Staff guidance on permitting access to public funds now sets 72 working hours and 14 working days for considering urgent change of conditions applications. The page was updated on 11 February 2026.
Key facts
- Who: People with permission on the family, private life, Appendix Child Relative (Sponsors with Protection) (Appendix CRP) and Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) routes who apply to change their no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition
- From: 11 February 2026 (page update date). Version 7.0 was published for Home Office staff on 10 February 2026.
- Source: Permitting access to public funds
UK Visas and Immigration has added a section, "Prioritisation of applications to permit access to public funds", to its staff guidance. Version 7.0 was published for Home Office staff on 10 February 2026, and the page shows an update date of 11 February 2026.
The section says there is, in general, no specific service standard for deciding change of conditions applications, but decision makers should make all reasonable efforts to decide them promptly. All such applications should be triaged on receipt and, where appropriate, prioritised.
Three tiers apply, based on the evidence provided:
- Tier 1: the applicant is street homeless or has a serious vulnerability that makes the situation very urgent. Consideration within 72 working hours, excluding public holidays.
- Tier 2: the applicant or a dependant has serious vulnerabilities, but the case is not urgent enough for Tier 1. Consideration within 14 working days.
- Tier 3: all other applications. No set service standard, but all reasonable efforts should be made to consider cases as soon as possible.
Tier 2 covers imminent street homelessness (within 8 weeks), a child in a precarious or imminently precarious situation, a significant health condition affecting daily life in particularly difficult circumstances, and current or recent domestic abuse. The list is not exhaustive.
The guidance says the burden is on the applicant to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for Tier 1 or Tier 2. For street homelessness (Tier 1), the applicant should provide evidence from their local authority confirming they are known to be street homeless, or evidence from a registered charity. If that independent evidence cannot be provided, the decision maker should consider whether prioritisation is appropriate on the evidence and facts presented. For imminent street homelessness (Tier 2), independent evidence is normally expected, such as local authority evidence, an eviction notice, or charity evidence. For a health condition, evidence comes from a doctor or other healthcare or social care professional. For domestic abuse, a declaration in the application form is accepted unless there is evidence it is untrue.
The timeframes cover consideration only. A final decision may not be possible if further evidence is needed. A case first placed in Tier 3 may be re-prioritised if new evidence shows the applicant now meets Tier 1 or Tier 2. Immigration status, including precarious status, is not in itself a reason to prioritise, and prioritisation does not affect the outcome of the application.
What this means for applicants
The guidance puts the burden on applicants to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for Tier 1 or Tier 2. For Tier 1 street homelessness, it says the applicant should provide confirmation from the local authority or a registered charity. For Tier 2 imminent street homelessness, independent evidence can include local authority evidence, an eviction notice or charity evidence; for a health condition, it is documentary evidence from a doctor or other healthcare or social care professional.
Where an applicant cannot provide independent evidence of street homelessness, the guidance tells the decision maker to consider whether prioritisation is appropriate on the evidence presented. Applications that are not prioritised fall within Tier 3, which has no set service standard.
The guidance says a request does not have to be made on an application form, but the most efficient way is the online process, "Apply to change your permission to allow access to public funds" on GOV.UK. Applicants are then given access to a portal to upload supporting documents.