Overview

• The Home Office has published guidance on GOV.UK on immigration provisions for individuals affected by travel restrictions associated with coronavirus (COVID-19).
• UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) continues to respond to the impact on UK visa and citizenship services, both in the UK and overseas, as a result of COVID-19.
• Global travel and public health restrictions remain subject to change at short notice, and we will continue to provide updates on our service status.

For customers who are travelling to the UK:

There have been no changes to visitors arriving at the UK border when travelling to the UK as a result of the measures implemented on 5 November 2020. UKVI are continuing to process all categories of visa applications at offices both inside and outside the UK.

Guidance on travelling to the UK is available on GOV.UK. You must check this before you travel.

Once in the UK, individuals must comply with the restrictions in place for England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Visa customers and applicants in the UK

Many UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service Centres (UKVCAS) have reopened since the initial UK lockdown. You can check which UKVCAS centres are open.

For those requiring an appointment at a Service and Support Centre (SSC) we continue to offer a reduced number of appointments because of COVID-19. As more appointments are made available UKVI will invite customers to arrange an appointment by email or post.

It has been confirmed that asylum and immigration services in the UK are classified as essential services, including UKVCAS points and SSCs, enabling operations to be maintained and biometric enrolment to continue for customers in a COVID-secure environment. This means that UKVCAS Service Points and SSCs throughout the UK will remain open and are not impacted by regional or national restrictions related to COVID-19.

The safety of our staff and customers remains our priority throughout this time. Should any customers be affected by short term appointment cancellations due to COVID-19, appointments will be rebooked for customers. Robust safety measures remain in place at all service points to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

Customers are advised to visit the UKVCAS website for further details on services and safety measures.

Service Standards for in-country applications

Since 24 September 2020, UKVI has returned to usual, pre COVID-19 service standards for new applications under the Study, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and Citizenship routes. As of 2 November, we have now also returned to service standards for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5 employment leave to remain routes, for applications made on or after that date. Our case working capacity and staffing levels remain unaffected as we continue operations as an essential service.  

We are aware that there are still applications held in our stock of work in progress cases, which have built during and after previous restrictions were in place. We continue to work on resolving these and will make decisions as soon as possible. In order for us to do so, we require customers to submit their biometrics at the earliest opportunity.

We will provide further updates on service standards for other routes, but customers continue to be reassured that their immigration status remains unaffected whilst their applications are in progress.

Visa customers outside of the UK

Visa Application Centres (VACs) continue to operate where local conditions allow, but services are subject to change at short notice.

Inbound international travel will continue to be governed by the travel corridor approach. Guidance on travelling to the UK is available on GOV.UK. You must check this before you travel.

Priority and Super Priority services are only available in some locations. Where Priority and Super Priority services are available, customers will be able to purchase these products from the commercial provider when booking their appointment.

For the most up to date information on the status of VACs, including opening times, customers are advised to check the relevant commercial partner page:

• TLS contact if you’re in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East
• VFS global for all other countries

There are a number of concessions in place if VACs are closed and a customer cannot travel to the UK. For example:

• customers can apply online and select an alternative VAC location to submit their application – they will need to ensure that it is safe and that they are legally permitted to travel to that country beforehand
• students can study remotely, rather than travelling to the UK
• should a customer who has been granted a 30 day entry clearance to travel to the UK be unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, they can get a replacement vignette free of charge up to the end of December 2020. The validity of this replacement vignette will be for 90 days instead of the usual 30.

In some cases, it may be necessary for customers to wait until the VAC reopens; individuals should check the commercial partner websites, which will have the most up to date information.

For customers who are travelling to the UK:

There have been no changes to visitors arriving at the UK border when travelling to the UK as a result of the measures implemented on 5 November 2020,

Guidance on travelling to the UK is available on GOV.UK. You must check this before you travel.

Once in the UK, individuals must comply with the restrictions in place for England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Resources for Customers/Stakeholders

GOV.UK pages:

• UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS)
• COVID-19: advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents
• Guidance on travelling to the UK

Commercial Partner websites:

• In the UK: UKVCAS Sopra Steria
• Overseas:

• TLS contact for Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East
• VFS global for all other countries

Q&A:

• General
• In the UK
• Overseas

General

1. Is UKVI continuing to process applications at this time?

Yes. Significant work has taken place since March to ensure our work areas are COVID-secure, and we have the technology in place to support staff working at home.

However, as a result of Covid-19, UKVI is not currently applying normal service standards across all categories of application.  

From 24 September 2020, UKVI returned to usual, pre COVID-19 service standards for new applications under the Study, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and Citizenship routes. As of 2 November, we have now also returned to service standards for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5 employment leave to remain routes, for applications made on or after that date.

