If you need help with UK visas or immigration matters, you can easily get in touch with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) from anywhere in the world, not just within the UK.

Please note that the staff at the contact centre won’t be able to assist you with your specific situation. For any assistance you require, it’s best to reach out directly to UK Visas & Immigration for help.

UK Visas and Immigration Complaints Procedure

Learn how to file a complaint about visas and immigration rules in the United Kingdom, as well as how we handle complaints.

Let us know if you:

• If you are dissatisfied with our service or our professionalism,
• It’s been three months since the event occurred.
  

The standard time limit for filing a complaint is three months after the occurrence, except in very rare cases.

If you want a general update

If you’re looking for a general update on your application, you can check our service standards to find out how long it typically takes for us to process applications. This also explains what happens if we’re unable to process your application within that timeframe.

Please note that if you use our online feedback form to inquire about your application’s progress, we won’t be able to provide an update.

For alternative ways to get in touch with us about your application, you can visit the following pages:

• To contact UK Visas and Immigration about your application
• To contact the Home Office

If you’re unhappy about a decision

If you’re not happy with a decision we’ve made, you might be able to ask for an administrative review. This is a way to have the decision looked at again if you disagree with it or just want it to be reviewed.

If you’re refused entry or leave to remain

There is thorough information on how to appeal a decision to deny your entrance to or extension of stay in the UK. In this, you’ll find information about your right to review your application.

If you feel your immigration status affects your employment, benefits, or government services

If you think your immigration status is affecting your job, benefits, or access to government services, you can check if the Home Office’s immigration records are correct. This can help you understand why you might be having issues. To do this, you can contact the Home Office’s immigration department.

Report immigration crimes

To report someone you think is engaging in smuggling, unlawful employment, or has submitted a fraudulent application to remain in the UK, you may use the contact form.

If you’ve had goods or a vehicle seized

If your belongings or vehicle have been taken away, the National Post Seizure Unit is the team in charge. They handle situations where goods or vehicles are seized.

If you want to complain about other areas of the Home Office

The Home Office’s other divisions each have their policy for handling customer complaints:

• Border Force
• Disclosure and Barring Service
• HM Passport Office
• Home Office

How to File a Complaint with the Home Office

If you’re dissatisfied with our service or actions, follow these steps to make a formal complaint. You can submit your concerns online or by mail to:

Complaints Allocation Hub Central Point of Receipt 7th Floor, Lunar House 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR9 2BY

Note: Only formal complaints will be addressed.

Complaints from Minors

If you’re under 18, submit complaints via email to complaints@homeoffice.gov.uk.

Important Information to Include

When filing a complaint, provide detailed information to facilitate investigation:

1. Your Details
   • Full name, mailing address, and phone number for contact.
2. Representation
   • If filing on someone else’s behalf, include the applicant’s or original complainant’s names with formal permission to share information.
3. Details of the Matter
   • Include times, dates, and places relevant to the issue.
4. Involved Individuals
   • Names and contact details of any individuals involved.
5. Witness Information
   • Provide details of witnesses if applicable.
6. Reimbursement Problems
   • Include documentation and invoices for reimbursement claims.
7. Reference Numbers
   • Home Office reference and any other relevant references (e.g., payment, return, appeal, UAN, IHS).
8. Call Centre Complaints
   • Specify the date, time, number called from, and purpose of the call.
9. Application Type
   • Specify the type of UKVI application (e.g., EU Settlement Scheme, naturalization, student visa) for faster investigation.

Additional Guidance

• Complaints won’t affect the decision-making process or application processing times.
• Further proof may be requested during the investigation process.

By providing comprehensive information, we can better address your concerns and work towards resolving them efficiently.

What happens next?

Their correspondence staff will handle your issue. It is their responsibility to handle your concern in a timely and acceptable way. When you submit a complaint, we will give you a confirmation, and we may get in touch with you as we look into it to gather further details.

You may learn more about our process for handling complaints by reading the complaints management guidelines.

How long will it take?

We will review your complaint and provide you with a response within 20 business days. If more time is required to investigate your complaint, we will notify you. Our goal is to reply within 12 weeks after an unbiased inquiry if your complaint indicates significant professional misconduct.

Serious complaints about UK Visas and Immigration help

If your complaint is very severe, we may forward it to the Home Office’s professional standards section, who will then notify you in writing that they are managing your matter. The investigators will inform you of the result if you have filed a complaint about significant professional misconduct. If you are still dissatisfied with the result after reading their letter, they will inform you who to contact.

If you’re not satisfied

Feel free to request that we reevaluate the situation if you are unhappy with our reply.

A senior staff member will independently review your complaint. They are required to respond with additional information within 20 business days after you request a review.

It is possible to take your complaint to the Independent Examiner of Complaints (IEC) within three months after obtaining our answer if you are still dissatisfied.

Email iec@homeoffice.gov.uk or write to:

PO Box 6147
Sheffield
S2 9JD

Please ensure that the IEC has a copy of all communication (both yours and ours) in the instance that you choose to take your complaint to them.

Read more about the Independent Examiner of Complaints.

