What happens after applying online?
Your ILR application will NOT be processed unless you enrol your digital biometrics, so you will be asked to book an appointment with the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) to submit the digital scans of your documents online and enrol your biometrics in person at one of their service centres. Alternatively, you may be told (if eligible) to upload your documents via the UKVCAS IDV app, instead of going for an appointment if UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) is able to re-use your previously submitted Biometrics data. The UKVCAS centres are operated by UKVI's partner Sopra Steria Limited and do NOT have an influence over your application. Their job is ONLY to check your documents, collect your biometrics data and then simply forward them to UKVI for processing.
Priority visa processing service
When applying online, you may choose to pay extra for a priority visa processing service if offered by UKVI under your visa route. A visa processing service (like super priority processing) has nothing to do with your biometrics appointment with UKVCAS. You can only choose such a service before paying and submitting your application and that determines how fast your application is processed AFTER you enrol your biometrics. No application is processed UNTIL the biometrics are enrolled.
You should check to see if you can apply using priority visa services or not here: https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement
Note that priority service option is only offered if there is capacity: Online Application - Why there is no Super Priority Service Option ?
Important to remember when applying for ILR
• It is NO LONGER required to send any physical documents to UKVI for processing as only digital scans are submitted. This means you keep your original documents while your immigration application is being processed.
• Please note that you should NOT travel outside the UK after submitting your application online or else your application will be considered automatically withdrawn (as per paragraph 34K of the UK immigration rules)
• All Biometrics Residence Permits(BRPs) will be phased out from 2025 and replaced with eVisa: Information on eVisas as all BPRs will be phased out from 1st Jan 2025
Please post ALL queries regarding the UKVCAS services e.g how to book, issues with booking, ideas to book, when to book, appointment confirmation queries, etc. in the General UK Immigration forum only.
Likewise, ALL queries regarding the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) like transfer of visa to BRP, BRP renewal, BRP loss, BRP errors, documents and BRP delivery, BRP replacement, etc must be posted in the General UK Immigration forum only.
Such queries are irrelevant to ILR but generic to all immigration categories where in-person applications are allowed and leave issued as BRP, hence "general".
All posts on these topics in any other forum will be deleted / locked.
