Master prompt
Document tracking template + UKVI validity calendar
Per-document tracker (status, source, expiry) + UKVI validity windows (TB 6mo, SELT 2y, financial 28-day "specified period", 90-day Partner-route variant) + re-collection trigger dates.
UKDocument checklistTrackerValidity28-day ruleSpecified periodSELTTB test
You are building a document tracker and validity calendar for [CLIENT_NAME] targeting UKVI submission of [VISA_ROUTE] on [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE].
§1 — UKVI VALIDITY WINDOWS — REFERENCE TABLE
Different documents have different validity windows. Submission must occur within the valid window for EACH document.
DOCUMENT TYPE / VALIDITY:
• TB test certificate — 6 months from issue (Appendix Tuberculosis)
• SELT (IELTS Life Skills, Trinity GESE, LanguageCert, PSI) — 2 years from test date for most routes (Appendix English Language)
• Life in the UK Test certificate — INDEFINITELY valid once passed (no expiry)
• UK ENIC equivalency letter — typically valid 2 years (verify ENIC issue period)
• Bank statements (Skilled Worker / Student funds, SW 17 / ST 22) — 28-DAY SPECIFIED PERIOD:
Statement closing balance date must be within 31 days of application date
Funds must have been at-or-above threshold for 28 consecutive days within that window
• Bank statements (Partner / Spouse, Appendix FM-SE):
Category A (current employment): last 6 MONTHS' payslips + corresponding bank statements
Category B (recent change): last 12 MONTHS' payslips + statements
Savings route: funds held for 6 MONTHS minimum
Some sub-categories have 90-DAY specified period — verify FM-SE current version
• Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) — typically 6 months from issue (per UKVI guidance for SOC codes requiring it)
• Marriage / birth / death certificates — NO expiry, but apostille / authentication may have implicit currency (recommend ≤ 12 months for apostille for some routes)
• Apostille / FCDO legalisation — NO formal expiry, but old apostilles (>2 years) may attract caseworker scrutiny
• Employer letter — typically dated within 1-3 MONTHS of application (UKVI prefers recent)
• Payslips — 6 most recent for Category A; 12 most recent for Category B
• P60 / SA302 / Tax Year Overview — for most recent completed tax year
• Property valuation / mortgage statement — within 3 months
• Council tax statement / utility bills — within 3 months
• Sponsor's identity documents (Partner route) — current passport / BRP (not expired)
• CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) — VALID FOR USE within 6 months of issue (Student route, ST 17)
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS, Skilled Worker) — VALID FOR USE within 3 months of assignment date (SW 14)
• IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) payment — tied to application; no separate validity
• Visa application fee receipt — tied to application
§2 — DOCUMENT TRACKER TEMPLATE FOR [CLIENT_NAME]
Build a table with these columns:
| # | Document | Source | Status | Date obtained | Validity window | Expires (target submission) | Risk |
|---|----------|--------|--------|---------------|-----------------|----------------------------|------|
For each document in [DOCUMENT_SET], populate:
• Document — exact name of document
• Source — issuing authority + city / institution
• Status — TO COLLECT / IN PROGRESS / OBTAINED / TRANSLATED / APOSTILLED / READY
• Date obtained — when document was issued
• Validity window — number of months/days valid per UKVI rules
• Expires (target submission) — calculate from date obtained + validity window; flag if expires BEFORE [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE]
• Risk — RED (will expire before submission) / AMBER (tight margin) / GREEN (well within window)
Example row for TB test certificate (Max Healthcare Delhi, issued 2026-06-10):
| 1 | TB test certificate | Max Healthcare Delhi (IOM-listed) | OBTAINED | 2026-06-10 | 6 months | 2026-12-10 | GREEN (3 months margin to [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE]) |
Example row for IELTS Life Skills B1 (test taken 2024-08-15):
| 2 | IELTS Life Skills B1 | British Council Mumbai | OBTAINED | 2024-08-15 | 2 years | 2026-08-15 | RED — expires 30 days before [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE]; RETAKE |
§3 — UKVI ROUTE-SPECIFIC TRACKER FOR [VISA_ROUTE]
If [VISA_ROUTE] is "Skilled Worker":
Critical tracking:
• CoS — issued ≤ 3 months before submission (SW 14)
• Salary evidence — 6 most recent payslips
• English language — SELT or degree + ENIC (2 years validity for SELT)
• Funds — bank statement closing within 31 days of submission; 28-day continuous threshold met
• PCC (if SOC code requires) — issued ≤ 6 months
• Sponsor licence — verify on UKVI Register on submission day
If [VISA_ROUTE] is "Student":
Critical tracking:
• CAS — issued ≤ 6 months before submission (ST 17)
• English language — same as Skilled Worker (2 years for SELT)
• Funds — 28-day continuous threshold met; statement closing within 31 days
• TB test — 6 months
• ATAS (if applicable) — typically no formal expiry but tied to CAS subject
• Parental consent (under-18 applicants) — dated within 3 months
If [VISA_ROUTE] is "Spouse (FM)":
Critical tracking:
• Marriage certificate + apostille — no formal expiry; recommend re-verification if > 5 years and any name changes
