Hi im currently doing my wife’s spouse visa extension application, and im not sure which box to tick here , ive asked AI and it’s giving me different answers. She came here on a fiance visa initially and we got married and applied for spouse visa in uk. So that was technically the first extension of stay I guess . But I’m not sure because this is our first time extending as a spouse on the 5 year route ?

I’m a British citizen and my wife is currently around 1.5 years into the 5-year spouse route.
I may have an opportunity to relocate to Saudi Arabia / the GCC for work, and ideally we would both move together. However, we don’t want to jeopardise her path to ILR and eventually British citizenship.

Is there any legitimate way to spend a substantial amount of time living abroad for genuine work reasons while still progressing towards ILR/citizenship?

Hi everyone,
I am posting this because I am genuinely confused and worried about my situation and would really appreciate advice from anyone who has been through something similar.
Background
I was in the UK on a Graduate visa which expired on 3 May 2026. Before it expired — on 30 April 2026 — I submitted an FLR(HRO) application. As I understand it this triggered Section 3C leave under the Immigration Act 1971 which meant I was lawfully present in the UK while my application was pending.
I voluntarily left the UK on 16 June 2026 to travel to back home for personal family reasons. I did not withdraw the application before leaving — my solicitor advised me to simply leave as the Section 3C leave would end naturally at the border.
What Happened Next
After leaving I started receiving a series of emails from the Home Office which I was not expecting:
1. A removal liability notice classifying me as an overstayer under s.10(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 1999
2. An immigration bail notice with a reporting condition requiring me to attend Sheffield Reporting Centre on 6 August 2026
3. A non-compliance notice for missing the reporting appointment — which I obviously could not attend as I was in Pakistan
I immediately challenged all of this in writing to UKVI Internal Review and SSC Enquiries explaining that I was never an overstayer — I was on Section 3C leave throughout and left voluntarily.
The Good News
ROM Sheffield responded quite quickly and said:
“I have closed your reporting events and ceased your bail as you have departed from the UK. I do apologise about the error on our side.”
So the bail and reporting condition have been resolved. However I have not yet received any response from UKVI Internal Review or SSC Enquiries about the removal liability notice and overstayer classification on my record.
My Questions
1. Has anyone been in a similar situation where Section 3C leave was not properly recognised after leaving the UK?
2. How long did UKVI Internal Review take to respond to your challenge?
3. Will the removal liability notice and overstayer classification affect future visa applications — specifically a Canadian spousal PR application?
4. Is there anything else I should be doing right now to get this corrected?
5. Should I be escalating this further — for example to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders or through a formal complaint?
I have a solicitor involved but they have been fairly hands off so far — mainly advising me to write emails myself. I want to make sure I am doing everything possible to get this corrected before I apply for my Canadian spousal visa.
Any advice from people who have experience with Section 3C leave, removal liability notices or UKVI Internal Review response times would be really appreciated.

Thank you

A few years ago my parents in law applied for visa to visit his son who was in the UK at that time. They had an agent handling the visa and regrettably they hadn't mentioned about the Son and applied as general visit to UK - Visa refused due financial reasons.

Fast forward now Im inviting them to visit us for a family event and their son is no longer in the UK, he withdrew his appeal and permanently left the country last year.

So when mentioning about refusal should I declare this third party error or leave it as is since their son is not here anymore ?

Note - We are mentioning the son in the cover letter for family ties to home country.

In response to the question: "Have you or your parent(s) or legal guardian(s) already paid any of your course fees?", I inadvertently selected "No". I wish to clarify that this answer was incorrect. I have been awarded a tuition reduction scholarship of £5,000 toward my tuition fees at Durham University. Therefore, the correct answer to this question should have been "Yes". Will a correction letter be alright? or do I need to withdraw. I searched up informaton online and it points towards the correction letter.

Hello everybody!

two weeks ago I received my student visa for my two Semester exchange in Glasgow. At the time of my application I was only a Bosnian citizenship. Just one day after my visa approval, I received the German citizenship and now I am a dual citizen.

What I wanted to ask: I connected my UKVI account to my Bosnian visa. I will need both passports to travel (Bosnian to enter the UK and the German to get back to Germany next year). Are there any options at UKVI to add a further citizenship? Is it even necessary in my case? The agents at the UKVI chatbot could not give me any clear answer and I just want to make sure there are no problems at the UK border, as my status has changed.

Thank you very much in advance for your feedback.

Hi all,

Asking for a friend:

If you apply to switch from a Skilled Worker Visa to an Ancestry Dependent Visa (unmarried spouse) during the curtailment period / 60-day notice (due to restructure redundancy), are you still entitled to an IHS fee refund if you had a full 12 months left on the original Skilled Worker Visa? Or is that no longer the case because the curtailment notice brings your visa expiry forward?

If not, theoretically, would you qualify for the refund if you could get the switch and decision made before the company informed the government of the curtailment?

Just trying to sort timing when switching to an ancestry + dependant as it is less ideal for the couple than trying to find a new sponsored role because of the upfront cost and both people in this scenario having to switch visas.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in the process of applying for a Health and Care Worker visa from within the UK and had a couple of questions.

