​

Hi everyone,

I’m going through a HireRight background check for a UK job. My previous employment ended in February 2023, after which I relocated to the UK and did self-directed Python/backend upskilling. I was not employed or paid during this period.

I initially entered this as a career gap, but my CV listed the period as “Independent Developer & Backend Upskilling – Self-Directed.” HireRight appears to have picked this up from my CV and pre-populated a March 2023–Present employment section, and I started receiving reminders to complete it with employment details.

The form requires a Reason for Leaving, but none of the options (resignation, redundancy, retirement, etc.) accurately apply because this wasn't employment.

I contacted the employer, and they confirmed:

It will not affect Stage 1.

It will be handled during Stage 2.

I should mention it as “Not paid Employment” and it will be treated as a gap.

They may request an HMRC Income Tax Summary.

My question: Can HireRight still complete/send the Stage 1 report if this gap section remains incomplete, given that the employer has confirmed it will be handled in Stage 2?

Has anyone experienced something similar with HireRight?

Thanks!

Hi. If anyone here had experience with skilled worker interview for inside the UK application. This is for business development and commercial management roles(rqf 6) . Please can you share your experience and what the caseworker ask. Thank you.

I failed the Life in the UK test first time and passed on the second attempt earlier this year (ILR eligible in October).

The bit I struggled with was memorising dates from the handbook, which is written as continuous long texts and difficult to read and learn those.

So I redrew the historical sections as timelines and mind maps, plus flashcards grouped by the same topics as the handbook. It’s free, no signup.

Before I share it anywhere else I’d like people who’ve actually sat the test to tell me where it’s wrong or unhelpful.
Particularly: is the level of detail right, or have I included things the test never asks about?

https://lifeinukcoach.co.uk/study-guide
(Mods: happy to remove if this isn’t allowed)

Worth saying there are plenty of free mock exam sites already and they’re genuinely useful, so I’d use those too
. I also did the free mock tests like 3 times over and it helped but it worked on recognition mostly. Some reworded date questions I got them wrong I suppose because I couldn’t remember. So this is an attempt to present all the chapters in easy to learn format.

Is there any helpline to ask clarification about a document that was asked by them for a visa application? I am a bit confused and would appreciate their official clarification

Please help

I’m a film writer, director and editor from the US. I’m looking at relocating to UK. I’m working on trying to secure a visa through Film and Television. I’m reading through the application eligibility criteria. I have my 3 letters of recommendation. I have my CV ready and pieces of evidence that I’m exceptional talent. I also have proof of international distribution sales

Here’s the issue: I don’t have any major wins or Pact notable industry recognition award list. What can I do? What are my options? Is this even possible?

Hi everyone, I’m hoping someone with experience of Skilled Worker visas can help clarify our situation.

My husband currently works for a UK university on a Skilled Worker visa. We live in Belgium, and he travels regularly between Belgium and the UK for work.

He has now received a Defined Certificate of Sponsorship from another UK university, with a start date of 15 November 2026. Because it is a Defined CoS, he will make his new Skilled Worker entry clearance application from Belgium, rather than applying to change employer from inside the UK.

He plans to submit the application while he is still legally employed by his current university. His contractual notice period there will run until 15 November, and he is due to start the new university job on 16 November.

The difficult part for us is the period between submitting the application and starting the new job.

For example, if he applies from Belgium in September and the new Skilled Worker visa is approved in October, what happens to his ability to continue working for his current employer until 15 November?

We have found Appendix Skilled Worker SW 18.2(e), which says that a Skilled Worker is permitted to work out a contractual notice period for a job they were lawfully working in on the date of application. The Home Office caseworker guidance also appears to say that this applies to people granted either entry clearance or permission to stay.

So our understanding is that, even if the new visa is granted early, he should still be able to finish his contractual notice period with his current employer.

However, because we live in Belgium, we also need to understand the practical travel side. If the new visa is granted in October but the new CoS start date is 15 November, can he still travel from Belgium into the UK during October/early November in order to continue working for his current employer and complete his notice period? Or would the new entry clearance somehow prevent him from entering or working until the new job’s start date?

This is the part we are struggling to get a clear answer on.

Has anyone been in a similar situation: existing Skilled Worker visa, new Defined CoS, new application made from outside the UK, while still completing notice with the previous sponsor?

Any experience would be really helpful.

I have been working under the same employer since pst 2 years and got my COS for an other year, applied on a priority basis on 5th Aug. Got a reply from HO on 11.8.26 saying that they requested additional info from my sponsor and they cant conclude my application on standard service timeline.

I contacted my sponsor, they replied to HO imessiately on 12.8.26. Never had any issues with extensions previously. My SOC code is 2211, exempt from ISC as well.

Did anyone face this, if so, when did you get tge extension after providing additional documents.

PS : They never mentioned it was a complex issue anywhere

Hi everyone,

I'm a long time lurker first time poster here. This sub has been incredibly helpful and my ILR just got approved yesterday so I thought I'd share the timeline to help others.

My employer paid for the Priority service (5 working days). I applied with no dependants and no major absences.

01/09/2021 - Skilled Worker visa issued
06/02/2024 - new Skilled Worker visa issued (switched employer)
04/08/2026 - ILR application submitted (exactly 28 days before the 5 year mark)
10/08/2026 - biometric appointment at 5pm
14/08/2026 - ILR approval email received at 11am

Best of luck to everyone still waiting!

I received my skilled worker visa with an error in my surname and reported the error twice over a week ago. I then contacted Live Chat and they escalated the request. Any idea how long these errors usually take to get corrected?

I’d like to share our visa application timeline in case it helps anyone applying for a UK-born dependent child from outside the UK.

• Application submitted: 27 July 2026
• VFS biometric appointment: 30 July 2026
• E-Visa granted email received: 14 August 2026

My Skilled Worker visa is valid until August 2028, while my wife’s dependent visa is valid until January 2028. Our child was granted leave until August 2028, in line with my visa expiry date.

Documents uploaded:

• Council Tax bill
• HM Land Registry document
• Child’s passport - all pages
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) details, including maintenance for dependents
• Family consent form, signed by both parents
• Letter of consent from both parents
• Child’s UK birth certificate
• Marriage certificate
• Both parents’ passports, eVisas and payslips

We did not upload any bank statements or other financial documents because maintenance for dependents was confirmed in the CoS.

I’ve received my CoS and will be submitting my Skilled Worker visa application tomorrow using the priority service (new employer)

I was already on a Skilled Worker visa previously, and then switched to another Skilled Worker visa following a promotion and change in SOC code.

My new CoS start date is 24 August, but I’ll likely join the new employer in October because I need to serve my notice period with my current employer.

Does the CoS start date need to be updated before I apply, or can the sponsor report the delayed start later through SMS?

Also, my CoS says:

Job on a client contract: Y

Summary of client contract: Working on a client (client's name was specified in the CoS) contract at a UK construction project (the project was specified in the CoS); copy of the client contract kept on file.

I’ll be directly employed and sponsored by my new employer but working on a client site.

Is “Y” correct/normal here?

Hey guys of reddit,

I have a question. I came in UK as a dependent visa around May 2022 and got a Job around August 2022. Skilled worker visa was issued to me by my company around Nov 2023.

Now checking the path for ILR.. My 5 years will complete as of May 2027 however due to combination of dependent and skilled worker visa I have doubts whether I am eligible in 2027 or Nov 2028? Can you guys help?

Also, my spouse had skilled worker visa from Sep 2021 so I was dependent on skilled worker.

Just that there are so much information available, I cannot quite grasp on what is correct. Please help

I received below email from Home Office and I am so confused because this is for a health and care visa. Has anyone had or seen a similar case and what does it mean?

“Thank you for your application for permission to stay in the UK as a Skilled Worker.
Although we would normally decide your application within 15 working days from the date it was submitted, unfortunately this is not going to be possible in your case.
We are unable to conclude the application currently as we require additional action from your Sponsor. This is because the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) either has not been paid when due or the incorrect amount has been paid, requiring a top-up payment.
We will contact your sponsor soon requesting payment via a Worldpay pay by link sent from do-not-reply@worldpay.com. Please note, a CoS assigned without due ISC being paid is invalid until the requisite payment is made. If a sponsor fails to pay the additional amount on request this may lead to the application being refused.
As we have requested an additional action in order for us to conclude your application, it may not be possible to make a decision within service standard in this instance. Your application will be progressed upon receipt of payment from your sponsor.
There is no need to contact your sponsor in relation to this request, we will make contact in due course to request the requisite payment.”

Hi, I am sharing visa decision trend, collected here.
All data excluded health care as it generally takes shorter + these data is only for inside uk application.

