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Topic: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?  (Read 770 times)

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Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« on: September 17, 2014, 12:20:40 AM »
Anxiety-ridden over here...

I don't think I have a very clear idea of the process.  I've got a job offer, contingent on visa approval - so going for a Tier 2 visa.  They had to advertise the job for 28 days for UK applicants to give it a shot.  No one qualified applied (It's a tax firm that focuses on US expat tax - which I specialize in...lucky me having a job needed in London :)  ) so we move onward, though a week after I expected it to be cleared to go...

So now (I'm assuming) they've put out the application for the Certificate of Sponsorship.  They said "should go through quickly" but I think American and British concepts of "quick" are very different....

Now looking ahead - how quick between applying online and paying do you get a Biometrics appt and how quick from there can you mail in the app?

Sighhhhhhhhh.  Thanks everyone :)  Will be so relieved when this is over and official (and I know I can quit my job here and wont lose $1000 on a temporary flat for when I move over!!  Sheesh)!
KAY

London resident-to-be!


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2014, 01:35:32 AM »
So now (I'm assuming) they've put out the application for the Certificate of Sponsorship.  They said "should go through quickly" but I think American and British concepts of "quick" are very different....

It just depends how efficient the company is at applying for it and how quickly the certificate can be processed by UKVI. I would probably allow up to about a month for the certificate to come through, although it could be faster.

Quote
Now looking ahead - how quick between applying online and paying do you get a Biometrics appt and how quick from there can you mail in the app?

It's all up to you how long it takes - because you decide which biometrics center to attend and which date you book the biometrics. If you gather up all your documents and just wait for the Certificate of Sponsorship before applying online, you can probably get it all done within a few days.

There are 129 possible biometrics centers that you can choose from, so you just need to find the most convenient one for you with the date you need. Most people manage to get a biometrics appointment for within a couple of days of applying online.

Then, if you have everything ready to mail to NYC, you can always attend the biometrics appointment and mail the application on your way home from the appointment.

If you want to pay for priority processing ($170), you can purchase it before you mail the application, and it will get the package put to the front of the line for faster processing.


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2014, 02:34:19 AM »
Anxiety-ridden over here...

I don't think I have a very clear idea of the process.  I've got a job offer, contingent on visa approval - so going for a Tier 2 visa.  They had to advertise the job for 28 days for UK applicants to give it a shot.  No one qualified applied (It's a tax firm that focuses on US expat tax - which I specialize in...lucky me having a job needed in London :)  ) so we move onward, though a week after I expected it to be cleared to go...

So now (I'm assuming) they've put out the application for the Certificate of Sponsorship.  They said "should go through quickly" but I think American and British concepts of "quick" are very different....

Now looking ahead - how quick between applying online and paying do you get a Biometrics appt and how quick from there can you mail in the app?

Sighhhhhhhhh.  Thanks everyone :)  Will be so relieved when this is over and official (and I know I can quit my job here and wont lose $1000 on a temporary flat for when I move over!!  Sheesh)!

I am assuming you are in the US. In which case, the company will need to apply for a Restricted Certificate of Sponsorship. These are issued only on the 11th of every month, so you probably missed September. The company is then notified if they have been approved for your RCoS a day or two after that. Once you have your RCoS number and details, you can apply for your visa and get an appointment for biometrics - which can be just a day or two later, depending on availability. You can mail your application the day you give your biometrics, provided you have your documentation, proof of maintenance and the stamped sheet from your biometric appointment.

Slightly quicker process if you are already in the UK (but not on a visitor visa).
2004-2008: Student Visa
2008-2010: Tier 1 PSW
2010-2011: Tier 4
2011-2014: Tier 2
2013-2016: New Tier 2 (changed jobs)
16/12/15: SET (LR) successful! - It's been a long road...
12/05/16: Citizenship ceremony!


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2014, 08:44:04 AM »
There are 129 possible biometrics centers that you can choose from, so you just need to find the most convenient one for you with the date you need. Most people manage to get a biometrics appointment for within a couple of days of applying online.

Then, if you have everything ready to mail to NYC, you can always attend the biometrics appointment and mail the application on your way home from the appointment.

If you want to pay for priority processing ($170), you can purchase it before you mail the application, and it will get the package put to the front of the line for faster processing.

From experience, the booking system won't offer you any biometric appointments within the next 3 working days. However, this seems to be just a system limitation and not an indication of the appointments actually available - my wife had no trouble showing up a few days early for hers and other people on this forum have had similar success. The biometrics are done at USCIS offices and they seem pretty helpful when it comes to UK applicants. So you could submit your application online, try to go for biometrics, and mail the application all in a single day.

If you want to use the priority service, you need to pay for it on the same day you mail your application. Therefore I'd suggest waiting until your entire package is ready to go before you take that step (in other words, until after you complete biometrics successfully). Just to make sure you don't waste your money in case the USCIS people are having a bad day and don't want to see you early.

Oh, and use a next day insured/tracked delivery service for your application. (I always use USPS Express Mail myself, since there are post offices everywhere and you can use a flat rate envelope.)