Our caseworking capacity and staffing levels remain unaffected as we continue operations as an essential service.  We are aware that there are still applications held in our stock of work in progress cases, which have built during and after previous restrictions were in place. We continue to work on resolving these and will make decisions as soon as possible. In order for us to do so, we require customers to submit their biometrics at the earliest opportunity.

UKVI will provide further updates on service standards for other routes, but be assured that your immigration status remains unaffected whilst your application is in progress.

2. I need an urgent decision on my application, what shall I do?

Customers who have a compelling or compassionate need to receive an urgent decision on their application should contact the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre:

• Email: CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk. Your email must be in English.

Customers can also call the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre. If they’ve emailed the help centre already, please do not contact them by phone.

• Telephone: 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

Calls to this number are free of charge within the UK. Check call charges with your phone provider if you’re calling from abroad.

In the UK

3. I’m in the UK and my visa/leave to remain is due to expire before the end of November. What do I do?

The ‘COVID-19: advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents’ page on GOV.UK contains the latest guidance. Please always check this page first.

You are expected to take all reasonable steps to leave the UK where it is possible to do so or apply to regularise your stay in the UK.

If you intend to leave the UK but have not been able to do so and you have a visa or leave that expires between 1 November and 30 November 2020 you may request additional time to stay, known as ‘exceptional assurance’, by completing the online form.

If you are granted ‘exceptional assurance’ it will act as a short-term protection against any adverse action or consequences after your leave has expired. If conditions allowed you to work, study or rent accommodation you may continue to do so during the period of your exceptional assurance. Exceptional assurance does not grant you leave.

4. I am looking to book an appointment. How will I know if my local UKVCAS service centre is open?

UKVCAS service centres are currently designated as an essential service by the UK Government.

Customers seeking to book appointments at a UKVCAS centre are advised to check the UKVCAS Sopra Steria website for the up to date list of Service Point locations and appointment availability.

5. Can I travel during lockdown to attend a UKVCAS appointment?

Yes, you can, provided you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 and aren’t self-isolating. UKVCAS is an ‘essential service’ so travelling to a Service Point is legal.

6. Will I be safe if I attend a UKVCAS appointment?

Yes, we have put robust and highly secure COVID-19 measures in place at all UKVCAS sites to reduce the risk of transmission as far as possible. Our staff sit behind Perspex screens, wear face visors/masks, maintain social distancing and regularly use hand sanitizer.

There are a few simple rules that you need to follow when you come to your appointment:

• Please wear a face covering when you visit one of our Service Points.
• Follow any instructions given by our staff – these are for the safety and wellbeing of yourself and others.
• Please only bring named applicants with you to your appointment. For any exceptions where one additional person may be permitted, see our FAQs.

7. I don’t feel comfortable with attending a UKVCAS point during lockdown. Will my immigration status be negatively affected?

UK Visas and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) centres are currently designated as an essential service by the UK Government. This means you can attend your appointment provided you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 and aren’t self-isolating, and travelling to an appointment at a UKVCAS point is legal.

Please be assured that we have put robust and highly secure COVID-19 measures in place at all UKVCAS sites to reduce the risk of transmission as far as possible. Our staff sit behind Perspex screens, wear face visors/masks, maintain social distancing and regularly use hand sanitizer.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable or are unable to attend your appointment due to another COVID-19 related reason, your immigration status will not be affected.

8. My local service point has closed due to COVID-19 and my appointment has been cancelled. What happens now?

Customers who have had appointments cancelled due to their UKVCAS service point being closed must not attend their appointment.

UKVCAS will automatically rebook your appointment for you. Login to your UKVCAS account within 48 hours of the cancellation to check. If the time, date and location are not convenient, you can cancel the appointment and book another one at a date and time to suit you.

9. I have been provided with a new UKVCAS appointment. Can I change it?

Your UKVCAS invitation to attend your new appointment has instructions on what to do if you are not able to attend your new appointment or if it is not convenient.

You can also contact the UKVCAS contact centre on 0844 892 0232. The UKVCAS contact centre will book you an appointment over the phone or help you to complete your online booking. Each person that needs to enrol their biometric information will be allocated a 16-digit unique application number (UAN). This UAN can be found on the biometric enrolment letter and will be required to book your appointments.

Please note there may be call charges to use this service. These call charges are displayed on the UKVCAS website.

10. I’ve heard the UKVCAS Service Point I attended has closed due to COVID-19. Do I need to self-isolate and take a test?

No. UKVCAS has robust COVID-19 measures in place and staff use full PPE. You only need to self-isolate and take a test if NHS Track and Trace asks you to do so.

If you think you've been in contact with someone who has coronavirus, but you do not have symptoms and have not been told to self-isolate, continue to follow social distancing advice. Please see the NHS website for full advice and guidance on when to self-isolate and what to do.

