Recent internal data from Total Law suggests that UK visa behaviour is shifting. Risk aversion is higher than it was 12 months ago, and applicants are placing greater emphasis on compliance amid sweeping changes to the UK visa system. Intent is high, and compliance is driving visitors, immigrants, and businesses to seek support for their applications.
The message is clear: UK visas are not easy to obtain, and increased regulation is prompting people to seek tailored visa advice from immigration lawyers for their specific situation.
Immigrants are concerned not only with the visa process but also with their whole residency journey – from visa through to settlement in the UK. Law changes make processes far from straightforward, and individuals seek to understand their impact.
When it comes to most 'permanent' UK visa categories, we are seeing greater care taken with assembling evidence, especially proving 'suitability' under the new (HC133) Part Suitability framework, which became effective in November 2025.
The Part Suitability Framework is less discretionary than its predecessor, Part 9: Grounds for Refusal. There is greater scrutiny of adverse immigration history, such as overstaying, and of NHS debts, fraud, deception in applications, and criminality.
Some serious breaches mandate refusal by UKVI caseworkers, whereas the process was previously discretionary in many cases. Coupled with the new earned settlement proposals, people are concerned about the timelines for Indefinite Leave to Remain and British Citizenship. Even those already on visa routes will likely see their timelines increase, so there's pressure for clarity on circumstances.
Concern is forcing compliance up the list of priorities, as there is more that can go wrong – both in terms of the visa application process and the full settlement timeline. Some are looking ahead and asking if they still have a direct route to settlement. Now the downside is much greater. You could unwittingly add years to your settlement timeline for more minor breaches than before. Therefore, individuals are seeking advice tailored to their specific situations.
Family visa applicants, such as Spouse visa (for partners of British citizens) and Dependent visa (for partners of UK visa holders), are seeking help proving genuine and subsisting relationships and supporting their financial needs. While the situation remains the same, applicants are now asking more questions than ever to mitigate potential issues.
They don't want their timeline to increase from the baseline, so we are seeing more advice sessions on how to avoid an increase due to things like benefits claims or driving offences.
When it comes to visitor visas, the refusal rate is also much higher than in previous years, especially for applicants from countries where the risk of overstaying or seeking asylum in the UK is higher
We're seeing more genuine travellers approach the visitor visa process with caution and compliance in mind – especially around financial evidence and refusal prevention.
There has been a decline in "research" activities and an increase in search intent.
The data suggests that casual browsing, research, and informational searches are losing ground to AI-driven searches, and that immigration law firms are experiencing a decline in page visitors. However, engagement times have remained steady.
Direct questions and specific 'compliance-related' search queries are growing faster than core pages. Compared to core pages, direct questions and targeted "compliance-related" search queries are growing faster. Meanwhile, interest in fast-track services and advice sessions has increased.
There is a sense of urgency and a need for clarity among those in the UK or planning to move there, which has contributed to a rise in application assistance.