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The short answer
The super priority service adds £1,000 per person to an indefinite leave to remain application and usually gets a decision by the end of the next working day after your appointment, or two working days if the appointment is at a weekend or on a bank holiday. It is worth it when a slow decision would cost you more than £1,000 per applicant, for example a job, a mortgage offer or a time-critical plan that needs settled status; for most families with time in hand, the standard service is enough.
After five years on a work route, the ILR application is the most expensive form many Nigerian families ever fill in. The Home Office then offers to sell you speed. For a household of four, super priority adds £4,000 to a bill that is already over £12,000. Whether that is money well spent depends on what the waiting would cost you, so work it out.
The three speeds and their prices
| Service | Extra fee per person | Decision target |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | None | See GOV.UK's processing times for your route |
| Priority | £500 | Usually within 5 working days |
| Super priority | £1,000 | Usually by the end of the next working day |
The ILR fee itself is £3,226 for each applicant under the Home Office fees from 8 October 2026. GOV.UK's page on faster decisions says:
- The clock starts from your identity appointment, or the working day after you finish uploading documents through the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
- With super priority, a weekday appointment usually means a decision by the end of the next working day; a weekend or bank holiday appointment, two working days.
- Each family member applying with you must also pay, and everyone gets their decision at the same time.
- Decisions can take longer if the Home Office has to check details with other departments, needs more information, or needs fingerprints and photographs in person.
- If a decision is delayed you usually will not get your money back. There is a separate page on refunds of the priority fees.
- Super priority is not available for citizenship applications.
When the wait costs more than £1,000
Set the fee against a real cost. Common cases:
- A job offer that needs settled status, or a promotion that depends on it, with a start date you cannot move.
- A mortgage application where settled status would move you onto a lender's standard criteria. Nationwide, for example, applies its standard criteria to ILR holders but caps visa holders without high incomes at 75% loan-to-value. See Nationwide's rules without ILR.
- Travel plans, such as a family event in Nigeria. Before booking travel while an application is pending, read GOV.UK's guidance on what travelling means for your application.
- A visa close to expiry where you need certainty quickly.
Worked example (illustrative)
Example: Chinedu, his wife and their child apply. Super priority costs 3 × £1,000 = £3,000 on top of 3 × £3,226 = £9,678 in ILR fees, £12,678 in all. Chinedu has a job offer with a £6,000 higher salary that starts in a month and requires settled status. If the standard wait meant losing the offer, the £3,000 would be recovered in about six months of the higher pay (£6,000 ÷ 12 = £500 a month; £3,000 ÷ £500 = 6). If instead the family has no deadline, priority at £1,500 for three people, or the standard service at no extra cost, is the better use of the money.
Priority as a middle option
Priority, at £500 a person, usually brings a decision within five working days. For a family of three that is £1,500 rather than £3,000. If your deadline is a fortnight away rather than tomorrow, priority often buys the same practical result for half the cost. Book the appointment first, since both services count from the appointment or the ID Check upload, and pick the earliest slot you can attend.
When it is usually not worth it
- You applied in good time and your current visa has months to run.
- Your application has complications, such as gaps in residence or criminal record questions, which may take longer whatever you pay.
- The household budget is already stretched by the ILR fees. Debt to pay for speed rarely makes sense without a clear deadline.
Paying for it
The fee is paid with the application. If you are drawing on savings in Nigeria, move the money well before you apply: the application cannot wait while a transfer clears. Keep a record of where the money came from in case you are asked later, and do not use high-cost credit to pay for speed you do not need.
What to check first
- That super priority is offered for your route from inside the UK: GOV.UK has a page listing eligible applications.
- Appointment availability, since the clock starts from your appointment or upload.
- The total for every family member applying.
- Whether the deadline you are worried about is real and dated.
- The refund rules if a decision runs late.
Where Pryme fits
Paying £12,000 or more in a short window is easier when the money has been put aside. A Personal Assistant can prepare transfers into a settlement pot and remind you of dates; nothing moves without your approval. For the budget itself, see the Life in the UK test and settlement costs and the ILR family budget.
Questions people ask
How much is super priority for ILR?
£1,000 per person on top of the £3,226 ILR fee, according to GOV.UK and the Home Office fees table.
How fast is a super priority ILR decision?
Usually by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment, or two working days after a weekend or bank holiday appointment.
Do my dependants have to pay super priority too?
Yes. GOV.UK says each family member applying with you pays the fee, and everyone gets their decision at the same time.
Will I get the £1,000 back if the decision is late?
Usually not. GOV.UK says delayed decisions do not normally lead to a refund, and it has a separate page on when refunds apply.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application (updated 19 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Home Office: Immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026 · accessed Oct 2026
- Nationwide for Intermediaries: Lending criteria, borrower types (2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: Settle in the UK · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.