NewStats: 3,264,999 , 8,185,297 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 06:21 AM 6m2oi

Ayodele20484:
@Cashmadam and #gisele

Please I need your input.

I am a frequent traveler, been to the UK few times and recently just got my UK visa renewed (Last week actually).
I have a son through surrogacy and plan on taking him along with me for my Mummy's 85th birthday in August as there is no one I can trust him with here in Nigeria.
Considering he was born through surrogacy, what do I need to provide and take note of while submitting the application?

Thanks in anticipation.

I can't speak specifically for the Nigerian situation, but the general process here is that there needs to be a transfer of legal parenthood of your child from the surrogate mother to you. If you've done that, then you will obviously have to include the birth, adoption certificate or whatever legal custody document you have in the application as part of the normal process of showing a parent's relationship to a child.

Raalsalghul:


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/10/another-drop-in-uk-net-migration-in-2026-may-cause-labour-shortages-says-no-10-adviser

The more you look the less you see kind of situation.

I believe most should be happy with this but moaning beginning to slightly creep in.

It's The Grauniad; you'd expect them to slant their headline that way.

justwise:



Yusuf will lead what the party calls its "Doge team" – which is modelled on the Department of Government Efficiency set up by US President Donald Trump.

Lol bunch of jokers

The amount of sheer copying and pasting and brown-nosing is astounding as the original DOGE itself was a useless, incompetent mess charging around senselessly doing much more harm than any bit of good.
There are definitely some efficiency gains to be found in every organisation, and these can be found down the line when the new councillors have understood their briefs and the organisations that they run, but ultimately the best long-term solution to getting councils to deliver value for money lies in properly increasing councils' revenue (anathema to Reform-ists and the magic-money-tree general populace) and/or reforming their single greatest expense - adult social care.

justwise:


Muslim votes carries a lot of weight in many cities in this country, many politicians fight for their vote, ask George Galloway because he understands that game very well and have benefited from it.

Reform stands no chance in cities like Bradford, Halifax, Luton, some part of Manchester where Muslim communities outnumbered Whites

Reform needs votes and validation from ethnic minority hence the attempt to appoint one despite many white candidates

I definitely don't think Reform is factoring in winning votes from ethnic minorities to get it where it wants to be. They will of course get votes from the UK equivalents of the Trump's Latino voters, but those aren't their target audience.

Zahra29:


LOL

It wasn't a bait fyi. It's all still speculative at this point so I was genuinely interested to hear your take.

Circle back when you've had your Weetabix 😂

My point exactly.
We can't know, and until Zia or someone close to him says something, we probably never will.
The media have speculated ad infinitum: he's variously alleged to have been sidelined within Reform and suddenly had a fit of pique or to have considered that the mooted ban was a red line for his religious community (as an African I could also plump for the oh-so-familiar scenario of some revered ascendant approaching one in a moment of non-conformity, clutching their chest and declaring that "If you do/don't do this, I will die o!" ), so our engaging in further speculation as to what's already been speculated about will likely get us nowhere.

Zahra29:


Why do you think this was? Ie why did his position become untenable in your view?

My dear Zahra, if it will help, I'll readily own that I haven't had my Weetabix yet.

ehizario2012:


I've been reading more about slavery recently (focusing on enclopedia brittanica) and the knowledge gained has significantly changed my views on how to apportion the blames for slavery. In the past, I always blamed African tribal leaders more for enslaving their own people and selling them off to the invaders however the impact of slavery on the development of the western economy cannot be overemphasized. The west MUST accept and live with blacks, racists MUST be punished at all times. In essence, Britain or wherever CANNOT be white again. These people plundered Africa so much, they MUST accommodate Africans.

