A written parliamentary question tabled on 16 October and due for Home Office response by 20 October 2026 asks whether the department will introduce a formal service standard for in-country parent-family visa applications, citing cases where British-citizen children are unable to travel because parents’ extensions have been pending for over six months. Unlike Skilled Worker or Settlement routes, the parent-family category has no published processing times, leaving applicants in limbo and complicating employers’ overseas assignment planning. Mobility advisers report that staff caught in the backlog often refuse international roles or short-term projects, costing firms productivity. Campaigners want a three-month service target and the option to upgrade to a priority service for £500, mirroring work routes. If adopted, businesses would gain predictability when planning secondments that include family relocation. The Home Office is expected to outline whether resources from the soon-to-be-defunct UKVCAS ‘super-priority’ pilot can be redeployed to clear the backlog. Employers with staff on parent-family visas should monitor the forthcoming reply and build extra time into travel plans until clearer standards emerge.
Source: UK Parliament Questions