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #4 on: September 18, 2014, 11:42:32 PM »
sh*t.  But thank you everyone for all the input!!!!

Well, regarding the COS, I am not sure about that 11th thing because Ive got an immigration lawyer working on my application through the firm and she implied it would only be a few days or up to a week.  They've input all my information in for the application and prepared that for me.

I was wondering if it was possible to mail the packet immediately after the biometrics appointment.  My only kind of guideline here has been reading people's 'timelines' on their message profiles :) 

I think I need to wait about the priority and see how long this goes.  I thought for settlement visas it was $500. Are Tier 2s not settlement visas?  (I am not sure of all the terminology).  If I have to push back my move date, I lose half of my payment on an Airbnb (not my wisest plan) and its just even more days I am not working and earning a salary...not the best when moving to a super expensive city...so the $170 may be a worthwhile investment.

I may attempt what politicfool suggested and try the application/biometrics/package all in one day when that day comes!

KAY

London resident-to-be!


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #5 on: September 19, 2014, 12:43:11 AM »
No, settlement visas are family visas - for people moving as family members of UK citizens. You are applying for a non-settlement sponsored work visa, so your priority processing is $170 and you mail the documents to New York.


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #6 on: September 19, 2014, 09:46:48 AM »
Yup, like ksand said you are applying for a non-settlement visa.  Your application will be processed in NYC, not Sheffield.  Most of the timelines on this forum are for settlement visas.  Yours is *likely* to be a much faster turnaround.  A few years ago my priority Tier 2 was done in less than 24 hours which isn't uncommon.  I won't tell you how long it took for my package to come through though.   ::)


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2014, 02:04:30 PM »
ksand & KFdancer - you just eased a lot of my anxiety with those last two posts :)  Thanks!!

Do you get notified that it's accepted/approved before the package returns in the mail?

Honestly I am most concerned right now about leaving my current job!!  I want to be out by a certain date to have time to get things done before leaving and I need to give the two weeks notice by October 6 to achieve that.  I am sure everything else will come through before I am supposed to leave on November 8  (maybe I should practice writing 8 November and 6 October!!)

I incorrectly presumed settlement = moving (though I guess that doesn't make sense since all the visas involve moving there...).
KAY

London resident-to-be!


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2014, 02:08:06 PM »
You *should* get notified but it doesn't always happen.


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2014, 03:30:48 PM »
For the most part, Tier 2's don't lead to settlement (meaning you can remain in the UK indefinitely).  The rules are constantly being made more restrictive.  Currently a Tier 2 General CAN lead to settlement but several requirements have to be met.


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2014, 06:21:02 PM »
Well, the hope is that I am going to marry Prince Harry and someone else in an office somewhere can deal with my immigration paperwork from then on ;)

Kidding...kind of.
KAY

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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2014, 06:54:19 PM »

Only certificates of sponsorship for people ALREADY in the UK take a couple of days to a week. Your immigration lawyer is wrong, straight up wrong. Restricted CoSs are only issued on one day each month.

This is from the guidance for sponsors:
"The restricted CoS application cycle
29.12
The application process works to a monthly cycle. You can make an application at
any time using your SMS account. Each application we receive will be scored against a set of criteria. On the 11th day of each month we will decide how many applications made on or before the 5th of the same month can be approved. We
call this the ‘allocation date’.

29.18
If you do send the information or documents within the time limit, but the date we receive them is on or after the 5th of the next calendar month, or we are unable to
make the necessary checks before the allocation date you have applied for, we will hold your application until the following allocation date. If we have been unable to carry out those checks by the following allocation date, your application will be rejected."

Can be found here:
page 106
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/356629/AddendumTier_25_Sponsor_Guidance_09-14_v1_1.pdf

2004-2008: Student Visa
2008-2010: Tier 1 PSW
2010-2011: Tier 4
2011-2014: Tier 2
2013-2016: New Tier 2 (changed jobs)
16/12/15: SET (LR) successful! - It's been a long road...
12/05/16: Citizenship ceremony!


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2014, 07:11:38 PM »
Well, the hope is that I am going to marry Prince Harry and someone else in an office somewhere can deal with my immigration paperwork from then on ;)

Kidding...kind of.

I'll support that.  Can I come to the wedding?

When I moved here for work, everyone told me I was going to move here and meet an Englishman and get married.  Are you getting that?  (They were all right by the way, totally screwed up my career plans).


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2014, 09:45:00 PM »
Panic reinstated.  Wonderful.

Yes, people have been telling me that, too.  But I've also been saying it to people when they ask if I'm coming back.  I sure hope so because I'm pretty tired of dating Philadelphians and I desperately hope to have children with British accents....haha  And the fact that it happened to you, KFdancer, reinforces my hopes  ;)
KAY

London resident-to-be!


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Re: Certificate of Sponsorship - how long to process?
« Reply #14 on: October 07, 2014, 10:32:42 PM »
Think you're right, physicskate.... still no word, sigh.

It's been three weeks waiting for the CoS and I am really panicking as I need to put in my notice at work.  This delay may push back my entire move timeline!!  ??? ??? ??? ??? :o
KAY

London resident-to-be!


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