march timeline

Welcome to the forum .

Okay, right now, even without priority, visas are being processed in about 1 week or so, so I would still submit your application now and see what happens. You only have 5 days from biometrics to mail it to Sheffield.

As you found, St. Louis have nothing to do with the visa - they are US immigration doing UKVI a favour by letting you go there for biometrics and photo. Unfortunately once you attend biometrics you cannot get a refund on the visa application fee - so you will lose all the visa fees if you abandon the application now... though you would get a refund of the £600 IHS surcharge

VFS global are just a website - they are UKVI's commercial partner and handle payment of services offered by UKVI. That's it. They have nothing to do with you actual application. The courier service and priority service are offered by UKVI in Sheffield.

Although you could try to get a refund for the incorrect shipping label. How are you shipping it instead? I'd use DHL or UPS only and pay for the outbound shipping, then set up an online account with them and include your online account number with the documents so Sheffield and charge your account for the return shipping.

Also, you really should not purchase any flights or anything until your visa has been processed and you have it in your hands... because what happens if it's refused and you cannot move to the UK at all? If you have, then you have, but I hope you weren't told to book them by 1st contact, as that would have been bad advice from them.

How exactly are you paying for rent in London? It's illegal for you to be on a lease until you have a visa - unless your spouse is the only one on the lease and you have a letter from the landlord giving you permission to live there when you arrive.

Just want to check, just in case you have been given any wrong information, that you have the following:

-completed printed online application
- completed VAF4a Appendix 2 form
- accommodation evidence
- every single required document for the financial requirement (which category are you applying under?
- evidence of your relationship
- sponsor's passport copy
- sponsor's letter of confirmation


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anyone heard anything yet?

Was hoping someone a few days in front of me might have heard something.

anyone heard anything yet?

Was hoping someone a few days in front of me might have heard something.

We got docs received email on 2 March. We did a Priority application but have a previous refusal as we messed up big time and missed out the correct financial evidence ( 6 months of sponsors payslips and bank statements rather than applicants) and my divorce absolute decree. So ours will be subject to extra scrutiny this time round, although we are confident we have got all of the correct docs this time, largely as a result of finding this forum since we last applied.

Anyway, not heard anything yet.

anyone heard anything yet?

Was hoping someone a few days in front of me might have heard something.

My application was received by Sheffield on Feb 27th and haven't heard a thing. There are some people on another thread who applied around the same time as me with priority and they haven't heard back yet. Did you apply priority or non priority?

Priority, got the receipt e mail on 3 march and as things seemed to be moving along quickly thought one or two people on this thread might have heard by now, there are a couple of folks 2/3 days ahead of me.

We got docs received email on 2 March. We did a Priority application but have a previous refusal as we messed up big time and missed out the correct financial evidence ( 6 months of sponsors payslips and bank statements rather than applicants) and my divorce absolute decree. So ours will be subject to extra scrutiny this time round, although we are confident we have got all of the correct docs this time, largely as a result of finding this forum since we last applied.

Anyway, not heard anything yet.

Don't worry too much about the previous refusal. I had a refusal first and we reapplied a few months later and got mine. ☺ It won't delay things by too much.

Don't worry too much about the previous refusal. I had a refusal first and we reapplied a few months later and got mine. ☺ It won't delay things by too much.

Thanks for the reassurance, its difficult not to fret having had a refusal in the past when we weren't expecting it as we easily met all the requirements but had failed to provide the right evidence.
My wife, Rachelle travelled over in Feb a couple of days after the refusal as we already had a wedding party planned here for my family who couldn't make our wedding in the US. It was tough as LHR border control really grilled her before letting her in due to the refusal on the system. We looked at the appeals process but it was apparently a 7 month wait. It was emotionally gutting for her to have to travel back and start all over again (as well as expensive) but we wanted to miss the spring/summer rush.
Fingers crossed that we hear something positive soon as we have a work and pleasure trip planned to France at the end of the month.

Fingers crossed for you Guy! 

Thanks for the reassurance, its difficult not to fret having had a refusal in the past when we weren't expecting it as we easily met all the requirements but had failed to provide the right evidence.
My wife, Rachelle travelled over in Feb a couple of days after the refusal as we already had a wedding party planned here for my family who couldn't make our wedding in the US. It was tough as LHR border control really grilled her before letting her in due to the refusal on the system. We looked at the appeals process but it was apparently a 7 month wait. It was emotionally gutting for her to have to travel back and start all over again (as well as expensive) but we wanted to miss the spring/summer rush.
Fingers crossed that we hear something positive soon as we have a work and pleasure trip planned to France at the end of the month.

Wow!  She was CRAZY lucky to get in after the refusal.

You will be 100% fine with the application this time.  The refusal really doesn't add much time on (especially if you included the paperwork).  Just don't book your trips until she has her visa in her hand.  But what a wonderful way to celebrate!   

