The Home Office confirmed that if you have a 30-day visa to travel to the UK for work, study, or to join family that has expired or is about to expire, you can request a replacement visa with revised validity dates until the end of 2020.
The Home Office also confirmed that applicants would not be penalised for not being able to collect their Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) while Covid-19 measures are in place.
Breytenbachs can now also confirm that one can request revised validity dates of up to 90 days until the end of 2020. This confirmation came from a written reply in the House of Parliament, answered on 11 May 2020. This confirmation from the House of Parliament is excellent news for persons with expired visa vignettes and will bring peace of mind to many persons.
The arrangements for the replacement of the visa vignettes will be in place till the end of 2020.
What is a UK visa vignette?
A visa vignette is an actual physical visa or sticker that is added to your passport or travel document once you have successfully applied for your UK visa.
On the visa vignette, the visa validity dates and type of visa are indicated, along with a print of your photo ID.
This visa vignette is valid for 30 days and allows you to travel to the UK during those 30 days. (Note however that the replacement visas during the current pandemic can have a validity date of up to 90 days). You will not be able to travel before the validity date shown on your visa vignette.
Biometric Residence Permit
When a person then arrives in the UK, they have to collect their full UK visa within ten days of arriving.
This full visa will be in the form of a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). The BRP is an actual card, the size of a standard size bank card. The collection point for one’s BRP is usually a designated Post Office and will be indicated on a notification letter.
You will have to show your BRP card when you travel in and out of the UK, together with your passport. You might also be requested to show your BRP to your landlord or employer when they do the “Right to Rent” and “Right to Work” checks.
You can also read more about Biometric Residence Permits at this link – https://bic-immigration.com/immigration-news/uk-biometric-residence-cards/
To arrange a consultation with Breytenbachs to apply for a revised visa vignette, please contact us at info@bic-immigration.com or visit our website at www.bic-immigration.com
You are also welcome to fill out the form below.
Please note that the information in this article does not constitute professional advice. It is provided for general information purposes, without giving any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied.
