Immigration and passports

Immigration and Passports information

We secure the UK border and control immigration. We consider applications for permission to enter and stay in the UK, and we issue passports and visas.

Passport, visa and immigration applications

Apply for a passport on Directgov
Visa applications on the UK Visa Services site
Citizenship, asylum and immigration information on the UK Border agency website

Latest on this topic

Scrapping family visitor appeal rights will save millions
Foreign nationals refused a visa for a short visit to see family in the UK will lose the right to appeal the decision in the courts, saving millions and freeing up tribunals.
Published 12 May 2012
Allow plenty of time to renew your passport
Holidaymakers planning to travel should check their passports are valid, and leave plenty of time to apply for a new one.
Published 3 May 2012
37 years for £4.9m drug smugglers
Two men are jailed for 37 years after being found guilty of smuggling drugs.
Published 2 May 2012
Child experts recruited to family returns panel
Panel advises the government on returning families with no right to be in the UK.
Published 25 April 2012
Flying visit to see small airport border checks
Immigration minister visits Hampshire and Surrey to see how the UK's border controls operate at small airports.
Published 13 April 2012

Passport, immigration and visa applications

Apply for a passport on the passports section of the Directgov website.
Citizenship, asylum and immigration information on the UK Border Agency website
Apply for a visa on the UK Border Agency Visa Services website

Securing our borders

We aim to improve the migration system to commands public confidence and serve our economic interests. We are working to:

limit non-EU economic migrants
introduce new measures to reduce inflow
minimise abuse of all migration routes, for example the student route

We aim to process asylum applications more quickly and end the detention of children for immigration purposes.

Information for applicants, visa applications and policy and legal information is available on the UK Border Agency website.

Immigration reforms

Immigration minister Damian Green answers questions about immigration reforms - watch Damian Green on YouTube.

Passports

The Identity and Passport Service provides accurate and secure records of key events and trusted passport operations. We:

provide passport services for British nationals living in the UK
work with the the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to provide passort services to British nationals living
administer civil registration in England and Wales

More information about these services is available on the Identity and Passport Service website.

Publications

Home Office publications

Internet links

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We are not responsible for the content of external websites.