In early August, a notice was published on the Metropolitan Police’s website stating that the Police Registration Scheme had come to an end. After some confusion about whether the scheme had been withdrawn, the Home Office confirmed on their website that it closed on 4 August 2022.
The Police Registration Scheme was in place for many years. It required nationals of over 40 countries, stateless persons, and those with non-national travel documents to register themselves with the police if they were aged 16 or over and granted more than six months’ limited leave to enter or remain in the UK under certain categories. There were some exemptions to the scheme. For instance, individuals with refugee status or leave as the partner of a person settled in the UK were not normally required to register.
Those with the condition imposed on their visa had to update the police with changes to their personal details, including their name, address, and visa details. Criticism about the usefulness of the scheme grew as efforts to introduce an online portal over the Covid pandemic did not appear to assist much with the efficiency of the service.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that there is no longer a need for people to comply with a requirement to register. This applies to individuals with the condition listed on their visa who have already registered with the police, meaning that they do not have to notify the police about changes to their personal details. Any new visas will not contain the condition. The police announcement explains that those who have been issued a visa containing the requirement but are yet to travel to the UK will be informed before travelling or have a new visa issued to them. It is unclear how this will happen in practice.
Although the law giving effect to the requirement to register has yet to be changed at the time of writing, the assumption is that it will not be enforced given that the Home Office and Metropolitan Police have confirmed the withdrawal of the scheme.
Nevertheless, certain changes must still be reported to the Home Office as requested for those with visas or biometric residence permits. See the government website for more information.
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