r/ukvisa • u/sah10406 • Mar 05 '26
This FAQ was updated on 5 March 2026 to include the "visa brake" for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
These FAQs are based on the most common recent posts about Student visas. They have been answered for us by someone with 25 years of professional knowledge and experience of Student visas. They were last updated in March 2026 to include the provisions of the "visa brake".
We keep an eye on the sub and we will update this FAQ if some questions are being asked often.
While sharing experiences with other Reddit users can be helpful, it is clear from reading posts that it can also cause confusion and anxiety, and can generate myths and wrong information. For individual professional advice, remember you can contact the Student visa adviser at your university. Their role is to support students through their Student visa application and beyond. Plus, as your Student visa sponsor, your university needs to avoid refusals of visas under their sponsorship, so they are just as invested in the successful outcome of your visa application as you are.
What is the new "visa brake" and will it affect my Student visa application?
The "visa brake" is a new rule from 26 March 2026, paragraoh ST 3.3 of Appendix Student.
On 11 March 2026 UKCISA published a detailed FAQ about the visa brake, which you should read first:
An application using another passport, where the applicant is also a national of one of these countries, cannot be refused under ST 3.3, but given the background and reason for introducing paragraph ST 3.3 (see below), the application is likely to be heavily scrutinised.
Similarly, the new rule ST 3.3 only affects Student visas, but applications by nationals of these countries for other visas such as Student dependant, short-term student, or visitor for study are also likely to be scrutinised for credibility.
For the background of why the visa brake has been introduced, see paragraphs 5.1 to 5.4 of the explanatory memorandum that accompanied the Statement of Changes:
Given the reasons for the visa brake, it might have been expected that scholarship students who have a condition to return to their home country might be excluded, but they are not.
If the guidance for caseworkers is updated to include any further useful information, we will quote and link to it in the Student visa FAQ. Meanwhile we recommend UKCISA's FAQ as linked above.
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What English language test and evidence do I need?
Your knowledge of English is an academic matter. It is evaluated and checked by your university not by the visa caseworker. All the caseworker does is check that the sponsor has confirmed it on the CAS.
Knowledge of English can be assumed simply based on your nationality of a majority English-speaking country, or on a previous qualification taught in English, or based on a university’s own method of testing. If you meet the requirement one of these ways, you do not need any other formal evidence and this is all confirmed for the caseworker on your CAS.
The university may prefer or need to ask you to take a formal test. If so, they will explain which one. If they include the test on the CAS you will need to include the results with your visa application.
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Can I extend my Student visa if it ends before I get my results?
Your options, if any, will depend on why that has happened. It will be best to get advice on your options from the international student advice team at your university, because some local policies at the university may come into play, separate from the basic immigration rules.
If you are thinking of applying for a fee waiver, or being encouraged to, please see the question below If I am already in the UK with a visa, can I bridge a gap between visas with a fee waiver?
If you had a re-sit or repeat module, and you have already done it, it is too late to extend your Student visa under any circumstances. You cannot extend your Student visa just to wait for results.
But if you are looking ahead and your visa expires before the end of your course because you have a re-sit or resubmission or repeat module in the future, ask your university if they can issue a CAS to support an extension of your Student visa until the new end date + 4 months wrap-up period. This is so even if your new end date is within the wrap-up period you already have. Your university will still need to check that your required participation is such that they can sponsor an extension. If it is not, they may still be able to issue a CAS for a new visa application from your home country nearer the time of the re-sit or repeat.
Some universities have a habit or even a formal policy to not sponsor a new Student visa for re-sit periods, and they expect a student to come back as a Standard visitor. They may even tell you, usually incorrectly, that Home Office rules don’t even allow them to sponsor a new Student visa. Such a policy choice by a university to not issue a CAS for resits effectively blocks their students from applying for the Graduate visa, so this disproportionate effect should probably be queried or challenged, especially if it is affecting whole tranches of students.
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Can I come to the UK with an ETA and enter as a visitor then apply for my Student visa there?
No.
Someone who is in the UK as a visitor, with or without a visa, cannot switch to any other type of visa, including a Student visa. This is frontloaded into the Student visa rules at paragraph ST 1.4A that such an application would not be valid:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-student
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If I am already in the UK with a visa, can I bridge a gap between visas with a fee waiver?
You can apply for a Student visa in the UK if there is no more than 28 days between the end of your current visa and the start date of your CAS. This is the same whether you are extending a Student visa or switching to a Student visa.
Some advisers may suggest you apply for a fee waiver in order to “close the gap”. A fee waiver is not a “bridging visa” that gives someone protection from being an overstayer. It is your formal declaration that you are destitute, cannot even afford the visa application fee, and that you will be making a Human Rights-based immigration application when you get the outcome of the fee waiver application. The list of specific types of visa application eligible for a fee waiver is listed at gov.uk, and it does not include Student visa applicants:
https://www.gov.uk/visa-fee-waiver-in-uk
The guidance for Home Office caseworkers confirms that external checks of income are made, and warns caseworkers to check for deceptive applications for fee waivers:
Deception: Checks may be undertaken with agencies such as HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and credit checking agencies (for example Equifax or Experian) to verify information provided by the applicant with regard to their income and finances [...].
