Section 3C leave rules change from 8 October 2026
14 Sep 2026
If you're waiting for a Home Office decision and relying on section 3C leave to stay in the UK lawfully, two rule changes coming in on 8 October 2026 could affect you. The changes come from Statement of Changes HC 584, laid before Parliament on 3 September 2026.
The first change affects fee waiver requests. At the moment, if you ask for a fee waiver and then switch to a different visa route before a decision is made, the date of your fee waiver request can sometimes count as your application date. Under the new rule, paragraph 34G(5), that stops working if you apply for a route different from the one your fee waiver request related to. The date of application becomes the date you actually submit the new application, not the earlier fee waiver request date.
The second change affects biometrics deadlines. If you vary an existing application, meaning you change what you're applying for while it's still pending, the new rule, paragraph 34BB(2A), means you still have to submit your biometrics within the deadline set for your original application. Varying your application does not give you a fresh biometrics deadline.
Both changes close ways some applicants used fee waivers or repeated variations to extend their lawful leave while their circumstances changed. If this describes your situation, the change affects you directly once the new rules take effect on 8 October 2026.
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