Very idealistic.

justwise:
[/b]

They have more than enough white men/women for party leader but that is not the point, the inclusion of ethnic minority as party leader for a party like Reform is for a reason, They need a colourful exterior just to win more votes from non-white communities

Zia was very naive or ignorant to think that ing Reform will bring any change. The bedrock of Reform political party is ..Make Britain White Again

Zia may be young, but I don't think he's that naive.
I think that he wasn't starry eyed about his actions when ing, and knew all about Reform and what it means, but ed for his own reasons (basic self interest - getting in on the ground floor of a party that is still statistically likely to form the next government in 2029), and had to leave when his position became untenable.

Goke7:


Some even want the Robinson guy to replace Zia 😂 let’s just leave it there

Farage wanted to distance himself from the far right (mass remigration, fascism, and all that), but that calculation may change.

Zahra29:


So you don't know anyone who earns less than £100k and applied for/ accepted 30 hrs free childcare even though they were eligible. They all said "no, thank you" when offered. That's pretty amazing.

Hilarious.

Lexusgs430:


I talked about this 2 weeks ago or so.......

Those that would qualify for benefits + the English channel bandits + their own very lazy yoots + pension bill etc etc..... They can see the impending dangers looming ahead..... The vault is running empty...... 🤔😏

Tax and IHS and visa fee rises coming too. The extended 10 year period will be a wild ride....

Jamesclooney:
Now that BRP has been phased out, what happens when you add a new dependant?
Also, how long is the actual processing time for a standard application? I know it’s d as 8 weeks, but I’d like to hear from anyone with recent experience—was it faster or longer?

Congratulations on your new dependant!

The key part might be whether 20 hours can be provable, situation might be similar to those who are self-sponsored under their own company's sponsor licence and perhaps OP might want to consult an immigration lawyer regarding how they can get reliable timekeeping evidence below the threshold.

Lexusgs430:
[/b]

If you drop legal cover, and a claim goes to litigation (I hope you have a legal fighting fund of almost £60,000, under your pillow)..... 😂😁

Don't get breakdown cover via your vehicle insurance, get it independently or sign up through your bank (breakdown cover, is not important, till you breakdown)..... 😭😁

Fully agree with this. Legal cover is invaluable.
@babajeje123, strongly recommend you take this into consideration.
Furthermore, unless your car is the oldest and rustiest of bangers, with absolutely little or no value whatsoever, its still better you get full comp insurance instead of third party. I've found that the difference in quotes for the two types is generally about £100 - 150 (of course your case might be different).

Also, as others have said, insuring your car using someone's address is insurance fraud; don't go down that road.

Goke7:


I must give it to the American system truly their democracy is no joke it has really saved them much from the President antics if not hmmm water for don garri by now 😂.

Until matters get appealed up to the Supreme Court, which is where things start to look different.

Goke7:


Anything new? I don’t think so if e easy make them run am make we see!

Nothing specific. Their final conclusion is that they do not think there is any need to change the current approach in place concerning those two sectors as they do not believe that employers are over-relying on bringing in workers in these sectors as opposed to hiring homegrown staff.

To interrupt scheduled programming, here's another report.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/professionals-in-it-and-engineering-review

Jamesclooney:
I’m not a fan of Nigel or Reform (for obvious reasons), but boy oh boy — his delivery of today’s speech was excellent. Head and shoulders above Kemi Badenoch, Keir Starmer, Trump & co. That’s what political leaders should sound like.

Be careful what you wish for. Politics as entertainment usually ends badly; politics as quiet delivery more useful to mankind.
In any event, what Mr. Farage said is more interesting that how he said it. Effectively Labour have allowed him to capture the narrative, so after trying to move right on immigration to please his voters, they'll now be forced to consider moving left again in line with what Reform has just announced as policy in order to please their own voters who Reform is trying to steal. This is sure to make Diane Abbott and Jeremy Corbyn feel very fulfilled.

Lexusgs430:



This petition is probably not required..... Simply because the proposed changes, would ONLY be applicable to new applications (assuming law is ed)...... 😊😁

Lol. You're right to say the petition is not required, but for a different reason: the petition unfortunately makes no difference - the govt will simply forge on with what it's decided. Second Brexit referendum petition had 2.5 million signatures, and the Revoke Article 50 petition had 6 million signatures - Brexit went ahead. The "Net Zero Immigration" petition ( https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700824) is already more than double this one and counting.

