If required to register with the police, when can you stop notifying any change of circumstances?

[kamoe]

Hi

I'm a national of one of the countries required to register to the police on arrival to the UK. I have done as required, and for almost 10 years I have also reported any required change of circumstances (every single change of visa, passport, address, and work).

In 2015 I became the family member of a EU citizen and was issued a EEA RC in 2016. I was assuming that this meant I could stop reporting my change of circumstances, since family members of EU citizens are exempt from registering, regardless of their nationality. However, when I went to report the change of visa from Tier 2 to EEA RC, which I assumed would be my last police declaration, I asked if that would be the case and the police officer said that "If you entered the UK as a national requiring police registration, then you need to keep declaring your change of circumstances, regardless of your new status". So I just kept doing it.

Now, I recently got a new passport and went to declare it, as usual. I asked the question again, and this time the police officer said he did not believe I was required to keep declaring my change of circumstances, but said he was unsure and that best thing to do was to contact the Home Office and ask them directly.

I personally prefer to find a clear guideline document to verify this, but so far I can only see documents that state the conditions that exempt people from registering in the first place, not the conditions that exempt people from continuing declaring changes of circumstances if you were once required to register. Has anyone come across such a guideline?

I have seen some posts in this forum that say you can stop declaring changes of circumstances once you obtain ILR. How about becoming the family member of a EU citizen? Also, where can I verify this? (Remember, being exempt from registration before you arrive in the UK is different from becoming exempt from declarations of change of circumstances if you were required to register on arrival).

[seagul]

When you’re exempt
You don’t need to register with the police if you have permission to live permanently in the UK, or are a family member of an EEA citizen.

You also don’t need to register if you’ve got permission to stay in the UK as:

a seasonal agricultural worker
a private servant in a diplomatic household
a minister of religion, missionary or member of a religious order
the partner (spouse, fiancé(e), civil or unmarried partner) of a person settled in the UK
a person with access rights to a child resident in the UK
the parent of a child at school
someone who’s been given asylum
If you don’t have to register, your dependants probably won’t - check if you’re unsure.

[kamoe]

When you’re exempt
You don’t need to register with the police if you have permission to live permanently in the UK, or are a family member of an EEA citizen.

You also don’t need to register if you’ve got permission to stay in the UK as:

a seasonal agricultural worker
a private servant in a diplomatic household
a minister of religion, missionary or member of a religious order
the partner (spouse, fiancé(e), civil or unmarried partner) of a person settled in the UK
a person with access rights to a child resident in the UK
the parent of a child at school
someone who’s been given asylum
If you don’t have to register, your dependants probably won’t - check if you’re unsure.

As I said in the last sentence of my post, I understand that one thing is to register, another is to routinely report changes of circumstances (to be recorded in your registration certificate) once you have already registered.

I already registered, so my point is that strictly speaking the above does not describe my case.

Bottom line is: I have not come across any official document describing the conditions under which someone who has already registered with the police because they were required to do so, later becomes exempt from continuing to report changes of circumstances. I am really cautious of assuming the two are the same thing after what the first police officer told me, and also because all documents I have found (included the one you quote above) only ever use the word registering (which is a one-off event) and never describe the case of becoming exempt from reporting changes (which is a routine event).

[seagul]

You are continuously confusing yourself despite have the official answer. If your most recent circumstances/visa status falls in above list then you are no longer required to register/update with police authorities unless advised by them on different reasons in doing so.

[kamoe]

You are continuously confusing yourself despite have the official answer.

My point is, precisely, that I have not yet an official answer.

As far as I understand, registering is the act of going to the police and declaring one's presence in the UK, which is done only once. There are certain conditions that exempt people from this. You suggest we can assume these same conditions obviously also apply for the act of routinely reporting any change of circumstances, once people meet these conditions. But... are you sure?

If your most recent circumstances/visa status falls in above list then you are no longer required to register/update with police authorities unless advised by them on different reasons in doing so.

Do you have an official source where this is spelled out like that?

I am really only saying this because I have learned from hard experience, one cannot assume things that seem obvious regarding rules and legislations. Just as an example: At a certain Russel Group Unversity you are classified as an international student if you do not have ILR when you register as a student for the first time. If you acquire ILR during the course of your studies, you could assume that from there on you will be classified as EU/UK student for the rest of your course (and hence that you will pay EU/UK fees), right? WRONG! You will still be considered an international student until the end of your studies because when you first registered you were an international student. Bottom line is, the classification is not retroactive. (If you register for another course of studies after obtaining ILR, only then you will be classified as EU/UK. )

This resonates with what the first police officer told me: "If you were not exempt from registering when you first entered the UK, then you will never be exempt from reporting changes of circumstances, no matter the change in your status".

