Update On UK Visa Processing Time For December

When you apply for a UK visa, how long you have to wait for a decision depends on the type of visa you want, whether you sent your application from inside or outside the UK, and whether you paid for one of the Home Office’s priority services. The Home Office has established typical UK Visa Processing Time to provide consumers with an idea of the anticipated delay time for the majority of simple applications. But there are times when visas take longer to process than this goal. This means that applicants have to wait a lot longer than usual for a response.

This year, there have been significant delays in UK visa processing time, primarily as a result of the increased demand for visas worldwide and the Home Office’s continued prioritization of applications submitted through the Ukraine visa programs. The Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme together have received almost 250,000 applications so far this year.

As 2022 draws to a close, we are starting to notice a slow transition back to typical processing time for the majority of visa categories. Below are the most up-to-date processing time for applications sent from inside and outside the UK.

 Processing Time Frames for Visas Outside of the UK

It is suggested that you not make any travel plans if you are applying for your UK visa from outside the country until your application has been processed. These are the current wait times for each category.

Work visas: Processing times are generally getting back to normal, so people who want to work or invest in the UK should expect to hear back about their application within three weeks.

 Study Visa: Student and child student visas are now being handled within the required three weeks per the service standard. However, the current processing time for short-term study visas is 5 weeks on average.

 Family visas: You should receive a decision on your application within 24 weeks if you are applying to settle in the UK as the husband, partner, or family member of someone who has British citizenship or is already a resident of the country. If you are applying as a dependent of someone else, you will find out the decision at the same time.

Visas for British Nationals (Overseas) in Hong Kong: You should hear back about your application for a BNO visa within 12 weeks.

 Visitor visas: The processing time for visitor visas, including standard visitor visa applications, is presently 5 weeks on average, though some applications may take longer. Application deadlines for transit visas are the same. The Home Office is making a lot of effort to process applications in order to return to the 3-week norm.

Processing Time Frames for Visas Within the UK

Processing timeframes are typically longer than they are for applications from abroad if you are applying to extend your visa or change to a different visa category from within the UK. The waiting times for in-country applications are listed below, broken down by type.

 Work visas: If you ask for an extension or to move to a skilled worker visa or a health and care worker visa, it now takes 11 weeks on average to receive a decision. The 8-week service criteria is presently being met for the processing of visas for other categories, such as high-potential individuals, recent graduates, and qualified temporary workers. Decisions regarding applications to switch to start-up visas should be made within three weeks.

 Study visas: Once you’ve applied to switch to or extend a Student or Child Student visa, you should typically receive a decision within the standard service period of 8 weeks.

 Family visas: You should typically receive a decision on your visa within 8 weeks if you are asking to switch to or extend a family visa. There are no predetermined processing time for applications made as a partner, parent, or based on your private life if you are currently applying under a 10-year road to settlement (or 5-year parent route to settlement). Right now, a decision takes 11 months to be made. The Home Office is making a lot of effort to lessen this.

 Visas for Hong Kong British Nationals Abroad: If you are applying to switch to or extend a BNO visa, you should hear from us within 12 weeks.

 There are a few specific situations in which you can apply to extend a Standard Visitor visa from within the UK. If you applied for an extension as a patient getting medical care, an academic or graduate student doing a clinical attachment, or a person retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test, you should get a response within 8 weeks.

 SPECIALIZED SERVICES

You are advised to use the Priority or Super Priority options, if they are offered, if your UK visa application is urgent.

You will typically hear from Priority Service within 5 working days.

You will often hear back from Super Priority Service by the end of the following business day.

For new family visa applications, priority and super priority visa services have been temporarily discontinued. There is a decrease in the availability of the Priority visa Service for applications for visiting visas.

 When the waiting period for your application begins and ends

After you’ve completed your online application and shown your identification, either by making an appointment at a visa application center or by using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, the waiting period will begin. When the Home Office sends you an email with a decision on your application and instructions on what to do next, the waiting period is over.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE UK VISA PROCESSING TIME

In addition to the conflict in Ukraine and the rising demand for UK visas internationally, there are additional factors that could affect how long it takes to process your application. You may need to put off making a decision longer if: 

• If you have a criminal record or a problematic immigration past, for instance, your case is complicated.
• The Home Office must make a request for more details or arrange an interview.
• There are any reservations about the veracity of your supporting documentation.
• It’s a busy time of year because you’re applying.

The summer is often when UKVI receives the most visa applications; thus, caseworkers are likely to have a heavier caseload then.