Cancellation of leave is a decision by the Home Office to end a person's entry clearance or permission early, or to shorten it, under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules. It can take effect immediately or on a set future date, and it can apply to someone in the UK or overseas. The Rules now use the word permission.
Key points
- Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules sets the grounds. Some are mandatory (must cancel) and most are discretionary (may cancel).
- The Rules define cancellation to include shortening permission or curtailing it. It can take effect immediately or at a set future date.
- Caseworker guidance says a person whose permission is cancelled for reasons outside their control will normally be left with 60 days.
- There is no right of appeal or administrative review against an in-country cancellation decision made on or after 6 April 2015.
- A cancellation at the UK border can carry a right to ask for an administrative review, with a time limit of 14, 7 or 28 days.
How cancellation of leave works
Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules says a person may have their entry clearance or permission cancelled. The Part sets out how the Home Office’s powers to cancel are to be used.[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules: Part Suitability The caseworker guidance names the powers. They include section 3(3)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 and the Immigration (Leave to Enter and Remain) Order 2000. Section 4 of the 1971 Act says the power must be used by notice in writing given to the person affected.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
The Rules define cancellation as cancellation, variation in duration or curtailment of entry clearance or permission. It can take effect immediately or at a specified future date, and whether the person is in the UK or overseas.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance) The word permission was introduced on 1 December 2020 and means what leave used to mean. See curtailment of leave.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
The Rules also set a limit. Where a person has settlement and is in the UK, their permission can only be cancelled on the grounds in section 76 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules: Part Suitability
Grounds for cancellation
The grounds sit alongside the general grounds for refusal. This table shows some of the main ones.[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules: Part Suitability
| Ground | Paragraph | Must or may |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State has personally directed that the person be excluded | SUI 2.2 | Must |
| Presence in the UK not conducive to the public good | SUI 3.2 | Must |
| Custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, persistent offender or serious harm | SUI 5.2 | Must |
| Shorter sentence, non-custodial sentence or recorded out-of-court disposal | SUI 5.5 | May |
| False representations, false documents or false information, or non-disclosure of relevant facts | SUI 10.2 | May |
| Failure to comply with the conditions of permission | SUI 11.8 | May |
| Failure without reasonable excuse to attend an interview, provide information or biometrics, or have a medical examination | SUI 14.2 | May |
| Change in circumstances since permission was granted | SUI 25.1 | May |
| Person ceases to meet the requirements of the route | SUI 29.1 | May |
| Person is the dependant of someone whose permission is cancelled | SUI 30.1 | May |
| Sponsorship or endorsement withdrawn, on listed routes such as Student and Skilled Worker | SUI 31.1 | May |
Use of deception also appears in the Rules. Permission extended under section 3C can be cancelled under SUI 9.2 if the decision maker is satisfied the person used deception.[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules: Part Suitability See deception and section 3C leave.
The decision and the usual 60 days
A cancellation decision either ends permission immediately or leaves a period of permission.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance) The guidance says that where the reasons are outside the person’s control, it will normally be appropriate to leave 60 days. That time lets the person apply for further permission or arrange to leave. Its examples are a college withdrawing a course and a sponsor losing its licence where the person was not knowingly involved.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance) See sponsor licence suspension and revocation.
The guidance also says cancellation cannot extend permission beyond the date it was due to expire. Cancelling to 60 days is only done if the person will have more than 60 days of permission remaining when they receive the decision.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
Challenging a decision
For an in-country cancellation decision made on or after 6 April 2015, there is no right of appeal or administrative review.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance) The decision letter should not say otherwise.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
Cancellation at the UK border is different. GOV.UK says you can ask for an administrative review if your visa was cancelled because of a change in circumstances, false information or failing to include relevant facts. The time limit is 14 days if you were given temporary admission, 7 days if you were detained on the date of cancellation and 28 days if the cancellation was at border controls in Paris, Brussels, Dunkirk, Coquelles, Calais or Lille. The fee is £80.[3]UK Visas and Immigration, Ask for a visa administrative review: if your visa was cancelled at the border
Caseworker guidance also describes an error correction request. It must say why the decision was incorrect and be sent within 14 calendar days of the deemed date of receipt. Sending it does not extend permission.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
Example
Sophie works on a Skilled Worker visa. Her employer’s sponsor licence is revoked. She was not involved in the actions that led to this. SUI 34.1 says her permission may be cancelled where her sponsor does not have a licence. The guidance says it will normally be appropriate to leave her with 60 days to apply for further permission or leave the UK.[1]Home Office, Immigration Rules: Part Suitability[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
Hassan has 40 days of permission left when a cancellation decision reaches him. The guidance says cancellation cannot give him a new expiry date beyond the original one, so a cancellation to 60 days does not apply.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
These examples show how the Rules and guidance read. They do not say how any decision will be made.
What people get wrong
Many people expect to be able to appeal a cancellation. For most in-country cancellations made since 6 April 2015 there is no right of appeal or administrative review, and the decision letter should not say there is. The border cancellation route is the main exception.
A second mistake is assuming a challenge keeps permission alive. An error correction request does not extend permission.[2]UK Visas and Immigration, Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance)
The bottom line
Cancellation of leave ends or shortens permission under Part Suitability. Some grounds are mandatory and most are discretionary. The usual 60 days applies where the reasons are outside the person’s control, and rights to challenge are limited. Check the decision letter for the exact paragraph, the date permission ends and any time limit.
Common questions
In practice they overlap. The Rules define cancellation to mean cancelling, varying the duration of or curtailing entry clearance or permission. The Home Office guidance says cancellation replaced the older term curtailment, which is still used in some parts of the Rules such as Appendix EU.
Home Office guidance says there is no right of appeal or administrative review for a cancellation decision made on or after 6 April 2015. Cancellation at the UK border can carry a right to ask for an administrative review, and the decision letter says if it applies.
It depends on the decision. Permission can end immediately or run for a set period. Where the reasons are outside the person's control, caseworker guidance says it is normally appropriate to leave 60 days to apply for new permission or leave the UK.
Not under Part Suitability while the person is in the UK. The Rules say the only power to cancel indefinite leave in the UK is the power to revoke it under section 76 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
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. Immigration Rules: Part Suitability. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- UK Visas and Immigration. Cancellation and curtailment of permission (caseworker guidance). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- UK Visas and Immigration. Ask for a visa administrative review: if your visa was cancelled at the border. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