Coronavirus

As was reported today by the Immigration Law Practitioners' Association (ILPA), due to the actively spreading Coronavirus, the Home Office are preparing some short-term interim guidance on the implications for immigration of the Coronavirus outbreak.  The aim is to issue the guidance by the end of next week (to be issued by 07 February 2020). 

Therefore, the Home Office have advised that Chinese nationals whose leave to remain in the UK is expiring today (on 31 January 2020) and cannot return to China because of the Coronavirus, do not need to take any action and should wait inside the UK for the interim guidance to be published.

It is so far remains unclear whether their subsequent overstaying of leave to remain will simply be forgiven or disregarded by the Home Office, or the Home Office will introduce some additional exemption rules for such circumstances.

This shall remain to be seen.