How Long Does It Currently Take To Obtain A UK Visa?

All UK visa applications are currently taking longer than usual, as the Home Office is diverting significant resources to the processing of applications submitted under the Ukraine visa schemes. Applications from outside the UK have been particularly affected.

Nearly 130,000 applications have been submitted under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. The extra pressure on the Home Office has, in many instances, doubled the processing times for all other business, study, tourist and family visas.

Work, visit and student visas submitted abroad currently take approx. 6 weeks to be processed from the time an applicant provides their biometric information. Family visas submitted abroad can take up to 6 months to be processed.

Priority processing, which can usually be purchased for an additional fee to speed up the time it takes to receive a decision, has also been suspended in most locations around the world for new long-term visa applications. It is still available in a few locations for new visitor visas. There is currently no specific date at which processing times will return to normal.

This means that applicants need to factor in extra time when they plan to come to the UK for work, study, to join family or to attend special events like weddings or music festivals.

How can we help?

At Gherson we are used to assisting our clients in planning their timetable for a UK visa application. Please do get in touch or send us an e-mail if you require support with your application. Alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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