What to do within 14 days after permanent residency is denied? Full process of submitting administrative review (AR)

The most valuable thing during those 14 days after the permanent residency application was rejected is not the probability of overturning the decision, but that your legal status has not yet been terminated.

This is my judgment: the vast majority of people apply for an Administrative Review (AR) in order to "reverse the visa refusal," but end up wasting £80; the real value of these 14 days is that it can hold on to your Section 3C leave (automatic extension of stay under Section 3C, Immigration Act 1971), allowing you to legally remain in the UK and continue working while waiting for the result. Understanding this point will help you decide whether or not to apply, and when to do so.

Follow the actual sequence below after receiving the rejection letter.

Can I submit an AR after a permanent residency rejection? Please check the last page of the rejection letter.

拒签信正文讲的是"为什么拒"，最后那一页讲的是"你能怎么办"。AR和上诉（appeal to the First-tier Tribunal）在规则上互斥：只有当这个决定不带上诉权时，才轮到AR；反过来，带上诉权的决定不能走AR。

这一步最容易踩的坑，是走Appendix FM配偶路径或含私生活主张的长居路径的人。如果你的申请被认定为提出了human rights claim并被拒，Home Office给的通常是上诉权，不是AR。这时候递AR，会被判无效，而14天在等待判无效的过程中就跑没了。走Skilled Worker、Global Talent这类不含人权申请的永居路径，拒签信给的一般才是AR。

确认能递之后，第二个坑更硬：AR只审一件事——case working error。Appendix AR把它写得很死，大致是适用了错误的规则、规则适用错误、算错了分数、算错了居留期间、没有考虑随原申请提交的全部证据、或者对已提交证据的评估有误。

圈内流传最广的一句话是"AR就是把缺的材料补齐再交上去"。这句话是错的。AR原则上只看原决定作出时审案人手里已经有的那份卷宗，事后补交的新材料不进入审查范围（涉及欺骗指控等极窄情形除外）。所以"我漏交了一份工资单，用AR补上"这条路走不通；而"我交了完整的12个月工资单，审案人只看了9个月就说我不达标"，这才是AR真正咬得住的点。

Similarly, incorrect calculation of absence days is the most common and most arguable type of dispute in AR. Before submitting, re-calculate your own出入境流水 according to the Appendix Continuous Residence criteria (both departure and return dates are counted as being in the UK, only full days away are counted). It's best to calculate precisely to the day using 永居计算器. Put your numbers next to the numbers on the refusal letter, which is more useful than writing a 1000-word appeal.

That 14 days started running from the day you hadn't even opened that email yet.

The key lies in the five characters "deemed delivery date". Immigration Rules Appendix SN (Service of notices) stipulates: if the decision is delivered by email, it is deemed to be delivered on the day it was sent; if delivered by post to an address within the UK, it is deemed to be delivered on the second working day after posting (excluding the day of posting and non-working days); for overseas addresses, it is the 28th day. Now, the vast majority of permanent residency decisions are delivered through eVisa account plus email notification, meaning that the email you didn't open on Friday evening and saw on Monday is legally counted from Friday. 14 days are calendar days, and the clock does not stop during Christmas, Easter, or when you are out of town. Not a single day can be missed - once AR is deemed late, there's only the expensive and slow route of judicial review left.

Beyond the time limit, these 14 days also have an identity significance.

If your permanent residency application was submitted in-time (before the original visa expires), the 3C leave will continue your status during the processing period; after a rejection, the 3C will not immediately end, but will continue until the AR period expires; if you submit a valid AR within the period, the 3C will continue until the AR is resolved. Conversely, if you decide not to apply for an AR and instead submit a new application, the 3C will end exactly when the 14-day period is over - after that, your work rights, rental rights, and NHS fee status will change accordingly. This is why I said the main function of AR is to "stabilize your status," not to "win."

The fee is £80. The refund policy is outlined in Home Office "Administrative Review" Panelist Guidelines (August 3, 2026 edition): the £80 will be refunded only if the AR is deemed invalid, or the review result is to revoke the original decision and approve, which is usually refunded within three weeks of the decision date; no refund will be given if the original visa refusal is upheld. The official service standard is 28 days to reach a decision, but it is common for it to take longer in practice. There are three possible outcomes: revoking the original decision, upholding the original decision, or upholding the decision but with added or revised reasons for the refusal. In the third case, you can submit another AR against those new reasons, and this time it will be free of charge.

If you can't tell whether this rejection letter is for an AR or an appeal, don't guess it yourself - pay £5 at justiscript.com and a qualified lawyer in the UK will give you a written response within 24 hours, available in both Chinese and English, which is much faster than asking on forums, and much cheaper than missing the 14-day period.

After receiving the rejection letter, please do these four things in order.

1. Turn to the last page of the rejection letter, confirm whether it says "administrative review" or "appeal", take a screenshot of the date the decision email was sent, count 14 days from the date deemed delivered, and mark it in your calendar.

2. Compare each rejection reason, and determine whether it belongs to a case working error. If it is "I did not submit all the documents," AR cannot help, and you should directly prepare for a new application.

3. Confirm whether the original application was submitted on time. If yes, submit an AR within the deadline to extend 3C; if uncertain, arrange work and lease arrangements assuming it will be discontinued.

4. After receiving the AR result, check immediately if there are any new reasons for rejection. If there are new ones, the 14-day window will be reopened once and it is free.

This article is for reference only. For specific issues, please consult a licensed attorney. Fees and rules are subject to the latest announcement of GOV.UK.

[Data source] gov.uk/ask-for-a-visa-administrative-review; Home Office "Administrative review" caseworker guidance (2026 edition); Immigration Rules Appendix AR and Appendix SN; Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026

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