I will be more than happy to learn that your assumptions are correct. But again, unless there is a document that describes this unambiguously, I'm afraid it is all up for interpretation.

[seagul]

If your most recent circumstances/visa status falls in above list then you are no longer required to register/update with police authorities unless advised by them on different reasons in doing so.

Do you have an official source where this is spelled out like that?

When you’re exempt
You don’t need to register with the police if you have permission to live permanently in the UK, or are a family member of an EEA citizen.

https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

[kamoe]

When you’re exempt
You don’t need to register with the police if you have permission to live permanently in the UK, or are a family member of an EEA citizen.

https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register
[/quote]
Which again, requires you to assume "register" covers also the action of reporting changes of circumstances after registering. This is not spelled out, hence open to interpretation.

Note that you can come to the UK for the first time having already the right to live permanently in the UK or being the family member of a EU citizen. There is nothing in the above paragraph that suggests it applies to people who registered but who later become exempt from reporting changes.

Given that the consequences of not reporting your circumstances to the police can be enormous, I believe that if the exemption extended in this way, it should be explicitly spelled out. It isn't.

I'll just try to find the right contact from for the home office and will ask for clarification.

[seagul]

I'll just try to find the right contact from for the home office and will ask for clarification.

Give them a ring and let us know what they have said.

[kamoe]

After searching for a while and making use of the contact forms available on different relevant pages of gov.uk, I finally received some advise on a promising email address I can address this to: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

I just wrote them today, and received an automatic reply advising I should have an answer within 20 working days. Will keep this thread posted.

My question below:

If a person was required to and has registered with the police on the basis of their nationality on first arrival to the UK, is there a point where they can stop reporting every change of circumstances (new visa, new passport, new address, new job, new marital status,etc.)?

There is only information regarding who needs to register in the first place, and conditions of people exempted from registering. But no information is available regarding becoming exempt after once being required (i.e. people who did register but might later become exempt). One could interpret from the information available that if a person who has already registered with the police later meets the conditions for exemption from registering (e.g. acquiring ILR, or becoming a UK or EU citizen, or acquiring nationality that is exempt), then they become exempt from reporting changes of circumstances (new address, job, visa, passport, etc. normally added to their police certificate) from then on.

But that is an assumption and it is not clearly spelled out anywhere. Since the consequences of not reporting a change of circumstances can be of great impact, for further immigration applications, I'd like to receive a confirmation of whether this assumption is correct (can people become exempt, and if so, what are the conditions). Also, this should be clarified on this website: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

Thanks

[it91]

After searching for a while and making use of the contact forms available on different relevant pages of gov.uk, I finally received some advise on a promising email address I can address this to: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

I just wrote them today, and received an automatic reply advising I should have an answer within 20 working days. Will keep this thread posted.

My question below:

If a person was required to and has registered with the police on the basis of their nationality on first arrival to the UK, is there a point where they can stop reporting every change of circumstances (new visa, new passport, new address, new job, new marital status,etc.)?

There is only information regarding who needs to register in the first place, and conditions of people exempted from registering. But no information is available regarding becoming exempt after once being required (i.e. people who did register but might later become exempt). One could interpret from the information available that if a person who has already registered with the police later meets the conditions for exemption from registering (e.g. acquiring ILR, or becoming a UK or EU citizen, or acquiring nationality that is exempt), then they become exempt from reporting changes of circumstances (new address, job, visa, passport, etc. normally added to their police certificate) from then on.

But that is an assumption and it is not clearly spelled out anywhere. Since the consequences of not reporting a change of circumstances can be of great impact, for further immigration applications, I'd like to receive a confirmation of whether this assumption is correct (can people become exempt, and if so, what are the conditions). Also, this should be clarified on this website: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

Thanks

Thanks for sharing your experience and I am experiencing exactly the same. When I got my Tier 4 visa when I moved to the UK, I was told to inform OVRO when my marital status, home adress, visa etc changed. Now switched to PSS, and based on the letter I have when I got Tier 4 visa, I am supposed to go to OVRO again.

Is it correct? Can any lawyer or knowledgeble person could share an input on it?

[seagul]

After searching for a while and making use of the contact forms available on different relevant pages of gov.uk, I finally received some advise on a promising email address I can address this to: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

I just wrote them today, and received an automatic reply advising I should have an answer within 20 working days. Will keep this thread posted.

