Conflicting Home Office Updates: "IT Issue" vs. "Outstanding Check" & What Next?

[mmicky5050]

Very thoughtful reply…

Recently I started following the Reddit subsection on UK visas and a former ECO, whose identity was confirmed by the moderators, answered questions from public. He portrayed an environment of total chaos at many consulates and a sadistic culture of almost taking pleasure in rejecting or delaying applications

The one thing he revealed which I found very interesting was that ECOs are scared of lawyers and that any appeal done by a lawyer is taken very seriously because they have to be certain of their response….

[contorted_svy]

They have no obligation to reply even to a lawyer with anything more than "out enquiries are pending" until you receive an outcome. It is very expensive to commission a solicitor to help with these cases and in our experience rarely has any effect on speeding up the application. You are, however, free to use your money however you wish.

[tanha_rixby]

Thanks for the discussion.

I've just had a new round of responses from various official channels. They confirmed that:

1. There was an IT issue that affected a number of applicants, including mine, but they're claiming it wasn't the primary reason for the delay. (Confusing, right?) They also confirmed the IT issue is now resolved.
2. They can't progress the application due to 'outstanding checks'. They're unable to give a date for completion. They mentioned they'd request the checks to be expedited; however, as there is a backlog of cases that require consideration, they cannot provide a timeframe at this stage.
3. Essentially, they cannot provide any timescale for a decision.

It feels like the enquiries I sent to senior officials were just redirected back to the standard nationality team, because the response was the usual generic one.

I'm considering whether a ministerial escalation through my MP is worthwhile, but I'm struggling to come up with new arguments, given they've now shifted the reason for the delay.

My interpretation of the situation has really changed over time, and it feels like it's getting worse. Initially, I thought a decision was just around the corner. Then, it seemed to be a simple IT issue or a single check. But now with the mention of multiple "mandatory checks", "external agencies", and a "backlog", I'm worried this could drag on for years.

Also, a few clarifications regarding the points discussed above:

Wondering if you have any US history…
The fact that SLA picked up US biometrics means there is …
There appears to be an automated sharing of data between M5 after 2024 for all naturalisation applications

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... accessible

Thanks for the link. I’ve had US visas before but never actually travelled there. There were never any rejections. Based on my SAR, the “request sent to International Partner” (in this case, the US) was actually responded to on the same day, so it doesn’t seem to be a cause of delay in my case.

- I think I had already suggested above that the parliamentary offices will not deal with ministerial casework, which is exactly what happened. So thank you for putting in the effort to prove my argument.

Yes, I agree the parliamentary offices don’t process ministerial casework. You can contact ministers (via physical letters or your MP), but they've been forwarded straight to the casework teams and I got boilerplate responses from the caseworkers. That’s been my experience so far.

If you plan to go down that route, you will want to make it a policy issue wider than yourself that they would want to look at. And you need to make a case as to why *they* need to deal with it rather than pass it down the policy ladder. So they will be looking a a wide policy matter, not your application.

That’s tempting. I was thinking of writing a bold statement to ministers/MP and complaining why people like me are put in a "backlog" after nine months whilst others get response in 2-3 months, something like:

“This situation feels alarmingly similar to the Post Office scandal, where victims of IT failures ended up suffering most from poor administration. It’s unacceptable for the Home Office to have a policy that punishes applicants for its own mistakes.”

But legal advice I received said to stick to my own case if I actually want to get approval, not to make it a wider policy fight.

So now I’m stuck – I’m thinking about complaining to ministers about conflicting updates (“IT issue” vs “checks”, also “one particular check” → now “mandatory checks” (plural) + “backlog”). But my arguments would just be quoting what they’ve said to me, and I’m not sure it would make a difference.

Any thoughts welcome.

[contorted_svy]

You don't know for sure that this would drag for years. they are telling you, being as unprecise as possible to leave plenty of wiggle room, that they are late on your decision. You can email your MP and ask them to escalate - it won't create delays, but no promises on speeding the process up either. If you have already submitted a complaint, wait for a response and then ask for a review. This is the process known to us.

