Immigration Corner | Extending visitor’s stay for purpose of medical treatment

Dear Mr Bassie,

Please explain what is needed to extend a trip while in the UK for the purpose of receiving medical treatment.

– P.P.

Dear P.P.,

It should be noted that usually persons may be able to extend their stay if they have permission to be in the United Kingdom (UK) for less than six months and they can extend their stay up to a total of six months.

Persons can apply to stay in the UK for longer than six months for different reasons, say if they are an academic and you still meet the eligibility requirements; a graduate retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or doing a clinical attachment; or a patient receiving medical treatment.

MEDICAL TREATMENT

Persons who are receiving medical treatment must apply to extend their stay and pay the £1,100 fee, regardless of their nationality. They will need to apply while they are still in the UK and before the current visa or permission expires.

FEES

With respect to fees, as stated previously, it costs £1,100 to extend the stay as a Standard Visitor and an extra £1,000 if the super priority service is used. The applicants will also need to have their fingerprints and a photo (biometric information) taken. There is no fee for this.

Please be aware that persons with permission to be in the UK for less than six months may be able to extend their stay as long as the total time you spend in the UK is no more than six months. They must meet the eligibility requirements and pay the £1,100 fee.

For example, if he/she has been in the UK for three months, they can apply to extend their stay for three more months. This applies whether the individual needed a visa to visit the UK and also if he/she did not need one.

Those persons who need to stay longer for medical treatment and are already in the UK, can apply to stay for a further six months if they:

• Have paid for any treatment they have already had in the UK

• Can and will pay the further costs of their treatment

• Continue to meet the medical treatment eligibility requirements.

Please be aware that there is no limit on how many times persons can extend their stay and it costs £1,100 each time it is extended.

DOCUMENTS TO BE PROVIDED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

Persons must get a medical practitioner or National Health Service (NHS) consultant who is registered in the UK to provide details of their medical condition that needs further treatment.

If they are having treatment at an NHS hospital under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement, persons will need to provide another authorisation form from their country’s government stating that they will pay for the person’s treatment.

I hope this helps

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com