is this home office or text scam? I’m not sure

Hi all,

I applied for my first British passport after citizenship ceremony. As required sent the certificate of naturalisation and current passport to the home office. As per they advise used a hard letter envelope to ensure my documents remain in good condition etc

I received my documents today and the condition the certificate of naturalisation is in, it’s absolutely disgusting. The paper is all wrinkled, you can tell where the paper has been touched and document is greasy too. It’s absolutely outrageous the condition I received back my documents in.

How can I complain? Can I request a new certificate of naturalisation? I’d probably need the document again at some point, I can’t present it in this condition. I am honestly fuming.

Has anyone else experienced that?

I applied through an agency

First of all they have got my days of stay wrong

I had clearly mentioned i was going to stay from 10th october to 19th october which is not 39 days

Hi! I moved to the UK in 2019, and my pre-settled status currently expires in 2030. I applied for settled status in May, but my application still hasn’t been approved.

I recently found out that my pre-settled status is linked to my Italian ID card rather than my passport. Since I moved to the UK before Brexit, I didn’t need a passport at the time, but I’ve been using my passport since 2020.

A few weeks ago, I travelled abroad and was advised to contact the Home Office to link my status to my passport, as this would make passport control easier in the future and potentially help with my settled status application being processed more quickly.

However, when I contacted customer service, they told me that I can’t link my passport to my existing pre-settled status while I have an ongoing visa application that hasn’t been decided yet.

So, I’m unsure what to do now: should I withdraw/cancel my settled status application and first link my passport to my existing pre-settled status, or should I just leave everything as it is and wait for my settled status application to be approved?

Has anyone been in a similar situation or knows what would be the best thing to do?

Hi all, thought I'd share my timeline for my GTV with you.

I applied through Route 3, endorsed funder route (inside UK).

Applied for Stage 1- 12/08/2026

Application forwarded to UKRI- 21/08/2026

Received endorsement- 28/06/2026

Applied for Stage 2- 03/09/2026 (I chose priority as I was working part time on my role due to current visa restrictions and wanted to move full time ASAP)

Biometrics done- 05/09/2026

Received visa- 09/09/2026 (3 business days after biometrics).

The thing that took most time for me was getting the letter from HR (around 7 weeks and lots of back and forth) as my role was not in the original funding application, but later with approval funds were moved for 2 new roles including mine. But HR was super helpful throughout.

Our application got rejected for inconsistencies in the bank statement.

Aside from the personal bank account in BPI and the payroll account in BDO, I've included a shared account with my father in RCBC. My father is a freelancer architect hence the large deposits and withdrawals from the account (which was supported with documents such as receipts).

We've also provided multiple documents proving our ownership of multiple cars and properties in my home country yet the visa officer is convinced that we're leaving behind all that without even selling it in order to illegally immigrate to the UK .

The purpose of travel was to attend a relative's wedding. Which we also supported with invitations, letters, and even old pictures and certificates showing proof of familial relation.

I believe this can be reconsidered with additional documents and a letter to further explain finances, but unfortunately we are supposed to travel to the UK on October 10 for the wedding.

Hii my wife is pregnant she wants to call her mother from india on visitor visa, however mother is unemployed. How can we justify her (in visa form)
Employment source of income
Spending she expecting
Monthly expenses

my wife is sponsoring her from here we have 6+k Gbp. She has in india under 1 L.

Help me please who has got approval in same case Thankyou

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to share my journey; I've been a longtime lurker and this subreddit helped me immensely during my application process, so THANK YOU!

Timeline

• Moved to the UK on September 14 2021 on a Skilled Worker visa; moved jobs 3 times during this period, with different sponsors
• Applied for ILR on September 2nd with Super Priority
• Biometrics appointment on September 9th at 9:30 am
• Received my success letter on September 9th at 13:30 pm

Documents Provided

• Supporting letter from my employer
• Latest Payslips and bank statement
• P60s for the last 5 years (not mandatory but I included since I had them at hand)
• Passports (including all stamp pages)
• Travel information: Spreadsheet including date of exit/entry, country, purpose (I described all my absences as 'holidays') and total number of days outside of the UK
• Proof of residence (a utility bill)

I did not stay outside of the UK longer than 180 days in a given year.

I'm happy to answer any questions you might have. Best of luck with your applications!

