Coronavirus and the UK immigration system (as of 09 April 2020)
Immigration tribunal hearings
HM Courts and Tribunals Service is now issuing a daily operational update. There are specific status reports for First-tier and Upper Tribunal immigration and asylum cases. They provide a useful summary of the state of play (as of 9 April):
The [First-tier] tribunal has suspended face to face hearings (other than in exceptional circumstances) until further notice. A notice containing instructions on the next steps in your case will be sent to you. We are working through the listed cases in priority and date order and you should wait until we contact you. Please do not call us unless your enquiry is urgent. Bail applications will be prioritised and where a hearing is required, will be listed to take place by telephone or video. Users are advised to contact the relevant hearing centre until further notice.
The Tribunal Procedure (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Rules 2020 come into force on 10 April. Section 10 inserts two temporary coronavirus rules into the main First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) rules. One allows the tribunals to make a decision on the papers without the parties’ consent, so long as it is urgent and a hearing is not reasonably practicable. The other allows the tribunal to conduct remote hearings in private when the technology to allow the public to dial in is not available.
No recourse to public funds
Migrants whose visa stipulates that they can have “no recourse to public funds” are in a difficult position. Without access to benefits to make up for loss of work, many face destitution.
The House of Commons Library has published a briefing (available here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8888/) that includes a list of what people with no recourse to public funds are entitled to. In particular:
Temporary migrants with NRPF are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Self-employment Income Support Scheme.
“New Style” Jobseekers Allowance, Statutory Sick Pay, and “New Style” Employment Support Allowance do not count as public funds.
Posted on 08.04.2020.
We provide services
Other useful articles
- On 24 July official visa fees rose by 20 percent for family visas and those on discretionary or human rights grounds
- Electronic visas (eVisas): who is affected and what steps to take now
- UK government launches new Border Security Command to fight illegal immigration
- Important changes regarding ILR under the 10-year long residence in the country - violation of the basic principle of law
- The approach to taxation of the Labour government: manifesto promises and key themes
- Labour Party’s immigration law policy as per their Party Manifesto 2024
Get specialist advice
Please contact with one of our immigration lawyers by phone +44 (0) 207 907 1460 (London), +971 509 265 140 (Dubai) or complete our enquiry
Contact us