Home Office update: Replacement visas available until the end of the year, with VAC’s now accepting passports

If your 30 day visa to travel to the UK for work, study or to join family has expired, or is about to expire, you can request a replacement visa with revised validity dates free of charge until the end of this year. This does not apply to other types of visas.

 

This process will be in place until the end of 2020.

 

To request a replacement visa you can either:

 

• contact the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre

 

• arrange to return your passport to your Visa Application Centre (VAC) if it has re-opened

 

Contacting the Coronavirus Immigration Help Centre:

 

Telephone: 0800 678 1767 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). It is free to call from within the UK.

 

If emailing, the address is CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk.

 

You will need to include your name, nationality, date of birth and your GWF reference number with ‘REPLACEMENT 30 DAY VISA’ in the subject line.

 

You should be contacted when the VACs reopen to arrange for a replacement visa to be endorsed in your passport. Your replacement visa will be valid for 90 days.

 

As a new alternative, the Home Office have now said that you can arrange to return your passport to your VAC if it has re-opened.

 

Do not travel to the VAC with your passport until you have checked the commercial partner websites for the process in place for re-submitting your passport for your replacement visa, as this may vary depending on your geographical location:

 

• TLS contact if you are in Europe, Africa and parts of the Middle East

 

• VFS global for all other countries

 

Read the full guidance here.

 

Have questions? Contact us today!

 

In the meantime, we are operating as usual, and you can reach us on 020 7928 0276 or email in to info@lisaslaw.co.uk for any questions you may have on this topic.

 

Or, why not download our free app today? You can launch a new enquiry, scan over documents and much more.

 

If you have an iPhone, follow this link to download.

 

If you use an Android phone, follow this link to download. 

 

Find the link here if you need some further instructions on how to use our new app!