Whether it’s backlog from the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of staffing or priority services taking precedence, delays seem to be an inevitable fact for most applications to UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI).
To provide some clarity on how long a visa applicant can realistically be expected to wait for a decision, we’ve laid out the wait times provided by the Home Office and compared those with our actual experience. We conducted our research in May 2023, and obviously things can change, so check in with our team if you need updated advice.
We’ve divided visa types into 5 categories:
- Out of Country Applications: Visas
- Out of country Applications: Route to Settlement Applications
- In-country Applications: Temporary/Non-Settlement Applications
- In-country Applications: Settlement Applications
- Other Applications
With this, we aim to make understanding wait times as simple as possible.
Out of Country Applications: Non-Settlement Visas
For customers applying for non-settlement applications from outside the UK, UKVI has a general service standard of a wait of 3 – 12 weeks from the application submission date or attending an appointment at a local visa application centre. The current data they provide on how long applicants can expect to wait are:
– 90% of applications receive a decision within 3 weeks
– 98% of applications receive a decision within 6 weeks
-100% of applications receive a decision within 12 weeks
What types of visa are covered by this processing time?
| Type of Visa/leave | UKVI service standard | Is actual experience different? | Priority Available | Priority Note |
| Visit Visas | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Can be up to 4-8 weeks without priority | Depends on country applicant is applying from | Current universal reductions in availability may apply |
| Travelling through the UK | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Depends on country applicant is applying from | ||
| Study (Student or Child Student) | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment or using the ID Check App | Depends on country applicant is applying from | ||
| Short-term study | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment or using the ID Check App | Depends on country applicant is applying from | ||
| Work or invest in the UK
(Temporary worker, Innovator Founder, Skilled Worker, etc) |
Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment or using the ID Check App | Depends on country applicant is applying from | ||
| Global Talent | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Depends on country applicant is applying from | ||
| Sportsperson | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Depends on country applicant is applying from | ||
| Minister of Religion (T2) | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Can be faster in-country, at times within 2 weeks | Depends on country applicant is applying from | |
| Fiancé(e) visa | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Depends on country applicant is applying from | Current universal reductions in availability may apply |
Out of Country Applications: Settlement Visas
UKVI’s general service standard for customers applying for settlement applications from outside the UK is within 12-24 weeks of the application submission date or attending an appointment at a local visa application centre. The current data they provide on how long applicants can expect to wait are:
– 98.5% of applications receive a decision within 12 weeks
-100% of applications receive a decision within 24 weeks
What types of visa are covered by this processing time?
| Type of Visa/leave | UKVI service standard | Is actual experience different? | Priority available? |
| EUSS | As soon as possible from attending an appointment | 8 – 24 weeks. Note that a Certificate of Application is issued prior to receiving a decision
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No |
| Partner/Child Entry Clearance | 24 weeks from attending an appointment | Usually within service standard – often much quicker, 4-8 weeks – but delays are occurring with priority purchase | Depends on country applicant applies from |
| Family reunion with a refugee or person with humanitarian protection. | 24 weeks or more – UKVI acknowledges severe delays for this type of application | 9 months or more in some cases | No |
| Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa | Within 12 weeks from attending an appointment or using the ID check app | No | |
| Ancestry Visa | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Depends on country applicant applies from | |
| Returning Resident visa | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | Depends on country applicant applies from |
In-country Applications: Non-Settlement
UKVI’s general service standard for customers applying for Temporary/Non-Settlement applications from inside the UK is within 8 weeks of the application submission date or attending an appointment to submit your biometric information, if required.
What types of visa are covered by this processing time?
| Type of Visa/leave | UKVI service standard | Is actual experience different? | Priority Available? | Notes on Priority |
| Graduate Visa | Within 8 weeks from appointment or use of ID check app | Can be fairly fast, experience of decisions within 2 weeks | No | |
| Switch to a Graduate Visa | Within 8 weeks from appointment or use of ID check app | Can be fairly fast – experience of decision within 2 weeks | No | |
| Global Business Mobility visas-
– Graduate Trainee – Secondment worker – Senior or Specialist worker – Service Supplier – UK Expansion Worker |
Within 8 weeks from appointment or use of ID check app | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day | |
| Dependent child or partner: work, student, global talent or innovator visa | Within 8 weeks from appointment or use of ID check app | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day | |
| Dependent child, partner or parent: private life in the UK application | No standard processing times | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | Get a decision within the next working day | |
| Human rights claims, leave outside the rules and other routes | 24 weeks or more – UKVI acknowledges severe delays for this type of application | 9 months or more, with more complex claims taking over 12 months to receive a decision | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | Get a decision within the next working day |
| Switch to or extend a Student or Child Student visa. | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day | |
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Switch or extend a work visa to: |
Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Switch to a High Potential Individual (HPI) visa | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | No | ||
| Extend a Domestic Workers in a Private Household visa | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Extend a Representative of an Overseas Business visa | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | No | ||
| Switch to or extend a Health and Care Worker visa | Within 3 weeks once you’ve applied online | You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Switch to or extend in any of the following temporary work visas: | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Extend a Charity Worker visa | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Extend a Religious Worker visa | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Extend a visitor visa as:
a patient receiving medical treatment, an academic or a graduate doing a clinical attachment or retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test |
Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | No | ||
| Extend a Parent of a Child Student visa. | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply. | ||
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Switch to or extend a Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa |
Within 12 weeks of attending a UKVCAS appointment or after completing the ID Check app. | No |
In-country Applications: Settlement
UKVI’s general service standard for customers applying for settlement (also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain, or ILR) and 5/10 year route to settlement applications from inside the UK is within 6 months of attending an appointment to submit your biometric information, if required.
