Guidance for UK Visitors and visa applicants whose plans are disrupted

[theoldgit]

The UK Government has published advice for visa holders and applicants in the UK, visa applicants outside of the UK and British nationals overseas who need to apply for a passport affected by travel restrictions associated with coronavirus.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

[pontious]

Thanks TOG. I like the advice "if you are overseas and need a new passport."  You can't get one.

Edited April 3, 2020 by pontious

[docspinoff]

Seems they changing dates on visas. When already in UK but what about the people who have visa for the UK and now can't use I contected gov and they said can't change dates.. On visa 

[Saltire]

I am starting to hate the uncertainty of all of this.

 

I had an appointment in Glasgow Passport Office for May during a 2 week trip home. My British AIrways flight is cancelled, and now I see VFS is closed.

 

Fortunately I won't need my passport as I was renewing for lack of pages, it is still valid till 08/21.

 

Now on contacting the UK passport service they tell me i could change my appointment nearer the time but also kindly advised that no refund is payable on any passport fees. There goes nearly £200 for a same day service.

 

Now I have to wait and decide on 2 trips to Bangkok or rebook the trip home. Not sure which is riskier to be honest.

 

 

 

 

[OJAS]

1 hour ago, pontious said:

Thanks TOG. I like the advice "if you are overseas and need a new passport."  You can't get one.

Ah, but you can obtain an ETD - but only provided that you have an urgent need to travel to the UK, though, it would appear!

 

What I do find puzzling is why VFS here in Thailand (in common with their UKVAC counterparts elsewhere on this great planet of ours) have apparently been ordered by the Home Office to suspend their operations entirely for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, whilst other service providers (e.g. banks, post offices and - dare I say it - immigration offices) are still able to provide some level of service.

[pontious]

????

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

Ah, but you can obtain an ETD - but only provided that you have an urgent need to travel to the UK, though, it would appear!

 

What I do find puzzling is why VFS here in Thailand (in common with their UKVAC counterparts elsewhere on this great planet of ours) have apparently been ordered by the Home Office to suspend their operations entirely for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic, whilst other service providers (e.g. banks, post offices and - dare I say it - immigration offices) are still able to provide some level of service.

You are right -ETD can only be issued for travel, not to live here and anyway immigration do not accept them for living in Thailand. I have many months to go before I need to renew but looking ahead I contacted HMPO with the problem and they always say.

1.Get an ETD - even though I told them I live here and have no need to travel anywhere.

2. Wait till VFS reopens.

3. If 1 and 2 is not possible contact the British Embassy / Consulate for local advice.

 

I did 3. There reply was you will have to contact HMPO for passport advice.

On that I decided to give up.
If it drags on I expect they will come up with something like '' when you can book a flight and pop over to UK. Renew your passport and then pop back to Thailand.''

Edited April 3, 2020 by pontious

[durhamboy]

Does this apply to those with Leave to Remain under Spouse/Partner Settlement in the section headed 

 

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

 

or do they mean just those with visitor visas?

[puchooay]

10 minutes ago, durhamboy said:

Does this apply to those with Leave to Remain under Spouse/Partner Settlement in the section headed 

 

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

 

or do they mean just those with visitor visas?

I have just finished a call with the helpline. 

 

I was told that my wife can apply for a settlement visa from here, she is currently here on a visitor visa.

 

Sadly, when I asked about how to get around the TB test I got a, in my opinion, stupid remark. "Call the NHS to see if they can do it". I did mention that they were probably a bit busy right now and they probably would not want people walking in asking for such tests. That was met with a silent pause and then " Those are the guidelines we have". I will attempt to send an email and see if I can get a better answer.

 

The guy on the phone did not seem that interested or knowledgeable. He mumbled and was rather difficult to understand.

[maxcorrigan]

38 minutes ago, puchooay said:

I have just finished a call with the helpline. 

 

I was told that my wife can apply for a settlement visa from here, she is currently here on a visitor visa.

 

Sadly, when I asked about how to get around the TB test I got a, in my opinion, stupid remark. "Call the NHS to see if they can do it". I did mention that they were probably a bit busy right now and they probably would not want people walking in asking for such tests. That was met with a silent pause and then " Those are the guidelines we have". I will attempt to send an email and see if I can get a better answer.

 

The guy on the phone did not seem that interested or knowledgeable. He mumbled and was rather difficult to understand.

