How long does it take to receive a Biometric Residence Permit after approval?

Waiting for your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) to arrive can be a stressful experience, especially at the moment as all Home Office procedures take longer than their published processing times.

The process of getting a BRP varies depending on whether you apply from within the UK or from overseas.

Applying from overseas

If you applied for your visa from outside the UK, the BRP should be waiting for you upon your arrival at the Post Office location you picked during the application process. Remember that you should collect your BRP within 10 days of entering the UK, because your entry vignette in the passport only allows you to stay in the UK for a short period. The BRP contains the full length of your permission to stay in the UK.

Applying from the UK 

Receiving the BRP in the UK when you apply to switch into a new visa category, or to extend your current visa, is much simpler. The Home Office will send the new BRP to your home address stated in your application within 10 working days of approving the application. You should get an email from the courier company TNT, working on behalf of the Home Office, telling you where and when your BRP will be delivered.

Do remember to return your old BRP to the Home Office as soon as you have received your new one.

My BRP did not arrive

If your BRP did not arrive on the scheduled day, you should first contact TNT to reschedule. If, for any reason, the BRP was lost in shipping or was delivered to the wrong address, you must report it via the Home Office’s online system.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team is highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an email, or, 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 do not 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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