The UK’s Police Registration Scheme has officially closed today as of 4 August 2022, the Home Office has confirmed in a statement today. The change means the requirement for certain foreign nationals to register with the police as part of their UK immigration application has been repealed.
Under previous rules, foreign nationals of certain of specific nationalities over the age of 16 who had been granted leave for over six months under certain immigration categories were subject to an immigration condition mandated by the UK Immigration Rules, Part 10, paragraphs 325 to 326, that requires them to register with the police. Additionally, they were required to notify the police whenever one of their conditions changes, such as when they change their place of residence, their employment, or their immigration status.
Although these requirements are still within the Immigration Rules as of this writing, they no longer have to be followed, as confirmed on GOV.UK as of August 4, 2022. As such, failure to comply with the requirement will no longer result in criminal prosecution and/or denial of immigration authorisation.
The change in rules effectively relieves those affected, and UK police agencies, of a major administrative load. The Metropolitan Police said that no registration appointments will be available until 2023 due to the registration system’s considerable backlog.
Those affected are being contacted by the Home Office or police services directly; however, no official notification has been issued by the Home Office, and the Immigration Rules have not been changed.
Police Registration Scheme Closure FAQs
The official announcement from the Home Office included the following FAQs:
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.
Need assistance?
DavidsonMorris are UK immigration specialists. If you have a question or require expert support with your UK visa or nationality application, contact us.
Last updated: 5 August 2022
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals
