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Glossary

Welcome to the glossary section, where you can find a dictionary of all terms that commonly appear on our website. These are simple explanations, rather than complete, legal definitions. You can browse by letter or alternatively go to the advanced search anywhere on the site and search by Glossary.

  1. 123
  2. A
  3. B
  4. C
  5. D
  6. E
  7. F
  8. G
  9. H
  10. I
  11. J
  12. K
  13. L
  14. M
  15. N
  16. O
  17. P
  18. Q
  19. R
  20. S
  21. T
  22. U
  23. V
  24. W
  25. X
  26. Y
  27. Z

  1. H

    1. Habitual residence

      Proven close link with a country that shows that country is where you normally live. Proof of habitual residence would be the length of time you have spent in the country, the continuity and general nature of the residence.

    2. Hague Convention

      The 1993 Hague Convention on intercountry adoption aims to prevent the abduction of, the sale of, and illegal trafficking of children. It requires that intercountry adoption happens only when it is in the child's best interests, that all adopters are assessed and approved as suitable to adopt and that no profit is made from the adoption process.

    3. Head office

      The principal location, or headquarters, of an organisation that has offices in more than one place.

    4. Highly Skilled Migrant Programme approval letter

      A letter from us that confirms you have passed the first stage of the application process for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme because you have the skills and experience required.

    5. Highly Skilled Migrant Programme

      The Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) allowed highly skilled individuals from outside the European Economic Area to migrate to the United Kingdom.  HSMP has now closed and been replaced by tier 1 of the points-based system.

    6. HMRC registration documents

      Documents from HM Revenue & Customs confirming that you are registered for tax as a business or self-employed person.

    7. Home regulator

      When used in the context of regulation of financial institutions, this is an official financial regulatory body, appropriate to the type of financial transaction, in the country where money is held in a financial institution. 

    8. HSMP

      Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

    9. HSMP approval letter

      A letter from us that confirms you have passed the first stage of the application process for the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme because you have the skills and experience required. HSMP approval letters are valid for six months from the date of issue.

    10. Humanitarian protection

      Protection given to someone under the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is not the same as asylum, which may be given only to those who are fleeing persecution, under the terms of the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. We may give humanitarian protection to someone whom we believe does not qualify for asylum if we think there are humanitarian reasons for allowing that person to stay in the United Kingdom.

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