Expiry reminders
Know when to act before your leave runs out \u2014 general information on timelines and where official guidance lives.
Important: This website provides general information about the UK immigration system only. It is not immigration advice and must not be relied on as advice about your individual circumstances. UK Immigration Information Service is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), and is not affiliated with the IAA, UK Visas and Immigration, the Home Office or any government body. For advice about your own situation, consult a regulated immigration adviser (check the IAA register) or a solicitor. Always check official guidance at gov.uk.
Know your expiry date
The expiry date that matters is the end of your permission to stay, as shown in your UKVI account or your most recent Home Office decision letter — not the date printed on an old BRP card.
Plan ahead, not at the last minute
People in this situation often start looking at their options well before the expiry date. Some routes require evidence that takes weeks or months to gather, and applying late can cause serious problems.
Where official information lives
The Home Office publishes the rules for every route on gov.uk. Reading the relevant route page is usually the right place to start understanding what is required.
Why regulated advice matters here
Whether you can extend, switch routes, or need to leave the UK depends entirely on your individual circumstances. Only a regulated adviser can assess your case.
Get the Expiry Reminders information pack
£99Downloadable PDF. The download link is unlocked automatically after a successful purchase — the PDF is not publicly available.
What's inside this pack
- How to find the date that actually matters — the end of your permission to stay, not the date printed on an old BRP.
- A realistic 6–9 month / 3–6 month / 28-day countdown plan, with the tasks that usually need to happen in each window.
- A plain-English overview of Section 3C leave — when it protects you, when it doesn't, and the most common ways people accidentally lose it.
- The documents most in-country applications expect (ID, address history, financial evidence, English language, biometrics) and how long each typically takes to obtain.
- Switching routes from inside the UK vs applying from abroad — what the practical differences usually look like.
- Fee and IHS cost overview so you can budget before you start.
- A pre-application checklist you can work through before paying any Home Office fee or instructing an adviser.
See gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration. For advice about your own case, see Get regulated help.