Hi everyone,

I'm really stressed and would appreciate any advice.

My Skilled Worker visa expires in 2 days. My new employer has requested my Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), but it hasn't been assigned yet, so I don't have a CoS number to use in my visa application.

I asked if they could provide their sponsor licence number, but they said they can't share it. That means I don't have the information needed to submit my application before my current visa expires.

Has anyone been in this situation? What should I do? Is there any way to submit my application before receiving the CoS, or do I have to wait?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Good day!

I am 21F Global South citizen entering a fully funded MPhil at Oxbridge in autumn. I just graduated from a US university with my bachelor's, and I have previously done research at Oxbridge (i.e. had a visitor visa), and have a travel history of North America, Africa, Middle East and parts of Asia.

I have not held a job in my home country ever, and haven't lived here since before my bachelor's. My parents do live here, they own their home, also have an extensive travel history (including Israel and have held Schengen visas before).

I am worried that my application won't be convincing enough to the immigration officers of my intent to return to my home country in my student visa!

How do I demonstrate this? Please help.

Hi everyone,

After constantly reading posts in this subreddit while waiting for my decision, I thought I'd share my complete timeline and the documents I submitted. Hopefully, this helps someone who's currently waiting.

Application Details

• Visa Type: UK Standard Visitor Visa
• Country of Application: India
• Biometrics Centre: VFS Global Jaipur
• Purpose of Visit: Family holiday / Tourism
• Travel Dates: 11 September 2026 – 26 September 2026
• Travelling With: Wife and 3-year-old daughter
• Sponsor: No sponsor from UK, I will be bearing the entire trip cost.

Timeline

9 July 2026

• Submitted biometrics at VFS Jaipur.

10 July 2026

• Received email confirming my application had been received by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

14 July 2026

• Received the standard "Your application is under consideration / being processed" email.

22 July 2026 (around 11:00 AM IST)

• Received decision email.
• Visa Approved ✅

Visa Granted

• Visa Type: Visit
• Valid From: 5 September 2026
• Valid Until: 5 March 2027

Processing Time

• 13 calendar days
• 9 working days (excluding weekends)

My Professional Profile

• Working as a Salesforce Solution Architect
• Employed with my current company since July 2021
• Approved leave from 11 September to 25 September 2026
• Expected to rejoin work on 28 September 2026

Financials Submitted

• Bank balance certificate
• 3 months bank statements showing regular salary credits

Documents Submitted

• Passport
• UK Visa Application Form
• Cover Letter
• Employment Letter
• Approved Leave Letter / NOC from employer
• Last 3 Months Salary Slips
• Last 3 Months Bank Statements
• Bank Balance Certificate
• Fixed Deposit Proof
• Confirmed Return Flight Bookings
• Hotel Booking Confirmation
• Detailed Travel Itinerary
• Marriage Certificate
• Daughter's Birth Certificate

Documents NOT submitted

• Form 16
• Income Tax Returns (ITR)

Communication from UKVI

• No additional document requests
• No NSF (Not Straightforward) email
• No interview request

Only the standard processing emails before receiving the approval.

The waiting period felt much longer than it actually was 😅. I was checking Gmail and Reddit multiple times a day.

Good luck to everyone who's still waiting. I hope your approval email arrives soon!

Nationality Brazilian

Date of application 26/09/2025

Date of biometrics 06/ October/2025

REASONS FOR REFUSAL
On 26/09/2025 you made an application for entry clearance to the UK under Appendix FM
to the Immigration Rules on the basis of your family life with your partner.
Your application has been considered under those Rules, and with reference to Article 8
of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The relevant Immigration Rules
can be viewed on gov.uk here: www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules.
This decision takes into account as a primary consideration the best interests of any
relevant child in line with section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009.
We have considered your application under paragraph EC-P.1.1. of Appendix FM.
However, you do not qualify for entry clearance under the 5-year partner route for the
following reasons:
Suitability
Under paragraph EC-P.1.1.(c), your application falls for refusal on grounds of suitability
under Section S-EC of Appendix FM.
SUI 11.1. states an application for entry clearance or permission to enter must be refused
if:
(a) the applicant has previously breached immigration laws as defined in SUI 11.4; and
(b) the application was made within the relevant time period in SUI 12.1.
Home Office records show that you used deception in an application for entry clearance. I
am therefore satisfied that you have previously breached immigration laws as specified in
SUI 11.4.
You were refused for deception on 07/02/2024 and a mandatory refusal period of 10
applies from this date. As your application for entry clearance has been made within the
relevant time period specified in SUI 12.1 it is mandatory to refuse your application. I
therefore refuse your application under EC-P.1.1.(c) of Appendix FM of the Immigration
Rules. (SUI.11.1.(a)&(b))
Future Applications
As your application has been refused for deception under SUI 11.1 (a)&(b) you are subject
to a 10-year mandatory refusal period. This means any future entry clearance applications
may also be refused under the Immigration Rules for a period of up to 10 years, depending
on the type of application you make. The period of 10 years starts from the date of the
previous use of deception.
Eligibility
You meet the eligibility requirements of Section E-ECP of Appendix FM.

