Super priority ILR: will a Friday or Saturday biometrics appointment get a weekend decision?
No. A weekend decision is very unlikely. The super priority service aims to decide your application by the end of the next working day after you prove your identity, but weekends and bank holidays are not working days. GOV.UK states that if your appointment is at the weekend or on a bank holiday, the aim is a decision "2 working days after your appointment". So a Friday enrolment usually means a Monday decision, and a Saturday enrolment usually means a decision around Monday or Tuesday, not on the Saturday or Sunday itself.
- The super priority service aims for a decision by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment.
- For a weekend or bank holiday appointment, the aim is 2 working days after your appointment.
- Weekends and bank holidays are not working days, so they do not count toward the timeline.
- The service costs £1,000 in addition to your application fee.
- It is available for visa and settlement (ILR) applications, but not for citizenship applications.
- The timeline is an aim, not a guarantee, and complex cases can take longer.
What the super priority service actually promises
The super priority service is a paid upgrade that speeds up how quickly the Home Office aims to decide your application after you have submitted it and proven your identity. According to GOV.UK, you can usually expect a decision "by the end of the next working day after your appointment, if your appointment is on a weekday". If your appointment falls at the weekend or on a bank holiday, the aim shifts to "2 working days after your appointment".
The cost is £1,000 on top of your normal application fee. It is available for visa and settlement applications, which includes indefinite leave to remain (ILR), but you cannot use it for citizenship applications.
The key word throughout is "working day". The clock is measured in working days, and it only starts running properly once your identity has been verified, whether that was in person at a service point or through the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
Why a Friday or Saturday appointment does not decide over the weekend
Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays are not working days. That is why the guidance sets a longer aim for weekend and bank holiday appointments in the first place. If the Home Office counted weekends, there would be no need for a separate 2 working day target.
Here is how it usually plays out in practice:
- Friday appointment: the next working day is normally Monday, so you would typically be looking at a decision by the end of Monday, assuming Monday is not a bank holiday.
- Saturday appointment: as a weekend appointment, the aim is 2 working days after your appointment. With Saturday and Sunday not counting, that generally points to a decision around Monday or Tuesday.
Bank holidays push these dates further. A bank holiday Monday, for example, is not a working day, so the count would move to the next working day after it. You can check upcoming bank holidays on GOV.UK before you book.
These timelines are aims, not guarantees. The Home Office can and does take longer when a case needs extra checks, when documents are missing, or when there are unresolved issues on your record. Do not book flights, hand in notice, or make irreversible plans on the assumption that a super priority decision will land exactly on time.
What can delay a super priority decision
Paying for the fastest service does not switch off the normal caseworking rules. A decision can slip past the aim if any of the following apply:
- Your application is complex or your immigration history needs closer review.
- Documents are missing, unclear, or need verifying with a third party.
- The caseworker requests further information after your appointment.
- There are wider processing pressures at the time you apply.
When this happens the Home Office should still be working on your case, but the published timeline no longer applies. It is worth reading our guide on what to do if your ILR application is taking longer than expected so you know when it is reasonable to chase and how to do it.
Planning your appointment day
If a fast, predictable decision matters to you, the simplest lever is the day you enrol your biometrics. A weekday appointment early in the week gives the cleanest run at the next working day aim. A Friday or weekend appointment simply pushes the expected decision into the following week.
Availability of the super priority service also varies by route and by time, so it may not always be offered when you book. If you are on a specific route, check the rules for that route before assuming the service is available. For example, availability and processing differ across routes, and our guide on how long ILR takes on a spouse visa walks through what to expect on the family route.
Treat the super priority timeline as a well founded expectation rather than a promise. Build in a buffer, keep your documents ready in case the caseworker asks for more, and plan around working days rather than calendar days.
The bottom line
A Friday or Saturday biometrics appointment will almost never produce an ILR decision over the weekend, because the super priority service is measured in working days and weekends do not count. Expect a Friday appointment to point toward a Monday decision, and a Saturday appointment toward roughly Monday or Tuesday, with bank holidays pushing everything further. It is a fast service, but it runs on the working week.