Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application
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1. Applying for a faster decision
You may be able to pay for a faster decision on a visa or settlement (鈥榠ndefinite leave to remain鈥�) application.
Using the 鈥榩riority service鈥� means you鈥檒l usually get a decision within 5 working days, or 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK.
Using the 鈥榮uper priority service鈥� for visa and settlement applications means you鈥檒l usually get a decision by the end of the next working day.
It can take longer to get a decision, for example, if the Home Office needs to ask you for more information or check your details with other government departments. You鈥檒l be told if this is the case.
If the decision takes longer, you will not usually get your money back. Find out about getting a refund of your priority service fee.
If you鈥檙e in the UK:
- you must have permission to be here to apply for the priority or super priority service
- you can only pay for a faster decision on certain visas
Using the priority service
If you鈥檙e eligible you can choose the 鈥榩riority service鈥� when you apply. You鈥檒l need to pay 拢500 in addition to the application fee.
Using the 鈥榩riority service鈥� means you鈥檒l usually get a decision within 5 working days.
Using the priority service usually takes up to 30 working days for Family visa applications from outside the UK if you鈥檙e applying as a:
- partner or spouse
- parent
- child
- adult coming to be cared for by a relative
The time starts from either:
- the day of your appointment, if you prove your identity in person
- the working day after you finished uploading your documents, if you use the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app
It can take longer, for example, if the Home Office needs to ask you for more information.
You鈥檒l be told whether you can prove your identity in person or using the app when you apply.
Using the super priority service
If you鈥檙e eligible you can choose the 鈥榮uper priority service鈥� when you apply. You鈥檒l need to pay 拢1,000 in addition to the application fee.
How quickly you get a decision depends on when you prove your identity.
If you prove your identity in person
You鈥檒l usually get a decision:
- by the end of the next working day after your appointment, if your appointment is on a weekday
- 2 working days after your appointment, if your appointment is at the weekend or on a bank holiday
It can take longer, for example, if the Home Office needs to ask you for more information or check your details with other government departments. You鈥檒l be told if this is the case.
If you use the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app
You鈥檒l usually get a decision:
- by the end of the next working day if you finish uploading your documents on a weekday
- 2 working days after you finish uploading your documents if you upload them on a weekend or a bank holiday
It can take longer, for example, if the Home Office needs to ask you for more information or check your details with other government departments. You鈥檒l be told if this is the case.
Applying with family members
For each family member applying with you, you鈥檒l need to pay an additional:
-
拢500, to get a decision within 5 working days
-
拢1,000, to get a decision by the end of the next working day
Every family member will need to pay for a faster decision. You鈥檒l get a decision for everyone at the same time.
If any of your family members need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken in person, a decision may take longer.
After you鈥檝e applied
You鈥檒l get a letter or email telling you the Home Office has made a decision on your application. It will tell you what you need to do next.
Check your email鈥檚 spam folder if you鈥檙e having problems getting messages from the Home Office.
When you might wait longer for a decision
You might wait longer for a decision if you need to provide more information. You鈥檒l be told how and when to provide it.
2. Eligible visas when applying from inside the UK
You can apply for a faster decision on certain visa applications or applications to settle in the UK.
These tables list the eligible applications and whether you can pay to get a faster decision:
- within 5 working days
- by the end of the next working day
There鈥檚 a limit on how many people can apply for a faster decision. If you鈥檙e not offered the option to apply for a faster decision, you can still complete a standard application.
Whether you can get a faster decision depends on what you鈥檙e applying for and how you prove your identity.
You鈥檒l prove your identity by either:
- attending an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizen Application Services (UKVCAS) centre
- using the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app to scan your identity document
You鈥檒l find out if you can get a faster decision and what you need to do when you apply.