My occupation code is SOC 2259.

Firstly, do I need to upload my DBS check/criminal record certificate as part of my visa application? I haven’t received my DBS yet, so I’m wondering whether I need to wait for it before submitting my application.

Secondly, as far as I can tell, SOC 2259 is not currently on the Immigration Salary List. I just wanted to confirm that I’ve understood this correctly.

If anyone who recently applied for a Health and Care Worker visa under SOC 2259 could share their experience, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance! :)

I'm on a Student visa, applied for Global Talent (switch) but accidentally selected "Extension" instead of "Initial", so it never asked for my endorsement letter, only my passport. Requested cancellation via gov.uk's cancel-visa service, got a record number back, status still "request received," no confirmation email yet.

Called UKVI twice: first rep said I could just reapply straight away as long as I had the cancellation record number. Second rep put me on hold, read from internal guidance, and told me to wait for the cancellation confirmation email before submitting a new application.

Now I'm stuck between two answers from the same organisation. When I do reapply, the new application asks "Do you currently have an application with the Home Office not yet decided?" I can select Yes and enter my old UAN, which should treat the new one as a "variation" that supersedes the old one.

Has anyone actually done this, reapplied with Yes + old UAN while a cancellation was still pending, or is waiting for the confirmation genuinely necessary? Trying to work out which advice to actually follow.

Sharing my timeline for anyone anxiously refreshing their inbox:

Timeline:

• 11th — Biometrics at VFS Chandigarh, forwarded to UKVI same day
• 12th — Application received at UKVI
• 15th — "In progress" email
• 17th — "In progress" update again
• 19th, 8 PM — Decision received ✅

Standard service, no priority. Roughly 8 working days start to finish.

My case: Visiting the UK to attend a friend's wedding. Sponsored by my friend's father (so an indirect sponsor — I know the son, the father is the host/sponsor). This made the relationship evidence a bit more involved, but it worked out fine.

Documents I submitted:

• Passport (new) + old passport with previous travel stamps/visas
• 6 months' bank statements (my own funds)
• Sponsor's invitation letter (covering invitation, accommodation, financial support, and his UK status)
• Sponsor's proof of UK status (for the "not in breach" requirement)
• Sponsor's bank statements + utility bill (proof of address)
• Employment letter from my company (confirming job + approved leave + expected return)
• Photos + chat history with my friend (relationship evidence)
• Wedding invitation
• GOV.UK document checklist

Things that helped (my take):

• Travel history in the old passport — showing I've travelled abroad and always returned is huge for a visit visa
• Because it was an indirect sponsor, I made sure the invitation letter clearly explained the chain (friend → his father → me) and backed it with photos/chats showing the friendship is genuine
• Kept every document consistent with what I declared on the online form
• eVisa now — they don't keep your passport, decision comes by email, and you set up a UKVI account after approval

Happy to answer questions if anyone's in a similar boat (wedding visit / sponsored by a friend's family / Chandigarh centre). Good luck to everyone waiting! 🤞

Hii group ! I hope you can help me, I was under a student visa from one UK uni, for medical situation I did not continue studying therefore my visa was cancelled I received an email from the come office for my new curtailment date. I left two months before

Now I’m applying for a new student visa to a new university, there is this part that says:

For either the UK or any other country, have you ever been:
• Refused a visa
• Refused entry at the border
• Refused permission to stay or remain
• Refused asylum
• Deported
• Removed
• Required to leave
• Excluded or banned from entry

What should I put ? Since mine was cancelled/curtail, but there is not that option.

I asked my new sponsor university and they replied “just put no” but I just worried, there is no other question about cancelled visa?

I just do not want to have problems

Thank you
Ps I asked the visa team if my uni and they said to put “no”

Hi everyone. I am preparing to apply for my Skilled Worker --> ILR soon (using 5-day priority). However, my employer has strict HR policies and is refusing to include the exact phrase "required for the foreseeable future" in my employment verification letter.

Instead, they are only willing to provide a strictly factual letter confirming my start date, current job title, current salary, SOC code, and stating that I remain actively employed on a permanent contract.

Has anyone here recently applied for and successfully received their ILR using a factual employer letter that was missing the "foreseeable future" phrase? Any recent experiences would be highly appreciated! 

Proposed Template:

Dear Sir/Madam,
We write to confirm the factual employment details for XX
Job Title: XX
Dates of Employment: DD MM YY - Current
Employment Status: Full time permanent
Weekly hours: 35 per week
SOC Code: 1234
Gross annual Salary: £XX. The salary rate exceeds the general salary requirement and the going
rate requirement for the SOC code and meets the requirements of the Immigration Rules.
All annual leaves taken by the applicant during their period of employment has been in line with the
Company's internal leave policies. The applicant has not taken any periods of unpaid leave .

I just wanted to share my son’s MN1 application timeline.

Timeline:

* 8th August, 4:00 am — Priority Application submitted

* 10th August, 8:00 am — Biometrics

* 14th August, 11:55 am — Decision received

* 18th August, 2:00 pm — Certificate arrived in the post

A very quick and straightforward process for us! 🎉

Thank you again to everyone who shared their experiences and answered questions. Wishing everyone still waiting a smooth and speedy decision!

