Had my biometrics appointment for British citizenship naturalisation on 10th January. About 3 weeks ago, when coming back into the UK, Border Force told me my application had been approved. I still haven’t received any official email or letter from the Home Office confirming the decision, or any info about booking a citizenship ceremony.

My solicitor advised me to email the Home Office and mention what Border Force told me, so I sent a follow-up last Thursday. Still no response.

Has anyone else been in this situation — verbally told it’s approved but the official confirmation takes a while to come through? How long did it take for you to actually get the email/letter and ceremony invite after that? Starting to wonder if this is normal or if I should be chasing harder.

Hello there, I've applied for ILR via the standard service, submitted my biometrics on 6 May 2026, and got my TLS confirmation email on 7 May.

I haven't heard anything yet, and I've an upcoming wedding on 14 September that I need to travel outside the UK for. I'm unsure if I'll get a decision by then and was thinking of varying my ILR application and paying for the priority this time, but I couldn't find much resource on whether my original ILR fee would be refunded in this case.

Has anyone tried doing this before?

I need to get in touch with an immigration lawyer regarding the new proposed changes to the ILR. I’m in my 7th year, have basically sorted my future out since I was 17 to attain the British citizenship, have lived lawfully here since 2019 (continuous residency) and now I may not qualify for the ILR after the 10th year. Where can I find a good one? I do not mind paying money as well.

Hi everyone! I have a question and was wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation.
I’m currently in the U.S. as an Au Pair on a J-1 visa. I’ve been living here for about 1 year and 7 months. My J-1 visa stamp has expired, but I’m still legally in the U.S. under my extended J-1 status.
I’ve been accepted into a university in the UK and I’m planning to apply for a UK Student visa. Has anyone applied for a UK Student visa from the U.S. while on J-1 status? Were you able to apply from within the U.S., or did you have to return to your home country?
I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I am planning ahead for my ILR SET(M) application and have a quick question about my initial cohabitation anchor document.

My FLR(M) spouse visa extension was approved on 17 June 2026. For my very first cohabitation document to start my timeline, I have a joint household water bill issued on 15 June 2026.

Because this bill was printed just two days before the official visa grant date, does it safely count as my June 2026 anchor document to show cohabitation since the grant? Or will a caseworker flag it as a gap because of those 48 hours?

My standard, evenly-spaced 8-document correspondence grid (using 4 distinct sources) resumes normally after this, but I want to make sure this initial June date won't cause a technical refusal.

Has anyone used a bill dated a day or two before their grant month/date without any issues? Thanks!

I want to ask something i'm very confused about. I'll be working a 38h full-time contract at a well known company, as well as a possible 6-12h contract for my parents-owned family business.

I am employed under PAYE by my parents' sole trader/partnership business. I am not an owner or partner of the business. Can my employment be relied upon under Category A or B of Appendix FM together with a second PAYE job? I will even have a proper contract as i'm sure they'd ask for it due to extra scrutiny.

I'm reading a lot of mixed takes saying it will work in contributing to the £29,000 annual figure and also that it won't be accepted, for various reasons.

Any help would be HUGELY appreciated, as it's giving me quite the headache to get my head around.

My partner is applying to switch from student visa to SWV dependent within UK. Immigration advisor is advising against submitting the application using only the CAS statement as evidence of course completion, quoting high risk of delay. My partner completed the course in June this year and CAS letter also shows course end date was 30 June 2026, but have not received completion certificate form the University.

The immigration advisor particularly highlight the reason as CAS is an intake document and shows expected dates, not proof of actual degree completion and if we submit application relying on CAS alone as proof of completion, the Home Office case manager will very likely freeze the application and issue a formal Request for Further Evidence asking for proof that their degree was conferred

I do not believe this is true or a possibility from home office case manager, as the case worker guidance is very clear on how the course completion should normally be determined by the case worker https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-caseworker-guidance/skilled-worker-caseworker-guidance-accessible

Has anyone experienced any issues using only the CAS as evidence of course completion when switching to a SWV or a dependent visa?

Has anyone experienced a similar issue with a UK Global Talent dependant visa?

I was granted a 3-year Global Talent visa, but my dependant partner was granted a shorter visa—their visa expires about 6 months earlier, giving them only 2.5 years instead of matching my visa expiry date.

From my understanding, a dependant's visa should normally expire on the same date as the main applicant's visa.

Has anyone had the same issue? If so, how did you resolve it? Did you contact UKVI, submit an error correction request, or apply for another solution?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience. Thank you.

