UK visa processing times: every current service standard
Unlike Canada's per-country statistics, the UK publishes service standards: targets for how long a decision should take once you've attended your biometric appointment, applying from outside the UK. Here is every standard we track, as last updated June 26, 2026.
Family visas
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Adult coming to be cared for by a relative | 12 weeks |
| Child | 12 weeks |
| Parent | 12 weeks |
| Partner or spouse | 12 weeks |
Family visas, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Adult coming to be cared for by a relative | 8 weeks |
| Child | 8 weeks |
| Parent | 12 months* |
| Partner or spouse | 8 weeks |
| Partner or spouse - private life | 12 months* |
Other visas and permits, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| British National | 12 weeks |
| Entrepreneur | 8 weeks |
| International Sportsperson | 8 weeks |
| Investor | 8 weeks |
| Minister of Religion | 8 weeks |
| Scale-up Worker | 8 weeks |
| Turkish Businessperson | 6 months |
| Turkish Worker | 6 months |
Popular work visas, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Health and Care Worker | 3 weeks |
| Skilled Worker | 8 weeks |
Study visas, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Child Student | 8 weeks |
| Student | 8 weeks |
Temporary work visas, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Charity Worker | 8 weeks |
| Creative Worker | 8 weeks |
| Government Authorised Exchange | 8 weeks |
| International Agreement | 8 weeks |
| Religious Worker | 8 weeks |
Ukraine visas, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Ukraine Permission Extension scheme | 8 weeks |
Visit visa, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Standard Visitor | 8 weeks |
Work visas for an overseas employer, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Overseas Domestic Worker | 8 weeks |
| Representative of an Overseas Business | 8 weeks |
| Secondment Worker | 8 weeks |
| Senior or Specialist Worker | 8 weeks |
| Service Supplier | 8 weeks |
| UK Expansion Worker | 8 weeks |
Work visas to start a business, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Innovator Founder | 8 weeks |
| Start-up | 3 weeks |
Work visas you can apply for without a job offer, applying inside the UK
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Global Talent | 8 weeks |
| Graduate | 8 weeks |
| High Potential Individual | 8 weeks |
| Overseas Domestic Worker | 8 weeks |
| UK Ancestry | 8 weeks |
Other visas and permits
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| British National | 12 weeks |
| International Sportsperson | 3 weeks |
| Minister of Religion | 3 weeks |
| Returning Resident visa | 3 weeks |
| Scale-up Worker | 3 weeks |
standard application
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Passport | within 3 weeks |
Popular work visas
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Health and Care Worker | 3 weeks |
| Skilled Worker | 3 weeks |
Study visas
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Child Student | 3 weeks |
| Student | 3 weeks |
| Study English in the UK: Short-term student | 3 weeks |
Temporary work visas
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Charity Worker | 3 weeks |
| Creative Worker | 3 weeks |
| Government Authorised Exchange | 3 weeks |
| International Agreement | 3 weeks |
| Religious Worker | 3 weeks |
| Seasonal Worker | 3 weeks |
Ukraine visas
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Homes for Ukraine | 3 weeks |
Visit visas
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Chinese tour group | 3 weeks |
| Marriage Visitor | 3 weeks |
| Standard Visitor | 3 weeks |
| Transit | 3 weeks |
Work visas for an overseas employer
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Graduate Trainee | 3 weeks |
| Overseas Domestic Worker | 3 weeks |
| Representative of an Overseas Business | 3 weeks |
| Secondment Worker | 3 weeks |
| Senior or Specialist Worker | 3 weeks |
| Service Supplier | 3 weeks |
| UK Expansion Worker | 3 weeks |
Work visas to start a business
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Innovator Founder | 3 weeks |
| Start-up | 3 weeks |
Work visas you can apply for without a job offer
| Category | Current standard |
|---|---|
| Global Talent | 3 weeks |
| High Potential Individual | 3 weeks |
| India Young Professionals Scheme visa | 3 weeks |
| UK Ancestry | 3 weeks |
| Youth Mobility Scheme | 3 weeks |
What a “standard” is — and isn't
A service standard is the Home Office's own target for the share of applications it aims to decide within the stated window — not a maximum, and not a guarantee. Complex cases, missing documents, or verification checks can push individual decisions well past it, and UKVI occasionally suspends standards entirely on specific routes when volumes spike. That is exactly why the update date matters: a "3 weeks" published in June is a different fact from a "3 weeks" re-confirmed this week.
We re-check the official page weekly and record every change with its date, so each category page on this site shows both the current standard and its recorded history. For decisions that matter, confirm against the linked gov.uk source — figures on this site are reference data, not legal advice.