The scheme was designed as a limited-intake pathway. Applicants in France could express interest, confirm where they were located via phone or other device within 24 hours, attend an in-person biometrics appointment to prove who they were, and then travel to the UK on entry clearance valid for up to three months. Partners and children under 18 could apply as a family group, with one adult submitting first and receiving a family reference number for the others to use.
The Home Office released places gradually, which meant the scheme never operated at full capacity. Now that it is closed, no new expressions of interest will be accepted.
If you had already submitted an application before October 1, 2026, the Home Office will still process it and notify you of the outcome. The guidance does not specify a timeline for these decisions, only that you will be informed "in due course. The Home Office also asks that applicants not contact them to ask about progress while their application is under review.
Who could not apply
The scheme had strict eligibility rules. You could not apply if you were not physically in France at the time of submission. You could not apply if you had previously entered or arrived in the UK illegally, held international protection from another country, were officially recognised as stateless by any other country, came from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, or were the family member of someone from those countries. You could not apply if you already had immigration permission in France or had been refused entry clearance on the scheme previously.
The Home Office did not accept applications from people who failed to confirm their location in France within the 24-hour window after submitting their expression of interest. Each adult in a family group had to respond to their own email and text message with proof of location.
What happened to rejected applications
If your expression of interest was rejected because you were not in France, you could not reapply to this scheme. If you were rejected at the biometrics stage or after that stage, the entire family group would be unsuccessful, and you would not be able to apply again on this scheme. The guidance states: "If one person's application is unsuccessful and you are applying as a family, the whole family group will be unsuccessful."
Any future UK visa applications would be considered separately under different rules.
What applicants needed to provide
To apply, you needed a mobile phone, an email address, and a valid or expired document showing your identity and nationality, such as a passport or national identity document. You had to upload a digital photo of that document to the application form and provide a recent digital photo of yourself no more than three months old.
If you were applying as a family member, you also needed evidence of your family relationship: a copy of a marriage or civil partnership certificate for a spouse or civil partner, or a birth certificate for children.
If you were selected for an in-person appointment, you had to bring the original, physical version of your identity document. If you did not have a passport, travel document, national identity document, or UK biometric residence permit, you could use a combination of other official documents, such as a photo driving licence and birth certificate, provided at least one showed a photo of you, your name, date of birth, nationality and sex.
What the scheme offered and what it did not
The scheme offered entry clearance to the UK for up to three months. The Home Office would arrange transport from the airport and discuss how applicants could be accommodated, but applicants could also stay with family already in the UK if they preferred.
The scheme offered no work, study or public funds access during the three-month entry clearance period. To stay longer, applicants had to apply for another type of permission to stay, such as a visa or asylum, after arriving in the UK.
The document does not explain why the scheme is closing or whether it might reopen. It does not state how many people applied, how many were approved, or what the total intake was meant to be. For those with pending applications, the only guidance is to wait for contact from the Home Office.
General information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Confirm the details with Home Office before you act.