It was tough as LHR border control really grilled her before letting her in due to the refusal on the system. We looked at the appeals process but it was apparently a 7 month wait.

Yeah, she was lucky to get into the UK after the refusal - it's recommended to apply for a visitor visa in advance if you have a previous refusal.

However it's tricky if you've just been refused a visa to move permanently to the UK and then you try to enter as a visitor - where you have to prove you have no intention of moving to the UK -because it can look suspicious and like you're trying to live in the UK without a valid visa.... like, 'oh, well, I can't get a spousal visa so I'll pretend I'm visiting and then just never leave the UK'.

In regards to an appeal, it would not have been worth it anyway... it would only be successful if you had provided all the documents and they overlooked them and incorrectly refused the visa. However, because you didn't send all the required documents, they were correct to refuse.



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Thanks for the reassurance, its difficult not to fret having had a refusal in the past when we weren't expecting it as we easily met all the requirements but had failed to provide the right evidence.
My wife, Rachelle travelled over in Feb a couple of days after the refusal as we already had a wedding party planned here for my family who couldn't make our wedding in the US. It was tough as LHR border control really grilled her before letting her in due to the refusal on the system. We looked at the appeals process but it was apparently a 7 month wait. It was emotionally gutting for her to have to travel back and start all over again (as well as expensive) but we wanted to miss the spring/summer rush.
Fingers crossed that we hear something positive soon as we have a work and pleasure trip planned to France at the end of the month.

It sounds like your fiance had a similar experience to me.

We were refused our fiance visa and I flew to the UK one month after I got the refusal email and stayed for 5 weeks while on a leave of absence from my job. I did not apply for a visitor visa and the Border Agent only spent like 10 minutes max (it was probably more like 5 I was nervous and exhausted after traveling for 20 hours) talking to me about things. He saw my refused visa, and I simply explained that we needed a few months to get the required pay slips to prove my Fiance earned enough. And that I hadn't seen him in over 6 months and we just wanted to spend time together. I explained my leave of absence for work. He didn't even ask to see any of the paperwork I brought. It was a bit surreal.

Wow!  She was CRAZY lucky to get in after the refusal.

You will be 100% fine with the application this time.  The refusal really doesn't add much time on (especially if you included the paperwork).  Just don't book your trips until she has her visa in her hand.  But what a wonderful way to celebrate!   

We knew we were lucky that they allowed Rachelle in after the refusal but perhaps didn't realise how lucky at the time, especially as she only had a one way flight that she had booked on points. They held her at border control and rang me to quiz me. Fortunately we had decided on a complete honesty policy which seemed to do the trick and ensured that our stories meshed correctly. She went back to US two and a half weeks later with a return flight to UK as it was just as cheap as a one way ticket. Just hope we get to use the return part of the flight soon! It was my fault we got it wrong in the first place as I was just using the top level guidance document that is on the gov.uk visa website and hadn't found all of the detailed required evidence. I find it a bit frustrating that they don't have a better checklist/algorithm, but then I suppose they are trying to reduce immigration and don't want to make it too easy. Nice little earner as well if people like us end up having to pay more than once! It shouldn't be so difficult to marry someone from outside your own border and expect to be able to live together happily ever after.

This time we have 9 months worth of my stamped and signed pay statements (including the feb statement), employers letter, stamped bank statements matching to same period, evidence of home ownership, evidence of relationship, evidence of divorce and marriage etc. etc,. If it was on the list of required or suggested documentation we have sent it, (original copies). a bound, neatly indexed folder that weighed in at 3.5lbs!

End of day in Sheffield and no email for me.  Hopefully something by midweek next week. Maybe knowing I have to wait out the weekend will take my mind off waiting and I won't have to worry about checking my email every few hours! Hope everyone else hears something soon!

End of day in Sheffield and no email for me.  Hopefully something by midweek next week. Maybe knowing I have to wait out the weekend will take my mind off waiting and I won't have to worry about checking my email every few hours! Hope everyone else hears something soon!

Ugh!  I was really hoping that you'd have heard something. I woke up very emotional about it all today. Just about to go to my biometrics now. Then sending everything off

I'm so full of tears today. This day feels very nervous today. I've checked and checked and rechecked my packet....but the fear and anxiety is quite overwhelming at the moment.

I feel like the weekend is going to drag! I really wish we'd paid for priority now - we were told not to because my husband was denied a visitors visa once (he applied for six months after having visited loads before already). But in hindsight I still wish we had gone for it!

It's hard because I know that we aren't going to hear back for a while considering all those who paid priority have been kept waiting! And I can't be excited about hearing back 'any minute' because the lovely people on here who paid priority haven't heard!

And please don't cry! Don't let it get you down. I've been extra emotional too but my husband keeps reminding me that stressing and worrying won't change a thing. I know it's incredibly nerve wracking but we're all in the same boat - you aren't alone!