UKVI asked for further payment

[venerax88]

Hi all,

I received a letter from UKVI with the following message:

"Thank you for your application for permission to stay in the UK.

Although we would normally decide your application within eight weeks from the date it was submitted, unfortunately this is not going to be possible in your case.

This is because we need to request further payment from you in support of your application. This request will be sent under separate cover."

I suspect I got this because of a difference in the length of my COS and the length of visa I applied for. My employer originally applied for a 5 year COS but added a sponsor note to reduce it to 3 years. When I made my online application, I selected the 3 years option and paid the applicable fees (£664) accordingly.

Would my application be rejected on the basis of the difference in length of my COS and the length of visa I submitted my online application for? For clarity, I was previously given a 2 years tier 2 visa and this application is for extension. My employer amended the length of COS via sponsor note so that my total stay won't exceed 5 years.

[venerax88]

Can someone help please?

[eduleal]

Once a COS is assigned for over 3 years, that's pretty much done - I don't think the sponsor note is enough to amend it to less than 3 years, as it's a different kind of application.
If your first visa was 2 years, you could potentially stay for further 4 - a total of 6 years under Tier 2 - so this is probably what they'll grant you, but you need to pay for an application for more than 3 years if that's the kind of COS you have, and also pay the 4-year IHS accordingly.

[venerax88]

Thanks for your advice. I take it that my application is likely to be granted, after paying the extra fees? UKVI is notoriously known for being stringent even with administrative errors, so I'm hoping they won't refuse my visa on the basis of this issue.

[eduleal]

It's nice of them to offer you to pay the difference. Once that's done, it should then be considered on its own merits, if that's resolved they wouldn't punish you for that - but everything else needs to be in place for it to be approved/granted.