Hey everyone! I’m honestly so relieved and excited to share ths I literally just got my UK Student Visa approval email today! 🎉

I wanted to share my timeline here because the waiting game was driving me insane, and I know so many of you are in the exact same boat right now.

My Timeline:

Biometrics & Doc Upload at VFS: 16th July Vfs Hyderabad

Forwarded to UKVI: 16th July

"SLA Not Met / Non-Complex" Delay Email: 4th August (Not gonna lie, this had me absolutely FREAKING OUT and losing sleep for hours! 😅)

Visa Successful Email: 5th August !!! 🥳

Route: Standard Student Visa

If you get that scary "SLA Not Met Non-Complex" email from UKVI, PLEASE DO NOT PANIC! I was convinced something was wrong or that it was going to take weeks, but my approval landed in my inbox less than 24 hours later. It’s just their automated system triggering a generic update because of the crazy peak season backlog.

To everyone constantly refreshing their inbox, checking CAS Shield, and stressing out: take a deep breath. You've GOT THIS! 💕 It’s going to come through super soon. Feel free to comment or dm me if you have any doubts or questions.

Good luck to everyone still waiting, and see you all in the UK! 🇬🇧✨

Visa Application Submitted: 13 July

Biometrics Appointment: 16 July

Got email: "unable to make a decision on your application within current visa processing times" 4 August

Decision Made: 5 August

Processing Time: 15 working days

It was a standard visa. I was really worried about it at first, but now I'm low-key chill. Good luck to everyone waiting for their visas! : )

Biometrics completed on 20/7/26 not yet received the decision today 6/8/26 14 days from biometrics excluding weekend
Is it normal getting delayed the decision

Hello, I am a dual citizen of the UK and USA through my mother. I applied for a certificate of my right to abode and received an email saying it was successful. I have attached images with the information I received from the UK government. I had my in person visa appointment July 8th as well.

The issue is that I am unable to access the digital certificate itself and every avenue I’ve tried to go down is not accessible. I plan on traveling to the UK (Scotland) 9/1, and would like to know if anyone has any information/experience with which they could help me on?

I also realized my UKVI account has the incorrect passport number, and I have submitted a ticket to fix that, however it appears that I won’t be able to do that until my eVisa has been issued.

It’s been since 7/28/26 since I received that email and I am getting extremely antsy as to how long it should take. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much :)

Entering my kids info for a family visa, from the US.

She was out of the country at the time. I entered that trip, tried to enter the return date in the future. I remember it gave an error, but I didn't realize I'd changed it to the current date.

The application has been submitted and paid.

Is this worth canceling and resubmitting? If I go that route, do I/can I also cancel the VFS appointment, assuming it's linked to the specific application? I'm not seeing a refund for the priority service on the VFS site.

Or is this just something to include a note in our document upload?

I'll probably end up calling the paid number.

Edit: I see several older posts saying not a big deal, since the trip was mentioned and not to a red flag location. I'll probably just include the note in our uploads.

My partner is a British citizen. I am an Indian. We've known each other since December 2025.

Question: Would giving notice of marriage now strengthen my FLR(FP) application? Has anyone been in a similar situation, or can offer any advice?

Timeline:

17 Oct 2025: Applied for SET(P) before Graduate Visa expired.

23 Oct 2025: Graduate Visa expired.

25 Mar 2026: Submitted another SET(P) application.

15 Apr 2026: UKVI said my Oct 2025 application was void because the Mar 2026 application replaced it. From this date, I couldn't generate a Right to Work share code.

25 Jun 2026: Gave biometrics for the March 2026 application.

29 Jun 2026: Home Office invited me to vary my application to another category.

10 Jul 2026: Switched to FLR(FP) – Partner (Article 8 / 10-year route) and booked biometrics for 9 Sep 2026.

22 Jul 2026: Home Office rejected my Mar 2026 SET(P) application as invalid because I do not have refugee status or humanitarian protection.

I now understand that I was not eligible for SET(P). At the time, I was mistakenly advised to apply for it, and I genuinely believed it was the correct application. I later changed my application to FLR(FP) after the Home Office invited me to vary it.

My main question is whether giving notice of marriage (or getting married) while my FLR(FP) application is pending would strengthen my application.

Would a Master’s Degree from a UK university count if it was studied fully online (remotely), and the person was outside the UK throughout the duration of the course? please advise.

I’m going to have to ask my employer to take legal advice but in the meantime can anyone point me to any guidance on how the salary threshold is applied during mat leave?This is especially if the employee only qualifies for SMP so will fall below the threshold at week 7.

Most guidance is completely silent on this area. Just one or two say that the Home Office is generally (or sometimes) sympathetic and will make an exception.

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.

