UKVCAS Centres to start reopening on June 1!

Good news for those who had booked appointments... they are going to be rescheduled. Those of us who have yet to book will have to wait a while longer. Still, we can hope... and will stay tuned!

Here is what UKVCAS posted:
Following government guidelines and Public Health England advice on COVID-19, UKVCAS, in conjunction with UKVI, will begin a controlled, phased re-opening of Service Points from 1 June 2020.

The government’s response to COVID-19 has meant that many customers who had an existing appointment, prior to the suspension of the service, have had their appointments postponed. With the agreement of UKVI, we will be sending all those customers an email explaining the next steps they need to take to rebook their appointment. If you are in this group and have not already received an email, you may receive one soon. We ask that you continue to check this registered email address for updates.

Unfortunately, if you did not have an existing appointment, prior to the suspension of the service, you will not be able to book an appointment at this time. Please be assured that every customer is important to UKVCAS and we will be reviewing the new approach regularly to assess when we are able to open bookings for all customers.

From https://www.gov.uk/ukvcas :

The following service points will be open from 1 June:

Birmingham
Birmingham Premium Lounge
Chelmsford
Croydon
Exeter
Leeds
London Mark Lane Premium Lounge
London Victoria
Manchester Fountain Street Enhanced Service Point
Manchester Premium Lounge
Sheffield
Southampton

Has anyone who falls into the postponed group received the follow up email yet?

My late March appointment has been postponed at least twice (to mid May, and then to mid June), always on the same day of the week and time of day as my original appointment.

I logged in Monday and my June appointment was still there. Today it's gone. I haven't received the email with the next steps in it. I have checked my spam folder. There are no appointments to book at any location through 23 June, so fingers crossed it's because they haven't released them yet. I just want this done!

This is good news! Unfortunately no sign of Priority or Super Priority yet. Hoping for this announcement soon. I was planning to apply for my FLR (M) with Priority, but COVID threw a spanner in the works. Instead I was looking at 90 days or longer, which is not ideal!

Hope all those who were waiting on appointments hear soon

Has anyone who falls into the postponed group received the follow up email yet?

My late March appointment has been postponed at least twice (to mid May, and then to mid June), always on the same day of the week and time of day as my original appointment.

I logged in Monday and my June appointment was still there. Today it's gone. I haven't received the email with the next steps in it. I have checked my spam folder. There are no appointments to book at any location through 23 June, so fingers crossed it's because they haven't released them yet. I just want this done!

Yep same here. On hold for all total 2 hours trying to talk to someone but will try again tomorrow... my appointment was for 16 June. I’m pregnant and due 18 June and my visa has been expired since mid March. I can’t get a mortgage without a visa so life is on hold right now which is super fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep same here. On hold for all total 2 hours trying to talk to someone but will try again tomorrow... my appointment was for 16 June. I’m pregnant and due 18 June and my visa has been expired since mid March. I can’t get a mortgage without a visa so life is on hold right now which is super fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm so sorry. That's absolutely extra nerve-wracking.

Similarly, I'm being made redundant and while I know legally I can prove my right to be here and work and yada yada yada, explaining a visa renewal in limbo due to coronavirus on a cover letter just seems so complicated, and especially with how very few jobs are out there at the moment.

Anyway, I just got my email!! I was able to reschedule for even earlier than my third postponed appointment was supposed to be. Hope you get yours now too!

I'm so sorry. That's absolutely extra nerve-wracking.

Similarly, I'm being made redundant and while I know legally I can prove my right to be here and work and yada yada yada, explaining a visa renewal in limbo due to coronavirus on a cover letter just seems so complicated, and especially with how very few jobs are out there at the moment.

Anyway, I just got my email!! I was able to reschedule for even earlier than my third postponed appointment was supposed to be. Hope you get yours now too!

Thank you so so so much for your reply!

