Visas: Political Parties
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the policy of the Home Office on (a) awarding and (b) extending visas to foreign citizens who have been elected in the United Kingdom as an elected representative to a local authority or devolved legislature, but who otherwise do not have a basis for remaining in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Mike Tapp
The Home Office does not operate a specific immigration route or policy for foreign nationals elected to public office in the United Kingdom.
Individuals must qualify for permission to enter or remain under the Immigration Rules in their own right, and there is no exemption for those elected to local authorities or devolved legislatures.
Applications to extend permission to stay must meet the requirements of an appropriate immigration route under the Immigration Rules. Individuals who do not have a lawful basis to remain in the UK are expected to leave the UK.
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