Current Visa Processing Times
The British High Commission have released the latest processing figures and the news is good.
To summarise for you, in December, the majority of applications (xx%) were processed within 5-10 business days. However, in all visa types there was a small number of applications that were delayed due to special circumstances, and in some cases, the application review was not finalised for 30 days or more.
The processing time is calculated from the time the application is received to the time that the decision is made. Factors that can cause a delay include insufficient information submitted with an application, previous criminal charges (including minor drink driving offenses) or even a breakdown in the BHC’s IT Systems!
These results serve as a good reminder that even though you can generally expect your visa to be processed within 5 working days, you should never book flights or make plans that you cannot change on the basis that you will have have your visa in time. There is always the slight but very real possibility that your application may be delayed and the BHC will not accept any responsibility for the impact such delays have on your personal plans.