UKVI updates guidance to warn against travel before visa approval
10 Sep 2026
If you have a UK visa application in progress, whatever route you are on, this update matters. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) updated its processing time guidance on 9 September 2026 with a clear warning: "You must not travel to the UK before your visa application is approved." This applies whether you are waiting on a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, BNO, family, ancestry, or any other visa decision.
The update also spells out what happens if your case takes longer than the standard service times. UKVI states that it "will not reimburse any travel costs or other expenses if your application is refused or takes longer than expected." That means if you book flights, accommodation, or a job start date based on an expected decision time and your case is delayed, you carry that cost yourself.
Most routes have a standard processing time of around three weeks, but family visas and BNO applications can take up to twelve weeks. If your circumstances mean you cannot wait that long, priority services exist on some routes, but they still do not guarantee a specific date. The safest approach is simple: do not book non-refundable travel, resign from a job, or give notice on a tenancy until you actually have your visa decision in hand.
If you are already mid-application, check your visa's expected processing time on the UKVI page for your route and build in a buffer before making any firm plans that depend on the outcome.
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