Processing times
Processing is not at all consistent and processing times can vary greatly from application to application, regardless of the submission date even where the same application centre has been used by different applicants. Therefore, individual processing times are now impossible to predict accurately.
This is an unprecedented situation. The Home Office will only consider expediting applications where there are compelling compassionate circumstances (such as illness or death) and therefore, applicants will need to be prepared for a very long wait for their UK visas to be issued.
In addition, priority services have been suspended for in-country Global Business Mobility and PBS Dependant, which means that they will be processed under the standard service of approximately eight weeks.
We are also now seeing some delays with Skilled Worker visa applications where priority service was applied. Applicants must not leave the UK until their applications have been approved by the Home Office and their new BRPs have been issued.
Related links
Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK
Further details regarding these changes can be obtained by reaching out to your usual contact in our Global Immigration & Mobility team.