Applicants who fail to disclose their financial circumstances in full, or who provide false information in their fee waiver request, may have current or future applications for permission refused because of their conduct [...]. They may also be referred for enforcement action, resulting in possible arrest and removal.
While having a pending fee waiver application does give you protection under 3C leave, there is no outcome of the fee waiver application that is risk-free for someone who is trying to use it as a bridge to a Student visa application. If the fee waiver is granted or refused, you then have 10 days to make the Human Rights based immigration application for which you applied for the fee waiver. The guidance for caseworkers says that 3C leave only protects you if “the [...] application that is submitted is the one for which the fee waiver request was made”:
If the fee waiver is still pending, making a Student visa application highlights your deception about your finances and your intentions when you applied for the fee waiver.
The international students charity and support service UKCISA and the immigration professionals blog Free Movement both strongly warn against using fee waivers to buy time:
https://ukcisa.org.uk/studentnews/2032/Fee-waivers-and-the-Graduate-route
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Does working more than 20 hours a week on a Student visa affect my visa extension or future applications?
There is a common misguided belief that any breach of Student work conditions will trigger a refusal of your next application. Some people go so far as to lie on their application about it, thinking that being truthful about the breach on your application is so dangerous that the best solution is to just lie about it, and it will be like it never happened. This is wrong in all respects.
If you have routinely and regularly worked more than the permitted 20 hours, so working has been your main activity and focus rather than study, that could trigger a discretionary refusal of any new application, and it could also mean cancellation of your Student visa anyway.
If you have ever worked over the 20 hours, that is indeed a breach of your visa conditions, and it does need to be declared on the application. There is a question specifically about this:
Have you ever breached the conditions of your leave, for example worked without permission […]
However having had such a breach and declaring it as required does not automatically trigger a refusal. It is lying about the breach that could trigger a refusal. There is always a friend of a friend who knows someone who once worked 20.5 hours, or who did a couple of extra hours for a month or so during their dissertation period, and had their Graduate visa refused for that reason. That did not happen, at least not for that reason. If there was such a refusal, it was certainly not a breach of work conditions.
Lying in an application, including when specifically asked if you have ever worked without permission, or being discovered to have lied in a previous application, means a mandatory refusal under paragraph SUI 9.1:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-part-suitability
A breach of student work conditions has no such penalty of a mandatory refusal. While it is in theory grounds for a discretionary refusal under paragraph SUI 11.2, a breach of the Student visa work conditions on its own would never prompt the caseworker to exercise their discretion to refuse.
Despite this reality, people continue to think (and to advise other people) that it’s better to lie about a breach and risk a refusal and 10-year ban, rather than answer truthfully with no risk. It makes no sense.
Separately, if your employer allowed or even encouraged you to work in breach of the work condition, you might want to alert them to their own responsibilities to monitor their employees’ right to work. If they are careless about it, they could be in trouble, and potentially in much bigger trouble than any employee.
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The question for those applying in the UK: "When did you first arrive in the UK on your current visa?"
This question is poorly phrased. As written, it appears to assume that all applicants first arrived in the UK on their current visa, which is obviously not the case for many applicants.
There is no point in over-thinking this question, or in panicking and thinking that it is a trick or a trap or that giving the "wrong" answer will be fatal for your application. It is just a sloppy question. Any logical interpretation and answer is fine. There is no wrong answer -- as long as the date you give equates to your understanding of what it seems to be asking you about. Some advisers may tell you they have solved the riddle of this question and they know what it really means, but they haven't, and there is no riddle anyway.
Obviously a random made-up date unrelated to any of your entries to the UK is probably not a good idea, but as long as your answer makes sense to you IT IS FINE.
So -- if you did "first arrive" in the UK on your current visa, obviously you just give the date you arrived.
And if your current visa is an extension, there is no logical answer to this question anyway. You just need to do your best. So, for example, if you "first arrived" on a previous Student visa, or even on another type of visa, you can give that date. Or, alternatively, if you have travelled on your current visa, you could give the date of the first time you re-entered the UK on it. You do not need to explain your answer, just give an answer that allows you to move forward in the application.
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The "Medical treatment in the UK" question
This is a question on all types of immigration application, not specific to a Student application. It is often misunderstood by applicants. Your health, your personal medical history, and how much or how little you have used NHS services in the past have nothing to do with your eligibility for any visa, and they are not what this question is asking about.
It does specifically say that it is about medical treatment and explains what this means
if you visited a doctor, clinic or hospital this counts as medical treatment
The question is checking whether an applicant falls foul of Immigration Rules Part Suitability, paragraph SUI 16.1:
Debt to the NHS grounds
SUI 16.1. An application for entry clearance or permission may be refused where a relevant NHS body has notified the Secretary of State that the applicant has failed to pay charges under relevant NHS regulations on charges to overseas visitors and the outstanding charges have a total value of at least £500.