• Sponsor's status proof — current passport / ILR / Settled Status share code
• Financial — Category A: last 6 months' payslips + bank statements (CRITICAL: gap-free)
• Accommodation evidence — within 3 months
• Relationship evidence — across timeline, dated
• English language — A1 CEFR for initial entry (2 years validity); A2 for extension; B1 for ILR
• TB test (India applicant) — 6 months
If [VISA_ROUTE] is "ILR":
Critical tracking:
• Continuous Residence — all BRPs / vignettes covering 5-year period (or 2 for Partner)
• All passports for qualifying period
• Life in the UK Test — passed (no expiry)
• English language — B1+ CEFR (2 years for SELT; permanent for UK degree + ENIC)
• Tax records — last 5 P60s / SA302s
• Salary continuity (Skilled Worker → ILR) — employer letters covering 5 years
If [VISA_ROUTE] is "Naturalisation":
Critical tracking:
• Form AN cover documents (see uk-citizenship-application-package-letter)
• Two referees — confirmed contactable
• Life in the UK Test — passed
• English language — B1+ proof
• ILR / Settled Status — held ≥ 12 months (general route)
• Absence calculation — within 450-day / 90-day limits
§4 — RE-COLLECTION TRIGGER CALENDAR
For each document, calculate the LATEST DATE on which it can be obtained for validity to last through [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE]:
Document | Validity | LATEST re-collection date | Days to [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE]
TB test | 6 months | [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE] − 6 months + 1 day | (calculate)
SELT | 2 years | [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE] − 2 years + 1 day | (calculate)
PCC | 6 months | [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE] − 6 months + 1 day | (calculate)
Employer letter | 1-3 months | [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE] − 90 days | (calculate)
Property valuation | 3 months | [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE] − 90 days | (calculate)
State the EARLIEST re-collection deadline as the "do not delay past" date.
§5 — PROLONGED DECISION QUEUE TRIGGERS
If processing time extends beyond expected (e.g. due to security checks, document verification), some documents may EXPIRE between submission and decision. Caseworkers can request updated documents mid-process:
• TB test: if decision delayed > 6 months from test, caseworker may request re-test
• Sponsor licence: must remain valid through decision; sponsor changes status during processing → caseworker queries
• Marriage subsistence: relationship must continue; cohabitation evidence current at decision
• Funds: usually NOT re-checked mid-process (snapshot at submission), but if PFL (Procedural Fairness Letter) issued, fresh statements may be required
For None known:
• Cross-reference against documents that have shorter validity windows
• Flag which documents will need re-collection if decision is delayed (e.g. > 6 months)
• Pre-warn client: "If decision pending past [date], expect to re-collect TB test"
§6 — CONTINGENCY PLAN BY RISK LEVEL
RED-risk documents (will expire before submission):
• Immediate action: re-collect / re-test / re-obtain
• Allocate budget + time
• For RED on critical document → consider DELAYING [TARGET_APPLICATION_DATE] by 4-8 weeks if not catastrophic
• For Skilled Worker: CoS expiry is hard — must use within 3 months OR get new CoS
AMBER-risk documents (tight margin, < 30 days):
• Plan re-collection if processing delays expected
• Order replacements as backup
• For SELT: if expires < 30 days after target, take a fresh test as buffer
GREEN-risk documents:
• No action; continue tracking
• Verify on weekly status check
§7 — TRACKER UPDATE CADENCE
Recommend client / consultant cadence:
• Weekly status check during run-up (6 weeks before submission)
• Daily checks in final week
• Trigger alerts for any document moving from GREEN → AMBER → RED
• Backup plan for each critical document (alternative source, faster collection)
§8 — POST-SUBMISSION MONITORING
After submission:
• UKVI typically issues acknowledgement within 2-4 weeks
• If decision delayed > 8 weeks: ATIP / subject access request to check file status
• If Procedural Fairness Letter (PFL) received: respond within 7-30 days as stated
• Keep certified copies of EVERY submitted document for the duration of decision + 7 years
§9 — APPLICATION-DAY CHECKLIST
□ All documents in OBTAINED + READY status
□ All documents within validity windows at submission date
□ Translations done for non-English docs
□ Apostilles / legalisations in place
□ UKVCAS / VFS appointment booked
□ Premium services elected (if budget allows + time-sensitive)
□ Fee paid via UKVI portal
□ IHS paid via portal
□ Application form completed and submitted
□ Documents uploaded to UKVI portal
□ Original documents organised for biometric appointment
□ Certified copies retained for client records
□ Contingency plan for any AMBER-risk documents
End with: "DRAFT — for OISC-regulated adviser or solicitor review. Verify against current UKVI guidance before submission. UKVI validity windows have been stable for years but the Immigration Rules are amended by Statement of Changes at least annually; confirm SELT validity (last reviewed 2024), financial 28-day rule, and Partner-route specified periods at the current Appendix FM-SE version on the date of submission."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt