Contacting the Home Office about settlement
Waiting on a settlement decision is hard, and the wrong expectation makes it harder. This guide sets out what GOV.UK actually publishes: how long a decision takes, which contact channels exist, and what each one can and cannot do.
- Section
- ILR & Settlement
- Reading time
- 8 min
- Last checked
- 22 February 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- GOV.UK says a settlement decision usually comes within 6 months.
- Enquiries go through the GOV.UK contact tool, which routes by location and topic.
- A faster decision is bought at the point of applying, not requested later.
- Leaving the UK while an in-country application is undecided normally withdraws it.
A settlement decision usually takes up to 6 months from the application or the biometrics appointment, whichever is later. GOV.UK routes enquiries through a contact tool rather than a single published helpline, and gives 0300 790 6268 for citizenship and nationality enquiries. Faster decisions are bought when you apply, not chased afterwards: £500 for priority, £1,000 for super priority. An MP can raise a case with the Home Office, but no service standard applies to that.
How Long a Decision Actually Takes
GOV.UK says you will be told whether a settlement application has been successful within 6 months of when you either submit the application or give your biometric information.
The 8-week figure that gets repeated is a different thing: it is the service standard for some in-country applications, such as Skilled Worker and Student, published in the GOV.UK waiting times guidance. It is not the settlement standard. See our processing time guide.
Speed is bought when you apply, not chased afterwards: £500 for the priority service, usually 5 working days, and £1,000 for the super priority service, by the end of the next working day. Neither can be added once the application is in. There is no walk-in service and no decision at the appointment, which our walk-in service guide covers.
The Contact Channels
- The GOV.UK contact tool. Start at Contact UK Visas and Immigration. It asks where you are contacting from and what the enquiry is about, then gives the channel for that combination. GOV.UK does not publish a single general helpline number on that page.
- Citizenship and nationality enquiries. GOV.UK gives 0300 790 6268, choosing option 2. Lines are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 4:45pm and Friday 9am to 4:30pm, and are closed on bank holidays.
- Online enquiry forms. Most routes in the contact tool end at an online form rather than a phone number. Have your application reference number ready.
- Your MP. An MP can raise a constituent's case with the Home Office. You can find your MP through the UK Parliament website by postcode.
The UK Visas and Immigration organisation page carries service updates. See also our general Home Office contact guide.
What an Enquiry Can and Cannot Do
An enquiry can confirm that an application was received, correct details the Home Office holds, and ask why a case has passed its service standard. It does not change the queue position, and no channel produces a decision on demand.
Where an application is outside the published timescale, the escalation order that the published material supports is: check the application and biometrics were completed, use the contact tool's form for your case type with the reference number, then raise it with your MP. A pre-action protocol letter, sent by a solicitor, is a legal step rather than a customer service one.
Telling the Home Office About a Change
If something changes while the application is undecided, such as an address, a passport, a name, or the addition of a child, use the change of circumstances route in the contact tool and quote the application reference number.
Your Position While You Wait
- If you applied before your existing permission expired, it continues under section 3C on the same conditions, including the right to work, until the application is decided.
- Section 3C leave operates while you are in the UK. Travelling abroad while an in-country application is undecided normally means it is treated as withdrawn.
- Your status is an eVisa in your UKVI account, and a share code lasting 90 days proves it to an employer or landlord. See our eVisa guide.
- If the decision is a refusal, see our refusal guide.
Only a person regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority or a solicitor can advise on an individual case. See our guide to getting help with an application and our fees guide.
Questions and answers
How do I contact UK Visas and Immigration about a settlement application?
GOV.UK routes enquiries through a contact tool on its Contact UK Visas and Immigration page, which asks where you are and what your enquiry is about and then gives the right channel. It does not publish one general phone number on that landing page. The number GOV.UK gives for citizenship and nationality enquiries is 0300 790 6268, choosing option 2.
How long should I wait before chasing a settlement decision?
GOV.UK says a settlement decision usually comes within 6 months of applying or of giving your biometric information. The 8-week figure that circulates is the service standard for in-country Skilled Worker and Student applications, not for settlement.
Can my MP speed up my application?
An MP can raise a case with the Home Office on behalf of a constituent. That is a route to a response, not a route to a particular decision, and the Home Office publishes no service standard for it.
Can I travel while I am waiting?
Leaving the UK while an in-country application is undecided normally means the application is treated as withdrawn. Section 3C leave, which keeps your existing permission running, only operates while you are in the UK.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.