If you are awaiting a decision from the UKVI on a UK visa application, you would like to track the progress of your application, as it can be crucial to planning ahead, especially where you are facing travel deadline pressure for a decision. Hence, whether you are applying from overseas for entry clearance or leave to enter the UK, or you have applied from within the UK to extend your existing visa or to switch to another UK visa category, it is important to know how to track your visa application status.
Importantly, the process of checking your UK visa application status is different depending on whether you apply from outside or inside the UK.
Tracking your UK visa application status is a crucial step in the application process. It keeps you informed and can give you a fair idea of how long you may have to wait for a decision from the UKVI. By tracking your UK visa application status regularly, you can ensure that your application for a UK visa is moving through the process as expected and address any issues or delays.
Importantly, tracking your UK visa application status also means identifying any errors or omissions in your application early and correcting them before it’s too late. For example, if you notice that your application is taking longer than the average processing time, you may want to contact UKVI (the decision maker) to enquire about your application status and ensure that there are no issues that you need to address.
To check your UK visa application status, you will need certain key pieces of information about your application mentioned below.
• Personal details and contact details used on your application form. For example, your first name, last name, nationality, date of birth, and email address.
• Passport number you used when you applied for your UK visa.
• Type of visa applied for.
• Date of application or biometrics enrolment.
• Location of the visa application centre (If you submitted your visa application overseas)
• 9-digit GWF reference number.
• 16-digit unique application reference number.
• Immigration Health Surcharge reference number (if applicable).
Importantly, you need to ensure that before you attempt to check your UK visa application status, you have all of the necessary information and documents at hand. Doing so will help you avoid any unnecessary complications or delays and enable you to access any information that you need as easily and quickly as possible.
You can only track the application status made from within the UK by contacting the UKVI by phone.
You can track the status of your in-country visa application by calling the UKVI contact centre by telephone on 0300 790 6268 and selecting option 2.
The telephone line is open on Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). The lines are open 9 am to 4:45 pm Monday to Thursday and 9 am to 4:30 pm on Friday.
For any questions about your British citizenship applications, please get in touch with the Citizenship and Nationality Enquiries at their email address, nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk, or by calling 0300 790 6268 and selecting option 2.
You can call Monday to Thursday, 9 am to 4:45 pm, and on Friday, 9 am to 4:30 pm.
You can check the status of your UK visa applications outside the UK through the VFS Global website, TLS Contact website, UKVI website, or by calling UKVI by telephone.
On the VFS Global website, choose the location of the VAC (Visa Application Centre) where you enrolled your biometrics, followed by selecting ‘Track your application’. IF you do not find the option to track the status of your application, you should try the UKVI website instead.
Click ‘Provide Documents and Biometrics’ and then ‘Continue’ on the TLScontact website. This will redirect you to your account. Choose the option ‘Track’ here, which will display the real-time status of your application.
You can also check the status of your out-of-country application using the UKVI website. To use the ‘General Enquiry’ service incurs a charge of £2.74 per application. The charge covers the initial email related to your enquiry as well as follow-up emails relating to the same enquiry.
You will need to pay the ‘General Enquiry’ service charge using a debit or credit card and enter your payment details before sending your email. However, you will not be charged until your message has been sent. UKVI will usually reply to your email within 2 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and UK public holidays.
You can call UKVI by telephone with a question about your application on +44 (0)300 790 6268, followed by selecting option 1, or +44 (0)203 875 4669. This phone call service is open from Monday to Friday, 24 hours, for 69p per minute on top of your standard network charges.
Please note, for an urgent message, you can phone the contact centre instead, although the staff of the contact centre will not have any involvement in the outcome of your case.
We are a private immigration law firm of experienced immigration lawyers with extensive experience in assisting clients with their UK visa applications. Each immigration case is different and complex. Hence, we follow a customized approach as we understand the importance of your application being successful.
Our dedicated immigration lawyer will work closely with you to understand your case, identify your goal, assess your eligibility, complete your application, liaise with UKVI on your behalf, and monitor your UK visa tracking.
We work closely with you throughout the entire process, including tracking your application status, communicating regularly with you, and giving you regular updates.
For a one-to-one discussion, call our friendly client care team at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 to discuss your case.
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