The UK Government Has Announced New Measures To Expedite Immigration Decisions.
The UK Government has proposed two initiatives that it thinks would speed up some UK immigration decisions as many visa applicants and those with appeals pending before the Immigration Tribunal continue to experience delays in the immigration system.
- Priority Service Restored for Pending Family and Partner Visa Applications:
For applications from outside the UK to become the spouse, partner, or family member of a British citizen or settled person, the published Home Office service standard for decision-making is presently 12 weeks. However, the Home Office is presently warning that processing requests for family visas made from outside the UK could take up to 24 weeks as it prioritises applications for the Ukraine Visa Scheme.
There is some good news for those who have already applied, even if super priority and priority visa services are still momentarily suspended for a new partner and family visa applications received outside the UK Government. A recent announcement from the Home Office says that people who have a pending application for a family visa entry clearance will be able to choose to upgrade to a priority service starting on January 9, 2023, so they can get a faster answer to their application.
Existing applicants will be informed by email of any pending partner or family visa applications and given the option to upgrade to a 15-day or 3-week priority service. An outstanding partner or family visa application will cost £573 if you want a quicker decision. After payment has been received, applications will be decided within 15 working days or three weeks.
In situations where the 12-week Home Office customer service standard has been significantly exceeded, it is reasonable to wonder why applicants who have been waiting many months for a decision on their partner or family visa application should now be required to pay an additional fee in order to receive a decision on their application more quickly. But with the return of the priority service for a pending partner and family entry clearance applications, those who are willing and able to pay should no longer have to wait for months.
Those who are considering submitting a fresh partner or family visa application from abroad still have to wait up to 24 weeks for a decision; the reinstatement of priority service for a pending partner and family visa applications submitted outside the UK does not provide any immediate relief. The Home Office has stated that it hopes to be able to reduce the customer service standard for new partner and family entry clearance applications from 24 weeks to 12 weeks later in the year. The Home Office has also said that it plans to bring back a priority visa service for a new partner and family visa applications sent from outside the UK in early 2023.
- The Immigration and Asylum Tribunal Will Hear Additional Immigration Appeals:
In another move to speed up UK immigration decisions, the government has said that the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal will look at thousands more immigration appeals before the end of March 2023.
Up to 9,000 extra immigration and asylum appeals are expected to be heard before the end of March 2023, thanks to a £5 million government investment that will increase the Immigration Tribunal’s capacity for sitting days.
There are currently 25,000 immigration cases pending in the immigration appeal system.
