Extension of STAY 

If you’re in the UK and your leave expires between 24 January 2020 and 31 May 2020

Your visa will be extended to 31 May 2020 if you cannot leave the UK because of travel restrictions or self-isolation related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

You must request an extension by updating your records with the Coronavirus HOME OFFICE Team if your visa is expiring and you cannot leave the UK at present but are not planning to stay in the UK in the long term.

SWITCHING your visa

Usually – a visitor in the UK cannot switch into another visa category. There are only certain categories that permit switching visa categories within the United Kingdom. However, during the COVID19 travel restriction, a foreigner can apply from the UK to switch to a long-term UK visa until 31 May 2020. The condition is that you must show that your leave expires between “24 January 2020 and 31 May 2020”.

This includes all visa categories where you would usually need to apply for a visa from your home country. You’ll need to meet the requirements of the route you are applying for and pay the UK application fee. This also includes any foreigner whose leave has already been automatically extended to 31 March 2020.

You can apply online. Your conditions of your current visa will remain the same until your application is decided by the USCIS.

Entrepreneurs Tier 1 – No need for  2 consecutive 12 month employees

You no longer need to employ at least 2 people for 12 consecutive months each. The 12 month period you are required to employ someone for can be made up of multiple jobs across different months.

Time, when your employees were furloughed, will not count towards the 12 month period.

If you have not been able to employ staff for 12 months in total by the time your visa expires, you will be allowed to temporarily extend your stay to give you time to meet the requirement.

These arrangements will continue for applications made after 31 May 2020, where the jobs you are relying on were disrupted due to COVID-19.

TLS Service Centers for UK Visa Applications To Remain closed “UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE”

Please be advised, as the UK Government is currently officially shut down due to the COVID-19  Epidemic, all Visa Application Centers, such as TLS Connect and VFS Global, as well as the UK’s local Sopra lounges, are currently closed “until further notice” and are unable to provide consular services with regards to Visa applications and Biometrics.  

Therefore, we would advise our clients and other applicants to continue to provide us all the necessary documents so that we may be fully prepared to submit their applications without any necessary further delays when the Centers open.  This way we will be able to schedule you an appointment as soon as possible. 

Please be advised that DRSI LAW is keeping a keen eye on the situation and will be updating our clients as soon as possible as to when the Centres will be up and running again.