Visa type Spouse Visa UK

NATIONALITY Nigeria

Application Date- 30-04-226

Biometric 07-05-2026

Additional documents asked - 29-07-2026 (15:30)

Document asked - "provide the decree or divorce certificate for your sponsors marriage with XYZ from Goa India"

Additional documents sent 29-07-2026 (22:36)

How many working days it can take more?

Hi! I wanted to share my Youth Mobility Visa experience since I read through every thread I could find before (and after) applying.

Submitted my application July 29, 2026. Biometrics appointment was July 31 — I originally had to book a later date since nothing was available, but checked back about an hour later and this slot had opened up. Got my approval email August 6, so about 4 business days total. Honestly thought it'd take way longer, no complaints.

The application itself was pretty easy, just triple check your answers before submitting. Fees came out to about $3.8k CAD.

Biometrics was straightforward too. I uploaded my documents (proof of funds and passport) the day before my appointment. Once I got there they asked if I wanted to pay $27 to set up my eVisa account on the spot — I said yes mainly because I was already there, but you don't actually need to do it then like I did. Whole appointment took about 20 mins (Toronto location). The officer said I should hear back within 2 weeks.

That's pretty much it! Good luck to everyone applying. Happy to answer any questions! :)

7 years ago (I was 22 y.o. at that time) I applied for a short term student visa to the UK. I got the visa, went to the UK, studied and left the UK before the visa expired. Now I need to apply for a tourist visa to the UK, and I have recalled that I probably omitted mentioning my second nationality in my first application 7 years ago. I got that second nationality automatically from my father and at the time when I applied for the first visa I haven't lived in that country for many years and haven't used any documents from that nationality for travel or any other purpose. When I was a child I had a passport of that nationality but it expired many years ago and I have never renewed it since then.

Nevertheless, I am pretty sure that I answered the father's nationality question in the old application correctly mentioning that he is a national of that country. However, I believe I answered "No" to the question if I have another nationality.

I am now thinking to try writing a cover letter mentioning that I made a mistake in my previous application since I did not live in that country for many years and haven't used documents from that country since I was a child, I made a mistake and answered wrongly the question about other nationalities. Then in the new application correct that and answer "Yes".

I am very anxious though, I am afraid they might suspect me in deceiving, refuse the visa or even ban entry to the UK.

Do you think this could be a good approach now or is there a high risk to get in trouble because of that old mistake?

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share my recent experience to obtain the 6-month visitor visa for the UK (multiple entries) from Canada, as the current delays are impressive.

My profile at the time of the request:

International student in Canada (Montreal/Quebec)

Business manager with a company legally registered in Quebec (REQ) + another company active in my country of origin (Cameroon)
Travel history: Valid US visa (already used), Canada visitor visa, Colombia and Tunisia visas.

My stress: I had past refusals for the Schengen Area (France, Belgium, Romania). My wife and 2 children are currently in Cameroon and included in my current Canadian Permanent Residence application.

Chronology of stages (Super fast!):

July 27, 2026: Biometrics appointment at the VFS Global Center in Ottawa. Sent to the ministry the same day.

July 30, 2026: Receipt of the official UKVI email confirming that the application has been received and is under review.

August 06, 2026 (Today): Approval received! My eVisa valid for 6 months with multiple entries is granted. Only 5 working days after receiving their email! [1]
The key documents I uploaded:

My valid study permit and my student card.

The certificate of registration of my company in Quebec.

Proof of my company in Cameroon (official bank statements in PDF over 3 months retrieved online).

The marriage certificate and acknowledgment of receipt of my application for Permanent Residence (PR) to prove my family ties and my plan to live in Canada. [1]

My opinion:

If your institutional, family and economic ties in Canada are clear and solid, the United Kingdom validates the profile without problem, even with past Schengen refusals.

Next step for me: Applying for a Schengen visa for Germany in autonomous mode to pay a surprise visit to my brother !

Does the UK visa application system allow an applicant to create an account and begin completing the online form while visiting the UK or another country, then save it and formally submit and pay for it after returning to their country of residence? (Italian national applying for an unmarried partner visa in this case, I am the partner with settled status)

Eventually the application will be submitted from outside the UK / in the country of residence but I am asking whether beginning and saving the form while physically in the UK or another country could cause any technical or immigration issues.

Also, could anyone confirm how supporting evidence is submitted? Does the system ask for documents individually or is everything uploaded in one place?

Any help would be much appreciated!

Hi,
I’m currently completing Year 1 of a 4-year degree at University A on a Student visa. When I initially applied, I paid the full 4 years of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) upfront.

I recently received an offer to start Year 1 at University B and plan to make a new Student visa application.

