Exceptional Assurance application

[Pranetha]

Hello

I would be grateful for some advice regarding exceptional assurance. My Parents, from India are here on a 6 month tourist visa that expires today (05-07-21). They were supposed to fly back to India (Chennai) on the 2nd of July, 2021. However, In May BA cancelled their flights and said that the next earliest available flight for them was on the 1st of August, 2021. I wrote to 'Exceptional assurance' in May stating the flight cancellations and a request to stay. I didn't realize I had to include their re-booking and they replied saying we have sufficient time to make alternative plans (This was when exceptional assurance was only available for visas expiring in June). Towards the end of July I re-wrote to them saying that the earliest booking I could get was the 1st of August (I attached the cancellation and the new booking) and they wrote back saying we have already told you that you can apply to UKVAC or make alternative arrangements. However, COVID immigration helpline said that tourist visas cannot be extended from within the UK and that we need to reapply to Exceptional assurance reiterating that no earlier flights were available, so during Early June I reapplied the same as above saying I cannot make alternate arrangements since no flights available for them to leave (My father is a Leukemia patient and so cannot travel on long transit flights ). Its been a month now and I have sent them several reminders but I have still not heard back from them. They say their turn around time is 5 days but its been 3-4 weeks. Ans now that they updated their page to include visas expiring till 30th September, I re-wrote the same and still have not heard back. Their Visa expires today. Helpline told me that they have a lot of pending cases and that they are slow to reply now and that I should just patiently wait for their reply. My parents are stressed out as they think they are over-staying. Helpline said that till they reply they can stay in this country. Has anyone applied recently and heard back within 5 days? Do you think they are not responding to my email since they already (in May) told me to make alternate plans? I have tried to find alternate tickets in vain. And today BA has sent me cancellation for their August flight as well. I do not know what to do. Please someone Help. Thank you in advance !!

[Jw9315]

Just wondering if you heard back in the end?