[contorted_svy]

If you haven't yet, do review this thread. https://www.immigrationboards.com/month ... 43483.html

[tanha_rixby]

You don't know for sure that this would drag for years. they are telling you, being as unprecise as possible to leave plenty of wiggle room, that they are late on your decision. You can email your MP and ask them to escalate - it won't create delays, but no promises on speeding the process up either. If you have already submitted a complaint, wait for a response and then ask for a review. This is the process known to us.

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I’m aware of the main steps and have done most of them already:

• Submitted Stage 1 complaint to UKVI – got standard “inquiries pending” reply.
• Asked for Stage 2 review – same boilerplate, with an extra statement: “ We pride ourselves on the high levels of customer service that we offer”!
• My MP contacted MPAM (MP Account Management Team) twice – first time they confirmed there is just one check remaining. Second time they wrote that the IT issue is now resolved, but now pending enquirieS (plural), no real prioritisation.
• Escalated to IEC – resolution phase only, UKVI say backlog, no timescale. They just said we will request for the checks to be expedited, but there is a backlog of cases! (Which I find unfair why I’m in a backlog after 9 months). To begin a full IEC investigation, I’d have to wait until at least summer 2026.

So, before even thinking about pre-action protocol (which almost never works), I’m really left with two options:

1. Ask my MP to forward my letter (with a note) to the Minister for Migration.
2. Ask my MP to escalate my case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.

It seems too much to request both, and my MP probably wouldn’t do both anyway. Given how slow the Parliamentary Ombudsman is, I’m leaning towards the Minister route first, with my MP’s note attached.

Does that sound like the best move? Or is there anything I’ve missed before going to pre-action? Would appreciate your thoughts.

[contorted_svy]

As I've expressed above, a PAP would get you nowhere without an outcome first. I would perhaps go down the Parliamentary Ombudsman route if your MP won't do both - and if you are still waiting for an answer in a few months ask them to escalate to the minister for migration too.

[tanha_rixby]

Thank you. I escalated it to the Minister for Migration through my MP. Let's hope it's not just forwarded to Dept56 (nationality team) again.

Something just to share with the forum:

I just realised that a friend of mine who is waiting for over 14 months (mine is 9 months now), he has received the same response as mine from IEC (word by word exact copy). The [rephrased] response is:

They acknowledged there was an IT issue that affected a number of applicants, including mine. But said the IT issue was NOT the primary cause of the delay. The main reason given is that my application is waiting on 'outstanding checks' as part of the standard process. They couldn't provide a timeframe for when these checks would be complete due to a "backlog", but they will request for the checks to be expedited and the case is being monitored by a senior caseworker.

This is SO strange. I wonder how many people were affected by this so-called IT issue so that they now have a template response for it!

[tanha_rixby]

This is not an update or question. Just got some visualisation that might be interesting for the forum...

I was wondering why almost no one has reported a delay, so I used a bit of coding + AI to automatically read the lastest 50 pages of the application processing timeline:





It somehow confirms that cases with 10+ month delay like mine are so rare, unlike same time last year

[secret.simon]

@tanha_rixby, that is a very useful chart.

Can I request you to send me by PM the AI prompt/command that you used and which AI you used?

Also, the graph can improved by plotting a line at the 180day/6month section and perhaps an percentage indicator per week of how how many applications were successfully completed within the 180 day/6 month limit.

[gingerbread777]

@tanha_rixby Any updates on your application?

[tanha_rixby]

@tanha_rixby Any updates on your application?

Nothing yet.
The only progress was that I managed to get a genuine reply from the caseworkers.

They mentioned that the main reason for delay is a single check that is pending since October 2024. They re-requested it 5 months ago, but again, not response from that single remaining check.

From the SAR, it seems like the check's name is "Resolve Identity", but I don't know what it its.

I have a question: When home office insists that they are powerless because checks are done by "extenral agencies" and "other govenrment departments", who has the authority to expedite it?

Even an escalation to the minister for migration by my MP got the same result ("it is out of Home office's hands because it is done by external agencies or other govt departments").

Then who can I excalate it to that DOES have the authority and responsibility for it? Prime minister?

[contorted_svy]

Unfortunately, we do not know the answer to that question. The whole process is pretty much a black box. Sometimes the Home Secretary weighs in on individual cases but I do not know what are the requisites for that would be. I can only advise to ask the Ombudsman to get involved, as you have had a response from the IEC.