Eligible visa applications
| UKVCAS appointment: within 5 working days | UKVCAS appointment: next working day | ID app: within 5 working days | ID app: next working day | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child student visa | Yes | 驰别蝉听 | Yes | Yes |
| Family visa | No | 驰别蝉听 | No | No |
| Global Talent visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Graduate visa | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Graduate Entrepreneur | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Graduate Trainee - Global Business Mobility visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Health and Care Worker visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High Potential Individual visa听 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hong Kong BNO visa | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Innovator Founder visa | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Intra-company visas | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Investor visa (Tier 1) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Minister of Religion visa (T2) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Scale-up Worker visa | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Secondment Worker - Global Business Mobility visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | 驰别蝉听听 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker - Global Business Mobility visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | 驰别蝉听听 |
| Service Supplier - Global Business Mobility visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Skilled Worker visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| International Sportsperson visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Student visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Work - Charity Worker visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Work - Creative Worker visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Work - Government Authorised Exchange visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Work - International Agreement visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Temporary Work - Religious Worker visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| UK Ancestry visa | No | Yes | No | No |
| UK Expansion Worker - Global Business Mobility visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Youth Mobility Scheme visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a work, global talent, start up or innovator founder visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Student visa | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Health and Care Worker visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Minister of Religion visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Scale-up Worker visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on an International Sportsperson visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Hong Kong BNO visa | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Global Business Mobility visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on an Investor visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying as the dependent child or partner on a Graduate Entrepreneur visa | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Applying for human rights claims, leave outside the rules and other routes through form FLR(HRO) | No | Yes | No | No |
| Applying for other routes through form FLR(IR) | No | Yes | No | No |
Eligible applications to settle in the UK
| UKVCAS appointment: within 5 working days | UKVCAS appointment: next working day | ID app: within 5 working days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application to settle on the basis of UK Ancestry (through form SET(O)) | No | Yes | No |
| Application to settle as a former member of HM Forces (through form SET(AF)) | No | Yes | No |
| Application to settle as a child under 18 (through form SET(F)) | No | Yes | No |
| Application to settle if you鈥檝e been in the UK legally for 10 continuous years (known as 鈥榣ong residence鈥�) | No | Yes | No |
| Application to settle if you work, establish a business or invest in the UK (through form SET(O)) | Yes | No | No |
| Application to settle as the partner of a person, or parent of a child, who is present and settled in the UK (through form SET(M)) | No | Yes | No |
| Application to settle as an Innovator Founder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Application to settle on the basis of BNO Hong Kong | Yes | No | No |
| Application to settle as the dependent child or partner of a BNO Hong Kong visa holder | Yes | No | No |
3. Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee
The rules for getting a refund depend on whether you鈥檙e cancelling your visa application or not, and what stage your application is at.
If your application is refused, you will not get a refund.听
If you鈥檙e cancelling your visa application
You may get a refund of the priority service fee if you cancel your visa application. It depends on how you were told to prove your identity and whether or not you have already given your fingerprints and photo (biometric information).
If you were told to prove your identity in person
You will get a refund if you have not given your fingerprints and photo.听
You will not usually get a refund if you have already given your fingerprints and photo.
The refund will not always be paid automatically - you may need to ask for a refund.
If you used the 鈥楿K Immigration: ID Check鈥� app to prove your identity
You will get a refund if both of the following apply:
- you cancelled your application before the deadline you were given for uploading your evidence
- you have not selected 鈥榗onfirm and upload鈥� in the app - either to upload your evidence or confirm you do not have anything to upload
The refund will not always be paid automatically - you may need to ask for a refund.
If you are not cancelling your visa application
You will not usually get a refund of the priority service fee if you are not cancelling your visa application. Each case is considered individually.
You will not get a refund if you do not get a decision in time because the Home Office needed more information or evidence to make the decision.
The Home Office may give you a refund if they could not give you a decision in time because of something outside their control, for example a technical problem.
How to get a refund
You鈥檒l automatically get a refund when you cancel your visa application if you have not given your biometric information and you鈥檙e either:
- in the UK
- outside the UK and you paid the priority service fee at the same time as you paid your visa application fee
Otherwise, you鈥檒l need to ask for a refund.
If you paid VFS Global directly before you attended the visa application centre, you can request a refund in . Select 鈥榮ervices鈥� then 鈥榗ancel services鈥�.
If you paid TLScontact at your appointment, email the priority services refund requests team and explain why you think you should get a refund.
Priority services refund requests team [email protected]听
When you鈥檒l get your refund
Your refund will be paid into the same bank account you used to pay the priority service fee.
It can take up to 28 days to get your refund.
If you have not received your refund within 28 days
Contact UK Visas and Immigration for help if you do not get your refund within 28 days of either:
- getting your refund confirmation email
- cancelling your application - if you did not get a refund confirmation email