Immigration Corner | Extending a visitor visa while in the UK

Dear Mr Bassie,

Please explain under what circumstances can a person visiting the United Kingdom extend their stay. I would appreciate an explanation.

PP

Dear PP,

Persons may be able to extend their stay if they have permission to be in the United Kingdom (UK) for less than six months. They may be able to extend their stay up to a total of six months.

Persons can only apply to stay in the United Kingdom for longer than six months, if they are:

• A patient receiving medical treatment

• An academic and still meet the eligibility requirements

• A graduate retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or doing a clinical attachment.

Those persons must apply to extend their stay and pay the fee, regardless of their nationality. Further, they will need to apply while still in the UK and before their current visa or permission expires.

With respect to fees, it costs £1,000 to extend the stay as a Standard Visitor, and an extra £1,000 if the applicant uses the super priority service. Please note that persons will also need to have their biometric information (fingerprints and a photographs) taken – there is no fee for this.

Persons may be able to extend their stay as long as the total time spent in the UK is no more than six months. They must meet the eligibilityrequirements and pay the £1,000 fee.

For example, if a person has been in the UK for three months, they can apply to extend their stay for three more months. This applies whether he/she needed a visa to visit the UK and also if one was not needed.

NEED TO STAY LONGER FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

Persons who are already in the UK can apply to stay for a further six months, if they:

• Have paid for any treatment they have already had in the UK

• Can and will pay the further costs of their treatment

• Continue to meet the medical treatment eligibility requirements.

Please be aware that there is no limit to how many times a person can extend their stay. However, it costs £1,000 each time a person applies to extend.

DOCUMENTS THAT MUST BE PROVIDED

A person must get a medical practitioner or National Health Service (NHS) consultant who is registered in the UK to provide details of the applicant’s medical condition that needs further treatment.

If he/she is having treatment at an NHS hospital under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement, they will need to provide another authorisation form from their country’s government saying they will pay for the treatment.

NEED TO STAY LONGER AS AN ACADEMIC

If the person is already in the UK and has permission to visit for less than 12 months, he/she can apply to stay for up to 12 months in total.

That person’s partner and children can apply to stay for up to 12 months too. They must have their own application, and each pay the £1,000 fee.

Applicants must prove they:

• Are highly qualified in their field of expertise, for example, they have a PhD or higher

• Are working in that field of expertise at an academic institution overseas prior to arrival in the UK

• Are not filling a permanent teaching post.

If persons are academics, but not a senior doctor or dentist, they must also prove they are visiting to do research or a formal exchange.

If they are a senior doctor or dentist, they must also prove that they are visiting to do research, clinical practice, a formal exchange or to teach.

Persons should check before extending their stay, if they need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate. They may need one if they are researching certain subjects at the postgraduate level or above.

NEED TO STAY LONGER TO RETAKE THE PLAB TEST

Persons who are already in the UK can apply to extend their stay for up to six months to retake the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test. They must provide written confirmation from the General Medical Council that they are retaking the test.

CLINICAL ATTACHMENT OR DENTAL OBSERVER POST

Persons who pass the PLAB test can apply to stay longer to do an unpaid clinical attachment or dental observer post. They can stay in the UK for up to 18 months in total. Those persons must provide written confirmation:

• Of their clinical attachment offer

• That they have not done a clinical attachment in the UK before.

In addition, those persons must not treat patients.

PROVING IDENTITY AND PROVIDING DOCUMENTS

When applying, persons will be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point, to provide their biometric information (your fingerprints and a photo).

They will also need to submit the supporting documents that prove their eligibility. Those persons can:

• Upload their documents into the online service

• Have them scanned while at their UKVCAS

appointment.

However, they must not travel outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision. If they do so, their application will be withdrawn.

Good luck.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com