I haven’t gotten the email but just logged in to see... I just booked my appointment for the Chelmsford branch which is literally a 5 minute walk from my flat and FOR FREE (unsure if it was because they had let me go to the Chelmsford one previously for no charge but definitely not questioning it) AND FOR TUESDAY!

I’m so happy right now... I know I can go into labour at any point right now but hopefully this baby stays in until at leat Wednesday haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep just got the email. So much relief right now...

Kinda wish I could add priority now but also maybe not cos that’s a lot of money haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just FYI as well- got an email from the home office apologising for the inconvenience of the application delays and reassuring me that I’m okay to be here under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971... who I had already freaked out about in March, lol, but is nice that they’ve sent that.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you so so so much for your reply!

I haven’t gotten the email but just logged in to see... I just booked my appointment for the Chelmsford branch which is literally a 5 minute walk from my flat and FOR FREE (unsure if it was because they had let me go to the Chelmsford one previously for no charge but definitely not questioning it) AND FOR TUESDAY!

I’m so happy right now... I know I can go into labour at any point right now but hopefully this baby stays in until at leat Wednesday haha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Excellent! Glad to hear you're, hopefully on the way, to getting it done. Fingers crossed that baby stays put!

Mine was free too. A pleasant surprise for sure, because I assumed they'd be desperate to start making money again!

Excellent news all around as the same goes for Life in the UK test centres!

I hope you don't mind me piggy-backing off of your thread to ask a question. I will be applying mid-/late June here for ILR, so under the current circumstances, have to wait to book my biometrics appointment.

Two questions:
1. If I submit my application and immediately scan in all of my documents myself via the UKVCAS site (so they'd be accurate as of that moment, end of June) but my appointment doesn't happen until months down the line, do I need to update those documents?
2. Similar question- If I submit my application end of June, but decide to have my documents scanned for me at my biometrics appointment months down the line, do the documents I bring need to only be accurate up until end of June, or do they need to be accurate up to that current date?

So essentially I am asking do our supporting docs need to match our application or our circumstances at the time of our biometric appointment?

Thank you all!

Excellent news all around as the same goes for Life in the UK test centres!

I hope you don't mind me piggy-backing off of your thread to ask a question. I will be applying mid-/late June here for ILR, so under the current circumstances, have to wait to book my biometrics appointment.

Two questions:
1. If I submit my application and immediately scan in all of my documents myself via the UKVCAS site (so they'd be accurate as of that moment, end of June) but my appointment doesn't happen until months down the line, do I need to update those documents?
2. Similar question- If I submit my application end of June, but decide to have my documents scanned for me at my biometrics appointment months down the line, do the documents I bring need to only be accurate up until end of June, or do they need to be accurate up to that current date?

So essentially I am asking do our supporting docs need to match our application or our circumstances at the time of our biometric appointment?

Thank you all!

Your documents need to be current for the date you submit your online application and pay for it, not for the biometric date.

Your documents need to be current for the date you submit your online application and pay for it, not for the biometric date.

Thank you, Larrabee! I guessed as much but the validation is very comforting. Best of luck to everyone on your upcoming appointments/applications.

I hope the centers in Scotland open soon, we dont want to have to travel to England to have our appointment.

I had my appointment yesterday. Thought I'd share a few things in case anyone is planning/worried about theirs.

-I had to take my (non-applicant) daughter with me due to childcare issues and no one said a word about it.
-We went to Mark Lane in the city, they had spaces marked out to queue 2m apart but the street was empty anyway.
-We went by bike (there's a rack nearby to lock up).
-We arrived around 30 minutes early and they didn't have a problem with that. We waited not even 5 minutes to get in.
-Asked us to use hand sanitzer before we went in the room.
-Our little room had a bottle of sanitizer next to the finger reader.
-Staff wore face shields and sat behind plexi-glass screens.
-Most of the waiting area furniture was shoved to the walls; went in the office one way and out another. No risk of coming within 2m of another person the whole time we were there.