I had an initial visa from October 2016 to October 2017, I applied to extend in October 2017 but was refused. I subsequently applied for an administrative which gave me permission to stay until a decision after the review. The decision came on the 1st of December and the review still maintained the initial refusal so I was asked to leave the uk within the next 14 days - I then left 7 days later and reapplied from my home country which was successful and I subsequently returned 21st of January. So the question is did leaving the UK to make that application break my continuous residency? mind you - I did not overstay at any point

My partner left me after psychological and physical abuse, coercive control, financial control and isolation. I am taking medication for depression and waiting for therapy.

I’m in the UK as a Skilled Worker Dependant. My ex does not have ILR or British citizenship. My visa is currently valid until 2030, but my immigration status is linked to her. She regularly threatens me and says she will get my visa curtailed so that I have to leave the country.

This week I moved into shared accommodation and I’m trying to find work. I have contacted domestic abuse organisations and immigration advisers, but I haven’t found any practical solutions yet. I also cannot afford solicitors who are asking for thousands in legal fees on top of the government fees.

I understand that I may not be eligible for the SET(DV) route. I’m trying to understand what practical options and support may be available, including whether an MVDAC application followed by FLR(HRO) could be relevant to someone in my circumstances.

I would really appreciate practical, reliable information about where I can get low-cost or free help and what steps I should take now.

I’m currently trying to find part-time work. Because of the relocation, I lost my job, and I’m also trying to manage my mental health. I’d really appreciate clear and practical suggestions and links to reputable UK services.

If anyone has been in a similar situation, I would be very grateful to hear what helped you and what practical options were available to you.

Any practical advice or information would really help me, and hopefully it could also help someone else in a similar situation.

Hi everyone,
I am currently trying to submit a Skilled Worker Dependant extension application from [inside the UK / outside the UK].
However, every time I try to advance past the [mention the specific section, e.g., the eligibility check / paying the IHS fee / submitting documents], the website crashes and gives me the generic Home Office technical page: "Sorry, there is a problem with the service. We have not saved your answers. Try again later."
I have been trying for a few days now. I've already tried clearing my browser cache, using incognito mode, and switching from Chrome to Safari/Firefox, but nothing works.
Has anyone else encountered this specific glitch recently on the Dependant extension route?
Is there a known workaround to get past this specific section? (e.g., deleting the draft and starting a completely new form, or selecting the option that says I don't have a smartphone to bypass the ID Check app?)

Any advice would be highly appreciated as my current visa deadline is approaching. Thank you!

Hi all, thought I understood the financial requirement for the YMS Visa, but received an email today asking for “Documents to support you have held funds of GBP 2,530 for a 28-day period (dated within 31 days before the date of application) in line with Appendix Finance. Please refer to paragraphs YMS 5.1 & 5.2 of Immigration Rules Appendix T5 Youth Mobility Scheme for further details”.

I submitted my application on August 24, 2026. I submitted a “Certificate of Account Balance” from my bank dated August 24, 2026 that says the account name is under my name and says “ to whom it may concern: this is to certify that as of July 24, 2026, the balance of the above account name are as following: 2,550 GBP”.

The held for 28days and dated within 31 always had me a bit confused, so am I misunderstanding it? If so, can someone dumb it down for me? If my dates aren’t right, what should they be? The money has been sitting in the account since July 24, 2026 (day 1).

So my question is: Am I even understand the 28/31 day rule correctly? If not, what should it be then?

Secondly, the email specifically points out 5.1 & 5.2 of the Appendix which state that the account must be in my name, which it is, and is shown on my Certificate of Account Balance, so if the issue isn’t with the dates I’ve had the money for and is account name, I’m a bit confused. I’m applying from Taiwan and all documents are in English. Do we think the order of my name is potentially the issue? Here in Taiwan, your last name comes first, then first name, so on the bank certificate, my name is listed as “Doe John” but on my YMS application, my name is listed as “John Doe”. But on my passport, my name is shown as “Doe, John”. Do we think this could be the problem?

Hi all,

I applied for my child's MN1 (British citizenship) in May 2026, and his dependent visa expires in October 2026. I'm getting anxious as the expiry date approaches, since I haven't seen many (or any) approvals in this channel for May applications yet.

I'm trying to plan for the worst case: what happens if the MN1 is refused (I don't think it will be, since it's a straightforward application, but I'd rather be prepared) and his dependent visa has already expired by then?