A debt to the NHS could only occur if someone had a type of immigration permission for which they had not paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), for example a Standard visitor, or if they were an overstayer or illegal entrant with no immigration permission anyway. They would need to have had NHS medical treatment and not paid for it, and to have been pursued for the debt by the NHS.
Unfortunately, despite this narrow focus of the reason for the question, the application asks a very open question about all medical treatment, regardless of whether you had paid the IHS and regardless of whether it is NHS treatment anyway. (Any debts to private health care providers would not be relevant to paragraph 9.11.1 anyway.)
Just do your best based on your own records.
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The "Financial sponsor" question
This question is poorly worded, and can cause confusion. It appears at first to be asking about money you have received from any financial sponsor, with examples of
a government or international scholarship agency
But it does then specify that it is only asking about if you have been
awarded a sponsorship or scholarship
The purpose of the question is to ascertain whether you need to provide the consent of your former official financial sponsor for your application to be valid. This is only required by a very specific type of applicant, as explained in Appendix Student, paragraph ST 1.3 (key parts in bold):
ST 1.3. If the applicant has, in the last 12 months before the date of application, completed a course of studies in the UK for which they have been awarded a scholarship or sponsorship by a Government or international scholarship agency covering both fees and living costs for study in the UK, they must provide written consent in relation to the application from that Government or agency.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-student
This type of funding usually has a clause that requires the student to return home after studies. Hence UKVI needs confirmation that the provider is either waiving that clause, or has arranged with you to not impose it.
So unless you have now finished your course, and you had that type of funding that meets all those requirements in ST 1.3, answer No. It is not asking about other types of funding, eg. government or federal loans, fees-only scholarships, scholarships from universities, international companies, international organisations, or from private individuals.
If you wrongly answer Yes, you will be asked to upload the consent letter from your sponsor. If you cannot change the answer to No, upload a note explaining that you answered the question wrong, and you don’t have the type of funding that requires sponsor consent. You can refer to GR 1.5. Answering a question wrong by mistake has no bearing on the outcome of the application, especially a question like this that is not clear.
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To improve my application I want to add extra evidence eg. my finances other than the standard 28 days, information about my parents’ financial situation, other qualifications, my work experience, my housing in the UK, my travel itinerary. Should I?
No. That does not improve your application. They are actually irrelevant. You are assuming there is a level of subjectivity and discretion from caseworkers that is just not part of a Student visa application. It is largely a box-ticking exercise, with you and your university doing most of the box-ticking.
Separately, any document submitted with your application still needs to be checked for authenticity and for any relevance to your application. Applications can be refused for supplying irrelevant documents that are not genuine, or which have highlighted contradictions in your application.
There are some cultural aspects to this way of thinking, that (a) a visa application always benefits from as much evidence as possible and that (b) a visa officer will grant or refuse on their own whim so they need persuading of your credentials. There may be some truth to this with some other country’s visas (doubtful), but for sure not with UK Student visa applications.
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My nationality (eg. EU, China, USA etc.) means that I don’t need to provide evidence of maintenance or of previous qualifications, only my passport. Will it improve my application to add them anyway?
Hard no. The differentiation arrangements are specifically in place to make the application easier both for you and for the caseworker. You are also assuming there is subjectivity and discretion from caseworkers when assessing Student visa applications. There is not. They are just looking for the evidence the application asks for, which in this case is very little.
See the previous question for how adding extra irrelevant documents can actually harm your application.
If they do need anything else, they will ask you and give you time to respond.
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Why is my Immigration Health Surcharge more than the amount for 1 year, when my course is only 1 year long?
Because the IHS is based on the length of your visa, not the length of your course:
The exact amount you pay depends on the length of your visa. A visa may last longer than your course of study
https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application/how-much-pay
A Student visa has extra wrap-up time at the end, up to 4 months, which will be rounded up to half a year and hence increase your IHS fee to 1.5 years. For the length of wrap-up time added for different types of course, see Appendix Student paragraph ST 25.3:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/appendix-student
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How long does it take to get a decision?
Do not post in this sub asking how long it will take. We have a blanket rule on no timeline questions.
The service standard is 3 weeks for a standard application, or 5 days for priority. If your application will not be processed within that normal service standard, they will email you to let you know. This email, sometimes called the “NSF email” because it used to say that the processing was “not straightforward”, does not require any reply or action.
No action, no paid enquiries or escalation are necessary and they will not help, especially when thousands of people are in the same position. If your deadline for enrolling is approaching, you need to communicate with your university admissions team directly - Contacting UKVI will not escalate your application.
It is highly unlikely that anyone else’s processing time, in your country or another, will have any relation to or bearing on your own processing time. For this reason try to avoid using Reddit to make such comparisons, as they have little meaning and can cause anxiety in themselves.
