Update for UK Study and Work Visa: UKVI Resumes Priority Visa Services

UKVI offers PV and SPV visa appointment services to applicants who need to visit the UK urgently. It is an indispensable tool for candidates applying for UK student visa or a sponsored work visa. These services expedite the application process for applicants who need to visit the UK. The appointment services are optional and available at an additional cost. Using a Priority Visa appointment or a Super Priority Visa appointment does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. These services reduce the decision time for the visa application. Typically, the UK visa process takes 15 working days. But with PV and SPV appointment services, this time is reduced to 5 days and one day, respectively.

PV and SPV appointment services were temporarily suspended for various applications. This decision allowed UKVI to process standard applications faster and reduce their average processing time. These priority visa services are now available for new student and sponsored work visa applications. Applicants can select PV or SPV services while submitting their online applications. The services are available at an additional cost. Priority visa services can be opted for during the online application process and cannot be purchased later at the Visa Application Centre. The services are also unavailable retrospectively and, therefore, should be purchased during the online application process.

Priority visa services like PV and SPV may be purchased to reduce the processing time for visa applications. Any individual applying for a UK visa can buy such services while filling out the online application. The processing time for priority visa services is as follows:

• A decision on a Priority Visa application is usually received within five days
• A decision on a Special Priority Visa application is generally received within one day

If available, priority visa services can be purchased when booking a visa appointment. The services are available for limited appointments and can’t be bought if the appointments are full. Fresh Priority Visa appointments are released weekly.

Priority Visa services are also open for new visit visa applications. Although, UKVI has gradually reduced the volume of Priority Visa appointments for new visit visa applications. Meanwhile, the number of Super Priority visa appointments remains the same.