My question below:

If a person was required to and has registered with the police on the basis of their nationality on first arrival to the UK, is there a point where they can stop reporting every change of circumstances (new visa, new passport, new address, new job, new marital status,etc.)?

There is only information regarding who needs to register in the first place, and conditions of people exempted from registering. But no information is available regarding becoming exempt after once being required (i.e. people who did register but might later become exempt). One could interpret from the information available that if a person who has already registered with the police later meets the conditions for exemption from registering (e.g. acquiring ILR, or becoming a UK or EU citizen, or acquiring nationality that is exempt), then they become exempt from reporting changes of circumstances (new address, job, visa, passport, etc. normally added to their police certificate) from then on.

But that is an assumption and it is not clearly spelled out anywhere. Since the consequences of not reporting a change of circumstances can be of great impact, for further immigration applications, I'd like to receive a confirmation of whether this assumption is correct (can people become exempt, and if so, what are the conditions). Also, this should be clarified on this website: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

Thanks

Then better to voluntarily keep reporting until you gets any further clarification if all previous official guidance was not enough.

[it91]

After searching for a while and making use of the contact forms available on different relevant pages of gov.uk, I finally received some advise on a promising email address I can address this to: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

I just wrote them today, and received an automatic reply advising I should have an answer within 20 working days. Will keep this thread posted.

My question below:

If a person was required to and has registered with the police on the basis of their nationality on first arrival to the UK, is there a point where they can stop reporting every change of circumstances (new visa, new passport, new address, new job, new marital status,etc.)?

There is only information regarding who needs to register in the first place, and conditions of people exempted from registering. But no information is available regarding becoming exempt after once being required (i.e. people who did register but might later become exempt). One could interpret from the information available that if a person who has already registered with the police later meets the conditions for exemption from registering (e.g. acquiring ILR, or becoming a UK or EU citizen, or acquiring nationality that is exempt), then they become exempt from reporting changes of circumstances (new address, job, visa, passport, etc. normally added to their police certificate) from then on.

But that is an assumption and it is not clearly spelled out anywhere. Since the consequences of not reporting a change of circumstances can be of great impact, for further immigration applications, I'd like to receive a confirmation of whether this assumption is correct (can people become exempt, and if so, what are the conditions). Also, this should be clarified on this website: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

Thanks

I have news and answer!

I went to OVRO today and asked.

Definitely we DO not need to update or rehister again, as it is not a requirement anymore.

We can do it if we want, just to keep records. But not compulsory.

[kamoe]

Definitely we DO not need to update or rehister again, as it is not a requirement anymore.

We can do it if we want, just to keep records. But not compulsory.

1) Can you clarify what exactly they told you? What do yo mean by "it is not a requirement anymore" (for whom is it not a requirement?). Please keep in mind other people reading this might misinterpret what you say and think it applies to everyone. As long as I'm aware, the general requirement to register and update is still in place: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

2) Do you have a written answer, an official statement from OVRO saying that? Please note from my first post I was told the exact opposite last year at my local police station (that if you register, you have to keep reporting no matter your circumstances). That's why I emailed them, as I want to have a written official record of it, if it is indeed the case that we can reach a state of exemption after having registered.

[it91]

Definitely we DO not need to update or rehister again, as it is not a requirement anymore.

We can do it if we want, just to keep records. But not compulsory.

1) Can you clarify what exactly they told you? What do yo mean by "it is not a requirement anymore" (for whom is it not a requirement?). Please keep in mind other people reading this might misinterpret what you say and think it applies to everyone. As long as I'm aware, the general requirement to register and update is still in place: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

2) Do you have a written answer, an official statement from OVRO saying that? Please note from my first post I was told the exact opposite last year at my local police station (that if you register, you have to keep reporting no matter your circumstances). That's why I emailed them, as I want to have a written official record of it, if it is indeed the case that we can reach a state of exemption after having registered.

I went to Oversears Visitors Records in London today. The officer who allows for people to come in told me that, I do not need to update my information anymore. Because the HO letter showing that I granted PSS does not state I need to register with OVRO. Because now I am regarded as a family member of EU citizen. But if I still want, I can stil go and update my new residence status, there is no harm in it, but this is no longer compulsory for me.

This what he said.

No I don’t have any official written statement.

If you are still worried about it just go to OVRO and learn it by yourself and maybe ask a written statement. Or simply register to be on the safe side. It’s now totally up to you.

I might still go and update it as they gave me appointment. But as they clearly said it is not compulsory.

[it91]

Definitely we DO not need to update or rehister again, as it is not a requirement anymore.

