When must the First-tier Tribunal receive my immigration appeal?

The First-tier Tribunal normally must receive an in-country appeal within 14 days after the decision notice was sent. Outside the UK, the ordinary period is 28 days after receipt, or after departure for the specific statutory departure branch. Check the exact route before counting.

Responsible actor. The person appealing an appealable immigration decision, acting personally or through an authorized representative.

For a person in the United Kingdom, rule 19(2) uses when the decision notice was sent. Preserve sending evidence. The date printed on the decision and the date it was received can differ.

Outside the United Kingdom, rule 19(3)(a) uses departure only if the person was in the UK when the decision was made and cannot appeal there because of a provision of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. A previous UK stay alone is insufficient.

In other outside-UK cases, rule 19(3)(b) uses actual receipt of the decision notice. Establish that receipt rather than copying the Home Office sending date.

The current GOV.UK post-or-email guidance describes in-country time from receipt. Rule 19(2) expressly uses sending. This review follows the procedural rule and does not silently grant extra transit days.

Use the three ordinary rule 19(2) and (3) routes only after establishing an appealable decision and the appellant’s location. The departure branch requires both rule 19(3)(a) conditions. Citizens’ rights administrative-review and withdrawal branches, changed directions and unestablished appeal rights require separate review.

1. Establish an appealable decision and the correct ordinary route.
2. Record the route-specific sent, received or qualifying departure date.
3. Exclude that event date and count 14 or 28 calendar days.
4. Check the final date against rule 1(4), including the full December 27 through 31 exclusion.
5. Comply with the actual Tribunal directions, complete the authorized filing and preserve receipt evidence.

Exclude the established event date for these periods expressed as days after that date. Count all following calendar days, including intermediate weekends, bank holidays and December 27 through 31. Apply the working-day test only to the final day.

Rule 1(4) excludes Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday, bank holidays and December 27 through 31 from working days. Under rule 11(2), carry a final nonworking day to the next working day unless the Tribunal directs that this paragraph does not apply. Do not skip the Christmas shutdown inside a 14-day or 28-day calendar period. These examples use England and Wales bank holidays.

Fictitious example

The appellant is in the United Kingdom. The Home Office sent the appealable decision notice on Monday, October 12, 2026. This is the ordinary rule 19(2) route, with no citizens-rights administrative-review branch or contrary direction.

Fictitious established facts. These examples do not establish eligibility, effective service, relief or a direction.

Appeal right and exact decision

A deadline calculation does not establish an appeal right. Rule 22 prevents acceptance where there is no appealable decision. Check the decision notice, statutory appeal ground and applicable legislation.

Citizens’ rights appeals and administrative review

Rule 19(3ZA) disapplies ordinary paragraphs (2) and (3) for citizens’ rights immigration decisions. Paragraph (3B) supplies their ordinary sent-or-received routes. Paragraph (3D) can instead use 14 or 28 days beginning with the administrative-review decision sending day or withdrawal sending day. Those inclusive periods cannot be substituted into this ordinary after-date calculator.

Detention does not establish a shorter ordinary appeal period

Detention alone does not replace rule 19(2) with seven days or two working days. The former Fast Track Rules were held systemically unfair. Identify any actual current direction; do not treat a stale detained preset as authority.

Late appeal and imminent removal

Rule 20 requires a late notice to include an extension application and reasons. The Tribunal decides timeliness and extension as a preliminary issue. Rule 21 addresses imminent removal in a late case; it does not automatically extend the appeal period.

Directions and final working day

Rule 4(3)(a) permits extension or shortening. Rule 11(2) final-day carry is subject to a contrary Tribunal direction. Confirm the actual case directions before relying on the ordinary count.

• Use the three ordinary rule 19(2) and (3) routes only after establishing an appealable decision and the appellant’s location. The departure branch requires both rule 19(3)(a) conditions. Citizens’ rights administrative-review and withdrawal branches, changed directions and unestablished appeal rights require separate review.
• An initial immigration appeal challenges the Home Office decision. A later rule 33 permission application goes to the First-tier Tribunal about an alleged legal error in its own decision. A renewed application after permission refusal goes to the Upper Tribunal under its separate rules. The Tax Chamber permission route is a separate chamber and timetable, useful only for identifying the correct tribunal rather than importing its period.

• Retain the decision notice, statement of reasons and evidence of the operative sent or received date.
• For the departure branch, retain actual departure evidence and the statutory reason an in-country appeal is unavailable.
• Use IAFT-1 or the applicable online appeal task and state the available statutory grounds.
• Check the current form, supporting documents and fee requirements. Do not infer them from a calculator result.
• If late, include the extension request and reasons with the notice.
• Rule 11(1) normally requires the act by midnight, unless otherwise directed. The relevant notice or application must actually reach the First-tier Tribunal by the applicable deadline. Use the filing channel and address authorized for the case under rule 12. A posted envelope, saved draft, upload in progress or message to the Home Office does not establish Tribunal receipt. Preserve submission confirmation, the document and the actual receiving timestamp.