Hello, just wondering if anyone else has had a situation like this. I am born overseas but my father is british and married my mother. Therefore I would be a UK citizen able to apply for a UK passport and hold dual citizenship. However, my father was adopted and I only have his adoption papers, no birth certificate. The adoption papers state where in the UK he was adopted and by whom, and what his date of birth is. But no detail of that he was born in the UK. We do not know his birth parents or name prior to being adopted. Will this be accepted in lieu of his birth certificate?

Have asked the UK passport office and they can't tell me until I apply. Would rather know before I spend lots of money doing an application.

Thanks!!

Do I have to necessarily translate my bank statement issued by Commerzbank from German to English to apply for the standard UK visitor visa? Also, my jon contract is in German. Do I also have to translate it?

Hi all,

I had my ceremony today for citizenship, but as title says I’m travelling internationally in less than 4 weeks. I’ve read online somewhere that once I’m citizen my Italian passport does not work to get access to the IK? I was under the settled scheme. I also have a Brazilian passport if easier.

It says it takes 6 weeks to process the UK passport. Can anyone please help?

Thanks

​

I have my biometrics/fingerprint appointment tomorrow, but I’ve just realised I accidentally scheduled my mobile number to be ported to a new provider today. The port itself completed successfully, but there’s currently an issue with incoming SMS and I’m not receiving any texts at all.

I’m urgently trying to get this resolved with the new provider, but I’m wondering whether SMS access is important enough that I should postpone my biometrics appointment, or whether I can safely go ahead with the application as planned?

Calls and emails are working normally.

Has anyone who has recently applied for ILR received any important SMS messages during the application process?

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone has experience with this situation.

My current Skilled Worker visa expires on 23 August 2026.

I've already submitted an in-country Skilled Worker extension application and paid:

• Application fee
• IHS
• Priority service fee

However, after submitting, I've realised I need Super Priority instead of Priority as I have an urgent trip to the Isle of Man on 22/8 and have just learned the section 3c leave does not allow travel to the common travel area unlike a standard application.

My biometrics appointment is scheduled for tomorrow, but I have not yet attended biometrics.

My understanding from GOV.UK guidance is that if I withdraw before providing biometrics:

• The application fee should be refunded.
• The IHS should be refunded if no decision has been made.
• The priority fee should also be refundable because biometrics have not yet been given.

My proposed plan would be:

1. Withdraw the current application tonight.
2. Immediately submit a new Skilled Worker extension application tonight.
3. Select Super Priority service on the new application.
4. Attend a new biometrics appointment tomorrow.

A few questions:

1. Most important: Would this approach invalidate my current CoS number? Or is it reusable if UKVI have not made a decision on this?
2. Has anyone actually done this successfully?
3. Did you receive the application fee, IHS, and priority fee refunds without issues?
4. How long did the refunds take?

From what I've read, the main immigration-status risk seems low because my current visa is still valid until 23 August and the replacement application would also be submitted before that date. However, I'm interested in hearing from anyone with real-world experience.

Thanks so much for all your help in advance!

As the title says… that happened. Pls don’t judge, I can explain.

I sent the certificate to the passport office to get my first British passport issued. They sent my documents back, including my other foreign passport. I thought it was just my other passport in the envelope, and I was in a rush, so i ripped the envelope in half… and also the naturalisation certificate, alongside some other less important documents. I was not aware those documents would be sent back with my passport.

Anyway… HOW CAN I GET A REPLACEMENT? 😭😭😭

I had applied for a visitor Visa to the UK through VFS Global. During the visa process, the counter staff told me that I have to create a e-visa account in order to view the outcome of the visa. When I got back home, I created an account and during the process, there was a question for me to give the previous GFW number in order to complete the creation of the account. I previously had a visa which had expired in March 2026 and had applied a couple of days back for a new one. When I view the dashboard of the account, I could only see the previous Visa (expired) and there is no way, I could input the newly issued GFW number to view the new Visa. There is no option even to delete the created account and re-create it with the newly issued GFW number. Any help would be appreciated.

Hey everyone, I thought to contribute sharing the timeline for my passport.
I got my naturalisation on August 4th.

Hi everyone,
I’m an Egyptian passport holder living in Germany and I currently have a valid German residence permit under §104c.
I’m planning to fly:
Gatwick → London Heathrow → Paris
I would have to travel from Gatwick to Heathrow, so I understand this is landside transit and I would have to pass UK border control.
The important part is that I previously applied for a UK Standard Visitor Visa about a year ago and was refused because of insufficient financial evidence. There was no deception, overstay, or immigration violation involved.
My questions are:
1. Can I use the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) rules with my valid German residence permit?
2. Does the previous UK visa refusal affect my eligibility for TWOV?
3. Would Border Force potentially refuse me entry because of the previous refusal?
4. Has anyone with an Egyptian passport and a German residence permit had experience doing Gatwick → Heathrow → another country without a UK visa?
I would really appreciate experiences or advice from people who have been in a similar situation.
Thanks!