Immigration: Coronavirus

(asked on 4th May 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to reinstate the Settlement Scheme online application for non-EEA nationals that do not have a Biometric Residence Permit during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Kevin Foster Portrait
Kevin Foster
This question was answered on 11th May 2020

As part of the application process, non-EEA citizens need to provide their Biometrics if they are not already in possession of a Biometric Residence Card. In line with the latest advice from Public Health England the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres (UKVCAS) where non-EEA citizens need to attend to have their biometrics taken are temporarily closed in accordance with advice on limiting the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The government will look again at these measures at regular intervals and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.

Those applicants who already hold a Biometric Residence Card do not need to provide biometrics and so are still able to apply to the scheme while the current restrictions are in place.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has set up a dedicated team for customers with immigration queries related to coronavirus, including questions about urgent, compelling, compassionate cases. More information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

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