Something happened before

I was removed or deported from the UK

Draft — not yet legally reviewed

Removal and deportation are different things in UK law, and the difference changes what you are facing. Neither one necessarily means you can never return.

What the words mean

Removal: Being made to leave because you had no permission to be in the UK.
Deportation: Being made to leave on the grounds that your presence is not conducive to the public good, often after a criminal conviction. It is a different process from removal.
Deportation order: A formal order that stays in force until it is revoked. While it is in force, an application will normally be refused. Revocation is its own application.
Re-entry ban: A period during which a new application will normally be refused. The length depends on the circumstances, including whether you left voluntarily.

What to do first

Step 1. Find any paperwork you were given, and note the date you left.
Step 2. Work out which happened to you: removal, or deportation under an order.
Step 3. If there is an order, check whether it has been revoked. It does not lapse on its own.
Step 4. Declare what happened whenever a form asks about it.
Step 5. Speak to a regulated adviser before making any application.

What to gather

Any letter, order or notice you were given
Your Home Office reference number, if you have one
Dates: when you were detained, when you left, any hearing dates

Who can help

Whether you are barred, for how long, and whether an order can be revoked are questions about your own case that only a regulated adviser can answer. Do not rely on what anyone else was told — the rules turn on details.

Find a regulated adviser

For more detail than we carry, Right to Remain is the better source: righttoremain.org.uk.

No source recorded yet · to be checked against the Immigration Rules and GOV.UK before launch