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Imperial & Legal

New overstaying rules

By: Imperial & Legal team
9 March 2026
Reading time: 1 min

New overstaying rules for non-EEA nationals

Every non-EEA national who has stayed in the UK beyond the expiration of their visa (without having submitted a valid application for extension prior to expiry) is considered to be an ‘overstayer’.

From 24 of November the Government will abolish the 28 day grace period for accepting applications as valid when a person has stayed over their visa expiration date.

Applications for leave to remain will be refused unless the application is made within 14 days of previous visa expiration and the applicant or their representative has provided a ‘good reason’ beyond their control as to why it was not possible to make it on time. What will be considered a ‘good reason’ will depend on the each case individually.

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