If your UK spouse visa is close to expiring, submit a valid extension application before the permission ends. If it has already expired and you did not apply in time, your position is more complicated. Do not assume that you have an automatic 14-day grace period.
The first step is to confirm the expiry date of your actual immigration permission, what application—if any—was submitted, and whether that application was valid and made before the deadline.
What if I applied before my spouse visa expired?
If you made a valid application to extend your permission before it expired and the Home Office has not yet decided it, your existing permission may be extended by section 3C leave. This can allow you to remain lawfully in the UK while the application is pending, subject to the conditions and limits of section 3C.
Keep your application confirmation and check its status. Do not assume that retaining your passport or having access to an eVisa means you can travel abroad while an in-country application is pending. See our forum guidance on travel during an FLR(M) application.
What if my visa expired before I applied?
If no valid in-time application was made, you may be an overstayer. A late application does not automatically restore the permission you previously held. Overstaying can affect your ability to work, rent, access services and make a further immigration application.
There is a limited exception under the Immigration Rules for certain late applications made within 14 days of permission expiring. The decision maker must accept that there was a good reason beyond the applicant’s or representative’s control for not applying in time, and that reason must be given with the application. Other specific exceptions may apply in different circumstances. Fourteen days is not a general grace period.
Can I still apply to extend my spouse visa?
Possibly, but the answer depends on the dates, the reason for the delay, your relationship and whether you meet the applicable family visa requirements. A late application may affect the route on which permission is granted and the time needed before settlement. It is important to assess the case before submitting a form or leaving the UK.
If your spouse or partner relationship has ended, the position is different. Read our guide on telling the Home Office about a separation.
Will I be deported for overstaying?
Overstaying is serious, but the expiry of a spouse visa does not automatically trigger a deportation order. The Home Office may take immigration action, and a person who has no permission to stay needs urgent advice about their options. Do not ignore letters or notices from UKVI.
What should I do now?
- Check the expiry date shown in your UKVI account or grant notice.
- Find the date and confirmation of any application already submitted.
- Keep evidence explaining why an application could not be made in time, if relevant.
- Get advice promptly about your status and the appropriate next application.
- Do not travel outside the UK without checking how it would affect a pending application or your ability to return.
How Thai Visa Express UK can help
We can review your immigration history, application dates and available evidence, then advise on the next step. Send us your permission expiry date, any application confirmation and any correspondence from the Home Office.
Has your UK spouse visa expired?
Tell us the expiry date and whether you have already submitted an application.
Contact the UK team on WhatsAppOfficial guidance: extend a family visa, section 3C leave and Part Suitability, including overstaying exceptions.