UK Visas and Immigration Updates Albania Country Policy and Information Notes for Asylum and Human Rights Applications

What changed

The Swiss Federal Council has extended protection status S for people from Ukraine. This status will now last until 4 March 2028. The Council made this decision on 19 August 2026. A new rule also starts on 20 August 2026. New applicants for protection status S must follow their military duties in Ukraine. This rule applies to Ukrainian citizens who are old enough for military service, those on the reserve list, and those who joined the armed forces by choice. This new rule does not affect people who already have protection status S.

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) 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.