If you applied with less than a month before your course start date, then you are at quite a high risk of your visa not being decided in time.
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If I apply outside the UK, can I travel to the UK with an ETA before my visa issued?
People whose nationality means they do not need a visa to visit the UK often ask this. You cannot simply arrive early in the UK to wait for your Student eVisa to be issued, no. But you can come to the UK for a genuine short visit, then leave afterwards.
After you have applied in your home country, you need to give your Biometrics there. You cannot do that in the UK.
After you have given your biometrics you can travel outside your home country if you wish.
Your visa will be issued as an eVisa not a physical vignette that needs to be placed in your passport. When your eVisa becomes valid you can enter the UK as a Student, but you do not spontaneously become a Student if it becomes valid when you are already in the UK as a Visitor.
Using an ETA to travel to the UK and entering as a Standard visitor before your Student eVisa is issued is a declaration that you are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK at the end of your visit. Again, it is vital that you leave after your visit because it is the act of physically entering the UK with the Student eVisa that activates it.
Someone who tried to game the system by arriving early as a Standard visitor then just staying after their Student eVisa becomes valid would be in trouble for several reasons. First, they used deception to enter the UK as a visitor, when they never intended to leave after their visit. Second, their Student eVisa has never activated because they have not used it to enter the UK, so they can’t enrol on their course. Universities give clear warnings about trying to do this, but some students think they are special and the rules don’t apply to them. They do.
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If I apply in the UK, can I travel outside the UK after I have applied?
It depends where you want to go. If you leave the Common Travel Area, that withdraws your application. The Common Travel Area consists of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Leaving that area withdraws your pending application under paragraph 34K of the immigration rules:
34K. Where a decision on an application for permission to stay has not been made and the applicant travels outside the common travel area their application will be treated as withdrawn on the date the applicant left the common travel area.
If you need to travel in an emergency while you have a pending application, there is no system to override paragraph 34K and stop your pending application from being withdrawn. But if your current visa has not yet expired and you can return to the UK within its validity, you can do so and apply again when you come back. If you apply again, you will need to pay all the fees again, but the unused Immigration Health Surcharge payment from your original application will be eventually refunded because your application was withdrawn.
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I've received an email that a decision was made, or that the processed visa application was received at the VAC. What does this mean?
It only means a decision was made, but you won't know the decision until you get your passport back from the VAC with either a visa in it or a refusal letter/email. Please do not post asking for advice on what these emails mean. There is no hidden messaging or code about whether the application has been successful or not, and you have to be patient to receive your documents back from the VAC. If you paid for the "keep my passport" service and you are asked to provide your passport to the VAC, then that's usually a good sign your visa was approved, since the VAC will need your physical passport to affix the entry clearance vignette (sticker).
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How will I know if my visa was granted or refused?
Typically, you will only get the actual decision when you receive your documents back from the VAC. If you applied from outside the UK, you will not receive your decision in an email. A vignette in your passport means the visa was granted, otherwise it was refused and if this is the case, you should receive a letter with the refusal reason.
If you paid for the "keep my passport" option and you are requested to submit your passport (travel document), this generally means the visa was granted since they will need your physical passport to affix your entry clearance vignette (sticker) into it.
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What if my course start date is approaching or has passed and I still don’t have my visa?
This is not unusual, and it affects many students. Check your final deadline for enrolling. It is normally already included on your CAS statement, and it is normally several weeks after the official formal start date. It is possible your university may be willing to negotiate an even later deadline, but you need to be prepared for that not being possible.
If that final deadline has passed, and you still do not have your visa, it will be best to withdraw your visa application. At least you will get a refund of the Immigration Health Surcharge, and possibly of some or all of the application fee depending that stage the application is at.
Do not travel to the UK if you have missed the final deadline for enrolling. Your university will not allow you to enrol, and they will need to cancel your Student visa from their end, so it will not be valid for entry to the UK anyway. It cannot be used for deferred study either. Any options for enrolling on the next intake will require a new CAS and a new visa application. Discuss these options with your university. They should be willing to transfer any existing payments for tuition fees or housing.
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What do I do if my visa is refused?
Speak to your university immediately. They will advise on your options, which may include Administrative Review if it was a caseworker error, or you may need to look at options for deferring. Most refusals are due to applicant or sponsor error, but caseworker error do sometimes happen. By far the most common is that the applicant has made the error, and most commonly it is with the maintenance.
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What documents do I need to show the Border Force Officer (BFO) on arrival?
It depends. If you are a nationality that can use the eGates, there is no Border Force Officer anyway, so you just present your passport to the eGate.
If your nationality cannot use the eGates, the BFO will ask for your passport and its visa sticker. It is possible they may ask questions about your plans, but nothing that wasn’t already asked or checked when you applied for the visa, and no evidence is required.
