How can a visitor inform the visa office of a change in their intentions while under a visa?

Question

(Note: this is a hypothetical question following on from a scenario I saw in another question.)

Say that a person applies for a visa to enter the UK, and states an intent to stay for a particular length of time - say, one month. They receive a UK Standard Visitor visa. During their stay, something happens that gives them legitimate cause to stay longer - for example, a family member who lives in the UK falls ill, and they decide to stay and help care for them. This means that they remain in the UK for a time that is longer than their stated 1-month visit, but still within the 6 months of their visa.

The next time they visit the UK, the officer reviewing their application sees that they stayed significantly longer than their stated intentions, and as a result does not trust their stated intentions this time. Their visa is refused.

How can a visitor avoid this scenario? Is there a way to notify the visa office that there has been an unforeseen change to your circumstances that will cause you to deviate from your stated intentions? Would such a notification carry any weight, or help at all with future visa applications?

Answer 1

Assuming that the original visa was a visitor visa and the extended visit still falls within its validity and conditions, there is no requirement to proactively inform the UK authorities about the change of plans.

If/when the traveler later applies for a visa, he will be expected to explain the discrepancy between the plans he originally disclosed and what actually happened -- and he should enclose this explanation with his application without waiting to be asked for it -- but there's no need (nor any good way) to provide the explanation before that time.

Answer 2

GOV.UK:

Report a change of circumstances if you have a visa or BRP

1. You're in the UK and have a BRP

You must report any changes if you’re in the UK and have either:

• got a biometric residence permit (BRP)
• applied for a BRP but haven’t had a decision yet

How you do this depends on what you’re reporting.

Report a change of address only

You can change your address without having to apply for a new BRP.

Which form you fill in depends on whether you:

• have a valid BRP
• have applied but haven’t had a decision letter

Report all other changes

You must report all other changes to your circumstances. How you do this depends on what’s changed.

Changes to your name or personal details

You must apply for a new BRP straight away if any of these things change:

• name, eg if you’ve got married
• nationality
• facial appearance
• date of birth, eg if it was wrong
• gender

How you report the change and apply for a new BRP depends on whether you have:

• permission to stay in the UK temporarily (‘leave to remain’)
• permission to settle in the UK (‘indefinite leave to remain’)

You must apply for a new BRP within 3 months. You can be fined up to £1,000 or have your stay shortened if you don’t.

Other changes that must be reported

You must report any other changes to the details you gave in your BRP application, including if:

• you get a criminal conviction
• you separate from your partner
• any of your children stop living permanently with you

Fill in the change of circumstances form and send it to the address on the form.

2. You're in the UK and have a visa

You must report any changes if you’re in the UK and have either:

• got a visa
• applied for a visa

How you do this depends on what you’re reporting.

Report a change of address only

Use the form to update your address or your legal representative’s address. You should use this form no matter what type of visa you have.

Report all other changes

You must report any changes to your:

• personal details, eg name or contact details
• legal representative’s details
• dependant family members’ details
• circumstances, eg you get a criminal conviction or you separate from your partner

If you have a points-based visas

Fill in the change of circumstances form if both of these apply:

• you have a work or study visa
• you applied under the points-based system (Tiers 1, 2, 4 or 5)

Send it to the address on the form.

You must also tell your sponsor (if you have one) of any changes.

If you have a non points-based visas

Call the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) contact centre to find out how to report changes to any non points-based visa.

This includes visas like:

• UK Ancestry
• Representative of an Overseas Business
• Posted workers
• Domestic Workers in a Private Household
• Aircrew
• Offshore worker
• Locally engaged staff at foreign embassies
• Retired persons of independent means
• Business person
• Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
• Innovator – not Tier 1 (Innovator)
• Investor – not Tier 1 (Investor)

UKVI contact centre

Telephone: 0300 123 2241
Textphone: 0800 389 8289
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm
Friday, 9am to 4:30pm

3. You're outside the UK

Contact the visa application centre where you applied if you’re outside the UK and there’s a change to your:

• reason for going to the UK
• address
• personal details, eg your name, because you got married

You may need to make another visa application at your local visa application centre.