Collection

Visas and immigration operational guidance

Visas and immigration operational guidance for staff.

• From: Home Office
• Published: 22 May 2023
• Last updated: 6 October 2023 — See all updates

A collection of operational policy guidance used by UK Visas and Immigration staff to make decisions.

Asylum guidance

• Asylum appeals (asylum instructions)
  • 11 June 2014
  • Collection
• Asylum decision making guidance (asylum instructions)
  • 8 April 2025
  • Collection
• Asylum screening and routing (asylum instructions)
  • 13 January 2021
  • Collection
• Asylum support (asylum instructions)
  • 25 July 2025
  • Collection
• Children (asylum instructions)
  • 31 March 2023
  • Collection
• Detention and reporting (asylum instructions)
  • 19 September 2017
  • Collection

Enforcement guidance

• Criminality and detention (immigration staff guidance)
  • 1 August 2023
  • Collection
• Immigration Enforcement general instructions (immigration staff guidance)
  • 3 November 2016
  • Collection
• Returns and removals (immigration staff guidance)
  • 28 November 2013
  • Collection

Electronic travel authorisation (ETA) guidance

• Electronic travel authorisation: caseworker guidance
  • 5 March 2025
  • Guidance
• Electronic travel authorisation – Irish resident exemption
  • 25 July 2023
  • Guidance

Entry clearance guidance

• Appeals (entry clearance guidance)
  • 17 December 2013
  • Collection
• Common travel area (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Crew members (entry clearance guidance)
  • 17 December 2013
  • Collection
• Entry clearance basics (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Entry for non points-based system employment (entry clearance guidance)
  • 17 December 2013
  • Collection
• European nationals and schemes (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Exempt (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Family members under Part 8 and Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules
  • 16 April 2014
  • Guidance
• Maintenance and accommodation (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Medical issues (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Right of abode (entry clearance guidance)
  • 18 December 2013
  • Collection
• Settlement (entry clearance guidance)
  • 17 December 2013
  • Collection

Fees and forms

• Citizenship application forms
  • 24 November 2022
  • Collection
• UK visa and immigration application forms
  • 16 June 2023
  • Collection
• UK visa fees
  • 1 July 2025
  • Policy paper

Immigration rules

• Archive: Immigration Rules
  • 22 July 2025
  • Collection
• Immigration Rules
  • 22 July 2025

Immigration staff guidance

• Appeals (immigration staff guidance)
  • 14 May 2021
  • Collection
• Applications (immigration staff guidance)
  • 27 November 2013
  • Collection
• Armed forces (immigration staff guidance)
  • 12 April 2024
  • Collection
• EEA, Swiss nationals and EC association agreements (immigration staff guidance)
  • 7 January 2022
  • Collection
• Enforcement and criminal investigations (immigration staff guidance)
  • 3 July 2025
  • Collection
• Family of people settled or coming to settle (immigration staff guidance)
  • 4 February 2025
  • Collection
• General grounds for refusal (immigration staff guidance)
  • 11 October 2022
  • Collection
• Identity checks (immigration staff guidance)
  • 24 December 2024
  • Collection
• Immigration intelligence (immigration staff guidance)
  • 8 February 2018
  • Collection
• Other cross-cutting guidance (immigration staff guidance)
  • 10 April 2025
  • Collection
• Other immigration categories (immigration staff guidance)
  • 10 October 2024
  • Collection
• Settlement (immigration staff guidance)
  • 17 August 2022
  • Collection
• Studying (Immigration staff guidance)
  • 17 January 2022
  • Collection
• Visitors (immigration staff guidance)
  • 18 February 2025
  • Collection
• Working in the UK (immigration staff guidance)
  • 14 November 2022
  • Collection

Nationality guidance

• Requirements and considerations common to all types of British nationality (nationality guidance)
  • 10 May 2023
  • Collection
• British citizenship (nationality guidance)
  • 23 November 2022
  • Collection
• Right of Abode (nationality guidance)
  • 14 November 2017
  • Collection
• British overseas territories citizens (BOTC) (nationality guidance)
  • 28 June 2022
  • Collection
• British overseas citizens (nationality guidance)
  • 14 November 2017
  • Collection
• British subjects (nationality guidance)
  • 14 November 2017
  • Collection
• British nationals overseas (nationality guidance)
  • 31 January 2021
  • Collection
• British protected persons (nationality guidance)
  • 14 November 2017
  • Collection
• Historical background information on nationality (nationality guidance)
  • 14 November 2017
  • Collection

Windrush guidance

• Windrush Compensation Scheme: caseworker guidance
  • 1 November 2024
  • Guidance
• Windrush scheme: caseworker guidance
  • 1 November 2024
  • Guidance

Published 22 May 2023

Last updated 6 October 2023 + show all updates

1. 6 October 2023

   Added caseworker guidance for the electronic travel authorisation.

2. 20 July 2023

   New caseworker guidance on the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) Irish resident exemption added.

3. 22 May 2023

   First published.