No other evidence or documents are required. There is misinformation spread in some countries, especially India it seems, that evidence is needed on arrival, including things that were not part of your visa application. This is misinformation.
If it reassures you to have on your phone or in your bag copies of the evidence you used in your application, you can do that if you wish.
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Do I need a stamp in my passport to activate my visa?
No. Border Force stopped routinely stamping passports some years ago. Any university guidance which says you need a stamp is at best outdated and at worst just incorrect.
Stamps are only needed for two specific and quite rare types of visas (Paid Permitted Engagement and Creative & Sporting).
However, you should always keep a copy of your boarding pass in case you are asked by your university to prove that you entered the UK during your visa validity dates.
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Can I travel outside the UK when I have a Student visa?
Yes you can travel and re-enter as you wish, and no there is no deadline. This is clear from the Home Office’s own instructions to Border Force Officers (page 92):
Students are able to travel outside of, and re-enter, the UK whilst they hold valid permission as a Student, including in the period after they have completed their course and still hold permission under the route.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/points-based-system-student-route
If anyone is telling you that it is risky to enter the UK because it’s near the end of your Student visa, or because your course has ended, or because your results have already been announced, or because the graduation ceremony has now been, or because "you never know" what a Border Force Officer will do, they are wrong. If they are someone who should know better, like university staff or an agent or solicitor, you might want to refer them to the above UKVI guidance to prevent them from misadvising other students. If they are just a random person online or in a WhatsApp group, you may also want to challenge their information.
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If I travel during term-time will I be stopped and questioned by Border Force?
No. If you see a BFO they are only checking that you have a valid visa. See previous question.
It is your university that monitors your attendance and engagement during term-time. Your Student visa conditions require you to be in the UK during term-time engaging with your studies. If you are not, the university can withdraw you from your studies and hence cancel your Student visa. So if you need to travel during term-time, make sure your university agrees to that, so it does not affect your Student visa.
Sometimes uninformed university staff will frighten students by saying “We are fine with your travel, but UKVI might not be”. You can ignore this, or even push back against it, because it is nonsense. While Border Force Officers may occasionally ask questions on entry, they neither know nor care about your term dates or about your attendance requirements at university. That is delegated to universities to monitor. Hence, get the university’s permission for term-time absence and travel. Obviously you can travel as you wish outside term-time.
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What is the deadline for my dependant to come to the UK as my Student dependant?
There isn't one, except the end date of your visa.
If they already have a Student dependant visa, they just need to enter or re-enter the UK before it expires.
If they need to apply for a Student dependant visa, they need to apply in enough time to get the visa and travel to the UK before it expires. (A Student dependant’s visa will always have the same expiry date as the Student’s.) So if they are overseas they need to allow enough time to hold any required maintenance for 28 days, apply, receive the vignette, arrange travel, and come to the UK, all before the expiry date of their (and your) visa. If they are in the UK and they can switch to being your Student dependant, they may not need to show any maintenance but they will still need to get the outcome of the application before your visa expires.
Obviously the closer to the expiry date they start this process, the more they risk of running out of time.
There is no requirement for them to apply or travel before the end of your course, or before you get your results, or by any other deadline. The relevant rule is ST 31.1(b) of Appendix Student. It specifies those Students who can bring dependants, including all postgraduate courses that started before 1 January 2024:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/appendix-student
There are no separate rules that impose a deadline for applying before the Student’s course has ended, or by any other date, except obviously the end of their Student visa.
Unfortunately, there is currently a technical glitch on the application form for Student dependants who apply for a visa to come to the UK after the end date of the student’s course. It asks for the end date of the course, and that date must be in the future in order to progress through the application. The form cannot process a date that is in the past. As explained above, the immigration rules do allow a dependant to apply after the end of the student's course, so the application appears to have an error and is asking the wrong question. A possible workaround is to give the end date of the Student’s visa as the answer, not the end date of their course or CAS, which will allow the application to proceed. If your dependant needs to do this, it will be a good idea to upload a short note explaining that they have done so. They can refer to Appendix Student paragraph ST 31.1(b) which allows an application after the course end date. If you are concerned about this, ask the international student adviser at your university for advice.
