Skip to main content
Guidance

Immigration status and enforcement action: caseworker guidance

Immigration staff guidance on considering immigration status and deciding enforcement action.

Updates to this page

From:
UK Visas and Immigration
Published:
14 April 2016
Last updated:
14 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. Guidance on cancellation and curtailment of permission has been updated. The following updates have been made: temporary arrangement reflected for adult social care workers following sponsor licence revocation.

  2. 'Cancellation and curtailment of permission': information relating to making a decision to curtail or cancel EUSS limited leave and EUSS family permit leave to enter obtained via Appendix EU or Appendix EU(FP) respectively, where the status holder is in the UK, has been removed. The relevant sections now direct caseworkers to the consolidated EUSS curtailment and cancellation guidance.

  3. Updated the European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance to reflect changes to Home Office systems. Also been updated to reflect changes to the Immigration Rules.

  4. Guidance on cancellation and curtailment updated with additional examples of what to consider when making an in-country Appendix EU curtailment decision.

  5. Updated to reflect changes to Home Office systems that have been replaced.

  6. Cancellation and curtailment of permission guidance updated. Changes listed under "Changes from last version of this guidance" section.

  7. Updated to remove all instructions to officers to serve a 28-day notice; updated guidance on encounters with EEA citizens and their family members; and reference to RED.0001 notices has been replaced with Notice of Liability to Removal (NOL).

  8. Updated the Cancellation and curtailment of permission guidance to reflect Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 217, laid on 10 September 2024, which added a ground for curtailment under Appendix EU.

  9. Guidance on cancellation and curtailment of permission updated, changes are detailed on page 8.

  10. Updated the cancellation and curtailment of permission guidance to clarify that it does not apply to Border cases.

  11. Updated the guidance Cancellation and curtailment of permission to reflect Immigration Rules changes.

  12. Guidance on cancellation and curtailment updated, changes are detailed on page 7.

  13. Updated the Cancellation and Curtailment of permission guidance to reflect changes to the Immigration Rules.

  14. Removed the outdated document Liability to administrative removal (non-EEA): consideration and notification.

  15. Removed Criminal investigations (Immigration Enforcement) document as very out of date.

  16. 'European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens and their family members' guidance updated. This supersedes and replaces the previous General Instructions chapter ‘EEA operational guidance during the grace period’, which is now withdrawn. This version provides clarification of operational procedure in respect of rewording and deletion of specific detail about actions carried out by FNORC and Returns Preparation in respect of service of the 28 day notice.

  17. Updated 'cancellation of entry clearance and permission' document: title change to ‘cancellation and curtailment of permission’; deletion of the section on ‘curtailing the leave of relevant Afghan citizens’; other minor changes as a result of Immigration Rules changes taking effect on 6 and 11 October 2021; minor housekeeping changes. More details in "changes from last version of this guidance".

  18. European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens and their family members guidance updated to reflect changes in Immigration Rules on 1 October.

  19. Updated 'Guidance for Immigration Enforcement in respect of EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members' (PDF)

  20. Updated third document on the page regarding European, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members. This supersedes the previous guidance ‘EEA administrative removal’ which is now withdrawn.

  21. Updated the guidance document 'European Economic Area: administrative removal' and replaced 'curtailment' with cancellation of entry clearance and permission.

  22. Updated the 'Curtailment' document with amended section on legacy curtailment decisions.

  23. Replaced Curtailment document.

  24. Updated 'European Economic Area: administrative removal' document

  25. Updated guidance.

  26. Updated guidance on 'Liability to administrative removal (non-EEA): consideration and notification'.

  27. Updated guidance: Liability to administrative removal (non-EEA): consideration and notification

  28. Updated guidance on 'European Economic Area: administrative removal'.

  29. New guidance added: Criminal investigations (Immigration Enforcement), Liability to administrative removal (non-EEA): consideration and notification

  30. Updated guidance on 'EEA administrative removal'.

  31. Guidance on curtailment added.

  32. First published.

Documents

European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens and their family members (accessible)

HTML

European Union, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens and their family members

PDF, 468 KB, 44 pages

Cancellation and curtailment of permission (accessible)

HTML

Cancellation and curtailment of permission

PDF, 834 KB, 91 pages

Details

UK Visas and Immigration guidance on how staff consider status and decide action for enforcement officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters, including curtailment, within the UK.

Guidance in this section has been reworked into a new format and plainer language. Not all of the enforcement guidance has been revised yet. If you cannot find the information you need in this section, please look in the ‘chapters’ sections of Enforcement instructions and guidance.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content