Extensions & renewals

Extend before your visa expires

An extension application must be submitted online before your current permission ends. Gov.uk is explicit that you need to apply before your visa expires, and different routes let you apply a set period ahead of time.

Do not leave it to the last day. Gathering documents, booking a biometrics appointment and completing the online form all take time, and letting your visa lapse can leave you in the UK without valid immigration status.

You stay on the same route

Extending means continuing on the route you are already on rather than moving to a new one. Because of that, an extension typically requires you to show you still meet the eligibility rules for that route.

This is different from switching, which is applying to move onto a different route. If your circumstances have changed so that you no longer fit your current route, an extension may not be the right application.

You have to meet the requirements again

An extension is not automatic. You must demonstrate that you still qualify, and the exact conditions depend entirely on the route. Two examples show how route-specific this is:

• Skilled Worker: gov.uk says you can extend if you still have the same job, that job is in the same occupation code as before, and you are still working for the employer who gave you your current Certificate of Sponsorship.
• Student: you generally need an unconditional offer on a course with a licensed student sponsor, and your new course must usually show academic progression — for example at a higher level than your current course, or at the same level and related to your previous course or career, at degree level or above. Certain exceptions to the progression rule apply (such as resitting exams or completing a PhD).

You can usually stay while an in-time application is decided

If you apply to extend before your current visa expires (an 'in-time' application), you are generally allowed to remain in the UK on your existing conditions while you wait for a decision — even if your original visa expiry date passes in the meantime. In law this continuation of permission is known as section 3C leave.

Gov.uk reflects this directly. The Student visa guidance states you can stay in the UK until you get your decision, and the Skilled Worker guidance tells applicants not to travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until they get a decision — because leaving can end the application. As a general rule, decisions are usually made within 8 weeks, though this varies and faster services may be available on some routes for an extra fee.

Fees, the healthcare surcharge and biometrics

Extensions normally involve an application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is charged for the period of your extension and gives access to the NHS. Most applicants also provide biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) as part of the process; gov.uk notes there is no separate fee for the biometric services themselves.

Fees are route-specific and change over time, so always check the current amount on gov.uk before applying. As a verified example, gov.uk lists the Student visa extension application fee as £558, plus the healthcare surcharge on top. Treat any figure you see elsewhere as needing confirmation against the official page on the day you apply.

Dependants apply separately

Your partner or children do not automatically get an extension when you extend your own visa. The Skilled Worker guidance makes clear that dependants must make their own applications, and they should also do so before their current permission expires.

Practical checklist

• Confirm you still meet your route's requirements before you apply.
• Apply online before your current visa expires to keep your right to stay.
• Check the current fee and healthcare surcharge on gov.uk on the day you apply.
• Avoid international travel while an extension is pending unless you are certain it is allowed on your route.
• Make sure any dependants submit their own in-time applications.