As of 2018, the UK immigration application system has changed. Therefore the following page is out of date and is retained for historical interest only.
View our overview of the current in-country application system here
How to make a postal application
You can find the correct form for your application on the Home Office’s Visa and Immigration web page. After submitting your application, you will receive an Acknowledgement Letter from the Home Office, and two to four weeks after that, a Biometrics Invitation Letter.
Postal applications take between three weeks to over six months to be resolved, dependent on the type of application. The UKVI/ Home Office publishes current processing times for some applications on their website. Useful anecdotal information on processing times can also be found on the forum trackitt.com.
Providing Biometrics
Migrants making a postal application can provide their biometrics at selected Post Offices across the UK, at a cost of £19.20 per person. This needs to be done within 15 working days of receiving your Biometrics Invitation Letter. (Or 2 days for Priority Postal.) You do not need to book an appointment to use this service. You must, however, take the bar-coded sheet that the Home Office sent to you: this bar-code will allow your biometrics to be matched with your application on the online system. When you arrive at your chosen Post Office, a member of staff will assist you by:
- Scanning the barcode on your Home Office Biometric Letter
- Taking a photograph of you inside the booth
- Capturing the thumb print followed by the four fingerprints on your right and left hands
- Making an electronic copy of your signature
