On 22 May 2020, the Home Office will automatically extend the visas for people with temporary leave to 31 July 2020.

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

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“By extending people’s visas further, we are giving them peace of mind that they can stay in the UK until the end of July if they are unable to leave the country safely.

 “This is one of several unprecedented measures the Government has made to support people during this time, however, as we begin a cautious return to normality those currently in the UK on expired visitor visas should return home as soon as possible.”

You can complete the information on the link here to get an extension - https://gov.smartwebportal.co.uk/homeoffice/public/ho_form.html

It is also great to see that the Home Office is also creating flexible rules for applicants who wanted to return to their home country to seek Entry Clearance with a Long Term visa will be able to do so within the UK, however, it is unclear how they are expected to book an appointment due to closure of appointment centres.

Tier 1 Entrepreneur applicants should also take note –

They will 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 during the period of leave to remain.

The time when your employees were furloughed will not count towards the 12 months of employment.

If the applicant has not been able to employ staff for 12 months in total by the time your visa expires, they 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 pandemic.

You can find further information on the www.gov.uk

If you are looking for immigration advice on your circumstances we are providing 10 mins free consultation during the pandemic. You can call us on 02034111261 or email [email protected]