My UK visa has been cancelled: what are my options?

Cancellation of a UK visa can have serious implications for the visa holder and require further steps to ensure that Immigration Rules are not breached.

The Home Office reserve the right to cancel your UK visa, the reasons for which can vary from the applicant ceasing to meet the requirements of the Immigration Rules to the withdrawal of sponsorship. The latter may be the case for visa holders under the Skilled Worker route, where their UK employer chooses to cease sponsoring the relevant sponsored worker or, in some instances, the sponsor may lose their licence and subsequently the ability to sponsor the visa holder.

If your visa is cancelled, you will usually receive 60 days’ notice for the cancellation. If your visa expires before the end of the 60-day period, you will be bound by your actual visa expiry date, since the cancellation will be effective as of this date. The 60 day notice period is essentially a specified time frame during which you are required to submit a new visa application or leave the UK entirely. Those whose visas have been cancelled must be aware that if they choose to leave the UK after the visa cancellation, they will not be able to re-enter unless a new permission to enter has been granted. The same applies if you are outside the UK when your leave is cancelled.

If you choose to remain in the UK, you must apply for a new visa. The kind of visa you can apply for will depend on your personal circumstances, as you must be an eligible applicant. You are permitted to remain in the UK whilst your application is being processed, even if your 60-day period has expired and you are yet to receive a decision on your new visa.  You would not be able to start a new job with a new Sponsor until your visa is issued.

It is crucial to ensure that you comply with the 60-day notice period, as becoming an overstayer can have serious consequences for your UK immigration history and future applications.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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