[tanha_rixby]

Unfortunately, we do not know the answer to that question. The whole process is pretty much a black box. Sometimes the Home Secretary weighs in on individual cases but I do not know what are the requisites for that would be. I can only advise to ask the Ombudsman to get involved, as you have had a response from the IEC.

Thanks. Can I complaint to Ombudsman now?

I complained to the IEC three months ago, and within 2 weeks they completed the initial "resolution" phase, where the Home Office simply responded that "enquiries are pending."

The IEC has now told me I must wait at least a year just to be assigned an investigator.

My question is: Can I escalate my complaint to the Ombudsman now, or must I wait for the IEC's full investigation to be completed first?

[contorted_svy]

I do not know this. You can try to forward the conversation from the IEC to your MP and see if they refer you to the Parliamentary and Health serivces ombudsman https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/

[tanha_rixby]

I do not know this. You can try to forward the conversation from the IEC to your MP and see if they refer you to the Parliamentary and Health serivces ombudsman https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/

Thanks, I spoke with the PHSO (Ombudsman). Bad news on two fronts:

1. I can't complain yet. They said I have to wait for the IEC to finish their full investigation first. I told them the IEC has a one-year backlog just to assign a case, but the PHSO said it doesn't matter. Even if it takes 10 years, you have to wait for the IEC's final response before they can get involved.
2. It's useless anyway. They said they can only investigate the Home Office (caseworkers). If the Home Office's position is that they're waiting for a check from another department, the PHSO would conclude there's no maladministration on the Home Office's part. It doesn't matter how long that other department takes.

This creates a total accountability vacuum. The Home Office says the responsibility is somewhere else, but I have no way to complain about that "somewhere else". Even my MP's escalation to the Minister just got the same "it's out of our hands" response.

So if UKVI, my MP, the Minister, the IEC, and the Ombudsman can't get an answer from this 'other government department', who is left? Does anyone have any idea what the next step could possibly be when you hit this specific wall?

[contorted_svy]

Unfortunately it means you have to wait for the inquiries to be over.

[gingerbread777]

I’m in a similar situation, curious how you managed to get a response from the case worker directly?

[tanha_rixby]

I’m in a similar situation, curious how you managed to get a response from the case worker directly?

Stupid levels of persistence.

In the past year, especially since the 6-month point was passed in April, I have sent 58 emails to the HO (and 105 emails in total, e.g. to the MP, SAR, HS, etc).

I think making the query and point of contact "specific" helps getting an answer. If you ask a specific question (e.g., "When was the remaining enquiry exacly submitted?") and asking that the email is forwarded to the caseworking team (Dept 56, Nationality team), you are more likely to get a specific answer from the caseworker.

To be completely honest, though, a big part of me thinks that even after all that effort, the outcome would have been the same if hadn't done anything. No no amount of chasing seems to actually help getting the remaining check done.

I have even had the scary thought that the only "realistic" way to break the cycle might be to withdraw and reapply, just hoping it lands on a different desk and avoids whatever glitch is holding it up. But it's a million-dollar question whether that would actually help or just push me back another year. I haven't been brave enough to risk it.

[contorted_svy]

If you withdraw now, you would lose the fee. It is unfortunate you have waited so long and really it shouldn't be the case, but I would give the complaint process a chance, given you heard back positive news.

[tanha_rixby]

If you withdraw now, you would lose the fee. It is unfortunate you have waited so long and really it shouldn't be the case, but I would give the complaint process a chance, given you heard back positive news.

I am confused by this. I have already gone through the complaint process (HO C., HO C. review, started IEC). The IEC's investigation might not start until mid-2026 due to backlogs, and the PHSO likely wouldn't get involved until 2027-28. The PHSO has also confirmed that they will likely conclude the Home Office is right if the delay is due to an outstanding check.

The £2k fee is not my main concern; my concern is time. I have already lost principal job offers that specifically required citizenship, and it's pointless to apply for more while I'm awaiting the result. I'm losing time, opportunities, and money.

My main question is whether withdrawing and reapplying is more likely to get the result faster, or less likely. This is the only question I need to find an answer for.

My thoughts FOR reapplying are that my application might land on the desk of a caseworker who is less pedantic and might not request that specific check, or perhaps the check will be handled by a quicker person in the other agency.

