UK Immigration update : 27 July 2020
0:00 | Intro and Questions list
1:13 | 1. New Virtual Citizenship Ceremony.
1:45 | 2. No need for fingerprint appointments, Biometric Reuse.
2:14 | 3. No fingerprint appointments, how do you submit documents.
2:39 | 4. Recent Home Office staff guidance on Family Visas.
3:08 | 5. UK Home Office Coronavirus concessions.
3:44 | 6. Hong Kong resident’s UK Settlement and nationality route.
4:12 | 7. UK visa centres in UK and
4:44 | visa centres round the world opening update.
UK Home Office:
TLS Contact
VFS Global
Please pause the video if you need more time to read the on-screen slides.
Virtual Citizenship Ceremony
Local Town halls have now started to conduct citizenship ceremonies for individuals and households via video link..
As a result of coronavirus restrictions, group citizenship ceremonies were suspended. However, citizenship ceremonies will now will resume via video conferencing. The move will allow applicants to complete their unique citizenship journey and become British citizens.
Biometric Reuse and Documents submission.
UK Visas and Immigration is changing the way it processes applications in response to Coronavirus lock-down and social distancing. This new way of working involves reusing biometrics (fingerprints) that have been recorded in a previous application as part of the process to verify your identity.
You may also receive an email stating that “we have identified you as being eligible for this new approach involving biometric reuse”. This means you will not have to attend an appointment to provide your fingerprints but instead will receive an email with instructions including an email address to send your supporting documents and a picture of yourself. The attachment limit is 16Mb. Depending on your visa type and team dealing with your case you may get a different email address. So try not to follow someone else’s email instructions and wait for your own to be requested.
Family Visas update and Coronavirus concessions.
The Home Office has recently issued a new guidance to their staff on Family visas and financial requirements. The Coronavirus concessions are clearly stated. This directly involves reduction is income and also not able to provide documents such as English language test certificates.
As regards automatic visa extensions, unfortunately the Home Office has decided not to issue a further automatic extension to people stranded in the UK due to coronavirus travel restrictions. 31 July 2020 remains the final date for people whose visa has expired but could not leave the UK, they will not be regarded as having over-stayed between 24 January 2020 to 31 July 2020. People looking to switch within the UK, but are not usually permitted (Tier 5, visitors or over-stayers) will need to establish exceptional circumstances in order to switch successfully after 31 July 2020 as the concession will have lapsed. Anyone forced to stay-on due to travel restrictions should keep evidence of restrictions as they may need to produce this in any future UK applications.
Hong Kong residents can now apply to settle in the UK.
The Home Office has now created a new route to settlement, Hong Kong BN(O) Visa. This means if you hold a British Overseas passport and resident in Hong Kong, you and your immediate family, partner and children can now relocate to the UK. You will be on the 5 year route to settlement and can also switch to this route from within the UK.
UK visa centres opening update
You can only attend a service point if you have an appointment.
The following service points are currently open:
Belfast
Birmingham (Premium Lounge)
Cardiff Bay
Chelmsford
Croydon
Edinburgh
Exeter
Glasgow
Leeds
London Mark Lane
London Victoria
Manchester ( Fountain Street and Premium Lounge )
Sheffield
Southampton
Globally, we bring you updates on 200 UK Visa application centres.
Recent announcements include opening of UK visa centres in Tehran, Iran, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Edmonton in Canada. Also Kingston and Port of Spain in the Caribbean. Also in South America, centres in Bolivia, Brazil and Guyana are scheduled to open. Melbourne, Australia after a brief closure is once again open for service. And finally visa centres in Pakistan and Nigeria resume services.
IndiaVisitUK
PakistanVisitUK
ChinaVisitUK
BangladeshVisitUK
NigeriaVisitUK
source
Be First to Comment