Biometric Passports

New rule changes on the 1^st April 2016 require individuals to have a British Passport which is biometric, when visiting some countries abroad.

What is a biometric passport?

This is a passport which has an electronic chip containing your personal details.

Do I have a biometric passport?

If your passport was issued prior to 2007, then you may or may not have a biometric passport. This will be evident if there is a small logo located at the bottom of your passport.  Passports issued after 2007 should be biometric. You should ensure your passport is biometric before travelling, otherwise you may be turned away.

If you are travelling on a holiday, visiting friends and family or you are making a visa application, Garden House Solicitors are able to assist. We specialise in the following areas of Immigration Law:

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• Applications for Indefinite leave to remain
• Applications for further leave to remain
• Asylum
• Discretionary Leave
• Nationality
• Travel ID

Our services include fixed fees for standard applications and an initial consultation fee of £75.00 plus VAT.

If you require advice in relation to an immigration matter, then please call for an initial consultation. Please contact me on 01992 422128 or email uzma@ghslaw.co.uk

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www.gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk

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Tel: 01992 422 128

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Email: info@gardenhousesolicitors.co.uk
The contents of this article are intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.

Manual handling at work and risk assessments

All employers must comply with the risk assessment requirements set out in the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992. These regulations require employers to apply control measures to prevent or reduce the risk of injury to their employees from manual handling. Manual handling relates to the moving of items either by lifting, lowering, carrying, pushing or pulling.

Assessing and reducing the risk of injury

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Risks can be found in all work sectors and employers will be asked by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to provide copies of all risk assessments carried out. This will then be assessed by a safety representative to ensure that the employer is preventing and controlling hazards. If a safety representative thinks that there is a risk of injury then under Regulation 4 the employer must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk by: 

• Avoiding hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable

• Making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided

• Reducing the risk of injury from those operations so far as is reasonably practicable 

• Avoiding hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable.

• Making a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided.

• Reducing the risk of injury from those operations so far as is reasonably practicable.

Immigration Health Surcharge Fees

The Home Office introduced changes to fees accompanying immigration applications in April 2015. One of the changes introduced was for the payment of an Immigration Health Surcharge fee.

What is an Immigration Health Surcharge fee?

This is a fee paid by individuals entering the UK towards the NHS.

When is an Immigration Health Surcharge fee payable?

If you are applying for a visa application outside of the

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UK you will have to pay for an immigration health surcharge payment if:

• Your applying for a visa for the purposes of studying, work or joining family in the UK for longer than a period of 6 months
• You are a national of a country outside of the EEA (European Economic Area)

If you are making an application within the UK, you’ll have to pay if: 

• The application is for any length of time (which includes those for 6 months or less) 
• You are a national of a country outside of the EEA