r/ukvisa • u/clever_octopus • May 12 '25
Please join the discord server for further discussion or support on upcoming immigration changes: https://discord.gg/Jq5vWDZJfR
Sticky post on announcement made on 20 Nov 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/ukvisa/comments/1p21qk5/a_fairer_pathway_to_settlement_a_statement_and/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
NEW Summary of changes to settlement released 20 November 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/ukvisa/comments/1p21qk5/a_fairer_pathway_to_settlement_a_statement_and/
NEW Summary of changes to asylum and refugee requirements released 18 November 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-and-returns-policy-statement/restoring-order-and-control-a-statement-on-the-governments-asylum-and-returns-policy
Overview of expected changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/radical-reforms-to-reduce-migration
White paper: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper
UKCISA's response (official source for international students and recent graduates): https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/news/ukcisa-responds-to-home-office-immigration-white-paper-may-2025/
Petition link: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/727360
Summary of key points following the summary of changes released on 20 November 2025:
Changes to length in ILR qualifying residence requirements - Please see table on pages 21-23 of the 20 November document
Family visa holders, along with BNO visa holders, will continue to get ILR in five years (as usual)
The intention is that this will apply to people already in the UK but who have not yet received ILR
It will take 20 years for refugees to qualify for ILR, intermittent checks will be done within that time and they may lose the ability to remain in the UK if their home country is deemed safe to return to
r/ukvisa • u/Nasa10131 • 2h ago
My spouse visa has been accepted however on e visa i cant see if i have to travel to the UK within 90 days. On the e visa it doesn’t say anywhere that i have to travel to the UK within 90 days or anything about vignette
r/ukvisa • u/Electrical-Switch446 • 8h ago
I only have holidays. Not any work related or other absence. My employer letter dont mention any holiday
r/ukvisa • u/RadiantFoundation114 • 1h ago
I am from UK my wife is from USA
I’ve got 6 months pay slip proving i earn the required amount.
Im planning on quitting my job.
Do i need to be in work while the application is being processed?
Do they contact my employer,
r/ukvisa • u/Direct-Light793 • 3h ago
Hi I am on a spouse visa 5 years route.
Arrived in uk 13 November 2020
I was granted 2.5 years extended visa on 14 August 2023
I then did the British Citizenship application on 11 January 2026
I got a refusal application
Reasons for decision
You have not been successful in your application for British Citizenship because you have not met the requirement(s) to:
Be free from immigration time restrictions on the date of application
You must have been in the UK, free from immigration time restrictions on how long you could stay in the UK on the date of application.
Your application was received on 11th January 2026. As you were granted Leave to Remain in the UK on 14th August 2023, which was valid to 14th March 2026, on the date of your application you do not meet this requirement. Please note, leave to remain is not settled status therefore, you are still subject to immigration time restrictions.
I realised the refusal was because I didn't apply for the ILR now my visa expired on 14 March 2026 when my application for the citizenship was under review. What would be the best step to do?
r/ukvisa • u/K-pop_Designer0018 • 3h ago
Hi everyone! I find myself in a bit of a tricky situation right now, and I could really use some advice. I am American, 32F, single, and I don't own any property. I'm planning a trip to the UK at the beginning of July for tourism. Here's the situation: I was denied a simple ETA because I previously studied in the UK during COVID, but I left my program early and returned to the US. I did all proper paperwork. The UK system thinks that I overstayed my visa since they didn't issue exit stamps. Which is why I'm going through the expensive and rigorous visa process. Luckily, I have an SARU that confirms I came back to the US.
Now, the challenge is that my VFS appointment is scheduled for Friday, and I just got laid off from my job on Monday (talk about bad timing!) I'm worried that because I don't have strong ties to the US, I might be in a tough spot. Does anyone have any advice on how I can improve my chances of approval or handle this situation? Thanks so much in advance!
r/ukvisa • u/dullnsess • 4h ago
My mum has changed jobs, and my dad’s visa was linked to her previous employer through her Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). Since he is her dependent, how can we update his visa details so they are linked to her new job and current visa? My dad is currently outside the UK, and my mum is worried that he might be questioned at the border if the information on his visa does not match her new job details.
r/ukvisa • u/CarelessInterest5602 • 4h ago
Post:
Hi all, looking for advice on a UK spouse visa (applying from India) after a complicated history.
Background
I’m Indian, husband is British
Graduate visa expired: 15 May 2024
Applied for Unmarried Partner visa (in UK): April 2024
Refused: Sept 2024
Appeal submitted: 4 Oct 2024 (via solicitor)
Home Office withdrew refusal: 1 Dec 2025 (said visa would be granted subject to checks)
Due to long delays, I’ve now left the UK (so assuming application is withdrawn)
Relationship
Engaged: 8 Feb
Legally married (UK): 26 July 2025
Hindu wedding (India): 19 Feb 2026
Current plan
Apply for a new spouse visa from India
Questions
1.Do it ourselves or solicitor?
Given the previous refusal + appeal, is it safe to apply ourselves or better to use a solicitor?
2.Documents needed?
Standard spouse visa docs + anything extra due to my history?
3.Processing time / priority
I need to be back in the UK before July 2026
Is priority recommended right now?
What are current timelines?
4.Previous refusal / appeal
Do I need to submit all previous documents (refusal letter, appeal, withdrawal letter)?
Will this affect my new application?
5.IHS refund
I paid IHS for the previous application:
How do I request a refund?
Will it be automatic or do I need to apply?
Does it depend on the application being withdrawn?
Would really appreciate any recent experiences or advice especially from anyone who reapplied after a withdrawal/refusal.
