Section 01
The two clocks
Our SLA covers the first clock only. Once your application is submitted to the embassy, the timeline belongs to the consulate. We track it, surface delays on your dashboard, and chase appointment slots — but the decision date is theirs.
Section 02
SwiftPass turnaround by tier
From the moment we have all required documents on file. Counted in US business days unless otherwise noted.
Standard — $199
5–7 business daysFull document review, application prep, submission, appointment booking.
Express — $299
3–5 business daysPriority queue, same-day acknowledgement of any document gap.
Premium — $499
2–3 business daysDedicated case manager, mock interview, accelerated appointment search.
Ultra — $799
24 hoursWithin 24 hours of receiving the complete document pack. Refund-backed.
Section 03
Current embassy review times
Embassy timelines we are seeing in May 2026 from African applicants. These are observed ranges, not promises — embassies change pace without notice.
UK · Standard Visitor
3 weeksLagos & Nairobi VFS — 15 working days target, sometimes faster.
UK · Skilled Worker
3–8 weeksPriority service +£500 brings to ~5 working days where available.
US · B1/B2
Interview wait dominatesInterview slot drives total time. 1–6 months wait in Lagos/Accra in 2026.
Schengen · Short-stay
15 calendar daysCode Visa Article 23 max. Extendable to 45 days for missing docs.
Canada · TRV
4–8 weeksFrom Lagos: closer to 8 weeks. From Nairobi: 4–6 weeks. SDS routes faster.
New Zealand · Visitor
3–5 weeksINZ South Pacific paper applications faster than online from Africa.
Australia · Visitor 600
4–10 weeksHigh variability by stream. Frequent traveller stream fastest.
UAE · 30/90-day tourist
3–5 business daysOnline, fast. Same-day in many cases.
Section 04
What slows your application down
Document back-and-forth
We pause the SLA clock the moment we ask you for a missing or non-compliant document. Most delays are here. Respond within 48 hours.
Appointment scarcity
Some posts (US Lagos, Italy Lagos, Germany Accra) have 1–6 month appointment queues. SwiftPass monitors the calendar continuously but cannot conjure slots.
Embassy administrative processing
"Administrative processing" / 221(g) for US can add 2–8 weeks. Schengen request for additional documents adds 7–30 days.
High-season volume
June–August (summer travel) and November–December (winter holidays) extend embassy queues by 15–30%.
Public holidays
Embassy calendars follow both host-country and destination-country holidays. We surface upcoming closures on your dashboard.
Sponsorship & invitation letters
If a third party (employer, host, university) needs to provide a document, their response time dominates the timeline. We chase, but cannot force.
Section 05
What speeds it up
- Complete pack at submission. Every document on the checklist, in the required format, on the first upload. The biggest single time saver.
- Pick a tier with a tighter SLA. Ultra at 24h is for applicants who genuinely need an appointment yesterday.
- Use embassy priority/super-priority paid services. Available for UK, Schengen-DE, and others. We will book and pay these on your behalf.
- Respond to our messages in under 48 hours. The SLA clock resumes the moment your reply hits our queue.
- Use VFS/TLS premium lounges where they exist (UK, France, Italy). They cut wait time on appointment day by hours and reduce document-rejection risk.
Section 06
Worst-case scenarios
Because honest expectations matter more than glossy averages:
US B1/B2 from Lagos with no prior travel — up to 8 months end-to-end
Interview wait + admin processing + reschedules. SwiftPass cannot shorten the embassy queue; we can fight to surface the earliest available slot 24/7.
Schengen-DE from Accra during peak — up to 10 weeks
Appointment wait (4–6 weeks) + standard processing (15 days) + occasional follow-up requests. Priority service rare.
Canada TRV from Lagos with weak ties — 8–12 weeks
IRCC officers more cautious for African passports with limited travel history. Strong financial + employment file shaves weeks.
UK Standard Visitor refused on first attempt
Reapplication straightforward but means restarting the 15-working-day clock. Better to over-document the first time.
Section 07
Live tracking on your dashboard
Once your application is in flight, your SwiftPass dashboard surfaces — in real time — the current SwiftPass stage, the embassy stage, the appointment status, and any open document request. No need to email support for an update.
- Per-stage timestamps with estimated remaining time
- Embassy queue position where the consulate exposes it
- Appointment-search status with auto-rebook on earlier slots
- Document requests with a 48-hour countdown to keep your SLA active
- Refund eligibility indicator (live)
Section 08
FAQ
Does "7 business days" include weekends?
No. We count US business days (Mon–Fri, excluding US federal holidays). Submitted on Friday at 5pm counts from Monday morning.
Can you guarantee an embassy appointment date?
No. Nobody can. We can guarantee continuous monitoring and auto-booking the moment a slot opens — including pre-dawn slot drops most agents miss.
What happens if the embassy refuses?
You receive a refusal letter from the embassy. Government fees are non-refundable per their policy; SwiftPass service-fee refund rules are in §04 of the Refund Policy.
Why are some countries so much slower than others?
Embassy staffing, application volume, and policy decisions made in capitals — not at the visa-application centre. We track and report; we do not control.
Can I expedite mid-application?
Yes — upgrade from Standard/Express to Premium or Ultra at any time before embassy submission. The price difference is added; nothing already paid is lost.
Do you process visa renewals faster than first-time applications?
Yes. Renewal applications usually move through document review 30–50% faster because we already have your profile and historical data.