Visa Extensions
The Home Office how confirmed that Visa nationals who cannot return home due to Coronavirus will be able to extend their visa.
The extension will apply to anyone whose leave expired after the 24 January and who cannot leave the country because of travel restrictions or self-isolation.
This will last until 31 May but will be kept under regular review in case further extensions are needed.
A dedicated COVID-19 immigration team has been set up within UKVI to handle these requests.
You must contact the Coronavirus Immigration Team (CIT) to update your records if your visa is expiring.
You should provide:
- your full name (include any middle names)
- date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
- 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.
Who to contact?
If you have immigration queries related to coronavirus, please email the dedicated Home Office Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. They have confirmed your email will receive a response within 5 working days.
Email: CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk. Your email must be in English.
You can also call the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. If you’ve emailed the help centre already, they’ve asked to not also contact them by phone.
Telephone: 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
Calls are free of charge.
If your query doesn’t relate to immigration provisions associated with coronavirus you can contact the general immigration helpline.
Staying in the UK Long Term
For those who want to apply for visas to stay in the UK long-term, the Home Office is also temporarily expanding the in-country switching provisions.
This will mean people can apply to switch routes, such as from Tier 4 (student) to Tier 2 (General Worker), whilst remaining in the UK. UKVI will continue to process applications as quickly as possible, however some applications may take longer than usual due to COVID-19 related operational pressures.
During these unique circumstances you’ll be able to apply from the UK to switch to a long-term UK visa until 31 May. This includes applications where you would usually need to apply for a visa from your home country.
You’ll need to meet the same visa requirements and pay the UK application fee.
This includes those whose leave has already been automatically extended to 31 March 2020.
You can apply online. The terms of your leave will remain the same until your application is decided.
If you’re outside the UK
Many UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) are closed or offering limited services. For advice on visa services in your country, contact:
In some areas the UK cannot send visa vignettes across some borders and routes due to border restrictions.
If you have an appointment and the VAC is now closed, you’ll be contacted and told your appointment will not take place.
English Testing Centres are also affected. Visit the?International English Language Testing System (IELTS)’s website or contact your test centre for more information.
Getting your documents
If you’ve paid for courier return, your passport will be returned if courier routes remain open.
If your passport is currently held in a VAC and you would like it to be returned by courier, please contact either TLS contact or VFS global directly if you haven’t already paid for courier return.
Contact the Coronavirus Immigration Helpline if you are concerned about your passport.
The Home Office will prioritise the return of all documents once VACs are open.