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Topic: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield  (Read 3542 times)

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Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« on: March 21, 2017, 02:44:52 PM »
For anyone wondering, here is a list of countries Sheffield processes (pulled from an autroeply I received today after sending in additional supporting documentation).

WHAT IS COVERED BY THE SHEFFIELD VISA SECTION?
 
The Sheffield Visa Section currently deals with settlement applications lodged in:
 
·         Afghanistan
·         Canada
·         Caribbean
·         Nigeria
·         Pakistan
·         Tunisia
·         Morocco
·         Cameroon
·         Gambia
·         Ghana
·         Senegal
·         Sierra Leone
·         Russia
·         The United States of America
·         India (non Priority only)
·         Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai (Priority and non Priority)
·         Sri Lanka (non Priority only)
·         Minsk
·         Paris
·         Australia
·         Egypt (Alexandria)
·         China
·         Rome
·         Japan (Tokyo and Osaka)
·         South Korea (Seoul)
 
The Sheffield Visa Section also processes all applications submitted at:
 
·         Victoria Island Visa Application Centre in Lagos, Nigeria.
·         Visa Application Centres in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Banjul, Gambia, Yaounde, Cameroon, Dakar, Senegal and Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Indonesia.
 
The Sheffield Visa Section will also process PBS and EEA applications submitted in:
·         Pakistan
·         Tunisia
·         Morocco
·         Russia
·         India (non Priority only)
·         Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai (Priority non Priority)
·         Sri Lanka (non Priority only)
·         Minsk
·         Paris
·         Australia
·         Egypt (Alexandria)
·         China
·         Rome
·         Japan (Tokyo and Osaka)
·         South Korea (Seoul)
 


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2017, 03:05:47 PM »
Ah, that's great - thank you for posting this :).

I've been trying to work out how many countries Sheffield processes applications from, with not much luck.

They've definitely massively increased the number of applications in recent years. Back when they switched US applications from NYC to Sheffield in 2013, I believe they were only processing applications from about 4 different countries.

No wonder the processing times have been increasing - especially as I was reading the other day that applicants in a number of countries have been required to send their documents to Sheffield directly starting between January and March 2017 onwards.


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2017, 03:13:19 PM »
Ouch.  I wonder how long the summer applications will take this year.


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2017, 03:25:13 PM »
Gosh!! I hope they have matched the demand with increased staffing levels otherwise I think this is going to become a very long process indeed going forwards!


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2017, 03:30:17 PM »
Gosh!! I hope they have matched the demand with increased staffing levels otherwise I think this is going to become a very long process indeed going forwards!

Oh, you literally made me laugh out loud with that one!!!


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2017, 03:34:37 PM »
Guess ill be doing an in person application when I go for flr in 2020!
Met Dublin Ireland- July 2013
Long distance from November 2014-2016
Married 😍 in NYC :6th of January 2017
Spouse Visa Approved!! : 27th of February 2017
Moved to UK: 28th of April 2017

Applied FLR(M)-  12th January 2020
Biometrics- 20th of January 2020


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2017, 03:39:27 PM »
Guess ill be doing an in person application when I go for flr in 2020!

Bear in mind though, that FLR(M) applications are not processed in Sheffield. UKVI Sheffield only deals with entry clearance applications made OUTSIDE the UK.

If you apply for FLR(M) by post, it is processed in Durham.


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2017, 04:31:09 PM »
Guess ill be doing an in person application when I go for flr in 2020!

Yeah, I'd wait and see.  Personally, based on the current standard processing time of 8 weeks (and it's usually done in 7 weeks), unless you have urgent travel plans, I'd save the money.  It's £500 now for an in person appointment.  I shudder to think what they'll charge in 2020.  When I did an in person appointment in 2012 it was £100 extra.  Considering postal applications were taking 10-13 months to process it was a no brainer!


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2017, 05:38:09 PM »
Yeah, I'd wait and see.  Personally, based on the current standard processing time of 8 weeks (and it's usually done in 7 weeks), unless you have urgent travel plans, I'd save the money.  It's £500 now for an in person appointment.  I shudder to think what they'll charge in 2020.  When I did an in person appointment in 2012 it was £100 extra.  Considering postal applications were taking 10-13 months to process it was a no brainer!

