UK VISA APPLICATION DELAYED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
You may be able to notice why your UK Visa immigration application is on hold by getting in touch with the UK Home Office, or your local MP. You may perhaps want to ensure your passport will be sent back to you in time for a holiday, or simply be annoyed about how long the UK Visa Application decision is taking.
The good news is that you can get in touch with the UK Home Office, or your local MP yourself rather than paying an highly – priced lawyer or immigration expert to do it on your behalf.
We will now discuss three important topics:
- Immigration status during the visa application processing delays
- Contacting Covid-19 Immigration Help Centre
- Contacting the Local MP
Immigration status during the visa application processing delays
Your immigration status will remain the unchanged while you are waiting for your new UK visa if you made the application within the 28 days before your previous visa expires.
You will still have the right to work, access education and get benefits while you are waiting for a new UK visa. You will not keep have these rights if you applied after your original visa expires- click the link below in the description box to know more about overstaying your visa.
You can contact the UK Visas and Immigration contact centre (division of the UK Home Office) to know how long your visa will take:
UK Visas and Immigration contact centre
Telephone: 0300 123 2241
Textphone: 0800 389 8289
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4.45pm. Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.
Calls cost 12p per minute from a landline, 3p to 40p from a mobile.
Please keep in mind that the service can be busy, so you might have to wait for some time.
You will be inquired for a Home Office reference number (commonly known as a ‘case ID’). This number will begin with the first letter of your last name, and be followed by 7 numbers. You should have received this number when you first applied for the UK Visa application.
Furthermore, before you can get any updates about your pending UK Visa application, you will be questioned to confirm your identity.
Contacting the Covid-19 Immigration Help Centre
If you have immigration questions connected to Covid-19 Pandemic, please contact the Covid-19 Immigration Help Centre via email first.
Email at CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk.
Please make sure that your email is in English.
You will ideally get a response from the Covid-19 Immigration Help Centre within 5 working days. Please do not send follow up emails. There might be delays due to high volume of queries.
You can also call the Covid-19 Immigration Help Centre. If you have emailed the help centre previously.
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.
Furthermore, if your enquiry does not relate to UK immigration provisions linked with Covid-19, please contact the general immigration helpline mentioned in this blog.
Contacting the Local MP
It could be worth getting in touch with your local MP if you have been waiting a very long time to get any sort of response from the UK Home Office. Your local MP can learn more about the delay and may well be able to help accelerate your UK visa application.
Organise as much evidence as you can- it will assist your MP locate your UK visa application. For instance, you may require:
Any reference numbers you have obtained in letters or over the telephone
Essential dates like the date you submitted your UK Visa application.
Please remember that if your original visa expired when you applied, you will generally lose the right to work, access education and receive benefits while you wait for the new UK visa.
The UK immigration rules are complex and difficult, so we highly advise you to seek specialist immigration advice as soon as possible.
Read more:
- LATEST UK VISA APPLICATION UPDATES | AUGUST 2020
- MORE INTERNATIONAL VISA APPLICATION CENTRES (VACS) OPENING FROM 22 JUNE 2020
- NEW RULES ANNOUNCED FOR SPOUSE, PARTNER AND FIANCÉ VISA APPLICATIONS
- UK VISA APPLICATION CANCELLATION | LATEST GUIDANCE FROM HOME OFFICE
- RISE IN NUMBER OF TIER 2 VISA APPLICATIONS IN 2019 AFTER BREXIT