An administrative review is a Home Office check of an eligible refusal or cancellation decision, to decide whether the decision was wrong because of a caseworking error. A Home Office reviewer carries it out. It is not an appeal to a tribunal, and it is open only for the decisions and routes the Immigration Rules list.
Key points
- It is open only for decisions on the routes listed in Appendix Administrative Review, and the decision letter says whether you can ask for one.
- The time limit is 14 days for a refusal made in the UK, 7 days if detained, and 28 days for an entry clearance refusal.
- The fee is £80. GOV.UK says a result can currently take 12 months or more.
- The reviewer checks whether the Immigration Rules or published guidance were applied wrongly. New evidence is only looked at in listed cases.
- Making any other immigration application while a review is pending withdraws the review.
How an administrative review works
An administrative review is the review of an eligible decision. The purpose is to decide whether the decision was wrong because of a caseworking error.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review A decision maker called the reviewer does the work. It is a Home Office process and is separate from an appeal to a tribunal.
You can only ask for one if the Home Office decision falls within the rules. GOV.UK says your decision letter will tell you whether you can ask for a review.[1]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're outside the UK) Read the refusal letter first.
You apply online. The fee is £80.[2]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're in the UK) The Immigration Rules require the application to be made on the Administrative Review form on GOV.UK and the fee to be paid.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
Which decisions can be reviewed
The Immigration Rules set two tests. The decision must be one of four types, and it must be made under a listed route.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
| Decision type | What the sources add |
|---|---|
| Refusal of entry clearance | Only a person outside the UK |
| Refusal of permission to enter | Listed as an eligible decision |
| Refusal of permission to stay | A person who applied in the UK and is in the UK |
| Cancellation of permission on arrival | Where the reason is a change of circumstances, false representations or failure to disclose material facts |
The listed routes include Skilled Worker, Student, Graduate, Global Talent, Innovator, Youth Mobility Scheme, Hong Kong British National (Overseas) and several others. The full list is in Appendix Administrative Review.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review A person who applied for permission to stay while in the UK cannot ask for a review of that decision from outside the UK.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review GOV.UK says you can only apply if you are in the UK, applied in the UK and were refused.[2]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're in the UK)
Time limits, fee and what happens next
The limit depends on the type of decision and where you are.
| Decision | Time to apply |
|---|---|
| Refusal of permission to stay, not detained | 14 days from receiving notice |
| Refusal of permission to stay, detained on the date of decision | 7 days |
| Refusal of entry clearance | 28 days from receiving notice |
| Cancellation at the border, given temporary admission in the UK | 14 days, or 7 if detained |
| Cancellation at border controls in Paris, Brussels, Dunkirk, Coquelles, Calais or Lille | 28 days |
The 14 day and 7 day limits for people in the UK are on GOV.UK.[2]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're in the UK) The 28 day limits for people outside the UK and for the listed border cities are on the other two GOV.UK pages.[1]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're outside the UK)[3]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if your visa was cancelled at the border)
A late application may be accepted if the decision maker is satisfied that it would be unjust not to waive the time limit and that the application was made as soon as reasonably practicable.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
For a refusal, GOV.UK says a result can currently take 12 months or more. If there is no decision within 6 months, the Home Office will contact you with an update, and it says your rights are not affected by the delay.[2]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're in the UK) For a cancellation at the border it says a result usually takes 28 days or more.[3]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if your visa was cancelled at the border)
What the reviewer decides
The reviewer decides whether the original decision maker failed to apply, or wrongly applied, the Immigration Rules or published guidance. The reviewer considers whether you are entitled to entry clearance or permission on the basis of the original application only, and not on any other basis.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
New evidence is limited. The reviewer only considers evidence that was not before the original decision maker in listed cases. These include certain decisions on false representations or deception, a decision not to request specified documents, and a failure to follow the evidential flexibility policy.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
The outcome is one of four:[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
- The review succeeds and the decision is withdrawn and reconsidered.
- The review does not succeed and the decision stands for all its reasons.
- The review does not succeed, the decision stands, but some of the reasons are withdrawn.
- The review does not succeed, the decision stands, but with different or additional reasons.
Example
Kwame is in the UK. His application to extend his Skilled Worker visa is refused. His decision letter says he can ask for an administrative review.
- The limit is 14 days from receiving the decision.
- The fee is £80.
- He applies online on day 6.
While the review is pending, the Immigration Rules say he will not be removed from the UK. If he then makes a new immigration application, the review is treated as withdrawn from the day before the new application. Both points are in Appendix Administrative Review.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review
What people get wrong
People often treat an administrative review as a second chance to send the evidence that was missing. The Immigration Rules say the reviewer only looks at new evidence in the listed cases, and otherwise decides whether the decision was wrong on what the original decision maker had.
A second mistake is making a fresh application while the review is waiting. The Immigration Rules treat a pending review as withdrawn if the applicant makes a new application, asks for their passport back to travel or leaves the UK.[4]Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review GOV.UK says the fee is not refunded if the request is withdrawn.[2]Home Office, Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're in the UK)
The bottom line
An administrative review is a Home Office check for caseworking errors in a refused or cancelled decision. It is only open for the decisions and routes the Immigration Rules list, and the time limits run from 7 to 28 days. It costs £80 and can take 12 months or more. It does not usually allow new evidence and it is not an appeal, so the decision letter and a solicitor are the places to confirm whether it applies to you.
Common questions
For a refusal made in the UK you have 14 days from getting the decision, or 7 days if you were detained that day. For an entry clearance refusal, where you applied from outside the UK, you have 28 days.
GOV.UK says it costs £80 and you apply online. If the request is withdrawn, the application fee is not refunded.
Only in listed cases. Appendix Administrative Review says the reviewer will consider evidence that was not before the original decision maker only where the decision falls within the specific categories it sets out.
Not normally. A second review is only possible if the first review kept the refusal but for different or additional reasons. Your decision letter will tell you if you can apply for a second review.
For a decision made while you were in the UK, the Immigration Rules say you will not be removed while a review is pending. GOV.UK says that, if your visa has expired, you will not usually be removed until the review is complete.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're outside the UK). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Ask for a visa administrative review (if you're in the UK). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Ask for a visa administrative review (if your visa was cancelled at the border). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