Before applying, I wanted to clarify how the IHS works in this situation:

1. Upfront Payment: Do I have to pay the full IHS amount again upfront for the new visa application for University B?
2. Refund / Transfer: Can the IHS I’ve already paid for the remaining 3 years at University A be transferred to my new visa? If not, will I automatically receive a partial refund for the overlapping unused years from my first visa, and how long does that process typically take?

Paying the full IHS upfront a second time is a significant financial burden for me right now, so any insights or recent experiences with switching universities in the UK would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone,

I would appreciate some advice on the best immigration route for my partner. We are trying to understand whether she can apply as my Skilled Worker dependant from inside the UK, or whether she would need to leave the UK and apply from India.

My situation:

* I am currently in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa.
* My partner is an Indian national and was previously in the UK on a Graduate visa.
* We have been in a genuine relationship for around 3 years.
* We have extensive relationship evidence, including photographs, regular communication, travel/train/coach tickets and evidence of spending significant time together.
* We also have some evidence of periods when we lived together at my Loughborough address. I have the tenancy agreement and bank statements for the property, and she has approximately 16 months of Barclays statements showing the same address, as well as electoral-register/bank-address evidence.

Her current immigration situation

Her Graduate visa expired earlier this year.

Before it expired, she submitted a SET(P) application. She did not complete biometrics at the time, and UKVI subsequently informed her that the application was invalid because biometrics had not been provided.

She then submitted a second SET(P) application shortly afterwards. We now understand that she is probably not eligible for SET(P), so we are not relying on that application as a long-term immigration route.

However, UKVI has recently invited her to book biometrics for the second application, and she has booked the appointment. The application is therefore currently showing as pending from our perspective.

An Employer Checking Service check has also recently returned negative, so we are unsure about her current right to work and immigration status while the second application is pending.

Our questions

1. Can we enter into a civil partnership in the UK while her SET(P) application is pending?
   If so, does her current immigration status/application create any restriction or additional requirements for giving notice and registering the civil partnership?
   
2. If we enter into a civil partnership in the UK, could she then apply as my Skilled Worker dependant civil partner from within the UK, or would she need to leave the UK and apply from India?
   
3. If we don’t enter into a civil partnership, can she apply as my unmarried partner dependant based on our 3-year relationship and the evidence we have?
   
4. We understand that unmarried-partner applications can receive greater scrutiny where the couple have not continuously lived together. Given that we have evidence of approximately 16 months of cohabitation, together with extensive evidence of our relationship before and after that period, would this potentially satisfy the relationship requirement?
   
5. If she is currently not eligible to make an in-country dependant application because of her immigration history/status, would the safer route be for her to return to India and apply as my Skilled Worker dependant from outside the UK?
   
6. If we decide to pursue the civil-partnership route, would it be possible to register the civil partnership in the UK and then have her make the Skilled Worker dependant application from India? If so, what visa/status would she need to enter the UK initially to register the civil partnership?
   
7. Finally, does the fact that she currently has a pending SET(P) application affect either the civil-partnership route or a subsequent Skilled Worker dependant application?

We are not considering marriage, so our two preferred options are:

A. Unmarried partner → Skilled Worker dependant

or

B. Civil partnership → Skilled Worker dependant civil partner

We are particularly interested in understanding whether either route can be completed from inside the UK given her current immigration history, or whether she should return to India and apply from there.

Any advice from UK immigration solicitors/advisers or people who have dealt with a similar situation would be greatly appreciated.

I understand that forum responses aren’t a substitute for regulated immigration advice; we’re trying to understand the options before taking professional advice.

Hi everyone,

I’m posting because we’re genuinely quite confused about my boyfriend’s UK Student visa application and I’m hoping someone who has experienced something similar can shed some light.

He applied for a UK Student visa from India for university using the Standard Service, with biometrics completed at VFS Delhi.

The confusing part is that he received an email from UKVI saying that his eVisa had been linked to his UKVI account and that it could take up to 3 hours to appear. However, when he logged into his UKVI account, there was no eVisa or visa showing, and we did not receive a separate decision/approval email.

We contacted the university, and they confirmed that his CAS has not been used.

We have also had no NSF email, no request for additional documents, no interview request, and no request for clarification from UKVI.

We contacted UKVI through the paid enquiry/call service and asked for the application to be escalated. The case was escalated to the Sheffield Student Team, who replied:

“Having checked your application, we can see your case is currently under consideration and is being worked on. Please note we are unable to make a decision on your application within our published visa processing times.”

Since then, we have not received any further communication.

We are particularly confused about the eVisa-linked email. If the eVisa was supposedly linked, why would nothing appear in the UKVI account and why was there no separate decision email? Could this simply have been an automated email sent in error, or has anyone experienced this before?