Holy Moly!  10-13 months!! 

So the Settlement Visa I'm waiting for lasts 2.5 year correct?  Then I have to do the FLR visa to stay?  How long does that visa last? 

And if it takes about 10-13 months to wait for it when do you recommend that we start it all beforehand (provided that my settlement one is approved in April 2017)


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2017, 05:46:18 PM »
Oh, you literally made me laugh out loud with that one!!!

Optimistic I know. Immigration is not a vote winner so I should imagine investment here is minimal to shrinking. ::)


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2017, 05:52:45 PM »
Holy Moly!  10-13 months!! 

Yeah, 2012 was the year of massive backlogs - a mixture of staff shortages at UKVI (for some reason, they got rid of a load of staff in one go) and people frantically applying under the old 2-year settlement visa rules before the new 5-year rules came into force on July 9th 2012.

FLR(M) processing times were hit the hardest and people were waiting around 10 months for a decision, up to 13 months in some cases!

Quote
So the Settlement Visa I'm waiting for lasts 2.5 year correct?  Then I have to do the FLR visa to stay?  How long does that visa last? 

All the visas are settlement visas :). They are the family-based visas that lead to settlement in the UK :).

Your first settlement visa will be the spousal visa, valid 2 years and 9 months (33 months).

After 30 months in the UK, you apply for your second settlement visa, which is FLR(M), valid 2.5 years (30 months)

After 60 months in the UK (2.5 years on the spousal visa and 2.5 years on the FLR(M) visa), you can apply for ILR.

Quote
And if it takes about 10-13 months to wait for it when do you recommend that we start it all beforehand (provided that my settlement one is approved in April 2017)

You can't apply until 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK... so for you, if you move in April 2017, the earliest you can apply is around September 2019. If your visa expires before the visa has been issued, your spousal visa immigration status will be extended until the FLR(M) has been processed.

However, it hasn't taken 10-13 months since 2012 and that was a massive anomaly. In January 2012, it was taking about 4 weeks. From February 2012 to about March 2013, it was taking as long as 13 months. After March 2013, it went back down to around 4-8 weeks.

In fact, I don't think it's taken longer than about 4 months since then, with most applications processed within 2 months.

The processing standards times for FLR(M) in 2012 used to be 6 months. Now the processing standards time is 8 weeks.

Most applications are processed within 8 weeks, though some can take a bit longer - I think someone here on the forum waited 14 weeks at the end of last year.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2017, 05:55:07 PM by ksand24 »


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2017, 06:11:50 PM »

You can't apply until 28 days before you reach 30 months in the UK... so for you, if you move in April 2017, the earliest you can apply is around September 2019.

In fact, I don't think it's taken longer than about 4 months since then, with most applications processed within 2 months.

The processing standards times for FLR(M) in 2012 used to be 6 months. Now the processing standards time is 8 weeks.

Most applications are processed within 8 weeks, though some can take a bit longer - I think someone here on the forum waited 14 weeks at the end of last year.


If it takes longer than that 28 days (which obviously 8 weeks is) are you just not allowed to travel outside of the UK? 


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Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2017, 06:14:28 PM »
Well, when you apply, you have to send your passport off too, so you cannot travel while it is processing, regardless of how long it takes.

If you need to be able to travel or you need your passport for other reasons, you have the option to apply in person for a same-day decision... it just costs a lot more to do that.


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Re: Settlement applications processed in Sheffield
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2017, 06:34:25 PM »
Well, when you apply, you have to send your passport off too, so you cannot travel while it is processing, regardless of how long it takes.

If you need to be able to travel or you need your passport for other reasons, you have the option to apply in person for a same-day decision... it just costs a lot more to do that.


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Even then you are stuck for a couple of weeks while you await the new visa (usually only takes a few days but still can't book until you have it and standard processing time for the BRP is two weeks.)


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