Register as a foreign national

As of the 5th August 2022 the Home Office have repealed the requirement under the Immigration Rules for certain foreign nationals to register with the police.  Therefore, the West Yorkshire Police Overseas Registration Office will no longer receive or process registration applications.

This means that the relevant foreign nationals of specified nationalities, aged 16 or over, usually granted more than six months' leave in certain migration categories are no longer obliged to register with the police. 

This change applies to those who have already registered with the Police and who have a condition to register with the police listed as part of their leave to enter or remain in the UK. They will also no longer be required to communicate any updated personal details to the police. 

Those who have been issued with a visa with the requirement to register but who are yet to travel, will have their visa reissued where possible or be notified of the changes in advance of travel. 

 

In the event of any queries regarding this the Home Office have released the following guidance:-

What will happen to those who have already registered / What do I do if I have already registered? 

The requirement will fall away for those who have already registered, any changes, including address should be communicated to the Home Office directly via: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp
Should a foreign national apply for Leave to Enter at a later date, or for further Leave to Remain, the requirement to register with the police will also be dropped from their new visa conditions. 

Will my condition of leave on my visa / BRP / digital status requiring me to register be amended? 

No it will not be amended. As previous question the requirement will not be placed on any future grant of visa. 

Should I retain my Police Registration Certificate? 

It is not necessary to retain your certificate. You will not be required to produce the certificate to a police officer or an immigration officer. When applying for permission to stay in the UK you will no longer be required to evidence your registration with the certificate. 

I have already paid my fee to register. Will I get my money back? 

No. The fee you paid to the police is to cover the cost of administering and processing your application to register when the requirement to register was still applicable. 

I have an appointment to register, and I have not yet paid the fee. Do I still need to attend and pay to complete the registration? 

No. The Police Registration Scheme has been suspended. You are no longer required to comply with the terms of the scheme or report any changes of circumstance to the police. However, any change of address / personal details should be reported separately to the Home Office via: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp 

If I have already registered, am I still required to notify the police of any changes? 

No. The Police Registration Scheme has been suspended. You are no longer required to comply with the terms of the scheme or report any changes of circumstance to the police. However, any change of address / personal details should be reported separately to the Home Office via: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp 

I failed to register within 7 days of arrival which was prior to the suspension, will I still need to register? 

No. The suspension means that any Foreign National who did not register as requested will no longer be expected to do so.

I have a media enquiry for the Home Office, who should I contact? 

The Home Office public enquiries number on 020 7035 4848 or [email protected]

 

Any other enquires relating to Overseas registrations (AKA Police Registrations)  should be directed to the Home Office directly via: https://www.gov.uk/change-circumstances-visa-brp
 

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