Last reviewed · First published
UKVI aims to decide Skilled Worker applications made outside the UK within 3 weeks, and those made inside the UK within 8 weeks. On the standard service in January to March 2026, it decided 98.3% of straightforward sponsored work applications made outside the UK on time, and 94.1% of those made inside it. UKVI doesn't publish an average waiting time.
These shares count only straightforward applications, and the Home Office calls them provisional. They describe past applications, so for your own, check your visa processing time on GOV.UK.
Terms used here: UKVI, Skilled Worker visa, Health and Care Worker visa and indefinite leave to remain.
Skilled Worker visa. Health and Care Worker: 3 weeks either way.
Each dot is 1 application in 100. Orange dots were late.
On time inside the UK, each against its own deadline.
59,938inside the UK on 2 July 2026
A year earlier: 30,828. Counts every application still waiting.
Straightforward sponsored work applications on the standard service unless stated, January to March 2026. Provisional Home Office figures.
Inside the UK, the share was lowest in July to September 2022, at 6.1%, and it didn't reach the aim in any quarter shown. From outside the UK it reached the aim in 13 of 18 quarters.
| Quarter | On time, outside | Straightforward, outside | Share, outside | On time, inside | Straightforward, inside | Share, inside |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Q4 | 33,875 | 34,367 | 98.5% | 22,608 | 24,045 | 94.0% |
| 2022 Q1 | 40,538 | 43,443 | 93.3% | 21,925 | 26,888 | 81.5% |
| 2022 Q2 | 52,242 | 65,729 | 79.4% | 3,654 | 30,225 | 12.0% |
| 2022 Q3 | 67,387 | 72,564 | 92.8% | 2,428 | 39,303 | 6.1% |
| 2022 Q4 | 61,900 | 64,366 | 96.1% | 22,760 | 30,821 | 73.8% |
| 2023 Q1 | 80,849 | 81,900 | 98.7% | 36,116 | 38,363 | 94.1% |
| 2023 Q2 | 82,558 | 83,493 | 98.8% | 35,652 | 40,555 | 87.9% |
| 2023 Q3 | 61,402 | 62,122 | 98.8% | 40,673 | 53,191 | 76.4% |
| 2023 Q4 | 73,610 | 74,081 | 99.3% | 53,447 | 58,498 | 91.3% |
| 2024 Q1 | 68,697 | 69,153 | 99.3% | 69,602 | 78,015 | 89.2% |
| 2024 Q2 | 40,707 | 41,137 | 98.9% | 52,264 | 54,184 | 96.4% |
| 2024 Q3 | 32,643 | 33,038 | 98.8% | 65,233 | 68,507 | 95.2% |
| 2024 Q4 | 28,651 | 28,846 | 99.3% | 78,678 | 83,624 | 94.0% |
| 2025 Q1 | 27,650 | 27,908 | 99.0% | 88,136 | 92,966 | 94.8% |
| 2025 Q2 | 29,228 | 29,393 | 99.4% | 84,157 | 88,438 | 95.1% |
| 2025 Q3 | 25,064 | 25,443 | 98.5% | 98,910 | 109,115 | 90.6% |
| 2025 Q4 | 18,319 | 18,462 | 99.2% | 93,835 | 99,381 | 94.4% |
| 2026 Q1 | 14,883 | 15,131 | 98.3% | 95,498 | 101,428 | 94.1% |
Straightforward applications decided within each service's deadline in January to March 2026. We show a share only where there were at least 50 straightforward applications.
| Visa and where you applied | Standard | Priority | Super priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored work Applied from outside the UK · 3 weeks | 98.3% of 15,131 | 98.3% of 4,899 | 99.3% of 433 |
| Sponsored work Applied from inside the UK · 8 weeks for Skilled Worker, 3 weeks for Health and Care Worker | 94.1% of 101,428 | 91.2% of 15,246 | 93.5% of 1,655 |
| Global Business Mobility Applied from outside the UK · 3 weeks | 98.6% of 3,397 | 91.8% of 2,062 | 100% of 166 |
| Global Business Mobility Applied from inside the UK · 8 weeks | 94.4% of 3,549 | 88.5% of 807 | 100% of 60 |
| Temporary work Applied from outside the UK · 3 weeks | 98.1% of 23,015 | 92.3% of 809 | 100% of 129 |
| Temporary work Applied from inside the UK · 8 weeks | 98.0% of 2,362 | 98.0% of 300 | 98.1% of 161 |
| Graduate Applied from inside the UK · 8 weeks | 99.5% of 53,326 | 94.8% of 1,425 | Fewer than 50 |
| Student Applied from outside the UK · 3 weeks | 95.5% of 13,797 | 85.7% of 11,341 | 76.3% of 1,537 |
| Student Applied from inside the UK · 8 weeks | 97.0% of 4,724 | 95.5% of 785 | 93.2% of 89 |
You may be able to pay for a faster decision. Priority adds £500 to the visa fee and usually gets a decision within 5 working days for most visa applications. Super priority adds £1,000 and usually gets a decision by the end of the next working day.
In January to March 2026, UKVI decided 91.2% of straightforward priority applications for sponsored work made inside the UK within 5 working days. It decided 93.5% of straightforward super priority applications by the end of the next working day.
GOV.UK says: “If the decision takes longer, you will not usually get your money back.” It also says: “There’s a limit on how many people can apply for a faster decision.” Each family member applying with you pays the extra fee too. In April to June 2026, 12.5% of sponsored work applications made inside the UK were priority applications and 1.3% were super priority.
The Home Office says: “Settlement data remains unavailable due to ongoing data quality issues.” It still publishes the figures, so we show them below. Treat them with care.