Labour is U-turning upandan on previous policies like the WFA and 2 child cap, under pressure from Reform which is picking up and adopting policies anyhow. The proper left is on the march as well. Ms. Rayner called for an increase in IHS and other measures to make things tighter for immigrants. Even The Guardian is firing warning shots (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/25/the-charts-that-show-just-how-worried-labour-should-be-about-the-polls).

Alas, much as all of us on visas fervently wish otherwise, I think Labour's more likely to go ahead with its measures than not.

Lexusgs430:
That girl from the department, would probably be the first, to receive her P45....... 🤣😁😂

Lol. While Big Ange is busily getting ready for action.

Zahra29:


The only way this would happen is if the UK government announced that we were now at war with Russia and all fit Commonwealth and British men of fighting age were required to sign up to the Army.

Even if they didn't have to enlist, there would still be a mass exodus, people claiming that this is not their home country 🤣

There's also a Home Guard in formation, the new-style Dads Army.

I'm in my 50s - I'll happily parade back and forth with a wooden rifle along the Dover coast or the Scottish islands or wherever I'm posted watching for invaders, if war comes.

Zahra29:


Lol they were plenty 😂 Add Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to the group chat.

Thank you for this very necessary correction, Zahra.
For this, all else is forgiven.

Might sound cliched, but the whole reason why I embarked upon emigration was to secure for the children some of the things I've been able to have, which came to me, an ordinary member of the now-decimated Nigerian middle class, at great cost and effort.

I've been blessed, I've been able to travel widely, I've worked internationally, earned some change, meet lots of wonderful people in various countries, generally had quite a good life by the standards of the place I left. I certainly want my children to have those opportunities (even if they decide not to avail of them) and unfortunately I don't think that Nigeria as it currently is and as I sadly think it will be in the immediate future (even though I desperately wish to be proven wrong) will be able to provide those opportunities for any appreciable segment of its population.

erico2k2:

Then you do not need to leave Nigeria if that's all what you want as no poor person can leave Nigeria, You got to be rich to leave Nigeria. That narrative you gave was true some years ago, not now. You deny your kids the chance of holding a foreign port. Those port are priceless.

This.

Zahra29:


Be gentle please. Jedisco isn't feeling fine today - headache I think.

Oh, that well-worn excuse....

jedisco:


I dont have the headspace to engage in your shenanigans today moreso given you struggle to have a decent conversation.

However, I'd throw you one. Perhaps you could help me with something I've been thinking about.


On emigrating, I'm wondering what to do about my state pension contributions given I dont know if/when I'd return. Certain considerations-

1. I gather there is a reciprocal agreement where contributing years here could count for me in Canada and vice-versa.
2. I could apply to keep making voluntary UK NI contributions as a non-Uk resident. That way on retirement, I may have access to both pensions. Still looking in

Overall the Canadian system seems more convoluted and less generous being a more capitalist state. With theirs, it sounds like folks mainly get what they put in and they do not permit voluntary contributions for their non-resident citizens whereas, the UK is more of a subscription model where abt £900 counts as one qualifying year i.e its cheaper and also pays more in retirement. Of course, these could change. All said, in certain aspects, the UK does tend to treat her expats relatively well. I gather this is historic.

What are your thoughts/advise?

Lol.
I must say this thread will be all the poorer when you and Zahra end your love-ins after you've toddled off to Canuck Country.

Jamesclooney:

I understand your POV, and it may be possible for some—especially those already settled. Unfortunately, for some of us on the Skilled Worker route, the signs are not looking great; hence, contingency plans need to be activated.

I say this as someone who was impacted by the removal of the PSW in 2011 and had only four months to return post-graduation. So, this is my second missionary journey—and it feels like déjà vu all over again.

