‘I’m a wreck’: New Zealand nationals told to leave UK despite being unable to book flight back

New Zealand nationals are being told they must leave the UK when their visas expire despite being unable to book travel home due to Covid restrictions.

Under New Zealand’s Covid rules, almost all inbound travellers, including those coming from Britain, are legally required to have a voucher confirming their place in managed isolation before boarding their flight.

Travellers must use an online portal called Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) to secure their place in a managed isolation facility before travelling to the country.

However, “high demand” on the MIQ portal has meant people wishing to leave the UK because their visa is due to expire have been unable to find a slot that corresponds with a flight.

Visa holders in Britain can apply to the Home Office for extensions on their stay if they can prove they cannot get home due to Covid restrictions, known as ‘exceptional assurance’.

However, the department has refused a number of individuals who have asked for this, saying it is currently only approving assurances until 30 June, and that for a further extension they must prove they have a flight booked at the “earliest possible date”.

This has left many New Zealand nationals in what they have described as a “catch-22” because they cannot find a quarantine slot in order to book a flight, and as a result the Home Office is refusing to grant them an extension.

Many are fearful that they will become illegal overstayers through no fault of their own.

In one case, Caleb-Jade Teura has been refused a visa extension by the Home Office despite presenting evidence that she has booked a flight for October - the only time she was able to find a quarantine slot.

The 21-year-old, who currently lives in Devon working as a waitress, said she was “extremely worried” about her finances, as without a visa extension she will not be able to work – or live lawfully in the UK – from 30 June, but has nowhere else to go.

“I am honestly mortified by all of this. I have rent and food to pay for, and I’m very worried about becoming an overstayer. It’s so stressful. It’s like being in limbo,” she told The Independent.

“I’ve asked multiple times all with this same email reply. I assumed they did it by a month to month basis but now I’m hearing they just aren’t extending anymore.”

Another New Zealander, Charlotte, 26, who has been in the UK for nearly two years and whose visa expires on 16 July, said she had been constantly looking for quarantine slots.

“I’m a wreck. I’ve barely slept since last Tuesday. I can’t stop crying and I can’t focus on work. I’m obsessively checking my emails and the booking system and Twitter alerts. It’s like a full-time job, it’s ridiculous,” she said.

“I’ve managed to get a few slots but they have been no good because there are no flights going at that time.

“If I don’t have assurance by 16 July, I will be stranded here without right to work. I will be an overstayer without an income.”

A Home Office spokesperson said it did not routinely comment on individual cases, but added: “Visa holders who are unable to leave the UK can request additional time to stay, known as exceptional assurance.

“This is in place until the end of June and we will be providing individuals with further assurances in the coming days.

“During the time in which a request for exceptional assurance is pending individuals will continue on the conditions of their recently expired visa.”

A spokesperson for New Zealand’s High Commission in London said the MIQ booking system was experiencing “high demand”, but that more rooms were to be released for August, September and October.

“We advise people who may be affected to persist in checking the system for available dates prior to their current leave in the UK expiring,” they added.