UK Visa Extension

The opportunity to extend UK visas in order to gain further leave to remain in the UK is afforded by several different types of UK visas.

In some cases UK visa extensions may be applied for by the candidate themselves, as with Tier 1. However, in other cases for example applying for a UK work permit extension, the application procedure is an employer led one.

Global Visas, as a UK immigration consultancy can advise you on the right route to immigration to the UK for your needs. Our UK immigration law consultants can assist at all stages of your application for a UK visa, or for a visa extension service and can provide everything you will need including UK immigration lawyer expertise and a comprehensive package of on arrival services.

Tier 1

Obtaining an extension for visa holders who are in the country under Tier 1 requires a candidate to meet the criteria for further leave to remain in the UK. 

Candidates will also need to demonstrate proficiency in the English Language by providing either an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score at above band six, or documentary evidence of a Bachelor 

degree

 taught in English.

In addition, candidates will need to reach a points threshold on a points based system similar to that used in their original application.

In terms of 

education

, the points system is the same as that for original 

applications

, age however is weighted differently, to take account of the time elapsed between the original visa application and the new one.

Previous earnings will be considered, based on the length of the original visa granted and will differ as to whether the visa was granted for less or more than 12 months. 

A UK immigration consultant at Global Visas can provide detailed information on this and all Tier 1 extension criteria.

Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS)

The term 'extension' can be misleading with regard to a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme (also known as UK working holiday visa). 

A Youth Mobility Scheme visa may be granted for up to 2 years; in cases where an applicant was granted less than this, an extension may be applied for. However, this type of visa is granted only once and cannot be extended beyond its 24-month maximum.

Staying in the United Kingdom beyond this period will require a UK visit visa application (often known as a travel visa or tourist visa) which does not permit you to work in the UK, or alternatively another immigration route such as Tier 1.

Working Permit Extension

A work permit can be extended for a maximum period of five years, although it is worth remembering that candidates who have already spent five years in the country on a work permit, will be eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK or ILR, usually known as permanent residency. However, for applicants whose work permit or Intra Company Transfer (ICT) expires before this time, an extension may be applied for.

As with the original permit, the responsibility for submitting the request lies with the employer rather than the employee and must be lodged before the current permit expires.

The position in question does not have to be re-advertised in order for an extension to be granted. Holders of work permits may also be granted a new work permit for up to five years in cases where a change of employment takes place. However, holders of multiple entry visas will not be eligible for either change of employment or a work permit extension.

Graduate and Training Schemes

Under 

graduate

 schemes such as the Science and Engineering Scheme or SEGS, shortly to be replaced by the International 

Graduate

 scheme, the option to extend a visa does not exist directly. The same is true of the Fresh Talent Working in Scotland Scheme, which like SEGS, administers leave to enter the UK for specific lengths of time. Neither scheme is intended as a route to settlement and does not provide a route to becoming a permanent resident or to undergo British Naturalization as a UK citizen. 

However, in both cases, the opportunity is present throughout to switch to another UK visa for immigration should the relevant criteria be met. Candidates on either scheme could switch to Tier 1 if they meet the requirements, or stay on in the United Kingdom through a working permit, if a specific offer of employment is made.

The Training and Work Experience Scheme or TWES, does not however, offer the same ability to switch from one UK immigration service to another. It awards work experience or training visas for a set period, extending this time only in exceptional circumstances.

Since both sides of this immigration route are intended to provide an applicant with experience or training which will be put to use on their return to their home country, candidates must spend a period outside the United Kingdom before they can apply to return under a UK work permit. This period will be 12 or 24 months depending upon whether the TWES visa was issued for less than or more than 12 months.

Extensions for Student Visas

A tier 4 student visa may be extended by applying for Further Leave to Remain. In order to do so it will be necessary to demonstrate that you will be in the country to undertake a further course of study, that you have successfully completed your original course of study and that you will be able to support yourself financially throughout your time in Britain. An extension of this kind must be submitted before the expiry of the original document.

Doctor and Dentist Visas

The postgraduate doctor visa and postgraduate dentist visa provide the opportunity for qualified doctors or dentists to undertake postgraduate study in Great Britain.

In both cases, the visas can be extended by periods of three years at a time in circumstances where a candidate has secured a job in a specialist training post. However, this immigration route is distinct from working permits in that they do not provide the potential for a route to permanent UK residence and they are awarded on the expectation that a candidate will return home once training has finished.

UK visiting visas may be used as outlined above to allow people on working holiday visas to stay in the country for an additional six months, though working is not permitted. The visiting visa itself however is always granted for a maximum period of six months. Visit visas cannot be extended unless in the exceptional circumstances that the original document was granted for less than six months in which case it may be extended to the standard maximum period.

Dependents

Leave for your spouse and/or dependents to remain in Britain will vary according to the UK immigration route in question. HSMP allows for spouse immigration via a dependency visa which will depend on the extension of the HSMP holder's own right to remain in the country. People coming to the United Kingdom through a marriage visa or a De Facto visa, often known as an unmarried partner visa will be granted a 2-year period in the country.

The extension of visa duration in these categories is unnecessary since on completion of the two-year period, applicants will qualify to apply for ILR. In the case of a fiance visa, no extension is available, these six month visas for immigration to the UK are issued solely on the proviso that the parties involved will marry in the UK within the stated period. Find out further information on our UK Au Pair Visa page.