My thoughts AGAINST reapplying are that they will most probably re-request this particular check. If there is a queue for this check, I would be pushed to the back of it, which could add another year to the process. I can't tell why such a slow check is being done on me, as other friends with a similar background (Iranian, T4->T2->GT->ILR) received their decisions in 2 months.

Any thoughts from the moderators or experienced users? I would appreciate some input. I am also wondering if anyone has found reapplying to be useful in their case?

[contorted_svy]

If you withdraw now, you would lose the fee. It is unfortunate you have waited so long and really it shouldn't be the case, but I would give the complaint process a chance, given you heard back positive news.

I am confused by this. I have already gone through the complaint process (HO C., HO C. review, started IEC). The IEC's investigation might not start until mid-2026 due to backlogs, and the PHSO likely wouldn't get involved until 2027-28. The PHSO has also confirmed that they will likely conclude the Home Office is right if the delay is due to an outstanding check.

The £2k fee is not my main concern; my concern is time. I have already lost principal job offers that specifically required citizenship, and it's pointless to apply for more while I'm awaiting the result. I'm losing time, opportunities, and money.

My main question is whether withdrawing and reapplying is more likely to get the result faster, or less likely. This is the only question I need to find an answer for.

My thoughts FOR reapplying are that my application might land on the desk of a caseworker who is less pedantic and might not request that specific check, or perhaps the check will be handled by a quicker person in the other agency.

My thoughts AGAINST reapplying are that they will most probably re-request this particular check. If there is a queue for this check, I would be pushed to the back of it, which could add another year to the process. I can't tell why such a slow check is being done on me, as other friends with a similar background (Iranian, T4->T2->GT->ILR) received their decisions in 2 months.

Any thoughts from the moderators or experienced users? I would appreciate some input. I am also wondering if anyone has found reapplying to be useful in their case?

Apologies, I may have gotten mixed up with another thread.

If you choose to reapply there is no guarantee that the application will be progressed faster. The checks requested will most likely be the same.

[zxyzhgp]

Maybe your long delay is due to the checks from your country of origin

[tanha_rixby]

Apologies, I may have gotten mixed up with another thread.

If you choose to reapply there is no guarantee that the application will be progressed faster. The checks requested will most likely be the same.

Thanks, so (statistically thinking) it is a much better choice to just wait for the current application and not reapply, no matter if it takes another year or so. (Pls correct me if I'm wrong).

Maybe your long delay is due to the checks from your country of origin

Highly unlikely that the UK asks for information from the Iranian govt.

An immigration advisor suggested that the UK govt has started to do more deep checks on people from some nationalities, including Iran. He said that the number of officers/caseworkers who are on that particular office doing those checks do not match the workload.
Considering that other Iranians are getting their response in 2-3 months, I assume the check is only done on SOME applicants.
The big question is if the check is done on A: random APPLICANTS OR B: random APPLICATIONS.
If A --> I will be checked even if I reapply.
If B --> I might not be checked if I reaply.

I'll just wait for now.

[contorted_svy]

Apologies, I may have gotten mixed up with another thread.

If you choose to reapply there is no guarantee that the application will be progressed faster. The checks requested will most likely be the same.

Thanks, so (statistically thinking) it is a much better choice to just wait for the current application and not reapply, no matter if it takes another year or so. (Pls correct me if I'm wrong).

Maybe your long delay is due to the checks from your country of origin

Highly unlikely that the UK asks for information from the Iranian govt.

An immigration advisor suggested that the UK govt has started to do more deep checks on people from some nationalities, including Iran. He said that the number of officers/caseworkers who are on that particular office doing those checks do not match the workload.
Considering that other Iranians are getting their response in 2-3 months, I assume the check is only done on SOME applicants.
The big question is if the check is done on A: random APPLICANTS OR B: random APPLICATIONS.
If A --> I will be checked even if I reapply.
If B --> I might not be checked if I reaply.

I'll just wait for now.

I can't comment on your chances, just that I don't think rolling the dice again will necessarily give you a quicker outcome, at the same time there are no guarantees on how long you could be kept waiting with your current application. Have you mentioned in your application or communications with the HO/MP that you had job offers that were rescinded on the grounds of you not having British citizenship?