RIGHT OF APPEAL
You have 28 days from the date you receive this decision to appeal.

I'm posting this to see if anyone else is going through something similar, I don't know what to do!🥲

Okay guys! I am super excited to share this, I, like, literally just got my UK student visa approval !!!

Visa Approval Timeline

Application submitted- 13th July

Biommetrics done and documents submitted - 16th July

Vfs forwarded Application to UKVI - 16th July

Visa approved decision - 22July !!!

Literally in 5 days and yes it was a normal standard student visa pathway I applied FOR!

Thought of laying this out for those of y'all panicking! You've GOT THIS!!!! 💕 It's gonna be out soon and it's all gonna go super smooth dw!! :)

If a child is born in the UK to two Indian nationals currently on Skilled Worker visas, is it permissible for the child to remain in the UK without a dependant visa for six months? Specifically, we would like to know if we can wait until one parent obtains Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in six months' time to register the child directly for British citizenship. Additionally, would this approach allow us to avoid the administrative burden of obtaining an Indian passport for the child only to subsequently surrender it?

Hi lovely humans,

My spouse's visa is coming to its expiry date. I'd just like to make sure my calculations are right in terms of when exactly to apply for the renewal making sure she doesn't need a third renewal to apply for IRL in the future.

• Spouse visa granted: 1 February 2024
• Entered the UK: 2 March 2024
• Current visa expiry date: 1 November 2026
• She will complete 30 months in the UK on: 2 September 2026
• She will complete 5 years in the UK on: 2 March 2029

My understanding is that she can apply for her spouse visa extension any time before her current visa expires (so potentially any time in October 2026), and that this should give her enough time on the second visa to apply for ILR in February/March 2029 without needing a third spouse visa.

I would appreciate people's thoughts to confirm if this is correct, and whether the qualifying period for ILR is counted from the date she entered the UK (2 March 2024) rather than the visa start date (1 February 2024)?

Also, any suggestions on how long before expiry date we should make the application? I'm thinking mid-October...

Thank you!

Hi everyone,
I applied for UK naturalisation on 19 April 2026 and attended my biometrics appointment on 21 May 2026.
I know it’s still quite early in the process, but I’m curious to see how everyone else’s applications are progressing. Has anyone who applied around April/May 2026 received any updates, requests for further information, or decisions yet?
Also, does anyone know if the processing timeline is counted from the date the application was submitted/paid for or from the date of biometrics? I’ve seen different opinions about this and would like to understand how others are tracking their timelines.
For those who have already received decisions, how long did it take from application date and from biometrics?
Thanks everyone, and good luck with your applications! 🍀

Hi!

I'm a Russian citizen and I recently got the Fiancée Visa and moved to the UK on a permanent basis to be with my UK citizen partner. We are currently waiting for our registry date & will be applying to Family Visa

The conundrum I have encountered here is something else and I need some course of action. Because I come from Russia but have a more western name, Russian government services spelt it in a funky way(think like Johns instead of Jones). It is impossible to change the English spelling in my Russian passport and whatever documents, it's just the way it is. However, as I now reside in the UK, I want to change my first and last name spellings. Moreover, my future husband and I want to have a shared double last name with the new spelling of my last name (think like Smith Jones or whatever)

From what I've read online, I shouldn't meddle with my documents and aliases before we get married, as it complicates things. So I'm considering the following steps:
1. Get married with my current first and last name
2. Get a deed poll going to change the spelling of my full name and add my husband's last name as well
3. Once my name change is through, my husband will get a deed poll to add my last name to his
4. Apply for the Family Visa
5. ????
6. PROFIT

If anyone has gone through similar processes or is knowledgeable on name change matters, please lend your wisdom in the comments. I am quite lost on the correct steps without messing with visa application and what have you

Hi everyone,

This was my first time applying for a Visa this seriously, and I got a lot of help from experience of other people on this subreddit. Here is my bit towards the same.

Applied for: me, my wife and my child for Standard 6 month visit visa (no priority service, no add-ons from VFS/ any agent, did complete application myself)

Profile: I work in a company and primary income is through salary. My wife has a business with irregular income. Child is minor.