UKVI aims to decide settlement applications after a Skilled Worker visa within 6 months. For this route, GOV.UK lists the priority service only if you prove your identity at a UKVCAS appointment, not with the UK Immigration: ID Check app, and doesn't list the super priority service. For priority, the Home Office's notes and GOV.UK's table of eligible applications give 5 working days, but GOV.UK's guidance says priority settlement applications usually take 30 working days. The Home Office doesn't say which of the two it measured against.
The Home Office still counts 1,131 straightforward super priority settlement applications after sponsored work in January to March 2026, and doesn't say why.
| Visa | Applications | Standard | Priority | Super priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored work, applied from outside the UK | 27,230 | 19,863 (72.9%) | 6,568 (24.1%) | 799 (2.9%) |
| Sponsored work, applied from inside the UK | 149,391 | 128,567 (86.0%) | 18,760 (12.5%) | 2,064 (1.3%) |
| Global Business Mobility, applied from outside the UK | 6,690 | 4,077 (60.9%) | 2,389 (35.7%) | 224 (3.3%) |
| Global Business Mobility, applied from inside the UK | 4,595 | 3,642 (79.2%) | 885 (19.2%) | 68 (1.4%) |
| Temporary work, applied from outside the UK | 30,623 | 28,651 (93.5%) | 1,755 (5.7%) | 217 (0.7%) |
| Temporary work, applied from inside the UK | 3,342 | 2,546 (76.1%) | 618 (18.4%) | 178 (5.3%) |
| Graduate, applied from inside the UK | 34,824 | 34,114 (97.9%) | 669 (1.9%) | 41 (0.1%) |
| Student, applied from outside the UK | 46,730 | 38,507 (82.4%) | 7,637 (16.3%) | 586 (1.2%) |
| Student, applied from inside the UK | 5,077 | 4,079 (80.3%) | 906 (17.8%) | 92 (1.8%) |
| Settlement after sponsored work, indefinite leave to remain | 19,777 | 2,590 (13.0%) | 15,929 (80.5%) | 1,258 (6.3%) |
| Service | Straightforward | Decided on time | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 2,566 | 2,566 | 100% |
| Priority | 14,697 | 14,365 | 97.7% |
| Super priority | 1,131 | 1,115 | 98.5% |
The shares describe past applications, so they can't tell you how long yours takes. UKVI doesn't publish an average or a typical wait. UKVI starts processing your application once you prove your identity, at an appointment or with the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
In January to March 2026, 18.5% of standard sponsored work applications made inside the UK and 24.5% of those made outside it weren't straightforward. None of the shares include them. UKVI doesn't publish what makes an application not straightforward, but GOV.UK lists reasons an application may take longer.
In the notes to this release, the Home Office says: “We are aware of a data issue with reporting performance against service standards, therefore these figures are provisional for this release. Settlement data remains unavailable due to ongoing data quality issues.”
UKVI reports them as one sponsored work group. Inside the UK their processing times differ (8 weeks for Skilled Worker, 3 weeks for Health and Care Worker), so the share can't show how each visa did on its own.
The counts include everyone on an application: the main applicant and any partner or children applying with them.
Source: UK Visas and Immigration, Migration transparency data, Visas, status and immigration data: April to June 2026, published 27 August 2026. Tables VSI_02 (straightforward applications processed within the service standard), VSI_01a (applications received, by service) and VSI_03 (applications in progress). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
A share is the number of straightforward applications decided within the deadline divided by all straightforward applications, rounded down to one decimal place, and shown only with at least 50 straightforward applications. Shares run to January to March 2026; applications received and waiting to April to June 2026, with the newest waiting count taken on 2 July 2026. The next release is due on 26 November 2026.
Data: Migration transparency data on GOV.UK.
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0.
UKVI aims to decide Skilled Worker applications within 3 weeks if you apply from outside the UK and 8 weeks if you apply from inside it. On the standard service in January to March 2026, it decided 98.3% of straightforward sponsored work applications made from outside the UK and 94.1% of those made inside it within the processing time. UKVI doesn't publish an average waiting time, and applications that aren't straightforward can take longer.
Priority adds £500 to the visa fee and usually gets a decision within 5 working days for most visa applications. Super priority adds £1,000 and usually gets a decision by the end of the next working day. In January to March 2026, UKVI met these deadlines for 91.2% of straightforward priority applications and 93.5% of straightforward super priority applications for sponsored work made inside the UK. Each service is measured against its own deadline, so the shares can't show which service was faster. GOV.UK says: “If the decision takes longer, you will not usually get your money back.”
UKVI doesn't publish a definition. The Home Office says a case that is non-straightforward because of its complexity sits outside the service standard. GOV.UK says an application may take longer if, for example, you need to provide further evidence, your documents need to be verified, you need to attend an interview or UKVI is dealing with more applications than usual.
UKVI aims to decide settlement applications after a Skilled Worker visa within 6 months. For this route, GOV.UK lists the priority service only if you prove your identity at a UKVCAS appointment, not with the UK Immigration: ID Check app, and doesn't list the super priority service. For priority, the Home Office's notes and GOV.UK's table of eligible applications give 5 working days, but GOV.UK's guidance says priority settlement applications usually take 30 working days. The Home Office doesn't say which of the two it measured against. The Home Office says: “Settlement data remains unavailable due to ongoing data quality issues.” Treat the settlement shares on this page with care.
GOV.UK says: “You can stay in the UK until you’ve been given a decision, as long as you applied before your last visa expired.” This is often called section 3C leave.
They come from the April to June 2026 release of UK Visas and Immigration's migration transparency data, published on 27 August 2026. UKVI publishes it each quarter, and the next release is due on 26 November 2026.