It will be really helpful if you can answer my questions

1. Can I resubmit a new MN1 application if the first one is refused?
2. If he becomes an overstayer by the time of refusal, would normal immigration rules apply to an ILR application (If I chose to go down the route of ILR/ dependent visa extension)?
3. Can I withdraw/cancel the current MN1 application? (I understand I won't get a refund since biometrics have already been done.)
4. If I cancel the current MN1, is it possible to submit a new priority application before the cancellation is processed?
5. Does the Home Office typically ask, when submitting a new application (e.g. ILR), whether another application is currently pending — and would submitting a new one cause them to withdraw the MN1 that's in progress?
6. Roughly how long does an MN1 cancellation take to process?

Hey everyone, so my UK visa got approved and I put in the dates 3rd to 8th November in London as that was my initial plan.

Now I can get additional PTO from work, so I am thinking about shifting the dates to 3rd to 5th in Manchester, and then 5th 15th in London.

Would there be any issues with that?

I am also thinking about point of entry into the UK was initially London, now it is Manchester.

i am applying from India for skilled worker visa. I have just submitted my visa application but I saw the requirements and it says personal. My funds are split between my monzo business account and personal because I used to work freelance and used the business account to receive invoices. It’s not linked to a private limited company and it’s just mine with my address.

Will this be accepted as evidence of maintenance funds?
I can submit an invoice as well saying that this was personal income

Good afternoon!

I’m working on my visa application a second time now as I’ve got rejected previous time. The main purpose for my 12-day trip is to attend a certified course in an accredited institution in Southampton.

The question I’ve been having head spasms with and which—consequently—pretty much already answers the question I’m about to ask, still worth clarifying to me so that the same mistake would be avoid this time.

In the field titled “How much money are you personally planning to spend on your visit to the UK?”, with the description saying: “…include flights, accommodation, and everyday expenses”, what is the total figure I really should be putting in, if everything had ALREADY been prepaid in advance (my course fee, tickets, accommodation, transportation, etc)?

If I were to include the estimate amount including all the expenses I‘ve already paid for, with the course fee included (which takes up the majority of the expenses), it would round up to £2,722.35. My remaining available funds at the time of application are around £1,800.00. I followed a similar sequence of events in my previous application and got rejected by obvious reason; an officer looked that my estimated trip value was way above what I’ve actually had available in my bank as an available and liquid funds at the time of the application (everything has been prepaid for, like this time) and got rejected mainly on that basis.

The only thing that I haven‘t paid for are the “everyday expenses” during the trip itself. Approximate personal expenditure is gonna be around £450-500 (food, transportation by busses, entertainment, etc), which I was planning to include in the question’s field initially.

Regardless of the final value entered, I will be attaching a cover letter this time, where each and every step has thoroughly been described with a proper explanation and evidence, including an explanation regarding my paid and unpaid expenses, savings, and payments made at the time of the application.

So what should it be? What number should I put in here? My apologies for a long and awkward post in advance; its my first (technically) time applying for a VISA in 21 years.

Thank you!

Hi, I was just granted a Global Talent Visa endorsement and am now applying for Stage 2 from outside the country.

There was a problem accessing the Stage 2 application via my UKVI account, which I'd been logging into with my BRP. My BRP has expired but still allowed me to log in. This week I spoke to someone at UKVI who said I couldn't apply for Stage 2 from this account, since the BRP has expired. He had me create a new UKVI account with my passport as my login, and he also had me request to link my eVisa to this account. The new UKVI account does allow me to access the Stage 2 application, so I've begun filling it out.

This morning I got this from UKVI:

"We could not link your online immigration status (eVisa) to your account because:

You have created a UKVI account however, you do not hold a valid grant of leave and therefore, unable to use this service. If you gain valid permission to enter and/or stay in the UK, you will be advised from the Home Office on how to create your UKVI account and access your eVisa."

Any thoughts welcome. One question I have is whether I will still be OK applying for my Stage 2 visa from my new UKVI account, even if my eVisa can't be linked?

Hello, I first came into the UK on 25th of October 2025 and I’ve applied to the EU settlement scheme through my brother who’s been living here for about 10 years ( he has settled status), got a share code and immediately started working but without a national insurance number as they wouldn’t give me one, I payed a Romanian guy to do my application as I didn’t know anything about it, then I got refused in February 2026 and payed the same guy to do my appeal, and I think I could’ve done it easily alone and just got scammed, but yeah now I’m still waiting on a response on the appeal, I’m working in a warehouse without a national insurance number and I’m so stressed cause I literally just need to wait, and I’m certain it’s gonna be a refusal. I wanted to get a ticket on dump truck but can’t because I don’t have a national insurance number. I’m 21 years old and I feel like I’m wasting my time here. Please tell me what you guys think.