Timeline:

22 June: Completed application and payment

29 June 9 am: Biometrics appointment to VFS Center Mumbai

29 June 5 pm: Email from VFS saying application has now been sent to UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI)

30 June 12 pm: Email from UKVI saying UK visa application has arrived at the UK Visa Section

2 Jul 3 pm: Email saying they still processing the visa applications

13 Jul 12 pm: Email with visa approved, created UKVI account immediately on receipt of email and eVisa was linked within 6 minutes

Documents I submitted

(I got a lot of help from this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/SchengenVisa/comments/1u119lb/got_my_first_schengen_visa_france_for_a_family_of/)

1. Cover letter for all three of us (I wrote and signed the cover letter for my child)
2. Detailed travel itinerary with day wise plan
3. Individual sponsorship letters for my wife and my child (my wife has earning from business but it's not that much and is irregular, so I became the primary sponsor for the trip)
4. Detailed breakdown of expenses for the trip
5. Stamped bank statements for me and my wife
6. Last 3 years ITR for me, last 1 year ITR for my wife (for her there was no income before that)
7. Form 26AS (tax statement for the financial year 2025-26, as the latest Income Tax acknowledgement is not available yet)
8. My Salary slips for the last 6 months
9. My Employment and leave confirmation letter
10. My offer letter and increment letter from current employer
11. PAN card copy for me and my wife
12. My Mutual fund investment statements from MF Central
13. Birth certificate of our child
14. Marriage certificate
15. Previous travel history to Thailand (declared in cover letter and provided TDAC), and my travel to Japan (provided bio page and visa sticker copy from old passport)
16. I also had a Schengen visa rejection around 13 years back, which I mentioned honestly in the application form (but did not write in cover letter or provide any rejection letter copy)
17. We plan to stay with a relative in London during our trip, we provided their invitation letter, accommodation proof (lease agreement), their employment letter, UK Visa share code and passport bio pages
18. Ties to India: Provided copy of property purchase agreement

I know the feeling of visa refusal even after all these years, so was very anxious the whole time. I would randomly check my inbox, spam folder and this subreddit for experience of other people. I found couple of people getting their application approved within 2-3 days, so with each passing day, my anxiety kept shooting up. Hope this helps anyone who is applying/has applied and is waiting for the decision. Happy to answer any questions.

Peace 👋

Hi all - I just got my SWV refused today. I'm looking for help, but also to show what happened to me in case anyone else was confused like I was.

I have a flat, a car, a life here. I've been here since September 2020 on different visas. I just can't wrap my head around leaving right now and I'm devastated. Please, any help is appreciated.

My previous visa expired on 14 July 2026, so I was on Section 3C leave while waiting for the decision.

My details were:

• SOC code: 3554, Advertising and marketing associate professionals
• Salary: £34,650 per year
• Hourly rate: approximately £18.01
• SOC 3554 was listed on the Temporary Shortage List
• Published going rate for SOC 3554: £33,400 based on 37.5 hours per week
• My CoS stated that the job was on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List
• My CoS stated that I was not a new entrant

My application was refused on 22 July 2026 under SW 4.2, SW 4.4 and SW 8.1, with reference to SW 17.1.

The Home Office awarded me:

• 20 points for sponsorship
• 20 points for the appropriate skill level
• 10 points for English
• 0 points for the tradeable salary requirement

The refusal said that under Option A, I needed to earn at least £41,700 per year as well as meet the going rate for SOC 3554.

They accepted that the going rate for SOC 3554 was £33,400, but said my salary of £34,650 did not meet the £41,700 general threshold.

They also said they considered the other tradeable-points options but that no alternative option applied.

What confused me is that SOC 3554 is shown on the Temporary Shortage List with a salary figure of £33,400. I believed that earning above this amount meant I met the salary requirement. I now understand that the Temporary Shortage List apparently only makes the occupation eligible for sponsorship and does not provide the reduced salary threshold available to jobs on the Immigration Salary List.

There also appears to be an issue with the refusal saying I failed SW 8.1. My salary seems to exceed the pro-rated going rate for SOC 3554, so it appears that I met the occupational going rate but failed the separate £41,700 Option A threshold.

My employer may be willing to raise my salary to £41,700 and issue a new CoS. I understand that a salary increase after the refusal probably cannot fix the original application through administrative review and that I may need to make a fresh Skilled Worker application.

My main questions are:

1. Is the Home Office correct that SOC 3554 being on the Temporary Shortage List does not allow me to use the £33,400 Option D threshold?
2. Is the reference to failing SW 8.1 a caseworking error if I met the pro-rated going rate? Is that error worth raising in an administrative review if I still failed the £41,700 Option A threshold?
3. If my employer raises my salary to £41,700 and issues a new CoS, would a fresh application be the correct route?
4. If I submit a fresh application after refusal, what happens to my Section 3C leave and right to work while the new application is pending?

My refusal letter gives me 14 calendar days to request an administrative review, so I am trying to understand the safest route before the deadline.

Submitted docs right after my citizenship ceremony on 6/7 to Hemel Hempstead - they arrived 7/7, though application updated to docs received 9/7.

Just received my passport and other passports/docs back today 22/7

I had my naturalisation certificate in a plastic sleeve when I posted it which they discarded, though my certificate is thankfully fine. I had included coloured print outs of my expired passports instead of posting them too, and I think the extra paper weight helped protect it on the way back :)

I am going to apply for a UK tourist visa from Nigeria to write the IMAT exam to study medicine in Italy. I have pre-enrolled at my intended university as well. The itinerary of my trip is simple: travel to London. I will be staying with my aunt, who is a British citizen and lives in London, for maybe a week and a half, so that removes accommodation costs, and my parents will be sponsoring my flight ticket and any other costs; there really isn't any other thing tbh.

The only qualm in my application is that the IMAT registration has not opened yet, and it usually maybe late august of closer to the exam date which is on sept 30 but i need to apply for the visa beforehand due to processing times, do you think my application will be strong enough with just a pre enrollment summary(this indicates my application to study in italy and take the exam to get admission for medicine), the italian goverments decree of when the exam is and the fact they haven't started registration and its usually closer to the exam date which doesn't give time for visa processing, correspondence with my school that indicates the registration of the exam is handled when the government says so which nobody knows at this time, i think if my case is stated well in my cover letter it should be enough but what do you think

Hi,

I'm applying for my first tourist visa. I have previously gotten a schengen visa as well - my current concern is that I lended my friend through bank transfer amount of 30K aed which they returned as cash and I deposited back into acc. This will get flagged so I will explain in cover letter. Is that OK?

Also, should your expenditure for the trip in UK be lesser than your average monthly expenditure?

Any other important tips for approval?

I hope this is OK to repost here. Curious about others experience and the cost of Sable international and helping me navigate a claim to citizenship in the UK under section 4L. If this is not OK to post, my apologies and please remove.

My visa is valid from 1 May 2026 to 1 May 2028. Does the 3 month entry period apply to to the HPI visa? Do I need to enter the country by 1 August 2026 to ensure the visa stays valid?

My brother and his daughter’s visit visa application, fully sponsored by me, was submitted on 10th July. Their biometric appointment was scheduled for 17th July in Lahore, Pakistan. However, I received a reminder email on 17th July stating their biometrics, despite them having already done theirs that morning, I also received an email informing me their visa application had been sent to the UKVI for consideration. Since then I haven’t received any further emails not even one saying we’ve received your application from the decision-making centre in Abu Dhabi. I’m concerned as other posts on this platform says they have received an email few days after that their application is been received, not sure whether this is normal or if I should follow this up.

Hi there! I cannot find any confirmation on the gov UK website regarding this, but does anyone know how the application works if you have 2 nationalities? I intend to apply with my EU passport, but I also hold another citizenship and unfortunately have no valid passport for it due to some ongoing circumstances and have no easy way of getting my 2nd nationality's passport any time soon. I know the application asks you to list all your nationalities and I will include my 2nd citizenship in the form, but did anyone have to submit both passports and present both of them at the visa appointment? Thank you!

I am a student who just came back to the UK from a short trip in europe this afternoon. If I submit an application for the graduate visa on the same day (within a few hours after landing back and entering the UK Border), is there a chance my application can get refused due to border systems not syncing my arrival in the UK on time? has there been any cases of this happening before?

Got my UK Student visa approval email today and successfully created my UKVI account. Passport scan, identity verification, and account setup all completed successfully. However, when I log in, it still says "We'll email you when your eVisa is ready to view." I. Has anyone experienced this?when will eVisa to appear after setting up your UKVI account?.

Has anyone attempted to add irish passport to ukvi account?

I am on dependent skilled worker visa on pakistani passport and now have got irish passport which i am trying to upload to ukvi account but it gives me an error at the end of process "sorry there is a problem with the service "?

Anyone who experienced same? As an irish i have same rights as british so do I even need to inform UKVI? I have spoken to UKVI webchat and phone and the only way is to physically send passport which I am trying to avoid given risk of losing in the post.

Thank you

.

I applied for naturalisation via EUSS + 1yr on the 24th February, with biometrics submitted on the 18th March. Realistically I should've received the HO letter by now, but all I got was radio silence. In hindsight, it was probably due to the vast amount of documents I've submitted, since I gave the HO my bank statements due to not being employed whilst at university. So I chased up Citizenship Support via email, since I was getting a little worried that something's gone wrong.

Today I got an email from Citizenship Support stating that my application was approved and my certificate has been printed off and dispatched to the local authority.

Quite happy about that and certainly worth the two grand to sleep with a peace of mind that Reform won't be able to deport me now!

Basically I have documents translated in the agency, they are attached to the black and white copies of the original documents. Do I also need to attach colour copies on top of that? Or what's the best way to do this? The reason I feel I need to definitely attach the black and white copies is because they are stiched together with the translation so if I scan the translation without them it might look weird or idk. All this for student visa