How to get my UK visa application checking service?

UK VISA APPLICATION CHECKING SERVICE - How to submit a perfect visa application

Ever wondered whether or how you can get a visa application checking service for your UK visa? You've already done your research, prepared the application form, and have the documents ready for submission…

…But you want to have your visa application checked by a qualified immigration lawyer or immigration advisor without paying for their full-service fees?

Contents in this Article

What is a visa application checking service for the UK?
Stages of a visa application checking process – How your visa application should be checked
Why do I need my visa application checked?
When do I need to have my application checked?
Does having my visa application checked improve my chances of success?
How do I know that my application has been checked to a high enough standard?
Who will be doing my visa application checking?
FAQ

visa application checking service - 7 step process guide.

What is a visa application checking service for the UK?

A visa application service allows you to have your visa submission checked by expert immigration advisers before you submit your application to the home office. It helps you to make sure that your application is completed correctly that you've made the right type of application in the first instance as well as confirming that your documentation to be attached is correct.

A UK visa application checking service may be the right service for you if either:

you are confident to submit your application yourself. OR
have been through the visa process before, AND
you do not want to pay for the full, done for you, immigration advice and representation.

In particular, you want to make sure that your intended submission to the Home Office is well prepared. You may also have questions as to whether you're making the right type of application or whether you have completed the form correctly. Other questions you may have is whether you have supplied the correct documentation or is it too much or the right type.

These are just some of the questions and worries you may have with your application and want to make sure that you have prepared it correctly to achieve a successful outcome.

Stages of a visa application checking process – How your visa application should be checked

Essentially, the visa application checking service goes through seven stages before it is confirmed as having been verified.

First is to check that you are making the correct type of application. We need to make sure you're not refused on this basic ground of refusal. Making the wrong application is a general ground of refusal.

The second step is to check whether you qualify for that correct application. You also want to make sure that you do not fall for refusal under any of the other general grounds for refusal.

Once it has been verified that you meet the requirements of your visa, it's now time to verify that you have completed that correct application form.

Once the correct visa application form has been verified, the fourth stage is to check that you have completed and answered the questions correctly and thoroughly enough. It is also important to check that you have not given confusing information or answers that may hamper your application.

Once the application form has been verified as complete and correct for your application type then a number of further checks on your documentation should take place. Your visa documentation will need to verified for;

Whether you have submitted the correct documentation.
Whether there are enough documents that prove you meet the requirements.
whether your documents are in the correct format to be accepted.

Shall the need arise you can opt for additional services such as a documents request pack and/or application cover letter templates in order to prepare your application to be checked.

At the end of the visa application checking service, you will then be given a report card. The report card details the strength of your application and includes a traffic light summary. You will then have the opportunity to edit or amend your application before you submit it to the Home Office.

Should you wish to have your application checked once more, you can decide to book another application checking service at a reduced fee.

Alternatively, you can have your documentation submitted on your behalf and uploaded to the government portal for an additional fee. This helps to make sure you have submitted the documents in the correct format and quality for your application.

This process is the same process used for full paying clients under the done for you service. You will be given a money-back guarantee if you obtain a green light on all the documentation you submit.

uk visa application checking service london - Get your visa application checked before submission from a London based UK immigration law firm.

Why do I need my visa application checked?

Visa applications can be refused for a number of reasons. From minor administrative reasons to major requirement deficiencies. If you want to make sure that all details of your visa application are checked to the highest standards to increase your chances of success, it's a smart move to go for an application checking service.

For example; visit visas that have minor mistakes, such as not applying for the right type of visit visa, can lead to refusal. Timings for Student visa applications are crucial to not being refused. Family type applications not having the finances in the correct format or even selecting the incorrect type of finance can lead to refusal. Work type Applicants choosing the wrong level of income will lead to refusal. For ancestry type applications, showing that you have not been working is fatal to your application.

How you answer questions on the application form could lead to a refusal, especially if contradictory information has been provided. Finally, verifying the documents in support of your claim will make a difference to success or failure.

When do I need to have my application checked?

You should have your application checked before you submit it to the Home Office. You need to give 48 hours (during workdays) for your application to be verified under the application checking service. Therefore you should give the process enough time for you to make further changes and get new documents before it is submitted to the home office.