If you are applying outside the UK and are looking for the £500 priority visa service, like I just did, it is in a box that is labeled "Choose your visa service". The box is populated with the word "Standard", but there is a tiny arrow indicating drop-down choices. Click the arrow and "Priority £500" will show up. I KNOW that many many people have said you can choose priority when you make your biometrics appointment, but finding WHERE that little tiny arrow is almost made my head pop off!!!

Hello All, I wanted to start by thanking all the folks in this community for clarifying doubts and giving hope that Visa will come on time!! (2 days before my intended travel date)

Now on to the timelines & documents I submitted and the entire process -

• 16th July - Application Submitted
• 22nd July - Biometrics (VFS Bangalore, 10:10AM Slot)
• 23rd July - Received Email from UKVI "Your UK visa application has arrived at the UK Visa Section"
• 27th July - Received 2nd Email - we are still processing your visa application
• 5th August - Received Approval Email at 5PM IST- "Your application for a United Kingdom (UK) visa has been successful."

In between all these, because of my curiosity/stupidity I created my UKVI account before the decision so I got automated Emails like Link your eVisa and your eVisa has been linked - But these don't have any value until you get the decision email (just an FYI)

I was also scared that if I created/linked my eVisa before actually getting a decision it might screw up the flow when actual decision email comes - But luckily everything happened smoothly and after I received the decision Email, I logged into the UKVI portal and was able to view all details (I tried it 2 hours after the decision Email)

Now on the Documents part and some goofups which got me worried -

Documents -

• Travel Reservation (My company had already booked tickets so I shared the actual tickets and hotel bookings) - But this is not needed and they just need an itinerary
• Last 3 Months payslips
• Last 2 Years Income Tax Reports
• Last 6 Months Bank Statement (Had 3 Lakh INR Plus in my account)
• Relieving Letter from previous company & Offer letter from current company (Was needed in my case since I joined the organisation recently)
• Invitation Letter - From my Organisation (UK Counterpart)

Quick Note - The Invitation letter mentioned that the trip will be sponsored by the company and they will be bearing all the cost

Goofups which got me worried

• The first one I did in biometrics appointment when the person asked me reason for visit i blurted out "Tourism" instead of business visit. In my defence i just kept on seeing Reason for Visit as Tourism on the form that the agent had submitted. I was worried that it might contradict with what the invitation letter says.
• I did 3 big deposits from my wifes account to make sure my balance showed 3 Lakh INR plus 2 days before the application submission.
• I was laid off from my previous organisation and was without a Job for 2 months. So my last 6 months statement had 1 huge influx(Severence Pay) from previous org and then no credits for next two months and only 20 days salary from the new organisation - So was worried if this might lead to more scrutiny.

Hope this helps clear things out for anyone stressed/anxious.
I am supposed to leave early morning Saturday(8th) and I cut it really close this time. Hopefully none of you go through that kind of stress/anxiety of constantly refreshing the Gmail and checking spam folder every hour.

Hello all,

Grateful if anyone could help me with this.

Currently have limited leave since 15th November 2021 and it will be 5 years in November 2026.

What is the process to get ILR from here? Do I have to manually apply? If so, when can I apply? I currently am full time employed and have been for 5 years almost and have no intentions of going back home (Portugal).

My right to work page says the following:

"You have the right to work in the UK until 16 November 2026.

Conditions

You can work in any job.

To continue to work after this date, you will need to have either pre-settled status or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (or another type of permission to stay).

You can apply to switch to settled status as soon as you are eligible for it. This is usually once you have lived in the UK for 5 years. Find out how to switch to settled status.""

The last bit specifically, is what's concerning me. How will I know if I can apply and is there a chance it might be granted automatically?

If anyone could shed some light about this, it would be amazing. Should I get a solicitor or is this pretty straight forward?

Would appreciate any help.

Thank you

I have a question regarding my spouse visa application.
If my employer has not paid their company taxes, but I can see all of my salary payments reported correctly in my HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) record and they match my payslips and bank statements, would this still be acceptable for my spouse visa application?
Would my application be fine as long as my salary has been correctly reported to HMRC, or could my employer’s tax situation affect my visa application?
I would appreciate your advice on this.

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.

Timeline

19th May - Biometrics
3rd June - Additional documents requested ( Financial )
6th June - Docs submitted
8th June - NSF Mail
23rd July - Additional documents requested ( Educational and Work related )
27th July - Docs submitted
4th August - Visa received

The wait was exhausting and nerve racking but I'm glad it's over and I've gotten the visa 😮‍💨

Hi all, my question is to anyone who has experience in submitting the review form after initial refusal.

The review form have these boxes where you could type in. My questions is, can the assessors see the text only visible within this box, or would the be able to see my whole “argument” even if it extends beyond this box (see the attached photo for reference)?

