Official authorities

The Home Office (the government department)

The Home Office is the UK government ministerial department responsible for national security and public safety. Its remit covers immigration and visas, border security, passports, policing, counter-terrorism and asylum.

The Home Office does not do everything directly. According to gov.uk it is supported by around 30 agencies and public bodies. The parts you are most likely to encounter for immigration are UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force and Immigration Enforcement, all of which sit under the Home Office. HM Passport Office, which issues passports, is also part of it.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) — visas and status

UK Visas and Immigration, usually shortened to UKVI, is the part of the Home Office that decides who has the right to come to or stay in the UK. It makes millions of decisions each year on visa and immigration applications, with national security described as a firm emphasis.

UKVI is the body behind the services most applicants deal with, including visa applications, the eVisa (your immigration status held electronically), the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), and applications for settlement and citizenship. If your query is about applying, your status, or a decision on an application, UKVI is the relevant authority.

Border Force — the border

Border Force is a law enforcement command within the Home Office that secures the UK border. It carries out immigration checks on people arriving in the UK and customs checks on goods coming in.

In practice, Border Force officers are the ones who check your passport and permission to enter when you arrive at an airport, port or other entry point. Its wider work also includes tackling smuggling, such as drugs and prohibited goods, at the border.

Immigration Enforcement — enforcing immigration law

Immigration Enforcement is the part of the Home Office responsible for enforcing immigration law within the UK. Its work includes removing people who are in the country illegally, tackling illegal working, managing immigration detention, and running reporting arrangements for people subject to immigration control.

This is distinct from UKVI (which decides applications) and Border Force (which controls the border). If you see references to enforcement action, detention or removals, that is this command.

gov.uk is the only official source

Everything official about UK immigration — guidance, application forms, fees and contact details — is published on gov.uk, the UK government's website. Official Home Office pages sit under gov.uk addresses. If a website is not on gov.uk, it is not the government, even if it looks similar or uses official-sounding names.

• Check the web address: genuine government pages are on gov.uk. Be wary of sites with names like "uk-visa", "official" or similar that are not gov.uk.
• Beware sites that charge extra just to fill in or "check" a free government form, or that promise faster decisions for a fee — official fees and services are set out on gov.uk.
• Never enter passport, payment or personal details on a site you reached through an advert or unsolicited message without confirming it is the official gov.uk service.
• Third-party visa agents and immigration advisers may be legitimate businesses, but they are not the Home Office; using one does not change the official rules, fees or decisions.
• If in doubt, navigate to gov.uk directly rather than following a link, and start from the Home Office or UKVI organisation pages.