UK Visas and Immigration guidance for staff on how an application for leave to remain in the UK is made valid, and what to do if it is not. It also describes how an applicant can change the purpose of an application, withdraw an application and calculate the date of an application.
Updates to this page
Last updated:
16 October 2026
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Updated the guidance to reflect the Autumn 2026 changes to Part 1 around biometrics and fee waivers, added a new section on ‘Rule 34k and dependents’, and removed content that duplicated the identity standards guidance.
The section Human rights applications and variation has been amended following legal advice from Home Office Legal Advisors.
Updated to include additional text in the 'About this guidance' section on templates; addition of text in the 'What's is a valid application' section to include reference to Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse; and a change in wording regarding refund fees in the section 'How to reject an application as invalid'.
Updated the guidance to reflect the launch of ETA.
Updated section on 'What is a valid application?'.
Added sections on 'contacting an applicant where they have used the correct application form but may have selected the wrong route or category', and 'contacting an applicant where they may have used the wrong form for their application'.
Version 6.0 of guidance added. Includes changes to the Identity sections.
Version 5 added of guidance.
Updated document with a new version.
Updated guidance in line with FBIS changes on 1 December 2020.