Complaints about Citizens’ Rights Agreements issues

If there is a problem with your citizens’ rights, you may report it to the IMA, which stands for the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements.

The IMA is a separate entity that keeps an eye on how the UK and Gibraltar government agencies are carrying out the rights of people outlined in the Withdrawal Agreement and the EEA EFTA Separation Agreement.

While the IMA is unable to address particular complaints or reverse judgements, they may be able to identify a problem that impacts others if you file a complaint with them. The IMA may then take up the matter with the appropriate government agency.

If you are dissatisfied with a decision about your application to the EU Settlement Scheme, such as a rejection, you may have the option to seek an administrative review or exercise your right of appeal.

You may file a complaint with the appropriate Home Office channel if you are unhappy with the service you have received.

Get help to recover your UK Visas and Immigration Account

The only way to get access to your account is to give us a call.

Everything you’ll need is:

• we will send verification codes to your new email and phone number so you may access them.
• your unique application number (UAN) or the identification document number linked to the account — This is helpful, but it’s not necessary.

You can reach out to UK Visas and Immigration during the following hours:

• Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm (excluding bank holidays)
• Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

To contact them by phone:

• Inside the UK: Dial 0300 790 6268
• Outside the UK: Dial +44 20 3875 4669

Find out about call charges at gov.uk/call-charges. 

Get help with your online Home Office application

Assistance with completing the online Home Office application is available to UK residents who:

• don’t trust themselves to use a computer or phone
• are unable to access the internet
• cannot use a mobile phone, laptop, or other electronic gadget

Help with any Home Office programme is possible with this kind of “Assisted Digital” assistance, which includes:

• Europe’s Settlement Plan
• British nationality
• A student visa—if your sponsor is unable to assist
• skilled worker visa—if your sponsor is unable to assist

What type of help you can get

Here’s how you can get help:

• Phone Support: Talk to an advisor over the phone.
• Face-to-face support: Get assistance in person.
• We Are Group Services: This group can assess your eligibility and offer support.

Contact We Are Group:

• Email: visa@we-are-digital.co.uk
• Text: Send ‘VISA’ followed by your number to 07537 416 944, and they’ll call you back.
• Telephone: Call 03333 445 675
  • Available Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Feel free to ask about call charges if you’re unsure.

This service does not provide immigration counsel or application status updates. To inquire about the status of an existing application, get in touch with UK Visas and Immigration.

If you are a vulnerable person applying to the EU Settlement Scheme, you could be eligible for additional support. 

How do I contact the Home Office for UK Visas and Immigration help

If you need to reach the UK Home Office, you have several options:

• Call them at +44 (0) 300 790 6268 for general enquiries within the UK, or +44 (0) 20 3080 0010 from outside the UK.
• Email ASCorrespondence@migranthelpuk.org for asylum queries or businesshelpdesk@homeoffice.gov.uk for employer enquiries.
• For urgent COVID-19-related matters, call +44 (0) 800 678 1767 or email CIH@homeoffice.gov.uk.
• If you apply for a visa, you can track its progress, report technical issues, or address mistakes by contacting UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
• If you need language assistance, call +44 (0) 300 790 6268 during specified hours.

The main Home Office address is:

1. 2 Marsham Street,
2. London,
3. SW1P 4DF,
4. United Kingdom.

To inquire about BRP, reach out to TNT at +44 (0) 345 608 0630.

For assistance with British citizenship applications, send an email to NationalityEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk.
If you have travel document queries, email traveldocumentenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk with “New Application Enquiry – Urgent Compassionate Care” in the subject line.

For comprehensive UK Visas and Immigration help, consider consulting UK Immigration Solicitors at 02033844389 or through their online contact form.

FAQs

How can anybody help me? I want to go to the UK?

You and millions of others! The point is what can you offer the U.K.? Skills, qualifications, experience, money to invest? These are the things you will require to obtain a visa.

Can you help me with a spouse visa for the UK?

To get a marriage or spouse visa to the United Kingdom, you have to meet these criteria: Both you and your spouse need to be at least 18 years old. To avoid arranged weddings, you need to be legally married and have met each other. A long-term commitment to living together is required.

How to get a UK solicitor for a visa?

To find a UK Immigration Solicitor for your visa needs:

• Research reputable solicitors with experience in immigration law.
• Check their credentials and accreditation.
• Schedule an initial consultation to discuss your needs and their services.
• Ask about their experience, success rate, and specialization.
• Consider transparency in fees and timelines.
• Read reviews and recommendations.
• Make your decision and engage their services for assistance with your UK visa application.

UK Immigration Solicitors are widely recognized as the best solicitors in the UK, boasting a strong record in all of the above aspects.

How does a Visa Challenge work in the UK?

In the UK, a Visa Challenge is when you disagree with a decision the Home Office made about your visa application. One way to do this is to file an appeal or ask for an official review. Applicants can appeal choices if they think mistakes were made or important information wasn’t taken into account. Possible outcomes include winning challenges that lead to a new look at the application. It’s important to do things the right way and get legal help if you need it.