minute assessment”. Our specialist advisors can speedily assess your case and advise what your options are. This is outside of the Legal Aid scheme and there will be no charges for this advice. If there are applications or representations that we can make on your behalf and you want to instruct us we can discuss (without obligation) your entitlement to legal aid or our very competitive private rates.

There is no need to make an appointment. Try to bring with you proof of your means and any documents that you think are relevant to your application.

2009-06-06T22:32:00.002+01:00

Firm News: 15 Minute FREE ASSESSMENT launched

Need Legal advice?

Have you been contacted by the Home Office CRD asking you to provide updated information on your case?

Did you claim asylum before March 2003 from a country where a policy of granting ELR existed?

Has your application been refused and you are unclear what your current legal status is?

Has the situation in your country deteriorated significantly since a decision was made on your case. New case law or reports may benefit your case such as the recent decisions in relation to Zimbabwe and Somalia?

Have your family or personal circumstances changed or do you have new evidence or information which was not available when your case was initially decided?

If you answered “Yes” to one or more of the above questions, then why not drop into any of our offices and ask for a “free 15 minute assessment”. Our specialist advisors can speedily assess your case and advise what your options are. This is outside of the Legal Aid scheme and there will be no charges for this advice. If there are applications or representations that we can make on your behalf and you want to instruct us we can discuss (without obligation) your entitlement to legal aid or our very competitive private rates.

There is no need to make an appointment. Try to bring with you 1) any Home Office decision you have 2) any Court determination 3) Proof of your means 4) any new evidence you wish to rely on.

2009-05-30T21:08:00.005+01:00

Coming soon.... a weekly update on recent developments within Immigration Law as well as news from hallidayreeves Law Firm

Mark Reeves
Senior Partner