When individuals submit their UK visa application to the Home Office, one of the most frustrating parts is the waiting time. A quick search online for the processing times for your particular visa will bring back very frustrating search results. Reports from other applicants will vary, from those saying they received confirmation in a matter of weeks to those dreadful reports of visa applications taking months and months. The good news is that the government has been quietly trialling a new system to help you track your UK visa status.

How to track your UK Visa Status

By visiting this link you will be able to input your reference number and get an update on the status of your visa. In order to be able to track your UK visa status, you will need to have one of the following numbers to hand:

  • Your Case Identification Number or ‘CaseID’. This should be included on all letters you have received from the Home Office and should be an 8 digit number. For example, 12345678. If your number includes a 0 at the beginning, you do not need to include this in the UK visa status form.
  • Payment Reference Number. After you have submitted payment for your application, you should receive a payment reference number that you can use to track the status of your uk visa application. It should follow this format: AG1234567890/123
  • Your Unique Application Number. This is a 16-digit number that will be on all letters and emails your receive from the Home Office.
  • Your Biometric Residence Permit Number. This is a combination of letters and numbers and can be found on your biometric residence permit number.
  • Your Immigration Health Surcharge number. If you had to pay the NHS immigration health surcharge when making your application, you should receive a number after payment. It will be a combination of numbers and letters in the following format: IHS123456789

Once you have located one of these numbers, you can use this information to track your UK visa status.

Can I speed up my UK Visa Status?

If you have used any of the following forms, you may be able to get a decision on your visa within 5 working days. This service only applies to the following visas:

  • SET (AF)
  • SET (F)
  • SET (LR)
  • SET (M)

You will need to download and fill in these request and payment forms from the Home Office. Only the first 5 requests received each day between 8 am and midday between Monday and Thursday are accepted. The cost for this service if £490 per person, in addition to the main application fee.