Visa Extensions and In-Country Applications

Extending or switching your permission from inside the UK, before it runs out.

For people already in the UK with valid permission that is coming to an end, or whose circumstances have changed.

An application for further leave to remain — often called an extension — is made from inside the UK while your current permission is still valid.

We can help with

Partner and family extensions, including the next stage of the partner route.
Work-route extensions and changes of sponsor.
Student-route extensions and switching to the Graduate route.
Other straightforward switches the Immigration Rules allow from your current permission.

What we will check

That your current permission is valid and when it ends.
Whether switching is permitted from your current route.
Financial, accommodation, English and other requirements for the stage you are in.
Continuous residence and absences, if the stage counts towards settlement.
Your UKVI account and eVisa details.

If your permission has already expired
An application made after permission has ended, or one that depends on overstaying being overlooked, is not a Level 1 matter. Tell us the expiry date at the start. If it has passed, we will explain this and signpost you to an adviser authorised at the appropriate level.

How WLIS can help

1 We check that the route suits your plans and that the matter is a straightforward one within our IAA Level 1 authorisation.
2 We review your eligibility and your documents, and explain plainly anything that needs attention.
3 We give you a document checklist written for your circumstances rather than a generic one.
4 We prepare the application form and supporting documents, and you check and approve the final information before anything is submitted.
5 We help with submission, biometrics or identity steps, and your eVisa and UKVI account after the decision.

What we can and cannot help with

We provide advice and application assistance for straightforward immigration matters within our IAA Level 1 Immigration authorisation. Where a matter falls outside that authorisation — for example because it involves adverse immigration history, a discretionary or human-rights claim, an administrative review, an appeal or tribunal work — we will tell you and signpost or refer you to an adviser authorised at the appropriate level.

If an application is refused, we will explain the decision and whether any further work remains within our Level 1 authorisation. Where an administrative review, an appeal or other higher-level casework is needed, we will signpost or refer you to an appropriately authorised adviser. We do not provide appeal or tribunal representation.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) makes the final decision on every application. No immigration adviser can guarantee that an application will be approved.

Our IAA regulation How we work Fees

Questions clients often ask

When should I apply to extend?

Before your current permission expires, and with enough time to gather documents properly. Many routes let you apply some weeks ahead, so applying early is rarely a disadvantage. Leaving it to the final days is how avoidable evidence gaps end up in an application.

What happens if I apply after my leave has expired?

You become an overstayer, your conditions do not automatically continue, and overstaying can count against you in later settlement and citizenship applications. An application made out of time is not a straightforward Level 1 matter, so we would explain the position and signpost you to an adviser authorised at a higher level.

Can I keep working while I wait for a decision?

If you applied while your permission was still valid, your existing conditions normally continue until the application is decided. Employers can confirm this through the Home Office Employer Checking Service, and it is worth telling yours before your eVisa expiry date passes.

Official sources we check

We check what we publish against the Home Office's own guidance. These are the GOV.UK pages behind the advice on this site — use them to confirm anything you read here, because the rules change and the official page is always the current one.

GOV.UK content is published by the UK government and is not part of this website.

Talk to us about visa extensions and in-country applications

Tell us what you want to apply for, the status you hold now and when your current permission ends. We will confirm whether the matter is within our Level 1 authorisation and offer a suitable appointment.

Start an enquiry See how we work

The enquiry button opens the secure WLIS enquiry form on enquiry.wlisuk.com in a new tab. Please do not send identity documents until we ask for them.