UK passport application backlog reaches 400,000

Further to our blog on 12 June 2020, the Passport Office is still operating with reduced staff in order to allow for social distancing in the workplace. As a result, a backlog of applications has been building up throughout the Coronavirus period and passport applications are therefore taking longer than usual to process. 

Prior to Coronavirus, passport applications were usually taking between three and six weeks to process, depending on the type of application submitted. The Passport Office are currently unable to confirm how long applications are taking to be processed.

Urgent applications for passports are only being considered on compassionate grounds or for some forms of work travel, for example those travelling on Government business.

Please note that most travel insurance policies only cover lost passports, so it is unlikely you would be able to claim back holiday costs on your travel insurance in the event of a passport not being issued in time for travel.

If you have submitted a passport application and you would like further clarification on the processing of your application, you can contact the Passport Office advice line on 0300 222 0000.

Gherson is actively monitoring this situation and will provide more information as it becomes available.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

Visa Extensions - Covid 19

In March of this year Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, announced unprecedented visa extensions in response to the impact of COVID-19 on overseas migrants who were unable to leave the UK due to self-isolation or travel restrictions, and whose visas were expiring between 24 January and 31 May 2020. Her announcement confirmed that those affected would be able to extend their visas until 31 May 2020 (subject to contacting the Home Office).

This concession was thereafter extended to include migrants whose visas will expire between 1 June and 31 July 2020. 

Currently, all eligible migrants with visas expiring between 24 January and 31 July 2020 can have their leave extended until 31 July 2020. 

To secure this extension, eligible migrants must contact the Home Office by completing its online form. 

It should be noted that those who have already contacted the Home Office, and are currently benefiting from the previous concession, will automatically have their leave extend until 31 July 2020. 

Any immigration queries related to Coronavirus should be directed to the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre by email (in English) at CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk or by phone on 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). 

Additionally, it should be noted that those overseas migrants with visas expiring before 31 July 2020 may now benefit from an in-country switch to a long-term visa category. For those who wish to discuss their eligibility for an in-country visa switch, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Please note that the information in this blog is current at the date and time of posting. The situation regarding policy and guidance based on the COVID-19 pandemic is subject to change at short notice. We shall be monitoring all aspects of UK immigration which may be impacted by the coronavirus closely, so please do keep updated with further blogs and articles which we will be posting on this site.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

I submitted by visa application – when can I attend my appointment?

If you have submitted an application for a UK visa in the last three months, you will likely have been unable to book an appointment to enroll your biometrics. As a result of this, your application will not have been processed.

Making a visa application from outside the UK

If you are making an application from abroad, some visa centres have begun to reopen. This includes Visa Application Centres in:

• Bangkok
• Beijing
• Berlin
• Brisbane
• Canberra
• Chongqing
• Dusseldorf
• Fiji
• Guangzhou
• Hong Kong
• Kuala Lumpur
• Melbourne
• Minsk
• Munich
• Perth
• Shanghai
• Sydney
• Taipei
• Ukraine

This list is subject to frequent change. More centres abroad are planning to reopen in the coming weeks.

Making a visa application from inside the UK

A number of Sopra Steria service points reopened on 1 June. This included those at:

• Birmingham
• Birmingham Premium Lounge
• Chelmsford
• Croydon
• Exeter
• Leeds
• London Mark Lane Premium Lounge
• London Victoria
• Manchester Fountain Street Enhanced Service Point
• Manchester Premium Lounge
• Sheffield
• Southampton

These centres are operating a reduced service to comply with social distancing rules. Appointments are currently only available to those who had already booked their appointments before the lockdown was announced and whose appointments were cancelled. Sopra Steria will contact you by email to rebook your appointment. You will not be charged again for attending an appointment that you have already paid for.

