Daily Times

To provide further relief to the temporary residents in the UK, the Home Office on Wednesday extended their stay by a further month to allow more time for them to make the necessary arrangements to leave the UK. Anyone with a visa or leave that was due to expire between the 24 January and 31 July 2020, will be given an extra month’s grace period within the UK till 31 August this year, the Home Office announced.

The decision has been taken to offer a concession to overseas visitors who wish to leave the UK but are unable to do so due to travel restrictions. Home Office sources have said that most of the countries have already lifted travel restrictions and these people are expected to take all reasonable steps to leave the UK where it is possible to do so or apply to regularise their stay in the UK.

According to Home Office guidance , individuals who intend to leave the UK but are not able to do so by 31 August 2020, may request additional time to stay, also known as ‘exceptional indemnity’, by contacting the coronavirus immigration team (CIT). However, they said such indemnity does not grant them the leave to stay in the UK permanently but will act as a short-term protection against any adverse action or consequences after their leave has expired.

To offer relief during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Home Office guidance says that applicants will be able to submit an application form from within the UK where they would usually need to apply for a visa from their home country. However, they need to meet the requirements of the route they are applying for and pay the application fees. This includes people whose leave to remain status has already been extended to 31 July 2020 and the grace period until 31 August 2020.

Similarly, if someone visa or leave expired between 24 January 2020 and 31 July 2020, there will be no future adverse immigration consequences if they were unable to make an application to regularise their stay during this period. However, they must now do so from 1 August, the advice said.

Some health workers and their families will get their visas automatically extended due to coronavirus pandemic. Campaigns groups have appreciated the Home Office for their support to the overseas nationals during these difficult times. They said adequate steps were taken by the Home office to protect immigrants and visitors from the risks of Covid-19.