We can do it if we want, just to keep records. But not compulsory.

1) Can you clarify what exactly they told you? What do yo mean by "it is not a requirement anymore" (for whom is it not a requirement?). Please keep in mind other people reading this might misinterpret what you say and think it applies to everyone. As long as I'm aware, the general requirement to register and update is still in place: https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-po ... o-register

2) Do you have a written answer, an official statement from OVRO saying that? Please note from my first post I was told the exact opposite last year at my local police station (that if you register, you have to keep reporting no matter your circumstances). That's why I emailed them, as I want to have a written official record of it, if it is indeed the case that we can reach a state of exemption after having registered.

I am aware of this list as I’ve been living in the UK for 5 years with Tier 4 visa. I have already registered with them, so I don’t have to register again. I was supposed to update the changes in my life such as marital status, work status and visa status. But since I am regarded as EEA family member, instead of Tier 4 visa holder, this is not necessary.

I hope this makes sense.

[kamoe]

I am aware of this list as I’ve been living in the UK for 5 years with Tier 4 visa.

No doubting that, but just pointing out that the wording on your latest message could be interpreted as saying that the registration was no longer necessarily for anyone. I'm just making the point that it is still a general requirement for those concerned.

I have already registered with them, so I don’t have to register again.

The very point of this post. Registering and reporting a change in circumstances are two very different things. There is abundant information about who needs to, and who is exempt from, registering. But no information at all about who needs to, and who is exempt from, keep reporting their change of circumstances.

I was supposed to update the changes in my life such as marital status, work status and visa status. But since I am regarded as EEA family member, instead of Tier 4 visa holder, this is not necessary.

Again, do you have a written confirmation of this from the Home Office, or is this just information you obtained in verbal conversation from OVRO? (Note that the authority here is the Home Office, OVRO only executes their instructions). If you do not have a written confirmation of this information, maybe a good idea to ask for one, for your records, to avoid any trouble in the future.

[it91]

I am aware of this list as I’ve been living in the UK for 5 years with Tier 4 visa.

No doubting that, but just pointing out that the wording on your latest message could be interpreted as saying that the registration was no longer necessarily for anyone. I'm just making the point that it is still a general requirement for those concerned.

I have already registered with them, so I don’t have to register again.

The very point of this post. Registering and reporting a change in circumstances are two very different things. There is abundant information about who needs to, and who is exempt from, registering. But no information at all about who needs to, and who is exempt from, keep reporting their change of circumstances.

I was supposed to update the changes in my life such as marital status, work status and visa status. But since I am regarded as EEA family member, instead of Tier 4 visa holder, this is not necessary.

Again, do you have a written confirmation of this from the Home Office, or is this just information you obtained in verbal conversation from OVRO? (Note that the authority here is the Home Office, OVRO only executes their instructions). If you do not have a written confirmation of this information, maybe a good idea to ask for one, for your records, to avoid any trouble in the future.

Hi again
Did you manage to get a written confirmation in the end?

I ended up not going to OVRO to update the change of circumstances. I don’t have any written confirmation of it. The workers outside are extremely arrogant and rude and I cannot deal with it. If you have any confirmation finally, could you share it here?

Thanks

[kamoe]

Did you manage to get a written confirmation in the end?

Yes, finally, today, after a month and a half awaiting for an answer:

30 October 2019

Dear [Me],

Thank you for your e-mail of 11 September about exemptions from the police registration requirement.

A person can become exempt from the need to register by:

• being granted leave in a category which is exempt from the requirement to register. These categories are set out in Rule 326(2) of the Immigration Rules.

• obtaining a nationality that is not specified in Appendix 2 of the Immigration Rules.

Once a person becomes exempt they are no longer required to report a change in their circumstances to the police such as, for example, a grant of leave to remain or a change of address. Where a person who was previously required to register is granted leave to remain in a category which is exempt from registration, the letter they receive confirming their grant of leave explains that they are no longer required to report to the police. Published guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... gistration) also explains the circumstances under which people can become exempt from registration.

Yours sincerely,


[Name of Officer]
Enforcement and Criminality Policy Unit

Email: Public.Enquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk

The key line that is worth all the effort here for me is:

Once a person becomes exempt they are no longer required to report a change in their circumstances to the police such as, for example, a grant of leave to remain or a change of address.

As this was never explicitly confirmed as such anywhere else.

So that's it confirmed and sorted.

[seagul]

Glad to hear that now you are satisfied

[it91]

I’m glad that he/she’s satisfied as well I