The new 24-week timeframe for certain immigration and asylum appeals in the First-tier Tribunal
From yesterday, 12 August 2026, a new 24-week timeframe will apply to certain immigration and asylum appeals in the First-tier Tribunal.
Which appeals are affected?
The change includes appeals where someone is receiving asylum accommodation under section 95 or section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. It also applies to some non-detained people who have been convicted of an offence and are liable for deportation.
The 24-week timeframe does not apply where an appeal has to be brought or continued from outside the UK.
What does this mean?
The Tribunal will generally be expected to decide these appeals within 24 weeks of the appeal being lodged, unless it is not reasonably possible to do so. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) says hearing dates will be set when the appeal is lodged, rather than later in the process. This means people will have less time to prepare for their appeal. Before this change there was no time frame for when an appeal had to be decided.
The Tribunal will use the Home Office reference number to identify which appeals fall under the new timeframe. Therefore, it is important that the correct reference number and biometric information are provided when lodging an appeal. If key information is missing, the appeal may be returned, which could cause further delays.
What could this mean for people?
The government says the changes will speed up the appeals process and reduce the time people spend in the asylum system.
A shorter timeframe may mean a quicker decision, but it also gives people less time to gather evidence and properly prepare their case. This could mean people losing their asylum accommodation sooner, increasing the risk of homelessness and destitution, while those who lose their appeal could face removal more quickly.
Our advice
Our advice is to try and find a legal representative. We know that this is difficult, but here is a list of legal aid lawyers and private solicitors you can contact.
If you need more time to find legal support, or you think there is evidence to support your case that you cannot get in the time available, then ask the Tribunal to take your case out of this system. You will need to explain what the evidence is, why it will take so long to get it, and why it is important to your case.
Legislation
Sections 49 and 50 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 come into force on 12 August 2026. They introduce new timeframes for certain appeals under section 82 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
Section 49 applies to people receiving asylum accommodation under section 95 or section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Section 50 applies to people who are not detained but have been convicted of an offence and are liable for deportation under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971.
Our concerns
People spend far too long waiting in limbo in the current appeals system, and this needs to change. But we are concerned that this new timeframe is about moving people through the system faster, getting people out of asylum accommodation and speeding up removals, rather than about making sure everyone gets a fair hearing. It does not address the underlying issues in the appeals system. And for people whose appeals are rushed through and unsuccessful, the consequences are severe: losing their accommodation and being left at risk of homelessness and destitution.
We have seen before that attempts to push large numbers of cases through the system quickly, prioritising speed without proper planning, collaboration and communication, can have devastating consequences for individuals and communities.
We are particularly concerned about what this means for people who are without legal representation and may struggle to gather evidence and prepare their appeal within 24 weeks, impacting people’s access to justice. The changes do nothing to address the existing backlog of appeals or lack of legal representation, while legal aid providers are already under huge pressure.
A major reason there are so many cases waiting in the appeals system is because of the Home Office making poor initial decisions. Again, this new deadline does nothing to address this systemic problem.
People need enough time and legal support to properly challenge a Home Office decision, particularly when the consequences could include losing their accommodation or being removed from the UK. And the Home Office and Ministry of Justice must urgently address poor decision-making and defunding of legal aid.
Read more:
Threadbare: the quality of immigration legal aid (2025)
Home Office asylum decisions seeing significant decline in quality (2026)