We are rolling out a simpler visa application experience. You now see a personalised document checklist at the start, answer a few short questions so you are only asked for documents that apply to you, upload everything in one place with instant checks, and then complete a shorter form that only asks for details we could not read from your documents. This is rolling out gradually, so some of the steps below may look slightly different. For an overview, see A simpler way to complete your visa application. The steps below still explain the overall process from accepting your offer through to the Home Office decision.

After accepting, review and electronically sign the document, then return to the app and click Accept again to confirm. Once completed, you can start your visa application.

Click Start Visa Application in the platform. You will answer two short questions. These determine whether you can complete your ID check using the UKVI app, or you need to attend a physical biometric appointment.

You will see the documents you need for your application. Upload them in one place, and each one is checked as soon as it lands, usually within seconds. If a document is not right, you will be told why and what to provide instead. After your documents are uploaded, you complete a short form covering only the details we could not read from them. Anything we can read is filled in for you and labelled with the document it came from, and you can edit it. You can save and return at any time, though we recommend completing the upload and form in one sitting where possible.

Documents are read using OCR (Optical Character Recognition), so much of your form is filled in for you automatically. If an upload fails, try a clearer photo, ensure the document is fully visible, and use a different file if needed. If a document cannot be checked (for example it is password-protected or corrupted), you can still proceed and enter the details by hand; our team will see the flagged document.

If using a desktop, scan the QR code or send yourself the secure link to upload directly from your phone. This creates a secure connection between your phone and the form, allowing you to upload photos directly.

You can add dependants (partner or children) during your application. When selected, the relevant documents and fields are added for each dependant, and you complete each dependant's details individually. Where possible, details already provided are reused, and document upload is available for dependant passports.

If their current visa is still valid, you do not need to renew it immediately. If you want all visas to expire on the same date, you may choose to apply together.

❗ Please note: If your Certificate of Sponsorship was issued on or after 11 March 2024 under the Health and Care Worker route, dependants cannot be added due to Home Office rules. See more information here.

Once all sections are complete, review all information carefully and confirm. This sends your details to Borderless for review. Nothing is submitted to the Home Office at this point.

After confirmation you are taken straight to the payment page.

Processing options:

When your payment goes through you will see a confirmation on screen. If you are completing an ID check, the app then takes you to the Add Borderless as a helper step, followed by your ID check.

If you have questions about visa fees, please refer to the Visa Fees Calculator and this support article for guidance on visa payments.

If Borderless requests changes, open the application, click Edit on the relevant section, make your updates, and click Continue to resubmit for our immigration team to review again.

If ID checks are required, you will see this status in the app. After payment the app first walks you through adding Borderless as a helper on your UKVI account and shows you the codes UKVI asks for. See Adding Borderless as an Authorised Helper on Your UKVI Account. Then follow the guided ID check steps in the app on how to complete your ID check. When you press confirm, we check your UKVI account to confirm the identity check is complete, which takes a minute or two.

If online ID verification is not possible, a biometric appointment will be required. Appointments may be at least 3 weeks away, and some centres may charge up to £150 per person. Where possible, using the UKVI app is recommended to avoid delays and additional costs.

You can track your application status in the Visas section. Click Details to view your application status, uploaded documents, and updates. When your visa is granted, you will receive an email notification and an update in the app.

This applies to visa applications created on or after 21 September 2026. If your application was created before then, you pay from your dashboard, a Borderless caseworker moves your case on after payment, and a member of our team calls you to add Borderless as a helper.

Once you confirm your application details you are taken straight to the payment page. When your payment goes through you see a confirmation and are taken to the Add Borderless as a helper step, then your ID check. You no longer wait for a caseworker before you can start.

Before your ID check you add Borderless as a helper on your UKVI account from within the Borderless app. The codes UKVI asks for are shown to you in the app, so you do not need a call to complete this step. See Adding Borderless as an Authorised Helper on Your UKVI Account.

If you leave after paying, open your visa list in the Borderless app. Your visa card takes you to whichever step is outstanding.

Confirming your application details sends your information to Borderless for review. Nothing is submitted to the Home Office until a Borderless caseworker has reviewed your drafted forms and approved them.

💬 Need help or an update? Open the Support tab at the bottom right of your screen to contact our team directly.

Your answers in Step 2 (Triage) decide which documents the form asks for. If it asks for a refusal letter you do not have, or documents for a dependant who is not applying with you now, go back to Step 2 and check your answers. Changing the answer removes the request.

If the Identification section will not submit, check you have not added a second nationality by mistake. Scroll down the section and select "Remove nationality" next to any you do not hold.

If you are a social worker and the form asks for Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration, upload your Social Work England registration instead.