If you submitted your application prior to the lockdown but were unable to book an appointment or you submitted your application after the lockdown began, you will not yet be able to book a replacement appointment. As the Home Office work through the backlog of applications, they will start opening the application centres to applicants who fall into this category. There is currently no definitive guideline as to when this will happen.

There is no guidance from the Home Office as to when the Priority and Super Priority services will start to operate. All applications submitted since they were suspended in late March will be considered under the standard processing timeframes.

Please note that the information in this blog is current at the date and time of posting. The situation regarding policy and guidance based on the COVID-19 pandemic is subject to change at short notice.





The information in this article is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this article. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

The Tier 1 Investor Visa

The Tier 1 Investor visa is an immigration route open to high net worth individuals relocating to the UK. This visa allows you to work, study, and live in the UK, as well as bring certain family members with you.

Eligibility 

Anyone interested in applying for the Tier 1 Investor visa must meet certain criteria. A number of these requirements are outlined below (should you require a comprehensive list of requirements, we recommend that you contact an immigration advisor).

• You must be over the age of 18;
• You must not fall to be refused under the general grounds for refusal (which means that you do not have an adverse immigration history, criminal background, or any associations that are deemed undesirable. This requirement is far-reaching. If you have any concerns about this requirement, it is vital that you consult an immigration practitioner);
• You must hold a minimum of two million pounds (£2,000,000) either in the UK or the funds must be freely transferable to the UK;
• Your funds must be held in a regulated institution, such as a bank and must be available to invest in Home Office qualifying investments;
• You must have opened an account at a UK regulated bank for the purpose of investing the funds; and
• You must have full control to freely invest the funds.

Other important factors to be aware of 

• Certain family members (dependants) can relocate with you to the UK. They must apply for and be granted a visa if they are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland;
• A dependant is a spouse and any child under the age of 18. Please note, any children must be accompanied by both parents unless certain exemptions apply;
• Your money can be in the UK or overseas when you apply;
• You do not need to provide proof of your English language proficiency or your access to maintenance funds when you apply;
• During your stay you will not qualify for public funds;
• The funds must be invested in loan or share capital of active and trading UK companies. There are certain additional exemptions that apply;
• Investors on this visa cannot invest in any company whose main business activities involve managing, developing, or investing in property;
• Furthermore, the funds cannot be invested in property or government bonds.
• There are strict rules regarding how the funds are invested. It is highly recommended that you seek advice from an immigration lawyer and a regulated financial institution.

Application Process 

• You will normally be required to apply from outside the UK unless you are already in the UK holding one of a number of visas;
• If you are applying from abroad, the earliest you can apply is three months before you travel to the UK;
• You should normally get a decision on your visa within three weeks when you apply from outside the UK. However, in most countries you can make a priority application which means you will normally receive a decision within five working days;
• If applying from within the UK, you should receive a decision within eight weeks. If you use the priority service, you should receive a decision in five working days.

Duration of Stay

• The initial visa is granted for three years and four months. Prior to the expiry of your visa, you can make an application to extend your stay for a further two years. The extension application can be made from within or outside the UK. You can extend your visa an unlimited number of times.

Indefinite leave to remain

The route to indefinite leave to remain depends on your level of investment. An investment of more than £2 million can lead to indefinite leave to remain in a shorter period of time. There are a number of requirements that you must meet in order to qualify for indefinite leave to remain. These are not outlined here. 

Once you have been granted indefinite leave to remain, you may qualify to naturalise as a British citizen. This is a separate application and again has different requirements. These are not discussed in this article. 

Assuming you meet all of the requirements, you could obtain indefinite leave to remain and British citizenship in the following timeframes:

Investment	£2 million	£5 million	£10 million
Indefinite leave to remain – main applicant	5 years	3 years	2 years
British citizenship – main applicant	6 years	5 years	5 years

Please note, the accelerated routes are only available for the main applicant. Any dependants must wait five years before being eligible for indefinite leave to remain. 

The information in this article is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this article. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.


©Gherson 2020