How Has COVID-19 Affected UK Visa and Immigration?

The current pandemic that’s sweeping across the globe isn’t only a danger to health but has significantly affected the economy as well. For many of us, this means staying at home in lockdown. At the same time, migrants might experience more drastic changes, with visa agencies partly closed. 

The new variant of the virus found in the UK has also led to several travel restrictions for visitors and citizens. Even though there’s uncertainty all around, you can still plan a visit or migration to the UK in the near future, when things settle down. Here’s everything you need to know about it:

Visa application

Now that visa centers are temporarily shut down, their services are transferred online. This means you can pay and apply for your UK visa online. EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens must provide their biometric information and a digital photograph (this can be via a smartphone) and don’t need to submit their fingerprints. If you’re a non-EU citizen, you’ll have to get your photographs and fingerprints recorded at a visa application center.

However, we recommend getting guidance about any current travel bans before applying for the visa. The next thing to keep in mind is to check what has to be done before leaving for the UK.

Appointment Delays 

If you’ve received an appointment date for your visa, you can most likely expect a delay until things settle down in the area. You will be directly contacted as soon as the new appointment dates are out. You don’t need to worry about your immigration status changing if there’s a change in appointment date or if you’re unable to attend it.

Visit Visa

The changes in the policies have brought good news for EEA, EU, and Swiss Citizens. People who were residing in the UK until December 2020 only needed to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to prolong their stay after June 2021.

Citizens of the USA, New Zealand, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and Singapore can use the biometric chips in their passports to pass the ePassport gate. This change is expected to remain active for the next five years.

Immigration 

If you’re an EU, EEA, and Swiss citizen, you can prove your immigration status online. However, non-EU citizens will be required to show physical documents.

UK laws and policies can be quite tricky to understand, especially if you’re new to the visa application or immigration process. If you’re looking for lawyers to help you with your immigration to the UK, Wembley Solicitors has got you covered! We have the best team of immigration lawyers in London who will help you through every step of the way. Whether it’s a visit visa or immigration, we’ll ensure a smooth process.

Contact us at 020 3417 3700 or email us at info@wembleysolicitors.com for more info.