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What do I do if my visa is due to expire but I can’t travel?

If your visa has expired or will do before you are able to safely leave the UK, you can apply for “Exceptional Indemnity” by contacting the Coronavirus Immigration Team. You will need to provide evidence as to why you cannot leave, which could include a positive Covid-19 test or evidence of being unable to make travel arrangements to leave the UK in time.

You should note that “Exceptional Indemnity” does not extend your leave, but temporarily protects you from adverse action being made against you as result of overstaying your visa.

Related FAQs

What actions and measures should be avoided?

The CMA is particularly concerned about certain activities, its guidance highlights:

  • Exchange of commercially sensitive information where this is not necessary in response to the crisis
  • Collaboration which unfairly excludes third parties
  • Abuse of a dominant position (including a dominant position held as a result of the crisis) – particularly to charge excessive prices
  • Seeking to maintain prices or prevent reductions in prices
  • Cooperation going beyond what is necessary to respond to the crisis in the interests of consumers
What options do I have if my employee, who can work from home, is struggling to do so because they have young children at home who need "teaching" and supervision?

This is likely to be a common situation and employers and employees are going to have to take a pragmatic approach. You could enter into a temporary flexible working arrangement perhaps agreeing to vary working hours/days or reducing targets or agree to use some annual leave.

Employees could ask to take a period of unpaid leave, asserting their right to time off to care for a dependant but the lack of pay is likely to be unappealing.

Alternatively employees who are unable to work because they have caring responsibilities as a result of COVID-19, which includes childcare responsibilities, can be furloughed.

Can we apply for a loan under the CBILS?

If you are running a business, yes you can.  Please see our Funding and Finance FAQ’s.

We are hearing that Banks are more likely to advance monies on the basis of known income, so for example notified legacies, where there may be a time lag in them being received or against investments where, if they were realised now, would crystallise a loss.  Asking for a loan which will need to repaid from future services or trading income should be carefully considered in particular where the charity does not operate to create a surplus which would allow this.

What sort of issues are likely to have arisen?

The Coronavirus pandemic will have impacted businesses in many different ways, but some of the most likely impacts that could have a legal implication are as follows:

  • Services were not performed in accordance with contract during the period of disruption. This could be a reduction in volume of services performed, a suspension of services, or performance in a way that does not comply with contractual KPIs
  • Late delivery or non-delivery of goods because of factory closures, or disruption in the supply chain
  • Changes being agreed between parties to contracts to deal with the consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak
ONLINE EVENT: Contracts, managing supply chain issues and the role of directors

Hosted by NewcastleGateshead Initiative, Partners Damien Charlton and Jane Garvin discussed in this webinar contracts, managing supply chains and the role of directors, with  a particular focus on cancellation of events and businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector.

You can find a recording of the webinar from NGI here.