As an earlier poster mentioned, the US, Canada, Australia, et al. are all tightening their borders. So what’s the viable alternative… Côte d’Ivoire or Sudan?

Lastly, I’ve recently seen numerous debates about the best place to retire or invest in real estate—abroad (care home) or Naija (family home). I reckon this recent announcement will push some people back into the Naija camp. It reminds me of the experience of the Igbos during the Biafran war.

In the end, to each his own.

Exactly. Everyone's situation is and will be different, just like with the original decision to emigrate in the first place.

Lexusgs430:
[/b]

You would be going alone...... 😁😂😊

Lol, you can say that again.

I grew up in Nigeria, it was a good place to live back then, but unfortunately its a good place to leave now. The UK may be rearranging its immigration system now, but I plan to stay and do all possible to fit my children in legally. Returning to live in Nigeria permanently is not my plan B, C, D or J.

Raalsalghul:


How easy is it to liquidate though?

Depends.

Buying a property to reside in is obviously the best option, all other things being equal. However, generally one will want to stay in a purchased property at least as long as it will take for the property to appreciate enough in value to cancel out the cost of buying transactions, the owed interest and so forth. For instance, the lower the deposit one pays, the more likely it is that one might be in negative equity in the early years of a mortgage.

Ideally, most people will want to at least break even, i.e. get back all the costs associated with the property purchase and their deposit if they have to sell in a hurry. How long it will take to achieve breakeven depends on the property value, location and if there were any other costs such as renovations, etc. Many estate agents use 5 years as a rough guide. There may be a mortgage tie-in period during which you cant sell, unless you have to pay a penalty. Given the new immigration realities (when these are finally crystallised and made known by the government/Home Office), people will of course reasonably assess their chances to get a 10-year ILR as opposed to the planned-for 5 year one (their current employer and its willingness to sponsor, the jobs market, their roles, their current visa lengths, how easy sponsorship is to get for their role, etc.) and act accordingly.

AKALAMAGBO:
On the flip side…. If the 1.5 million people are asked to leave? Who would fill those roles in healthcare?

The plan is that staff deemed essential and critical and useful (such as medical professionals, IT folk) will remain on the current 5 year pathway to settlement now and in the future.

Goke7:


So how many millions of people are you going to deport if they cannot get ilr, interesting times ahead. They will only create a problem that will take another legislation to handle. Everything may be set theoretically until reality hits.

We'll just have to wait and see. If Reform gets in in 2029, they'll definitely take a leaf from the current US govt playbook and try their hand at being ICE for at least a while, with all the offshoring of both the legal and the illegal, door battering and spurious visa-revoking no matter what it costs (and mass deportations are hugely expensive). I don't see Labour or a left-wing government going that far. Perhaps, with this whole initiative, Labour is also ing on the message that non-settled folk had better hope (and vote accordingly where they can) that Labour get back into power otherwise Rehoboam will come to do his thing.

Jamesclooney:


It seemed very obvious to me. From the gov POV, if you allow the 1.5m skilled workers in the system already to continue with 5yrs pathway, they would’ve missed the boat. The new applicants will be a trickle compared to all those that have come in since 2020 (Boriswave).

Best bet to stop this would be judicial review/court intervention.

That's why they're targeting the measure to come into force in early 2026, because it excludes the bulk of the so-called Boriswave (which properly got going from 2021). People who came in on Tier 2 visas in 2020 came in under the old rules; it was a mix of the regular Tier 2 intakes and some of those who came in as students in 2019 in anticipation of the reintroduction of the Graduate visa in 2021. The first real large group of students and their dependants who came to take up the GV came during covid in 2020 and it's likely that the numbers of those of this group who had switched to Skilled Worker visas by early 2021 will be a small proportion.

I think the retroactivity is pretty much sewn up, much as one would wish it otherwise. The next steps are to wait to see who'll be excluded from the blanket 10 years and to either try and fit oneself thereinto (Home Office guidance might take a while to come out), activate any Plan B or roll the dice on keeping one's job for another 1 to 9 years.