What types of visa are covered by this processing time?
| Type of Visa/leave | UKVI service standard | Is actual experience different? | Priority available? | Notes on priority |
| Switch to or extend as a spouse or partner (if you’re on a 5-year route to settlement) or a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner
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Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online | 8-12 weeks | Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | |
| Leave to remain as a Partner/Parent or on the basis of Private life (10-year route to settlement (or 5-year parent route to settlement) | No standard processing times | Within 8 months on average | No | |
| Switch to or extend as a child. | Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online
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Yes – you’ll be told if you can when you apply | ||
| Extend as a relative who’ll provide long-term care.
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Within 8 weeks once you’ve applied online
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No | ||
| Application to settle on the basis of UK Ancestry | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within the next working day.
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| Application to settle as a former member of HM Forces | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within the next working day.
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| Application to settle as a child under 18 | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within the next working day.
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| Application to settle if you’ve been in the UK legally for 10 continuous years (known as ‘long residence’) | Within 6 months once you apply online. | 6-8 months | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within the next working day.
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| Application to settle if you work, establish a business or invest in the UK | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – for Tier 1 Investors and Global Talent only.
Not available for Tier 1 Entrepreneurs |
Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Application to settle as the dependent child or partner if you work, establish a business or invest in the UK | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Application to settle as the partner of a person, or parent of a child, who is present and settled in the UK | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within the next working day.
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| Application to settle as an Innovator | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Application to settle as the dependent child or partner of an Innovator | Within 6 months once you apply online. | Yes – You’ll be told if you can when you apply. | Get a decision within 5 working days or the next working day.
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| Application to Naturalise | 6 months or more once you apply online. | Some applications are taking longer to receive a decision | No |
Other Applications
| Type of Visa/leave | UKVI service standard | Is actual experience different? | Priority available? |
| Visa to travel to the UK to replace your biometric residence permit (BRP).
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Within 3 weeks of attending an appointment | No | |
| Applying for an EU Settlement Scheme travel permit to travel to the UK to replace a lost or stolen residence card
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Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | No | |
| Transfer your visa from your passport
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Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | 9 months or more in some cases | No |
| Certificate of entitlement | Within 3 weeks from attending an appointment | No | |
| Sponsor Licence
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Within 8 weeks of submitting an online application – we are currently seeing licences processed in about 6 weeks (July 2023) | Depending on eligibility, priority may be available to get a decision within 10 working days | |
| Certificate of Sponsorship
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Within one working day of submitting an online application | No |
UKVI is very keen to remind applicants that if your application is not “straightforward”, then you might be looking at a longer wait than the service standard. This may occur if:
- if your supporting documents need to be verified
- if you need to attend an interview
- because of your personal circumstances (for example if you have a criminal conviction)
If you applied for a priority or super priority visa and your application is not straightforward, you may have to wait longer, but your application will still be put at the front of the queue at every stage of the decision-making process.
In fact, our practitioners have found that even straightforward cases where applicants have purchased priority through overseas visa application centres for applications made from outside the UK are taking longer than priority-purchase wait times.
FAQs
What happens if my wait time exceeds the service standard?
UKVI says that it will write if there is a problem with making a decision on your application to explain why it will not be decided within the normal standard. It claims that it is sending these messages within the normal processing time for the 8 week standard and within 12 weeks for the 6 month standard.
The same goes if you have applied for a super priority next working day or priority 5 working day service.
When can I ask for a refund?
You’ll only be refunded if UKVI has not started processing your application.
If your application is refused, then you cannot claim a refund on your application fee. However, you can claim one for the Immigration Healthcare Surcharge. They are currently taking around 2 months to process.
When does my application’s waiting time start and end?
For applications that require it, the waiting time starts when you either:
- attend your appointment and provide your fingerprints and a photograph (biometric information) at a visa application centre
- verify your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app - this will depend on the visa you apply for and you’ll be advised if you can use this
If neither of these steps are required, then your waiting time starts when you’ve submitted your application online.
Your waiting time will end when we receive an email from UKVI containing the decision on your application.
When will I get my biometric residence permit?
Out of country applications
If you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months, you will need to take your passport to the visa application centre where you attended your appointment, where you will be issued with a vignette sticker in your travel document (passport, etc.).
Once you are in the UK, will need to collect your biometric residence permit (BRP). You must do this before the vignette sticker in your travel document expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever is later.
In-country applications
Upon a successful decision, you will be sent your BRP either by courier from UKVI or by your legal representative, depending on what you requested when you applied.