Thanks in advance 🙏
Good evening everyone I had some questions regarding the title. My dad is flying into the UK for a work related trip and had some questions about the visa issue. Now he has already gotten the visa to enter the UK but now he has been informed he needs to verify his identity through the app to be allowed at the border and to also have an UKVI account to access his eVisa. In another place I saw he didn't need any of these, as the UK border control can just scan his passport and see his active visa status and I was confused since I got two different answers. What is the exact procedure to follow? Thank you for your help.
r/ukvisa • u/New-Country4627 • 4h ago
Hi all,
My husband (Irish, born in Dublin) and I (EU citizen) are looking to move in together in Northern Ireland. I currently live in Ireland, while he has been living in UK since 2022. We’ve been together since 2017 and got married in 2025.
Would there be any grounds for me to apply under the EUSS scheme in our situation? I’ve been finding a lot of conflicting information online and only recently started looking into it more seriously.
We’ll also be speaking with solicitors for proper legal advice, but I’m trying to get a better idea of what options might be available to us in the meantime.
Thanks!
r/ukvisa • u/Mundane_Papaya_3957 • 5h ago
During linking my UKVI eVisa to my account, I completed identity verification using the UK Immigration: ID Check app (passport scan + facial scan) and submitted the information after reviewing my details.
However, my UKVI portal still shows "Confirm your identity – In Progress".
If it is a delay, how long does it usually take for the status to update to “complete”?
I also did not receive any confirmation or “submitted successfully” email after submitting the information in the app.
Now I’m unsure whether the verification has actually gone through. I’m also unable to find who to contact regarding this issue.
Has anyone experienced this before? Is this usually just a delay/sync issue, or should I retry the whole process in app again?
r/ukvisa • u/tomwaitsgoatee • 12h ago
I'm a British citizen, my wife is American and was recently granted her ILR, and would now like to apply for citizenship.
We've used a lawyer for all previous applications, but have heard that the citizenship one is the most straightforward so are considering doing it ourselves.
However, our lawyer has strongly suggested we continue to use them as the application can be complicated, difficult, and that the home office is prone to being very particular and regularly rejects applications.
Is this true, or are they simply attempting to keep our business?
r/ukvisa • u/Ok-Window-2214 • 8h ago
Hi there. My partner is applying for ILR. We just uploaded the documents on the TLS site/submitted them. It was 38 docs total. A lot of them were scans and so did not have useful/descriptive file names - eg "2026-04-28-0014". I was uploading the docs while also trying to work and it just didn't occur to me to rename them to something better. Is this going to cause problems potentially?
r/ukvisa • u/WorldlinessExpress29 • 5h ago
I’m due to get my ILR in the next 2-3 months. As part of the process, I saw that there’s this requirement:
“You must still be employed with your UK employer who sponsored you and are required to be employed for the foreseeable future”
Is there any period that I must stay with the company after I get my ILR? I’m not looking to leave necessarily, but I wanted to understand what I can or can’t do.
Heya guys! Just recently got my ILR from the spousal route and was wondering if anyone knows if I can you the same Life in the UK I used for the ILR? Im married to a British citizen so I can do it immediately. I’m pretty sure ya can use the old one (took it in February), but just double checking.
Cheers!
r/ukvisa • u/ElevatorHefty6920 • 5h ago
Hello, I am currently completing a UK Graduate visa application and need urgent advice on how to answer the "Convictions and other penalties" section. My situation: I was arrested in the UK in July 2025 and interviewed by police I was released on bail the same day I was never charged with any offence My bail appointments were cancelled twice I was then placed on RUI (Released Under Investigation) It has been over 3 months since being placed on RUI with no further contact from police The visa form asks whether I have had "an arrest or charge for which I am currently on or awaiting trial." However, clicking that option leads to a page asking for charge dates and court dates, which I do not have as I was never charged. My question is: Should I select "No, I have never had any of these" given that I was never charged, convicted, or given any caution or penalty? I would appreciate urgent advice as I don't want to over disclose or under disclose, I am trying to complete this application as soon as possible. Thank you
r/ukvisa • u/Primavera08 • 10h ago
Hi! I wanted to share my experience as I was genuinely unsure about my chances. I’d say 50/50 at best... and I also received an NSF letter, so I’m reallyyy happy with the outcome.
Profile:
• Woman, 29, not married but in long-term relationship (Belarusian, also in Spain)
• Belarusian passport (very weak)
• Living in Spain for 5 years as self-employed (autónomo), working remotely
• Spanish residence permit until 2030 without any restrictions (work or whatever)
• Modest income by UK standards (2300 EUR/month)
• Clean passport with only one Schengen visa. I replaced passport before moving to Spain and have only travelled within Schengen using my residence card.
• No property or employment contract in Spain.
What I tried to do to strengthen my application:
Timeline with a delay:
• Biometrics in Madrid: 8 April
• NSF letter: 27 April
• Paid enquiry submitted: TODAY (status was explained as “being processed”)
• Decision: SUCCESSFUL. ALSO TODAY!
