513:
210:
27:
192:
UKVI operates the UK visa system, managing applications from foreign nationals seeking to visit or work in the UK and also considering applications from businesses and educational institutions seeking to become sponsors for foreign nationals. It also considers applications from foreign nationals
172:
status was removed, and internally it was split, with one division responsible for the visa system and the other for immigration enforcement. May says UKBA had a "closed, secretive, and defensive culture" that contributed to immense backlogs. The intention of the split was to disperse cases more
200:
The UKVI's role has widened in the aftermath of Brexit. In
January 2021, the UK implemented a new points-based immigration system, and EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who resided in the UK must have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after the Brexit transition period.
184:, was appointed as interim director general of UK Visas and Immigration. Her position was made permanent on 5 March 2014. Marc Owen, former senior director of national and international operations, is the current director for visas and citizenship.
610:
605:
88:
600:
540:
628:
792:
767:
590:
729:
787:
797:
777:
533:
224:
As of 2017, UKVI is spread over nine buildings across the country. The headquarters of UK Visas and
Immigration are in South London in
782:
689:
181:
762:
709:
757:
719:
526:
699:
664:
174:
333:
280:
477:
377:
704:
620:
585:
772:
724:
427:
714:
694:
679:
734:
506:
173:
evenly in a way that would provide them with "high-quality decisions". The responsible minister is the
125:
168:
on 26 March 2013, with the intention that its work would be returned to the Home Office. The agency's
659:
654:
194:
611:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls
286:
8:
512:
452:
649:
595:
577:
559:
291:
169:
165:
149:
60:
355:
311:
402:
228:. Other immigration offices, such as the Public Enquiry Office, are also there.
145:
564:
84:
751:
568:
644:
16:
Agency of the Home Office responsible for the United
Kingdom's visa system
549:
225:
213:
161:
141:
115:
263:
258:
606:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Migration and Citizenship
453:"Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (settled and pre-settled status)"
89:
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Migration and Citizenship
268:
248:
242:
237:
232:
217:
209:
481:
518:
253:
220:, which houses the headquarters of UK Visas and Immigration
197:
and manages appeals from those who have been denied visas.
26:
601:
Minister of State for
Policing, Fire and Crime Prevention
356:"UK Border Agency 'not good enough' and being scrapped"
312:"UK Border Agency 'not good enough' and being scrapped"
148:
system. It was formed in 2013 from the section of the
629:
Permanent Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office
749:
591:Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum
730:Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
334:"UK Border Agency's transition to Home Office"
534:
470:
541:
527:
511:
25:
793:2013 establishments in the United Kingdom
208:
768:Government agencies established in 2013
690:Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
182:Registrar General for England and Wales
152:that had administered the visa system.
750:
710:Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority
788:Right of asylum in the United Kingdom
720:Independent Office for Police Conduct
522:
144:responsible for the United Kingdom's
700:Biometrics and Forensic Ethics Group
403:"Director for Visas and Citizenship"
378:"Minister of State for Immigration"
13:
596:Minister of State for Home Affairs
14:
809:
798:Visa policy of the United Kingdom
778:Immigration to the United Kingdom
498:
175:Minister of State for Immigration
164:, announced the abolition of the
783:Organisations based in Liverpool
294:(leading to the Windrush Scheme)
281:National Border Targeting Centre
548:
705:Disclosure and Barring Service
586:Minister of State for Security
478:"Visa premium service centres"
445:
420:
395:
370:
348:
336:. UK Border Agency. 3 May 2013
326:
304:
1:
763:Borders of the United Kingdom
725:Investigatory Powers Tribunal
298:
104:Abi Tierney, Director General
758:Home Office (United Kingdom)
715:Migration Advisory Committee
695:Animals in Science Committee
204:
7:
735:Security Industry Authority
274:
10:
814:
155:
678:
637:
619:
576:
556:
358:. BBC News. 26 March 2013
314:. BBC News. 26 March 2013
160:The then Home Secretary,
121:
111:
97:
77:
69:
53:
38:
33:
24:
670:UK Visas and Immigration
134:UK Visas and Immigration
126:UK Visas and Immigration
20:UK Visas and Immigration
660:Immigration Enforcement
655:Homeland Security Group
187:
140:) is a division of the
221:
193:seeking protection or
665:National DNA Database
212:
773:Immigration services
287:Surinder Singh route
78:Minister responsible
283:in south Manchester
195:British citizenship
21:
650:HM Passport Office
222:
180:Sarah Rapson, the
19:
743:
742:
131:
130:
805:
680:Non-departmental
560:2 Marsham Street
543:
536:
529:
520:
519:
515:
510:
509:
507:Official website
493:
492:
490:
488:
474:
468:
467:
465:
463:
449:
443:
442:
440:
438:
424:
418:
417:
415:
413:
399:
393:
392:
390:
388:
374:
368:
367:
365:
363:
352:
346:
345:
343:
341:
330:
324:
323:
321:
319:
308:
292:Windrush scandal
170:executive agency
166:UK Border Agency
150:UK Border Agency
98:Agency executive
61:UK Border Agency
54:Preceding agency
49:
47:
29:
22:
18:
813:
812:
808:
807:
806:
804:
803:
802:
748:
747:
744:
739:
681:
674:
633:
615:
572:
562:
552:
547:
505:
504:
501:
496:
486:
484:
476:
475:
471:
461:
459:
451:
450:
446:
436:
434:
426:
425:
421:
411:
409:
401:
400:
396:
386:
384:
376:
375:
371:
361:
359:
354:
353:
349:
339:
337:
332:
331:
327:
317:
315:
310:
309:
305:
301:
277:
207:
190:
158:
107:
93:
65:
45:
43:
42:April 2013
34:Agency overview
17:
12:
11:
5:
811:
801:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
741:
740:
738:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
702:
697:
692:
686:
684:
676:
675:
673:
672:
667:
662:
657:
652:
647:
641:
639:
635:
634:
632:
631:
625:
623:
617:
616:
614:
613:
608:
603:
598:
593:
588:
582:
580:
574:
573:
565:Home Secretary
558:Headquarters:
557:
554:
553:
546:
545:
538:
531:
523:
517:
516:
500:
499:External links
497:
495:
494:
469:
444:
419:
394:
369:
347:
325:
302:
300:
297:
296:
295:
289:
284:
276:
273:
272:
271:
266:
261:
256:
251:
246:
240:
235:
206:
203:
189:
186:
157:
154:
129:
128:
123:
119:
118:
113:
109:
108:
106:
105:
101:
99:
95:
94:
92:
91:
85:Seema Malhotra
81:
79:
75:
74:
71:
67:
66:
64:
63:
57:
55:
51:
50:
40:
36:
35:
31:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
810:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
755:
753:
746:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
701:
698:
696:
693:
691:
688:
687:
685:
683:
682:public bodies
677:
671:
668:
666:
663:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
643:
642:
640:
636:
630:
627:
626:
624:
622:
621:Civil Service
618:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
597:
594:
592:
589:
587:
584:
583:
581:
579:
575:
571:
570:
569:Yvette Cooper
566:
561:
555:
551:
544:
539:
537:
532:
530:
525:
524:
521:
514:
508:
503:
502:
483:
479:
473:
458:
454:
448:
433:
429:
423:
408:
404:
398:
383:
379:
373:
357:
351:
335:
329:
313:
307:
303:
293:
290:
288:
285:
282:
279:
278:
270:
267:
265:
262:
260:
257:
255:
252:
250:
247:
244:
241:
239:
236:
234:
231:
230:
229:
227:
219:
215:
211:
202:
198:
196:
185:
183:
178:
176:
171:
167:
163:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
127:
124:
120:
117:
114:
112:Parent agency
110:
103:
102:
100:
96:
90:
86:
83:
82:
80:
76:
72:
68:
62:
59:
58:
56:
52:
41:
37:
32:
28:
23:
745:
669:
645:Border Force
563:
485:. Retrieved
472:
460:. Retrieved
456:
447:
435:. Retrieved
431:
422:
410:. Retrieved
406:
397:
385:. Retrieved
381:
372:
360:. Retrieved
350:
338:. Retrieved
328:
316:. Retrieved
306:
223:
199:
191:
179:
159:
137:
133:
132:
550:Home Office
226:Lunar House
214:Lunar House
162:Theresa May
142:Home Office
116:Home Office
752:Categories
428:"About Us"
299:References
638:Divisions
578:Ministers
264:Sheffield
259:Liverpool
205:Locations
70:Employees
462:22 April
437:22 April
412:22 April
362:22 April
318:19 March
275:See also
269:Solihull
245:, London
387:26 June
249:Glasgow
243:Croydon
238:Cardiff
233:Belfast
218:Croydon
156:History
122:Website
46:2013-04
44: (
487:20 May
482:gov.uk
457:gov.uk
432:gov.uk
407:gov.uk
382:GOV.UK
340:12 May
39:Formed
254:Leeds
73:7,500
489:2017
464:2021
439:2021
414:2021
389:2017
364:2021
342:2013
320:2014
188:Role
146:visa
138:UKVI
87:MP,
216:in
754::
567::
480:.
455:.
430:.
405:.
380:.
177:.
542:e
535:t
528:v
491:.
466:.
441:.
416:.
391:.
366:.
344:.
322:.
136:(
48:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.