If there were gaps in your application, you may also want to go through a second application check to confirm that you have addressed any issues or gaps in your prior check. It is therefore advisable for you to have your application checking service completed at least a week or two before your planned submission.

Most UK visa applications can be submitted up to 28 days before your visa application expires or your planned date of travel. You may want to consider having your application checked 14 days before your 28-day period.

Does having my visa application checked improve my chances of success?

Yes. Having your visa checked by a regulated and trained immigration advisor will increase your chances of success. With over 385,780 UK visa refusals in 2017 alone (and not including asylum applications, you will stand a better chance of success if you have made sure you meet the requirements of your visa. Your application will have gone through a seven stage process to make sure that it is ready to be submitted.

You should expect your visa application to be successful through the application checking service as all errors and issues will have been addressed. We are so confident of the seven-stage checking process that there’s a money-back guarantee if your application is refused.

With a high success record coupled and the know-how of what makes a successful UK visa application, your submission stands a higher chance of success.

How do I know that my application has been checked to a high enough standard?

Your application will go through a 7 stage checking process. At the end of which you should have a report as well as a traffic light card highlighting strengths and weaknesses of your application.

From the report, you should be able to easily see the amount of detail and checks that have taken place. You will have the ability to make any further amendments to address any issues that have been highlighted through the application checking process.

You get the same level of attention to detail in your application as our full service clients.

Who can check my visa application?

Your application will be checked by a regulated and experienced immigration lawyer. Our immigration advisers have over 17 years of experience in making successful visa applications. Using our seven-step process, we have a high success record for UK immigration applications.

You will also be assisted by a support team that will ensure your application is handled to the highest standards. On average, the application checking service takes just under 2 hours to complete for each pass. You should have submitted all your information and your documentation online using our online portal prior to the check beginning.

If you decide to have your documents sent to us via post or in-person, please do so by sending photocopies to our visa application checking service London office address. The documents you send to us will not be returned to you unless you provide a self-addressed paid envelope. Having the physical documents sent to our address incurs an additional fee.

If you prefer to attend the office in London, once you have purchased the application checking service, you will be given the opportunity to schedule a drop-off time for the documentation and have your application checked within a 2-hour window. This service is by prior arrangement only.

UK visa application checking service FAQs

Should I use the Post Office to check my visa application?

The post office and local authorities provide a visa checking service. This is carried out by non-regulated staff who are authorised to do an administrative check. Here, their only concern is to see if you have provided basic documents, such as your passport and a completed application form and payment.

They are not supposed to offer advice. They do not have the capability to tell you whether your application is strong enough or correct. If they do, they are overstepping their remit they have been given. The Local authority and Post office checking fees are representative of the service they can provide.

Why can I not use the visa application centre’s checking service?

Like the post office, the Visa Application Centres (VAC) do not have regulated staff to be able to check visa applications. Their remit is also to check whether you have provided the documents for which they have been informed to receive.

They do not check whether the document is valid, correct, or meet the requirements for the type of application that you are making. It's therefore unwise for you to be using the documents checking service from the visa application centre.

How can I check my UK visa application?

There are two types of checks done on visa applications. One is for whether your application is correct prior to submission and the second is after submission, with the Home Office.

The Home Office have a checking service mainly for employers to see whether your visa has been submitted and whether it has been concluded. They do not give you an update as to whether your application has been granted or rejected. You can therefore only get a check from the Home office on whether your application has been submitted and is processing, or not.

You can get an update on an entry clearance application by tracking the GWF number. The only way to check your visa application in the country is by writing to the Home Office. Generally, the Home Office does not give updates as to the progress of an application while it is under the consideration in the UK.

To do a check on your visa application prior to submission, you can download our infographic to help you (and refer to this guide) to go through a seven stage checking process yourself. Or you can have a specialist, like IaM to carry our the application checking service for you.

What is the employer checking service?

The employer checking service is for employers, based in the UK, to check whether their employee has the right to work in the UK. As there are civil penalties of tens of thousands of pounds for employing illegal workers, the Home Office has provided a means for employers to check whether you have the right to work.

This will usually require the employee to give consent to the employer to be able to check your right to work.

Is the employer checking service the same as a visa application checking service?