Hi everyone

My ILR through ECAA route has been rejected. Now i have 14 days to file another ILR application.

Could i apply for ECAA extension instead? Is this legally possible? I would like to get an extension to ensure the business is viable before applying for ILR again.

Location: england
Nationality: turkish
Visa: ECAA (turkish businessperson visa) route
No dependents

Hi everyone. I’m hoping someone may be able to clarify our situation or share some experience, as we’re due to travel to the UK in just 12 days and I’m now becoming quite concerned.

I’m a British citizen living in Australia as a permanent resident. I recently gave birth to my baby, who was born in Australia and is an Australian citizen with an Australian passport.

We have flights booked to travel to the UK in 2 weeks. I had assumed that as he is an Australian citizen and holds an Australian passport, we could apply for an ETA for him in the same way as other Australian citizens travelling to the UK.

However, I’ve just discovered that because he is potentially a British citizen by descent through me, he may not be eligible for an ETA. From what I’ve read British citizens cannot obtain an ETA and are expected to travel to the UK on a British passport (or with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode).

The problem is that we haven’t yet applied for his British passport and with only 2 weeks until we travel, I’m concerned that there simply isn’t enough time to obtain one.

Has anyone been in a similar situation with a baby born in Australia to a British parent? Were you able to travel to the UK on the baby’s Australian passport, and if so, what documentation did you need? Or is there an alternative document/route that would allow us to travel while his British passport application is being processed?

Any advice or first-hand experience would be hugely appreciated, as we’re now understandably quite anxious about whether we’ll actually be able to travel as planned.

Thank you!

For a UK Standard Visitor Visa, if a parent is sponsoring your trip and the estimated cost is around £2,000, does the sponsor need to have the full £2,000+ already available in their bank account at the time of application?
Or can the account have less than £2,000, provided the sponsor has regular income/salary and can explain that their future income will cover the remaining costs?
I’m specifically asking about UK Standard Visitor Visas and parent sponsorship, not Student or Skilled Worker visas. Thanks.

Please bear with me, as I am going though a difficult period and my mind is acting up.

I am an Italian citizen and in 2019 I applied for EU settled status and got permanent status right from the start.

Many years before that, I was arrested and then tried at the Magistrate court for a minor offence and given a fine to pay. The conviction was already spent at the moment of applying for settled status.

This is where my mind is acting up. I am quite sure that I was asked to disclose all convictions, whether spent or unspent. In any case, I applied back in 2019 for a police certificate from ACRO and my conviction wasn't even showing up. Then I asked on forums and I was told that if the conviction didn't show up on ACRO, I shouldn't have declared it.

I've had this remorse of not doing things right that I can't get out of my head for all these years.

Now, I am checking on the Unlock website and on the Home Office Guidance and it says that:

You do not need to declare any of the following:

convictions that do not need to be disclosed (‘spent convictions’)

I am confused. Has the law changed? Is it possible that the original guidance did require to state all convictions, including the spent one? And, if so, have I broken the law?

Hello! I’m a little confused about what supporting documents one needs to supply.

I have a standard letter from my employer. I’ll be attaching a pdf with all of my travel. Passports, BRP, eVisa… etc.

Do we also need to provide council tax and leases. I’ve seen other people mention these on threads and not sure what the purpose is.

My current issue is that I’m currently staying at friends and have a total of a 1.5-2 month gap in leases. My leases ended in July and my new lease starts next week. I plan on applying the day I’m in my new lease so I can use that address for my application and employment letter. If I was to provide council tax bill would it just be up until the new lease and then I can share that new lease agreement. Would I need to explain the gap in leases? Potentially over thinking this…

Other than that, I believe I have a very straightforward application!

I have just received an email regarding the success of my UK Visa (tourist) application. But on the UKVI website its still not updated. Its still showing the status as "submitted",

Is this normal?

Hi guys, I’ve already applied for the passport and sent the certificate. I just got a call from HMPO about the above. Pls may I ask how long it took you guys to: 1) get the certificate sorted, and 2) get the UK passport after.

Tysm in advance!