From 1 April 2010 the UK Border Agency is changing our customer service standards for processing visa applications. We are doing this to improve our service to customers, to provide more information about visa processing times and make them simpler to understand.

From 1 April our service standard for all applications, except in settlement categories, is: to complete 90 per cent of visa applications (except settlement categories), in not more than three weeks, 98 per cent in six weeks and 100 per cent in 12 weeks.

We will continue to publish performance each month showing actual visa processing times, broken down by visa category and by visa application centre.

Our aim is to process all applications as quickly as possible, subject to completing the necessary security checks we need to carry out in order to protect the UK border. In the majority of cases, we are able to process visa applications earlier than our published service standards.  

To help customers calculate the overall time needed to complete their application, we are introducing a new service standard. In some locations we require you to make an appointment in order to give your biometrics (fingerprints and digital photograph). If you have made an appointment, our service standard is: Where you are required to make an appointment to give your biometrics, our aim is to offer you an appointment that takes place within one week of you requesting it.

For customers whose appeal has been allowed by an Immigration Judge, our visa processing centres aim to conclude the application as quickly as possible. We have introduced a new service standard for the time it takes us to do this. See our Appeals guidance.

For more information about local processing times, please look at the website for the correct visa application centre in the country where you are applying for a visa.

For more information about our customer service standards please see our Customer Service Standards page.

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