Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 May 2020 to Question 40514, what steps she is taking to bring forward legislative proposals to categorise being stranded abroad during the covid-19 pandemic as a serious or compelling circumstance for the purpose of calculating continuous residence in the UK for eligibility to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

As set out in my answer of 4 May, the published guidance already confirms applicants may exceed the 180 days in the event of serious or compelling circumstances. This would include travel disruption caused by the covid-19 pandemic.

A full list of categories covered by this exemption is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/indefinite-leave-to-remain-calculating-continuous-period-in-uk