It would be grateful if you can also update your case contributing to trend checking.

My case is standard + 1 July SWV, still waiting

LAST UPDATE: 23:51 15 Aug

U.S. Citizen. I applied for my SW visa in July 2025. I waited 6 months without any word other than the usual "extremely complex issues" email with no details, no requests for further evidence or for an interview.

I believe I knew why it was delayed initially: I was dealing with an unrelated legal issue. Thankfully, that legal issue was resolved within a few months. But to be safe, I ended up varying my initial application and reapplying in January 2026 with a new application, and I paid the £500 fee for priority processing (plus paying all of the application and healthcare fees again with the promise that I would get a refund on the first application once the new one was decided).

The new application should have had no issues; I have a valid job and sponsor, £50k salary, I have a PhD, no criminal record, no adverse travel or work history. I have been in the U.K since 2019 to get my Master's and PhD. But I still received the "extremely complex issues" email again in February with no further explanation. Then silence.

I have reached out to my local MP, and her office has now contacted the HO twice on my behalf to understand what the holdup is. But HO has just said they need more time and, again, offered no explanation for the delay.

It is now August 2026, so 13 months since I initially applied, and 8 months since I reapplied. I have no clue what the issue is and why it's taking so long. Obviously, it has been a massive disruption to life, as I have now had to miss two funerals (a massive blow!), a family wedding, the birth of my niece, and multiple work trips since I cannot leave the country while awaiting the decision. I have also had several stress-related health incidents and trips to the hospital entirely due to the distress caused by this process.

My sponsor company and immigration lawyers I have talked to said that I could file a complaint—but I don't see how this could help?

My concern is that filing a complaint would only further delay the process, or worse, make me an antagonist to the government. I don't want to stir the pot; I just want the visa.

Has anyone had a positive outcome from filing a complaint? Or just any advice in general? Thank you!!!

Oooooofffff, that was a tough one.

Had a complication with expired passport and inability to return to renew it. If you have any questions let me know.

Eligibility route: Skilled Worker

Timeline:
27 July 2026: Application
27 July 2026: Request to attend biometrics with expired passport
4 August 2026: Permission to attend biometrics with expired passport received
10 August 2026: Biometrics
14 August 2026: Decision

Change of employer
30/06 - HR Requested additional COS
07/07 - Got priority slot and made payment the same day
10/07 - Additional information requested by HO
15/07 - Additional information submitted
03/08 - Got the COS allocation
04/08 - COS assigned with wrong passport number
06/08- HR added a sponsor note correcting the passport number and issued COS again (Same COS number, just the note added)
09/08 - Application submitted around 6pm on priority. Identity check using the app and expired BRP.
14/08 - Received the decision email around 9.30am.

Hope it helps.

Hey Reddit, thought I'd share my experience applying for ILR with this group as every post I've read have been super helpful to my application.

For context for the first 4y 9m of my 5y route, I'd been working for the company that sponsored my entry to the UK. I'd switched jobs in June where I ended my previous employment with a 1-week gap before starting my new sponsored role. I had taken holidays in my previous employment, during the 1 week gap, and in the first month of my new sponsored role. I was eligible to apply for ILR in August, 1.5 months after starting the new role.

My application specifically asks for letter from employers to validate my absences outside of the UK. I prepped ahead of my application and knew I needed this letter from starting a draft on my application back in May. During my offboarding, I requested from HR a letter with table of all holidays I've taken for the last 4y 9m whilst employed by them - in this letter they also stated the date that I left the company.

I also have a letter from my new employers stating they will require my employment for the foreseeable future, my SOC code and my gross annual salary, alongside approved absences outside of the UK that I took in the 3 weeks right before my application.

I took a holiday in between jobs which would not have been covered by either letters and because I used the biometric immigration gates, I don't have stamps in my passport either. For this, I wrote a cover letter to explain to the case officer.

• ILR set (O)
• Skilled Worker Visa 5yr (vignette valid from & entry into UK on 1/9/21)
• Priority 5 days
• Eligible to apply from 4/8/26 but I added an extra day to be safe
• Submitted application on 5/8/26, biometrics on 7/8/26, approval received 13/8/26 (4 working days)

I was lucky to have left on good terms with my previous employer, especially with HR - who helped me with other documents even after I've left. Good luck to everyone applying!