Similar prob;em My wife has ILR visa which will expire on the 6th June after more than two years out of the country (UK) in the likely event of a total UK shutdown will her ILR visa be extended?

 i know we've got some time before that, i cannot get any info/answers from the "UK Home Office" site or the Embassy in Bangkok regarding this, we had planned on a trip back before the expiry date, there are probably more Thai's here in the same predicament, so probably have to wait and see!

[Tony M]

3 hours ago, puchooay said:

I have just finished a call with the helpline. 

 

I was told that my wife can apply for a settlement visa from here, she is currently here on a visitor visa.

 

Sadly, when I asked about how to get around the TB test I got a, in my opinion, stupid remark. "Call the NHS to see if they can do it". I did mention that they were probably a bit busy right now and they probably would not want people walking in asking for such tests. That was met with a silent pause and then " Those are the guidelines we have". I will attempt to send an email and see if I can get a better answer.

 

The guy on the phone did not seem that interested or knowledgeable. He mumbled and was rather difficult to understand.

I emailed to the email address given. My enquiry was slightly different to yours, but this is the reply I received:

Coronavirus Immigration Helpline <[email protected]>

Thu 02/04/2020 15:44

 

Thank you for contacting the Home Office Coronavirus Immigration Team. 

 

We are unable to answer your query at the moment, but we are working quickly to provide clarity. We are continually reviewing the situation to consider what more can be done to support those whose immigration status has been affected by coronavirus.

 

Please continue to check the gov.uk website, where up to date advice is published. The latest information and advice can be found here:

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

 

The latest travel advice can be found here:

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

 

Additionally, the latest Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice is available here:

 

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

 

 

Coronavirus Immigration Team

 

It seems to me that, if the UKVI or the Home Office set up a "group" to deal with coronavirus problems and enquiries, then the least they should do is have staff that can assist those who make enquiries ?  It looks like the UKVI don't even know how to explain this new policy, or concession, or whatever it is. 

[Tony M]

2 hours ago, maxcorrigan said:

Similar prob;em My wife has ILR visa which will expire on the 6th June after more than two years out of the country (UK) in the likely event of a total UK shutdown will her ILR visa be extended?

 i know we've got some time before that, i cannot get any info/answers from the "UK Home Office" site or the Embassy in Bangkok regarding this, we had planned on a trip back before the expiry date, there are probably more Thai's here in the same predicament, so probably have to wait and see!

Everyone's personal circumstances are different, but with respect it does seem that your wife is no longer physically resident in the UK, and that you intend a "trip back" only in order to maintain a resident status. Legally, of course, your wife can do that. But, If you cannot do that, then the Home Office might consider it appropriate to no longer treat your wife as resident if she cannot be back in the UK less than 2 years after leaving.  

 

Your wife could, of course have traveled in the past few weeks, as it's clear that you have been aware of the upcoming 2 - year limit.  In fact, she probably could still do so, as there are still flights to the UK. If she cannot travel back before 6th June, then she can apply for a "returning resident" visa, but she will need explain why she has not returned to the UK within the 2 -years (not just why she could not return before 6th June) and she will need  to show :

 

 

You must:

• plan to return to live in the UK permanently
• have been settled in the UK before you last left
• not have been given public funds to help you leave the UK

If you’ve been away for more than 2 years

You must provide enough evidence to show:

• your strong ties to the UK
• your current circumstances and why you’ve lived outside the UK

You will not lose your indefinite leave to remain after 2 years outside the UK if your spouse or partner is a member of the UK armed forces and you’ve joined them on an overseas posting.

[maxcorrigan]

@Tony M What you are saying is correct, so in other words she should lose it, despite the difficulty in obtaining this visa in the first place, they are not given willy nilly the cost of the test before hand to see if she is eligible for ILR (can't remember exactly around £200) plus £1250 fee for the interview with the cost a trip to Scotland from London ( no office being available in England in the difficult time frame allowed by the government) we have family here in Thailand and in the UK whom we like to keep in contact with, and the added option of settling in the UK one day in the future!

But as you seem to be saying rules are rules so she lose it, in the cold light of day it's easy to say these things, but the realty can be lot different!

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, docspinoff said:

Seems they changing dates on visas. When already in UK but what about the people who have visa for the UK and now can't use I contected gov and they said can't change dates.. On visa 

I got this second hand so treat as such. Someone was told by UK immigration that if they travel to the UK before the visa expires then the expiry date can be extended to provide the 6 months validity.

Having missed the boat this year we do not plan to go again. I have to assume that my wife's visa which will expire late Oct is a writeoff.