Petition · Home Office
Count waiting time from Covid-19 Home Office delays toward ILR 5-year residence
Closed
660 signatures
What the petition asks
We call on the UK Government to count Home Office delays during the nearly two-year Covid-19 pandemic toward the 5-year residence requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), ensuring fairness for long-term residents affected by delays beyond their control.
During this period, visa extensions, asylum claims, and other applications faced months of delays due to lockdowns, staff shortages, cancelled appointments, and Home Office backlogs. Despite other protections afforded under Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, this waiting time is not counted toward ILR. We ask the Government to recognise these delays as extraordinary, count Section 3C periods toward ILR, and ensure no one is disadvantaged.
Timeline
| 19 Dec 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 19 Jun 2026 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
660
Status
Closed
Department
Home Office
Opened
19 Dec 2025
Closed
19 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 3 Aug 2026.