United Kingdom

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has changed its guidance for 'Registration as a British Overseas Territories citizen (BOTC(F))'. This change became active on 20 August 2026. The update specifically changes what to do with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) — a permit that proves your immigration status. This guidance affects people born before July 2006 whose fathers were unmarried and had a connection to a British overseas territory. It also affects people born on or after 1 July 2006 who did not become a British Overseas Territories citizen because their mother was married to someone other than their natural father. This change is about administrative steps for documents after someone becomes a citizen.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and Immigration Enforcement have updated the 'Powers and operational procedure: caseworker guidance'. This change took effect on 20 August 2026. The update adds new guidance called 'Post-incident procedures: in the event of death or serious injury'. This new guidance is for immigration staff who deal with enforcement matters in the UK. It adds to the current rules on how officers use their administrative and criminal powers. It expands how they must handle serious incidents.

What changed

Effective 20 August 2026, the United Kingdom's HM Passport Office has updated its guidance for staff concerning the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and its impact on passport applications. The update clarifies the conditions under which examiners can search for a parent's EUSS record using UK Visa and Immigration's Atlas system. This guidance specifically applies to children born in the UK or Crown Dependencies on or after 28 August 2018 to parents who are nationals of the EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and hold status under the EUSS.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has updated its Country Policy and Information Notes (CPINs) for Albania. These notes help UKVI decide asylum and human rights applications. On 7 April 2026, UKVI replaced the CPIN on domestic violence against women with a new CPIN on gender-based violence. On 17 August 2026, UKVI removed the CPIN on human trafficking from July 2024 because it was old. On 3 October 2025, UKVI updated information about sexual orientation and gender identity. On 21 July 2025, UKVI added a new CPIN about unaccompanied children. On 22 November 2022, UKVI removed information about Roma and Balkan Egyptians.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration has updated its guide for registering a child under 18 as a British citizen. This guide is called 'Form MN1: guidance'. From 20 August 2026, the section on 'Citizenship-related queries' is updated. The guide now confirms that the priority service for these applications is available. A new section has been added, called 'when will the child become British?', which took effect from 7 July 2026. Also, the section about returning Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) is updated and renamed 'destroy your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)'. These updates apply to people who want to register a child under 18 as a British citizen under different qualifying rules.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has published guidance. This guidance shows how some people born before 1983 can apply for British nationality. The guidance is called 'Registration as British if your mother had connection to a British Overseas Territory Guidance'. It helps people who did not get British nationality when they were born. This happened because old rules did not let their mothers pass on their status. Applicants can now use form BOTC(M) to fix this past problem. They can register as a British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) and/or a British citizen. UKVI first published this guidance on 28 June 2022.