UK government has issued a stern warning to international students not to overstay their visa. Foreign students in the UK have been told to leave the country if their visas have expired in order to avoid deportation for overstaying.
The UK Home Office has issued a warning saying, “Apply for a new visa or leave the UK before it expires to stay within UK immigration rules.”
The UK government plans to contact tens of thousands of international students individually and warn them that if they overstay their visas, they will be deported from the UK.
To discourage students from filing asylum claims that ‘lack merit’ as a means of remaining in the country, the UK Home Office has contacted thousands of students whose visas are about to expire.
As part of the campaign, the Home Office will contact around 1,30,000 students and their families proactively for the first time, telling them that if they lack a legal right to remain in the UK, they will be obliged to leave.
The full message will read: “If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused. Any request for asylum support will be assessed against destitution criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, you will not receive support. If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”
Overstaying Visas in the UK
Where an individual has been granted permission to enter or stay in the UK, they must comply with the conditions of that permission, including, but not limited to, the timeframe any permission is valid for.
Prior to the expiry of any extant permission, an individual should either apply for further permission to stay or depart from the UK. Remaining in the UK after permission has expired is commonly known as overstaying.
If one stays longer than they are allowed to under their visa, it is called overstaying. If you’re an overstayer and want to stay in the UK, there are several options to keep your stay legal.
Overstaying Visa Rules
If you applied for a new visa before your old one expired, you can stay in the UK until you get a decision. If your application is valid, you won’t be an overstayer. If you applied for pre-settled or settled status, you can usually stay in the UK until you get a decision.
If you’re not sure when your leave expires, check your biometric residence permit, online immigration status or any stamp or sticker in your passport.
Renewing your visa also needs to be on time. You won’t be entitled to the rights if you overstay, even if you apply within 14 days of your leave expiring. For example, if you were entitled to work before you overstayed, you won’t be allowed to anymore.
If you don’t leave voluntarily within 30 days of your visa or leave expiring, you could be deported. If you leave after 30 days, you could be banned from re-entering the UK for between 1 and 10 years.
The overstaying might still be held against you on future visa applications. For example, if you’re applying for a visitor or student visa where you must show that you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit or studies.