Coronavirus and the UK immigration system (as of 23 June 2020)

Student Visas

For short-term students:

• In-country switching: into Tier 4 from short-term routes “will be allowed on an exceptional basis” until at least 31 July 2020.
• Permitted study: “Short-term students who have been given an exceptional extension of leave in this category as a result of Covid-19 will be permitted to study on a further course other than that which they originally entered the UK to undertake”.
• Extending short-term study leave: not catered for, would need to be an application for leave outside the Rules.

Visa centres overseas

All UK visa application centres overseas were closed for some time but some are now re-opening in stages. The latest batch reportedly pulled up the shutters on 22 June.

To check whether the visa application centre for a particular country is open, go to the website of either TLScontact (for Europe, Africa and the Middle East) or VFS Global (for the rest of the world) and select that country from the dropdown menu.

Applications from within the UK

All visa application centres within the UK closed in late March. Some are now reopening.

Sopra Steria, which runs the network of Visa and Citizenship Application Centres on behalf of the Home Office, says “we are working hard to open up more Service Points over the next few weeks to increase our capacity”.

It should now be possible to make appointments again, with the system returning to “planned stage-by-stage booking processes” as of 22 June. However, as of now it is only possible to book appointments for those whose visa applications have been submitted in the period between 01 January and 27 March 2020.

The list of centres that have reopened as of 22 June is as follows:

Others will follow from next month: