Priority Visa services

Priority Visa Services

Priority visa services allow your application to be processed ahead of other applications.

For applications for new visits, studies, and the majority of jobs, you can use UK Visas and Immigration's Priority Visa service if you want a visa quickly.

By doing this, you will guarantee that your application is processed first at all levels of the decision-making process.

How long does it take to get a visa?

Within five working days of receiving your biometric data, UK Visas and Immigration hopes to decide on your Priority Visa application and notify you that your passport is prepared for pickup.

Yet since each application is different, it might not be able to reach this deadline if yours is not simple. If this is the case, UK Visas and Immigration will endeavour to handle your application in accordance with international customer service standards, and your application will still be prioritised at every level of the decision-making process.

Your application may not be straightforward if you have:

• been refused a visa for the UK, and/or;
• been refused leave to enter the UK, and/or;
• been deported, removed, or otherwise required to leave the UK, and/or;
• overstayed a period of leave in the UK, and/or;
• had leave to remain in the UK curtailed by the Home Office, and/or;
• been refused leave to remain in the UK by the Home Office, and/or;
• been refused a visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America, or the Schengen countries, and/or;
• you have been interviewed, detained, or prosecuted by the police for any offence in the UK or elsewhere, and/or;
• you have an unspent criminal conviction in any country, and/or;
• you have committed a criminal offence in any country, and/or;
• there is a need to check or gather further information in order to complete your visa application.

If you fall into one of these categories, you may not want to use the Priority Visa service, as UK Visas & Immigration may be unable to process your application within the 5-day timescale.

Things to know

All customers are eligible to apply for the Priority Visa service, with the exception of those who are applying for visas to visit other Commonwealth countries, British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies (the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), ECAA, EUSS, EEA, and British National Overseas (BNO) applications.

The cost of this service is in addition to the charge for your visa application and is not refundable in the event that your visa request is denied or, in rare circumstances, if processing takes longer than expected. The success of your application is not assured if you use the Priority Visa service. All applicants for visas must adhere to the UK Immigration Regulations.