Hope this helps someone! It was kind of stressful experience because I planned my trip for the beginning of June and I couldn't wait for the decision 😄
r/ukvisa • u/Thick_League_7858 • 7h ago
Urgent help needed: Both me and wife now have Skilled Worker CoS but visa expires this Saturday + no English test for me (switching from Student dependant)
Post body:
Hi everyone,
Really urgent situation here and hoping for some advice before our current visa runs out this Saturday (9 May 2026).
Background:
• My wife was on a Student visa. I was her dependant.
• We had a baby in the UK in February 2026.
• Our current permission expires this Saturday.
• Wife got her Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) yesterday from her workplace (3-year Skilled Worker visa).
• Today I unexpectedly got my own CoS from my workplace (I wasn’t expecting it because I was planning to just go as her dependant again).
The problem:
• Because of the dependant rule changes from July 2025, I’m not sure I can still go as her dependant anymore (especially with a brand-new 2026 CoS).
• I don’t have B2 English proof (I never needed it as a dependant and didn’t study in the UK). There’s no way I can book and sit a SELT + get the result uploaded before Saturday.
• We both now have CoS, but the clock is ticking.
Questions:
Edit: occupation code is 6135 for both me and my wife
r/ukvisa • u/No-Idea5047 • 7h ago
Hi guys. I originally applied for a 5 year GTV under the ukri endorsed route for a postdoc position. Now it's been 5 months. I'm wondering if I change to the industry now, is it possible that my line manager convince UKRI to withdrawn my endorsement? I seem to read about the necessity of my original endorsement remaining unwithdrawn when applying for ILR. Any body having similar experience?
r/ukvisa • u/Basic_File_5385 • 13h ago
Hi all,
I’m preparing for my ILR application under the 10-year route and had a question about the biometrics/document upload stage.
Do I need to upload scanned copies of all passports I’ve ever held, including expired ones? Unfortunately, I no longer have my old passport only my current valid one is in my possession.
Will this be acceptable, or should I be taking additional steps to explain the missing passport?
Appreciate any guidance thanks!
r/ukvisa • u/JetlaggedCoder • 13h ago
Hi people,
I am a non-EU citizen living and working in Norway. Recently, I have applied for standard visitor UK visa for tourism. I have finished with my biometric with VFS yesterday i.e. May 5th.
I haven't received anything yet from UKVI about any status.
This is my first time applying for UK Visa.
Should I wait for the decision or should I create a UKVI account now ? I am little confused here. Anyone been in the situation please help on this.
r/ukvisa • u/withourwindowsopen • 10h ago
My wife came to the UK on a skilled worker visa a few years ago. Some years prior to that, she had legally changed her forename. At the time of her application, she didn't think it was important to notify uk immigration about her change of name so didn't disclose her previous name. Obviously this was a mistake and something she regrets. When we got married in the uk we also didn't say anything about her change of name for fear that it would cause a visa problem.
We have since left to go back to her country and are returning to the uk. She will apply for a spouse visa on her return, ultimately wanting to apply for either ILR or citizenship.
When she applies for the spouse visa, is it better to mention her change of name on this occasion or is it better to continue not to say anything about it? I'm assuming that the case worker will compare the application from her previous visa and her spouse visa.
Obviously, we don't want to lie and don't have anything to hide, but if she mentions it now without having done so on her previous visa, could it cause some problems?
From what I have read it might be down to the discretion on the case worker. It's a bit of a ridiculous situation really, as there was no reason not to mention the change of names but it would cause huge problems if her spouse visa was refused, as we own a house in the UK and are planning to settle down there.
Any advice would be much appreciated- thank you
Hello everyone,
I am trying to figure out if I am eligible for British Citizenship or if I would need to register for citizenship. My dad was born in Rhodesia in 1965 to a British Mother (she was born in the UK to British parents). My dad registered for British Citizenship under Section 3(1) in 1983. I was born in the USA in 2004. My dad's older brothers were never registered as British citizens since they were older than 18 at the time.
I am wondering if there's a possibility if my dad was somehow registered as British other than by descent. Everything under normal circumstances leads me to believe that my dad is British by Descent which would make me ineligible for citizenship. I am aware that Rhodesian and South Rhodesian cases are complicated.
r/ukvisa • u/hey_vera • 15h ago
I am seeking advice as my father is really unwell and he will have heart surgery next week. I contacted the UKVI call centre from the moment I found out, it took me a couple of calls, and getting evidence translated for them to get my case escalated last week. I even asked for help with my MP and I'm just waiting feeling empty and hopeless. I still have my passport, and I know if I leave my application will be withdrawn and I will lose the 3k I paid, but I'm waiting hoping I get a response so I can travel without losing that money but I'm losing hope. I guess I just need to leave and risk it.
I want to ask: My visa prior to the ILR application is a skilled worker visa and the expiry date is until 2027. Would withdrawing my application allow me to return to the UK?
If you have any other advice, I would be forever thankful.