Visa case SLA tracking means setting a target number of days for each type of case and watching which cases are running late or are about to. An SLA, or service-level agreement, is simply a promise you make to yourself and your clients about how long each stage should take. Tracking it turns "this feels slow" into a list of the exact cases that need attention today.
This guide explains how a visa consultancy can set sensible targets, what to count, how to review overdue cases and how to avoid promising clients things you do not control. The time a government takes to decide an application is outside your control, so this guide is about your own work: how fast you reply, collect documents, review and submit.
What an SLA is, and what it is not
An SLA in a consultancy is an internal target for the steps you control. For example: "new enquiry answered the same day", "documents reviewed within two working days of arriving", "file ready to submit within ten days of the last document". It is not a promise about the decision time of an embassy or visa office. For official processing times, check the authority's website, and note that estimates change.
Why it matters
- Clients feel the delay you control. They rarely complain about a government queue, and they often complain about a week of silence from you.
- Problems surface early. A case that is two days over target is easy to fix. One that is twenty days over is a complaint.
- Workload becomes visible. If one person's cases are always late, that person has too many.
How to set targets that people believe
1. Start from what actually happens
Look at ten recent cases of one visa type and note how many days each stage took. Take a realistic figure, not the best case.
2. Set one target per visa type
A tourist visa and a work visa need different times, and a family case with several applicants takes longer again. VisaPilot's SLA Tracker lets you set a target number of days for each visa type.
3. Separate your time from the client's
If a case is waiting for the client to send a passport copy, it is not late because of you. Make the stage visible, "waiting for client documents", so staff are not blamed for the client's delay, and so you know when to chase. Read immigration document management software.
4. Agree who acts when a case goes over
A target without a response is decoration. Decide what happens at "about to be overdue" and at "overdue": who is told, and what they do.
A weekly SLA review in 15 minutes
- Open the SLA Tracker and filter overdue cases.
- For each, record the reason: waiting for client, waiting for staff, waiting for the authority, or unclear.
- Assign a task with an owner and a due date to anything waiting on staff.
- Send the client a short update on every case that is late for any reason.
- Look at the cases that are about to be overdue and act before they are.
What to measure beyond days
| Measure | Example target |
|---|---|
| First reply to an enquiry | Same working day |
| Document review after upload | 2 working days |
| Submission readiness check | Before every submission |
| Client update when a stage changes | Within 1 working day |
These numbers are examples. Choose the ones you can honestly keep. For the submission check, see the submission readiness checklist.
Tell clients, carefully
Share your own turnaround times, and be honest about the parts you do not control. "We review your documents within two working days of receiving them" is a promise you can keep. "Your visa will be ready in three weeks" is not. The client portal shows each case's status, so clients can see progress without asking. Read immigration client portal adoption.
Common mistakes
- Targets nobody can meet. People stop looking at the tracker.
- One target for everything. Different visa types need different times.
- No reason recorded. You cannot fix a delay you cannot classify.
- Treating the SLA as punishment. It is a tool to find stuck work, not to blame people.
Frequently asked questions
Does the SLA Tracker predict visa decision times?
No. It tracks your own targets for each visa type and shows which cases are overdue or about to be. For official processing times, use the authority's website and the Country Intel notes, and always confirm on the official source.
Can I use SLA tracking on a small team?
Yes. A small team has the least slack, so one forgotten case matters more. See CRM for small visa agencies.
Is it available on every plan?
Yes. The SLA and deadline tracker is included on every plan. The pricing page has the full comparison.
See it in practice: open the live demo, see the visa CRM, or start your free trial.
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