A user equipment (10, 60) for managing uplink time alignment in a wireless communication system, comprising: a radio frequency unit configured to receive and transmit a radio signal; and a processor, operatively coupled with the radio frequency unit, configured to: - upon receiving timing advance command, TAC, from a base station (20, 50), start a time alignment timer which is used to control how long the user equipment is considered uplink time aligned; - transmit a request message for requesting an extension or an expiry of uplink time alignment to the base station (20, 50) while the time alignment timer is running, wherein the request message includes at least one of a type of an application that needs extension of uplink time alignment, a required extension time and a suggested value of the time alignment timer, wherein the transmission of the request message to the base station is prohibited during a prohibit time period indicated by a prohibition timer set with a prohibition timer value related to the transmission of the request message, and wherein the request message is transmitted in a form of a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE, and a logical channel identifier, LCID, field is allocated for the MAC CE; and - receive a response message for indicating the extension or the expiry of uplink time alignment from the base station while the time alignment timer is running. a radio frequency unit configured to receive and transmit a radio signal; and a processor, operatively coupled with the radio frequency unit, configured to: - upon receiving timing advance command, TAC, from a base station (20, 50), start a time alignment timer which is used to control how long the user equipment is considered uplink time aligned; - transmit a request message for requesting an extension or an expiry of uplink time alignment to the base station (20, 50) while the time alignment timer is running, wherein the request message includes at least one of a type of an application that needs extension of uplink time alignment, a required extension time and a suggested value of the time alignment timer, wherein the transmission of the request message to the base station is prohibited during a prohibit time period indicated by a prohibition timer set with a prohibition timer value related to the transmission of the request message, and wherein the request message is transmitted in a form of a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE, and a logical channel identifier, LCID, field is allocated for the MAC CE; and - receive a response message for indicating the extension or the expiry of uplink time alignment from the base station while the time alignment timer is running. - upon receiving timing advance command, TAC, from a base station (20, 50), start a time alignment timer which is used to control how long the user equipment is considered uplink time aligned; - transmit a request message for requesting an extension or an expiry of uplink time alignment to the base station (20, 50) while the time alignment timer is running, wherein the request message includes at least one of a type of an application that needs extension of uplink time alignment, a required extension time and a suggested value of the time alignment timer, wherein the transmission of the request message to the base station is prohibited during a prohibit time period indicated by a prohibition timer set with a prohibition timer value related to the transmission of the request message, and wherein the request message is transmitted in a form of a medium access control, MAC, control element, CE, and a logical channel identifier, LCID, field is allocated for the MAC CE; and - receive a response message for indicating the extension or the expiry of uplink time alignment from the base station while the time alignment timer is running.