As of 15:00 GMT on November 26, 2024, a new visa requirement comes into effect for the citizens of Colombia. Colombian nationals will no longer be able to travel visa-free to the UK and will now require a visa to enter the UK. They will also require a Direct Airside Transit visa if they intend to transit via the UK. There are also a number of changes regarding the visa schemes for Ukrainian nationals, one of them being the opening of the new Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE).
The visa requirement for Colombian citizens was lifted in November 2022 but is now being reimposed as there has been a significant and increasing number of Colombian visitors entering the UK for purposes that are not allowed under the UK Home Office rules, such as to live, work, or claim refugee status. Specifically, the number of asylum claims has risen from 6 claims in 2021 to a total of 762 claims in the first three quarters of 2024.
Colombia will also be removed from the list of countries that will be eligible for the UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). This means that Colombian nationals will not be able to apply for the UK ETA from November 27, 2024, to travel to the UK from January 8, 2025, like nationals from other non-European visa-free countries.
In her written statement to parliament, Seema Malhotra, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship, stated that there will be a four-week, visa-free transition period for Colombians who already have confirmed bookings to the UK which they obtained before 15:00 GMT November 26, 2024. Their arrival in the UK should not be any later than 15:00 GMT December 24, 2024. She added that the substantial increase in asylum claims and refusals has “added significantly to operational pressures at the border, resulting in frontline resources being diverted from other operational priorities.” However, she affirmed that the UK’s relationship with Colombia “remains a strong and friendly one”.
As for the changes to Ukraine schemes, the new UPE scheme will enable Ukrainian nationals and their eligible family members in the UK to apply for an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK. This scheme will replace the current Ukraine Extension Scheme, which will close on February 4, 2025. The UPE scheme will be opened at the same time.
The use of open-ended permission to travel (PTT) letters will also cease. These letters have been used to enable travel to the UK by deferring biometrics till arrival in place of entry clearance. There are also changes to the Long Residence route, which will make it clear that the time spent in the UK with permission under the Ukraine schemes cannot be used toward the qualifying period for a Long Residence application and does not provide a route to settlement in the UK. The aim of the Ukraine schemes is to provide temporary sanctuary for Ukrainians while the conflict continues, with the goal of returning to their home country when it is safe to do so.
Regarding the Ukraine schemes, Malhotra emphasized that the new UPE scheme aims to continue providing a “sanctuary in the UK for those who still need it whilst the war in Ukraine continues”. She encouraged individuals to apply for the new scheme before their current permission expires to avoid any loss of rights to receive benefits, work, healthcare, and rent.