Employer checking service is not the same as a visa application checking service. The employer checking service is for employers to check whether you have the right to work. The application checking service makes sure your visa is granted and confirms you have provided all the correct information and documents to make a successful decision.

How long does the UK visa application checking service take?

The application checking service ordinarily takes 48 hours' notice. The process itself takes around 2 hours for it to be completed but due to availability, you may want to schedule a visa checking service as far in advance as possible.

How long does a UK visa application decision take?

On average the Home Office take anything between 2 weeks two 6 months for a decision to be made. If you opt for a fast-track decision you can have your application in as little as 24-hours or 1 week.

Is the UK visa Application Checking Service appropriate for me?

If you have previously processed a visa application and you are confident about making your application, the checking service is usually a good fit for you. If you are confident to manage your visa application process yourself, the visa application checking service gives you peace of mind knowing you have submitted a valid application which stands the highest chance of success.

What types of Home Office applications do you check?

All UK visa and immigration applications can be made through the application checking service. The difficulty comes where your application is generally outside the immigration rules and does not fit within a specific category.

How can I communicate with you through the application checking process?

After your initial consultation, your application will be checked by our specialist immigration advisors. Thereafter a report will be handed over to you, and at that stage, you will also have a closing consultation to go through that report. Prior to the application check, and after your initial consultation, any information required and important to your application should be uploaded via your online portal.

I have purchased the application checking service but I am having trouble uploading my file, can you help?

Our team will be able to assist with errors that you are facing in uploading any documentation. But the service is meant primarily for those who are able to easily upload and use the available online services. If you feel unable, or not confident to use the online service you may opt for submitting documents to our office directly for an additional fee.

I have questions about using this service before I decide to purchase it.

If you have questions about the service prior to using it please reach out to us on our support chat or by our contact us page. If you have questions about your application, prior to purchasing the checking service, please schedule an immigration consultation instead.

I do not know what supporting documents to include, can you help?

You can purchase the supporting documents pack if you are unsure about the documents to provide. This pack provides you templates as well as a list of the documents that you need to provide for your application.

I do not have all the supporting documents but I want to purchase the application check, is this possible?

Yes, you can purchase the application check and go through the process without providing all the documents. If you do not provide the documents at the allocated time of your documents check, the checking process will continue without those documents.

Do I need to use and send you a Home Office application form?

Yes, you should send us your online Home Office application form or alternatively provide us with the details to view you your application. Or, you can add us to verify your application form online. You can upload the form to the online portal you will be given access to.

Can I email you the documents instead of uploading them as PDF files?

No, in order to keep all documents in one place we do specify that you upload all the documents using our online portal.

Can I post you copies of the documents instead of uploading them as PDF files?

Yes, you can purchase an additional service of having the documents posted to us to verify. We do advise that you do not send the Originals but rather copies that do not need to be returned to you. If you need those copies returned to you, please also provide self-addressed, prepaid return envelopes with the correct postage.

Are dependant applications included under one application check fee?

Generally, dependants are not included on an application check. This is because most dependants have to submit their own application forms. Where dependants can be added on to a single application, then only one document checking application fee is payable. Dependants can obtain a discount if made at the same time as the main applicant.

Do you send the application to the Home Office for me?

No, we generally do not submit the application to the home office on your behalf unless you have purchased the upload service. The upload service is essentially for us to upload your documents to the Home Office on your behalf in order to avoid such a charge and for you too to avoid making mistakes in uploading your documents yourself.

We do not go on record as your representative on file if you are only using the application checking service.

I want you to provide a full service, where you complete and send the applications for me, do you offer this service?

Yes, we do. Should you decide that you want us to do the full application for you, you can opt in for our full application preparation service

Can I submit an application on behalf of someone else?

Yes, you can. This generally occurs when you want to submit an application on behalf of your family member or a dependant.

How long will it take for me to receive the Report Card?

On average, it takes 48 hours to complete the application checking service. You will then have your report on the strengths and weaknesses of your application, if any.

I have received your Report Card and made amendments, can you check it again for me?

Yes we can. An additional fee is payable. But this fee is discounted to 50%.

What are the common mistakes people make applying for a visa on their own?

Check out our guide on the common mistakes.