You should get a test as soon as possible if you have any symptoms of coronavirus. The symptoms are:

• a high temperature
• a new, continuous cough
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste

The test needs to be done in the first 8 days of having symptoms. You do not need to get a test if you have no symptoms or if you have different symptoms.

You can book a test for COVID-19 by visiting the GOV.UK website.

11. Will my immigration status be affected if I cannot attend my appointment due to COVID-19?

No. Your immigration status in the UK will not change as a result of you not being able to attend an appointment due to COVID-19 related closures.

12. My appointment has been cancelled. Why can I not use the ID Verify (IDV) app to submit my application?

Biometric reuse and the IDV app were temporarily introduced in August in response to the impact of COVID-19 on UKVI services. This allowed UKVI to address increased demand for our services whilst UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) points reopened with reduced appointment capacity.

UKVCAS centres are currently designated as an essential service by the UK Government.

Customers seeking to book appointments at a UKVCAS centre are advised to check the UKVCAS Sopra Steria website for the up to date list of Service Point locations and appointment availability.

13. What if I don’t want to attend an alternative location to submit my application?

If you are unable to attend at an alternative location due to travel restrictions, you should continue check the UKVCAS Sopra Steria website for updates on the reopening of Service Point locations and appointment availability.

UKVCAS will continue to provide regular updates on the availability of services.

14.  Will the second UK lockdown affect the time it will take to process my application?

As a result of Covid-19, UKVI is not currently applying normal service standards across all categories of application.  

From 24 September 2020, UKVI returned to usual, pre COVID-19 service standards for new applications under the Study, Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and Citizenship routes. As of 2 November, we have now also returned to service standards for Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5 employment leave to remain routes, for applications made on or after that date. Our caseworking capacity and staffing levels remain unaffected as we continue operations as an essential service.  

UKVI will provide further updates on service standards for other routes, but be assured that your immigration status remains unaffected whilst your application is in progress.

15.  Can I contact UKVI whilst my application is in process?

Customers are advised not contact UKVI whilst their application remains under consideration. If you urgently require a decision on a visa application due to compassionate or emergency reasons you can contact UKVI through the GOV.UK website.

16.  Why are you continuing to use the ID Verify (IDV) app for UK based students, but not other cohorts?

At the start of the academic year, there is an increase in applications from customers requiring a Tier 4 Student visa. UKVI therefore made the decision to temporarily use the IDV app to support in-country customers in the UK seeking applying for a Tier 4 Student visa.

17.  Will you consider reusing the ID Verify (IDV) app in future?

The biometric reuse process, and the IDV app to enable it, will continue to be reviewed and considered for future use by UKVI.

Overseas

18. Can I still travel to the UK?

Inbound international travel will continue to be governed by the travel corridor approach. Guidance on travelling to the UK is available on GOV.UK. You must check this before you travel.

19. My visa is due to expire, what can I do?

If your 30 day visa to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family has expired, or is about to expire, you can request a replacement visa with revised validity dates free of charge until the end of this year. This does not apply to other types of visas. This process will be in place until the end of 2020; UKVI is carefully monitoring the situation and will make further updates as appropriate.

Many customers who have recently received a visa – for example students or skilled workers – will therefore have been given 90 days to enter the UK, instead of the usual 30 days. This means that if you can’t travel to the UK during November, you may be able to do so in December or January.

Visitor visa customers may wish to contact their insurance provider about a potential refund if they do not wish to travel.

20. I have applied for a visa, what happens to my application?

UKVI is continuing to process visa applications. If you have a question relating specifically to your application, please contact us by phone: +44 (0)203 481 1736 or visit the GOV.UK website to send an email enquiry.

(Calls cost 69 pence per minute on top of your standard network charges. Email enquiries cost £2.74. You will not be charged for any follow-up emails about the same enquiry.)

21. I am due to study in the UK, what should I do?

Schools, colleges and universities in the UK will remain open during the lockdown. Please ensure you check the guidance in place for England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, depending on where you will be studying.

UKVI has introduced a number of measures to help limit disruption to your studies:

• Distance/blended learning is permitted for the 2020/21 academic year under your Student visa.
• Until the end of 2020, visa vignettes will be issued for 90 days instead of the usual 30 days, giving students longer to travel.
• Students can apply for their visa when they are due to travel, rather than for the start of their course.
• Students studying via distance/ blended learning can still be eligible for the Graduate route provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2020 and complete their course here.

Resources for Customers/Stakeholders

GOV.UK pages:

• UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS)
• COVID-19: advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents
• Guidance on travelling to the UK

Commercial Partner websites:

• In the UK: UKVCAS Sopra Steria
• Overseas:

• TLS contact for Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East
• VFS global for all other countries

If you have any questions please write to Aatreyee Guha Thakurta (Regional Marketing and Communications Manager, International Education Services, South Asia).