Applicants in the five year spouse route to settlement under Appendix FM can take advantage of the time-limited Home Office concession to continue to extend their leave in the same route or apply for settlement.
The relevant Home Office guidance contains the following provisions for Appendix FM applicants, including those applying in the five year spouse and parent of a child routes:
- Temporary loss of employment income between 1 March 2020 and 31 October 2021 due to COVID-19 will be disregarded provided the minimum income requirement was met for at least six months immediately before the date the applicant suffered a loss of income
- An applicant or sponsor furloughed under the government furlough scheme will be treated as earning 100% of their usual salary
- Temporary loss of self-employment income between 1 March 2020 and 31 October 2021 due to COVID-19 will be disregarded when relying on self-employment income to meet the minimum income requirement
- Evidential flexibility may be applied if the applicant is not able to provide a specified document due to COVID-19 restrictions
It is not known at this stage whether this concession will be extended beyond 31 October 2021.
If you are making a spouse or parent of a child application and your income has been affected by the pandemic, contact us today for advice on whether you can benefit from any of these concessions and if so, how you can evidence your eligibility.