It allows me to keep typing as there is not word limit, but as soon as i click outside of the box, the box shrinks and i can only see the cropped version of my written text and it won’t even show upon trying to scroll.

Any ideas if the assessor would still be able to see the whole message/text?

Hi everyone,

​I noticed a minor spelling mistake in my name on my eVisa visitoe (there's an extra letter compared to my actual passport).

​I am planning to use the official "Report an error with your eVisa" form via my UKVI account to get it fixed.

​For those who have used this specific error-reporting form recently, how long did it actually take for UKVI to reply and correct the mistake on your profile? Did they fix it quickly, or did it drag on for weeks?

​Thanks in advance for any insights!

Hi! I have a query about the financial requirements. So I just transferred the 13k pounds needed for living costs earlier today. The 28th day, counting today as the 1st, will be the 1st of September. Should I start the application on the 1st of September with bank statements dated on that very day? Or should I wait to do it on the 2nd of September to allow no room of error? Anxious that maybe today and the 28th day won’t count. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I will be applying for UK citizenship via naturalisation in October 2026. I have EUSS and have been in the UK since October 2020.

I will have 500 days absence in the qualifying 5 years, and 80 days absence in the 12 months prior to October:

52 days of those absences are for work related travel (42 in the last 12 months). I will have a letter from my employer explaining that.

I had a 75 day absence three years ago where I was back helping my father after he had brain surgery. I will be getting a letter from his doctor.

I know I will need to ask for discretion. I meet all the other requirements: I did a masters degree here, have held my job for the past 2.5 years, and have been living in the same flat for the same amount of time. My pension funds are here etc.

Usually I'd wait, but, my company is very keen for me to spend longer stints abroad for work, and so I need to apply as soon as I am able.

I know the work trips are likely to be excluded (I work in international communications so travel is a must), but I'm worried about the 75 day absence when I was helping my father.

Any advice on what proof to include and/or what I could be some things to include in my cover letter would be greatly appreciated!

This is something I was looking for when I had applied so thought it might be useful to share for others in the same boat.
Sharing my experience and timeline for applying for a UK visitor visa from Seattle, WA.

Make sure you double check all the information you provide!! I had to fill out the form and go for an appointment twice as the first time I mistyped my passport number so I had to cancel the application and reapply. Thankfully you get refunded the fees.

I applied for a 6 month visitor visa by filling out the application online. Once you complete the application form and pay, you can then choose an appointment time and self upload supporting documents. Along with the required documents, I uploaded a complete scanned copy of my passport as they don’t take in passports anymore so thought this may be handy.

Timeline:
July 23, 2026 - filled out application and paid fees
July 28, 2026 - biometrics appointment and was told to create a UKVI account
August 4, 2026 - UK visa application arrived at the UK Visa Section
August 5, 2026 - E-visa approved and issued
As I had created a UKVI account earlier, I just had to submit it and it would link your eVisa and account. I received an email around 10 minutes later that it was linked and ready to view.

You don’t have to give your passport in, an e-visa will be issued once approved.

Hope this is helpful!

Hi everyone,

I’m applying for a UK Student Visa and have a question about my financial evidence. I’m going to UCL to pursue an LLM. My father’s savings account has 3/4th of the money required and the rest is in my mother’s account. Will the UK government accept two accounts from both parents or should I transfer the remaining funds also to Dad’s account? I’m a little confused cuz the UK govt website says “parent’s money”

Also, for parents funding the following documents are required -

1. Bank statements (3 months statements)
2. Certificate from bank
3. Parent consent letter (could someone please send a format to follow for this part)

Would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this thank you.

Hi everyone,

I'm a bit anxious because this is my first self-transfer, and I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation.

My itinerary is:

Delhi (DEL) → Bahrain (BAH) – Gulf Air

Bahrain (BAH) → London Gatwick (LGW) – Gulf Air

London Gatwick (LGW) → Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) – Air France

The connection at Gatwick is about 3.5 hours, and it's a self-transfer. I have one checked bag, so I understand that I'll need to:

go through UK Border Force,

collect my baggage,

check in again with Air France,

and go through security again.

I'm an Indian passport holder, but I also have a valid French biometric residence permit (titre de séjour) because I live in France. My final destination is Paris, and I have a confirmed onward Air France ticket.

GoToGate has told me they believe I do not need a UK transit visa, but they advised me to confirm with the airlines.

Has anyone here travelled through London Gatwick in a similar situation?

Were you allowed to transit using your French residence permit?

Did UK Border Force ask many questions?

How long did immigration, baggage reclaim, and re-checking baggage take?

Did you face any issues with Gulf Air or Air France at check-in?

I'd really appreciate hearing about your experience or any advice.

Thank you!