Home Office reports delays in processing immigration record requests
06 Aug 2026
If you're planning to apply for ILR or British citizenship and need your official Home Office record, for example a full history of your travel dates and absences, be aware that requests are taking longer to process right now.
GOV.UK's guidance page on requesting personal information held by UK Visas and Immigration was updated on 4 August 2026 with a new warning. It states: "Owing to a high volume of requests, we are currently experiencing delays in processing. We are actively working to reduce the outstanding cases and will progress your request as quickly as possible."
The normal timescale still applies once your request is complete. The guidance says you will get a response within one month, but only once the Home Office has all the supporting documents it needs from you. That one-month clock does not start until your documents are in, so an incomplete request can sit for longer before it is even picked up.
If you're gathering evidence of your time in the UK, such as travel or absence records, for an upcoming ILR or citizenship application, it's worth sending your request in good time and making sure you include every supporting document asked for upfront, rather than waiting until close to your application date.
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