Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department takes to safeguard visa applicants from stress and other mental health problems which occur as a result of delayed decisions and other complications in the application process.

Comprehensive guidance is published on GOV.UK on the visa application process. This includes information regarding our Customer Service Standards (CSS) timescales for processing visa applications.

If an application is complex or delayed for any reason, Visas & Citizenship staff contact the applicant and inform them if it is anticipated that the CSS will not be met.

Applicants can contact V&C should the need arise. Contact details are published on the GOV.UK website here:
https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk

If V&C are made aware of any compelling or compassionate circumstances, consideration will be given to expediting assessment of the application, where appropriate and possible.