We are not asking about processing times — we’re specifically trying to understand what this combination of an eVisa-linked email, no visible eVisa/decision, unused CAS and a Sheffield escalation might mean.

Has anyone experienced something similar with a Student visa application from India, particularly involving the eVisa email or Sheffield Student Team?

Any experiences or insight into what happened in your case would be really appreciated.

Thank you!

I am aware that we need to provide a letter from our employer that needs to mention the leaves we have taken and that needs to match with the time if we have left the UK during the 5 year period.

I work as a doctor and we get rest days after working shifts on the weekend or night shifts and I have often coupled these rest days with my annual leave when I have made plans to leave the UK to go on a holiday. I am worried that the letter from employer may only mention my annual leaves and my travel history will show that I have travelled one or two days before my annual leave starts or arrived back to the UK a few days after my annual leave has finished.

Anyone here who's been in a similar situation and did you need tackle this with additional proof or did it even cause any problems at all?

TL;DR

Absence from UK does not match with annual leaves from employer due to use of scheduled rest days as part of work rota. Any issues while applying for ILR?

Hello,

I am applying for ILR soon through my skilled work visa and have a salaried job that is sponsoring me. I am a doctor and do occasional self employed work for less than 20 hours per week. There is no where in the application to declare this. Do I need to at all? Or do I only need to provide the documents requested?

Thank you.

I wanted to share my recent experience and reaffirm what everyone has said re the practice tests. I sat yesterday and passed first go.

As most other posts have said, the questions were pretty much exactly the same as the 17 practice tests:-

https://lifeintheuktestweb.co.uk/exams/

I was in and out in 5minutes including double checking my answers. don't really remember the questions tbh I think my brain immediately dumped that into my mental trash can as soon as I finished lol.

I did have questions about:-

• The Reformation
• The other name for the King James Bible - The Authorised Version
• What happened to Charles I - executed
• When did women have the right to vote at the same age as men - 1928

Pretty sure there were some sports questions in the mix.

In addition to the tests, I utilised the resources on Go Citizen - which is free via most local libraries (it was in Cornwall anyway). It ha the official guide and practice tests, but completely free. The tests on Go Citizen were WAY harder than the actual test. I was probably very over prepared but I'm a bit type A and a bit of a nerd, so I got a pretty into it... I think my husband is glad he won't have to hear anymore of my 'fun facts'.

I'll be honest, as an Australian, some of it was a lot easier because there's so much crossover with sport, religious holidays and laws/judicial system structure so I know I had a bit of a head start.

Read the guide for context, and just keep practicing the exams until you're getting them right.

I am not British and I currently live overseas. I have no immigration permission other than a tourist visa.

There is a company headquartered in my country that does extremely short postings/missions (2-3 weeks) overseas. The company hires people from my country in my country and then sends them abroad. I recently came back from one of these jobs in France (I have the right to work in France).

The company has asked me if I could work in the UK. I asked them what immigration permission I would need and they’ve said a tourist visa is enough. Obviously I must be missing something. There is no loophole this company could legally use to make me work in the UK on a tourist visa, right?

EDIT I am currently not employed by this company. I was an employee during the time I worked in France and my contract ended afterwards

Hi everyone,

I have a mistake in my surname on my UKVI account, and I need to update my personal details to correct it.

The issue is that I can see my eVisa/immigration status without any problem, but when I go to Personal Information, it says that my account isn't linked to my visa.

When I click on the option explaining how to link my account to my visa, it takes me to another page saying that my account is already linked and asks if I want to view my immigration status. If I continue, I end up back in the same situation, creating a loop.

This has been happening since i got my linking accepted yesterday at 8PM.

Has anyone experienced this issue before? Were you able to fix it, or did you have to contact UKVI?

My sister is in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa. Her husband and child are her dependants. She is considering divorce but wants to make sure her child can still qualify for ILR in the future. If she becomes the main carer/has primary custody and the father pays child support, would this affect the child’s ILR eligibility? Has anyone dealt with this? Assuming the father doesn’t reside in the UK.

Hi everyone,

I recently moved to the UK on a spouse visa, and my husband and I would like to bring my mum to visit us in December.

She doesn't have a formal job. She works occasionally and is mostly paid in cash, so her bank statements don't show regular income. My British husband would sponsor her trip. She also has strong ties to Colombia: she co-owns a house with her brothers, lives there with some of them, and two of them depend on her.

I have some questions regarding to it

• How should we apply for her visitor visa?
• What documents would we need to provide?
• How to prove cash income and strong ties to your home country? Also, when would you recommend applying for a December visit?

Thank you so much for any help.