Priority vs super priority service: what is the difference?

The priority and super priority services are paid options that speed up a decision on a UK visa, settlement or citizenship application. Priority costs £500 on top of the application fee and usually gives a decision within 5 working days for most visas. Super priority costs £1,000 and usually gives a decision by the next working day.

How the two services work

You may be able to pay for a faster decision on a visa, settlement or citizenship application, using either the priority service or the super priority service. You choose it when you apply if you are eligible.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application}

The two services differ in price and speed.

Family visa applications made from outside the UK usually take 30 working days with priority. The figures come from the GOV.UK page on getting a faster decision.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application} Priority timings run from the day of your appointment if you prove your identity in person. If you use the UK Immigration: ID Check app, they run from the working day after you finish uploading your documents.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application}

When the clock starts and when you get a decision

For super priority, how quickly you get a decision depends on when you prove your identity.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application}

These come from the same page.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application} You will get a letter or email telling you the Home Office has made a decision. It tells you what to do next.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application}

Who can use them

From outside the UK, you can apply for a faster decision on most visas. You are told when you apply whether a priority service is available. If you go to a visa application centre, check whether it offers priority or super priority for your visa. If it does, you select it when you book your appointment. If you use the ID Check app, you select it online during your application.^{[2]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Applying from outside the UK}

From inside the UK you must have permission to be in the UK. Some applications are eligible and some are not, and it can depend on whether you prove your identity at a UKVCAS appointment or with the app. There is a limit on how many people can apply for a faster decision. If you are not offered the option, you can still complete a standard application.^{[3]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Eligible visas when applying from inside the UK} For example, GOV.UK’s table shows:^{[3]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Eligible visas when applying from inside the UK}

For citizenship, the priority service is available for some online applications. These include naturalisation and registering a child under 18. You cannot use it with a paper form.^{[4]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Eligible types of citizenship applications}

The super priority guidance adds that you cannot apply for super priority if you do not have valid permission to enter or remain in the UK and are applying for family life as a partner, parent or dependent child, or for private life, or on a human rights claim or leave outside the rules. If you apply when you are not eligible, you get a refund.^{[6]Home Office, Super priority visa service information}

Family members

For each family member applying with you for a visa or settlement, you must pay an additional £500 to get a decision within 5 working days, or £1,000 to get a decision by the end of the next working day. Every family member must pay for a faster decision. You get a decision for everyone at the same time.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application} If any family member needs to have their fingerprints and photograph taken in person, a decision may take longer.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application}

When it takes longer, and refunds

You might wait longer for a decision if the Home Office needs to check your details with other government departments, or asks you for more information. You will be told if so. If the decision takes longer you will not usually get your money back.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application}

If your application is refused, you will not get a refund.^{[5]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee} If you cancel, a refund depends on how you prove identity. If you were told to prove identity in person, you get a refund if you have not given your fingerprints and photo, and not usually if you have. If you used the ID Check app, you get a refund if you cancelled before the deadline for uploading evidence and have not selected “confirm and upload”.^{[5]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee}

If you are not cancelling, you will not usually get a refund. Each case is considered individually. You will not get a refund if the Home Office needed more information or evidence. It may give a refund if it could not decide in time because of something outside its control, for example a technical problem.^{[5]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee} A refund can take up to 28 days.^{[5]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee}

Example

Maya is in the UK on a Skilled Worker visa. She applies to extend it and chooses super priority. She pays £1,000 on top of her application fee. Her husband Ibrahim applies with her as a dependant, so he pays an extra £1,000. Maya’s identity appointment is on a Friday. She usually gets a decision by the end of the next working day, which is Monday. If her appointment were on a Saturday, she would usually get it 2 working days later. The decision for her and Ibrahim comes at the same time.

Daniel applies for the Graduate visa from inside the UK and uses the ID Check app. GOV.UK’s table shows a priority service within 5 working days is available to him but a next working day service is not.

What people get wrong

A late decision does not mean a refund. GOV.UK says you will not usually get your money back if the decision takes longer, and that you will not get a refund where the Home Office needed more information or evidence.

These points are in the GOV.UK guidance on faster decisions and on refunds.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application[5]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee}

A second mistake is thinking that every family member shares one fee. Each family member must pay for a faster decision.^{[1]Home Office, Get a faster decision on your visa, settlement or citizenship application} A third is expecting a refund after a refusal. GOV.UK says you will not get one.^{[5]Home Office, Get a faster decision: Getting a refund of your priority or super priority fee}

The bottom line

The priority service costs £500 and the super priority service costs £1,000, on top of the application fee. Priority is usually 5 working days for most visas. Super priority is usually the end of the next working day, and is not available for citizenship. You find out when you apply whether you can use either. Check the refund rules before you pay.