If you have been refused a UK visa or immigration application and are considering an administrative review, there is a fact you need to know before you decide: current Home Office guidance confirms that administrative review cases are now commonly taking 12 months or more to be decided – a significant increase on previous years.

This matters because administrative review is not always the right route, and a long processing time can change the calculation of whether it is worth pursuing.

Why This Matters for Your Decision

Administrative review remains useful where a caseworker has genuinely made an error – misreading a document, missing evidence you already submitted, or applying the wrong Immigration Rule. But it only ever corrects errors in the original decision; it cannot consider new evidence. If your case has moved on, or if an appeal route is available instead, waiting over a year for an administrative review outcome may not be your best option.

One important point many applicants get wrong: EU Settlement Scheme refusals no longer qualify for administrative review at all – that route was removed on 4 April 2024. Most EUSS refusals now carry a right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal instead, on a much shorter 14/28-day deadline. Applying for the wrong remedy can cost you your only real chance to challenge the decision.

What You Should Do

Before submitting anything, have your refusal letter reviewed by a specialist who can confirm whether administrative review, appeal, judicial review or a fresh application is the correct route for your specific decision – and advise honestly on whether the wait is worth it in your circumstances.

See our full Administrative Review guide for current deadlines, fees and eligible decision types.

Last reviewed: July 2026. This article gives general information only and is not legal advice on your specific position. NA Law Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority – SRA No. 645049.