Applications for UK visas frequently take longer to process than we would like!
Many applicants require a quicker response because regular processing time-frames might range from three weeks to twenty-four weeks, depending on the particular visa type and category.
There are various reasons to desire to expedite the decision-making process, such as an impending trip, a long-distance relationship where you want to be reunited as soon as possible, or the need to be sure that you will receive a visa decision before your existing one expires.
Fortunately, applicants who want or require a quicker response on their visa application can now be accommodated by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
They accomplish this by using their UK visa priority service applications, which provide a decision in hours or days rather than weeks or months. This article will examine every aspect of UKVI’s priority visa service, including the services offered in the UK and elsewhere.
We’ll also discuss the prices, how to make an appointment, and the applications that allow priority services.
Different Types of UK Visa Priority Services
Two application priority services are made from inside and outside the UK. These two services are as follows:
- Priority Service – Under this service, decisions are made within five working days.
- Super Priority Service – Under this service, decisions are made by the end of the next working day.
It’s crucial to remember that the number of applicants for a priority service is limited. As a result, availability could be restricted at particular seasons of the year.
Furthermore, remember that not all visas qualify for priority- or super-priority services. Refer to the section below: “Which visas are eligible for priority services.”
Whether you qualify for a premium service also depends on how you verify your identity.
What Are UK Priority and Super Priority Visas?
The UK government collaborates with a private business, TLS Contact, to offer visa services to citizens and travelers. TLS Contact is an international organization that provides priority and super-priority visa services to foreign nationals.
With the help of these priority services, applicants who urgently need to go to the UK can get a quicker decision on their visa, which puts them ahead of the line.
When applying for a non-settlement visa (like a UK work or student visa) or settlement visa from outside the country, you can pay for a UK priority visa, an additional expense to your visa price.
UK Visa Priority Service Cost
You must pay extra money on top of the usual application price to use UKVI’s priority services. The principal applicant and any dependent applicants must pay this application fee.
Currently, applications submitted from within and outside the UK are charged different prices for UK visa priority services.
But plans to standardize these levies have already been announced by the UK government; this will probably happen by April 2024. The current fees are as follows:
- Priority Service – £500 inside the UK / £573 if your visa gives you the option to settle permanently in the UK or £250 if your visa does not give you the option to settle permanently in the UK
- Super Priority Service – £800 inside UK / £956 outside UK
All fees must be paid in advance when scheduling an appointment at a UKVCAS appointment center or for a visa application.
If your visa application is denied or the processing time is extended due to the intricacy of your case, these UK visa fees are non-refundable.
You cannot switch from priority to super-priority after the procedure has started, even if you first select the priority service and later decide you would prefer the super-priority service.
Process of Applying for a Priority Service Appointment
The procedure for setting up an appointment for priority service is the same for domestic and international applications submitted in the UK.
After completing all the information for your online visa application, you will be shown a calendar with available appointments at your local visa application center or UKVCAS appointment center.
Now, you can check the availability of appointments for either Super Priority Service or Priority Service. Your visa type is ineligible for priority services, or all weekly priority service appointments are already booked if all you see are regular appointments.
You should check for availability in the upcoming weeks. Priority appointments are in great demand and frequently reserved far in advance, both inside and outside the UK.
Even though fresh appointments are announced every week, it is advisable to plan and reserve your appointment as long as feasible; notably, once you schedule a regular appointment, it cannot be changed to a priority appointment later.
What is the Processing Time for a Priority Visa?
You can apply for a temporary worker visa if you are a seasonal, artistic, or religious worker. To qualify, you need to accrue many points by meeting the requirements for each visa.
Your visa is expedited and completed more quickly when you pay for a priority service than when you use a regular visa service (15 working days).
In some instances, such as when you’ve previously been denied or overstayed a visa in the UK, your application for a visa might only be approved after the deadline.
Starting on the day of your appointment at the Visa Application Center, the target processing times are determined as follows:
- Priority Visa Service (Non-settlement): Receive a decision within five working days
- Priority Visa Service (Settlement): Receive a decision within 30 working days
- Super Priority Service: Receive a decision by the end of the next working day
Is Your UK Visa Application Appropriate for a Quicker Decision?
Even if an application is eligible for a Home Office Premium Service, a Priority or Super Priority Service application may not be appropriate for a complex application that cannot be processed expeditiously.
In such cases, the application will be put at the front of the queue at each decision-making stage, but a decision may exceed the Priority and Super Priority timescales.
Your application may not be regarded as straightforward if you have:
- Previously been refused a visa for the UK
- Previously been refused leave to enter the UK
- Previously been deported, removed, or otherwise required to leave the UK
- Previously overstayed a period of leave in the UK
- Previously had leave to remain in the UK curtailed by the Home Office
- Previously been refused leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office
- Previously been refused a visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America, or the Schengen countries
- Previously been interviewed, detained, or prosecuted by the police for any offense in the UK or elsewhere
- You have an unspent criminal conviction in any country
- You have committed a criminal offense in any country
- You need to check or gather further information to complete your visa application.
Suppose you fall into one of these categories. In that case, the Priority and Super Priority Visa services may not be appropriate because UK Visas & Immigration may not process your application within the relevant timescale.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a Nigerian resident to pay for super-priority?
If you are only visiting and staying in the UK with a Visit visa, you don’t need to be a resident of Nigeria; however, those applying for the UK Student visa must be legal Nigerian residents.
Will I get a refund if my application is refused or my decision is late?
No. The application fee covers the service’s additional costs and does not guarantee a decision or turnaround time. If your visa is refused or takes longer to process than advertised, you will not receive a refund.
Can I keep my passport while I wait for a decision?
Usually, the application center keeps your passport while they process your visa application, returning it the day after your appointment at the center.
If you prefer to keep your passport with you, TLS Contact offers a ‘Keep My Passport’ service for an additional £58.65. Ensuring your visa application is correctly completed will support a favorable decision and expected processing time.