Coronavirus immigration update
The Home Office updated its immigration guidance for people affected by Coronavirus on 24 March 2020.
In summary it provides the following special arrangements:
If your immigration permission expired, or will expire, between 24 January and 31 May 2020 the Home Office will extend it for you up to 31 May 2020 without your having to make an immigration application or pay a fee. However, you must contact its Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre.
You can do this by email and we recommend that you email, rather than call, so that you have a record of the contact and save time waiting to speak to someone.
You must provide the information set out in the guidance:
your full name including any middle names
your date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
your nationality
your previous visa reference number
why you can’t go back to your home country, for example if the border has closed
The Home Office will let you know when your request is received and when your visa has been extended.
Applications in the UK when this would not normally be possible
You can apply in the UK under the same or a different immigration category if you would normally have to leave the UK to make the new application. The deadline for applying under this provision is 31 May 2020.
Note that you will have to meet all other requirements of the immigration category you want to apply under, so this does not help you if, for example, you cannot meet the maintenance requirement. We will ask the Home Office for specific guidance on how far this applies to Tier 4 requirements and applications.
If your immigration permission expires or expired between 24 January and 31 May 2020, and you cannot make use of this special provision or leave the UK, make sure you notify the Home Office's Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre as early as possible that you want a free extension under the provision we explain above.
For further information please contact the Home Office Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm:
T. 0800 678 1767
