This page explains what will happen after you have made your complaint, and what you can do if you are not happy with how we have handled it.

How we will handle your complaint

We will try to resolve your complaint as soon as possible. However, some complaints are complex.

We aim to give a full response within 20 working days. If your complaint alleges serious professional misconduct by our staff or people working for us, it may take up to 12 weeks to carry out a detailed, independent investigation. We may contact you during an investigation for further information.

It may be necessary for your letters to be forwarded to our overseas offices to respond to your complaint and whilst we make every effort to ensure that a response is returned within our published standards this may not always be possible.

What to do if you are not happy with how your complaint has been handled

If you do not think your complaint has been dealt with correctly you can write directly to :

Head of UK Visa Customer Services
Visa Services Directorate
International Group UKBA
c/o Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY

If you are not satisfied with the response, you can ask your Member of Parliament to raise your concern with the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Before you contact you Member of Parliament, the Parliamentary Ombudsman expects you to have raised your complaint with the overseas visa section and with the Head of UK Visa Customer Services, unless there are exceptional reasons for not having done so.

 Find and contact your MP

If you have made a complaint about serious professional misconduct, the investigators will tell you the outcome. Their letter will tell you who to contact if you are still dissatisfied.

What happens after your complaint has been dealt with

We want to learn from complaints and to improve the service we provide to our customers wherever possible. We may, for example, consider making adjustments to the process that led to your complaint. We may also consider giving our staff extra training or, in serious cases, taking disciplinary action.

If you can show that you have suffered financial loss as a direct result of an error we have made, you may be able to claim reimbursement of the costs you have incurred. We will only consider reimbursing you for these costs if they were reasonable, unavoidable and a direct consequence of our actions - and you will need to provide evidence such as original receipts.

In exceptional circumstances not involving financial loss, we will consider whether a consolatory payment may be appropriate