The Feb 27th (or around that time) non priority email confirmation visa crew

It's a long shot, but you might try contacting Sheffield via e-mail to state the urgent circumstances of your impending wedding reception, to see if a compassionate soul might speed up your application? I can't imagine how stressful that must be. 

That is a great idea, but I wouldn't know how to get into contact with someone who could actually help. From my understanding the contact form on the website directs the email to technicians who have absolutely nothing to to with the application process. They can only check a database that has a few different statuses and answer basic questions I think.

Yeah I feel like if they know it is your second application they might be more compassionate because they know you tried to leave lots of time? At least I think the average person would be.

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If documents were received March 6, it hasn't even been 2 months yet. Standard timeline for first-time non-priority is 12 weeks, meaning they won't contact you before then. Since this is a second application, non-priority, and well within the 12 week projected timeline, I'd be doubtful.

If documents were received March 6, it hasn't even been 2 months yet. Standard timeline for first-time non-priority is 12 weeks, meaning they won't contact you before then. Since this is a second application, non-priority, and well within the 12 week projected timeline, I'd be doubtful.

The 12 week projection in no way means 'they won't contact you before then'. It's a shame that processing times have slowed down but many, many people hear back well before 12 weeks with non priority.

I know you want to feel like you got value for money with your priority, and you have done. So please stop implicitly poking at those who are non priority and want to hear back before three months.

 

The 12 week projection in no way means 'they won't contact you before then'. It's a shame that processing times have slowed down but many, many people hear back well before 12 weeks with non priority.

I know you want to feel like you got value for money with your priority, and you have done. So please stop implicitly poking at those who are non priority and want to hear back before three months.

 

What AV brings up is valid. UKVI will tell you to wait until you've reached the service standard time frame before contacting them regarding your application. And a denied previous visa will slow the application down.

The 12 weeks/60 working days is the UKVI service standard for a settlement visa from Sheffield. It's not a projection, it's the time frame they want to stick to, but don't always.

When Ksand and KFDancer and others talk about timescales we base them off of past experience. This time last year people applying in May non-priority were waiting a maximum of 5 months for their responses. It was a tough summer. This year looks like it might be the same. And starting from an earlier month.

A timeframe and projection are interchangeable terms here, it's splitting hairs. If we were to be picky about the terminology, and go along with 'timeframe', then it's perfectly fine to hope one may hear back before 12 weeks. But whatever, that's neither here nor there.

The point I was making is that people have heard back sooner than 12 weeks before. Two of my own friends heard back within 4 weeks non priority last year. I addressed that times have slowed down, but to say that the 12 week standard means someone definitely won't hear back before then isn't true.

No one knows how long it will take. It could be sooner, it could be much later. So no, AV's assertion that the 12 week 'timeframe' means 'they won't contact you before then' isn't true.

I think the idea is that they won't respond before then if contacted, rather than they won't initiate contact. I don't know how it works.

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I think the idea is that they won't respond before then if contacted, rather than they won't initiate contact. I don't know how it works.

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They do respond, to tell you to wait until the 60 days have passed.

Quite a few people were emailing them last summer since they went past the 60 days on many occasions.

A timeframe and projection are interchangeable terms here, it's splitting hairs. If we were to be picky about the terminology, and go along with 'timeframe', then it's perfectly fine to hope one may hear back before 12 weeks. But whatever, that's neither here nor there.

The point I was making is that people have heard back sooner than 12 weeks before. Two of my own friends heard back within 4 weeks non priority last year. I addressed that times have slowed down, but to say that the 12 week standard means someone definitely won't hear back before then isn't true.

No one knows how long it will take. It could be sooner, it could be much later. So no, AV's assertion that the 12 week 'timeframe' means 'they won't contact you before then' isn't true.

What I took AV being doubtful about was that the circumstances in question would be considered for 'compassionate reasons'.

UKVI doesn't really make things easy for applicants. I haven't yet seen anyone get their visa decision sooner for 'compassionate' reasons. But hey, I've only read this forum nearly every day for 3 years. 
 

AV said:

'Standard timeline for first-time non-priority is 12 weeks, meaning they won't contact you before then'.

This is verbatim.

That's what I took issue with.

I didn't mention a thing about the possibility of compassion from UKVI. I personally don't think compassion is a word recognised by them. But who knows.

My documents were received March 6th. At this point our 2nd application has taken far longer than we had ever had dreamed and so much of our plans were scheduled prior to our 1st application. We have had to reschedule our honeymoon, which is inconvenient, but doable. What is worse is that if we don't hear back by early next week we will have to reschedule our UK wedding reception. We have guests flying in from several countries and I just kind of feel like an idiot at this point.

Hi there, I'm in a very similar boat. My application was received April 7th and I have a wedding reception in the UK June 2nd. I will cancel my application if it comes to it because I have over 40 US guests with plane tickets booked. The timing advice we received was very wrong. Please let me know if find a way to speed up/ circumvent the process, and I will do the same!

I'm debating sending a letter to Prince Harry 

Wow, I continue to be amazed at the decline of civility on the internet. Since my responses were so patently offensive, I shall take my unwelcome self to another thread. Best of luck to everyone!

AV said:

'Standard timeline for first-time non-priority is 12 weeks, meaning they won't contact you before then'.

This is verbatim.

That's what I took issue with.

I didn't mention a thing about the possibility of compassion from UKVI. I personally don't think compassion is a word recognised by them. But who knows.

Yes. There is no such thing as a standard timeline. Just their service standard (which doesn't actually mean anything). That is not an absolute when you will hear back. I'm sure AV has made note of that.

What I took issue to was the eye rolling emoji. Little bit rude.

Hi there, I'm in a very similar boat. My application was received April 7th and I have a wedding reception in the UK June 2nd. I will cancel my application if it comes to it because I have over 40 US guests with plane tickets booked. The timing advice we received was very wrong. Please let me know if find a way to speed up/ circumvent the process, and I will do the same!

I'm debating sending a letter to Prince Harry 

Luckily we just have a few people flying in from other parts of the world as we had opted to have 2 separate wedding receptions. The costs of having to adjust our reception are going to be a bit painful, but we are already 2/3 or the way through the 12 week projection.


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As to the comments from other posters, I appreciate the honest feedback. Having a better idea of what to expect is very helpful, I just wish I had found you all prior to making so many plans and prior to our submission.

I feel like I am walking a fine line of staying positive and hopeful, while also staying level-headed and rational. We are aware it is highly unlikely that we can do anything, but wait in regards to our application. That said, we are willing to do just about anything to be together as soon as possible like many of you.

If the eye rolling emoji bothers you so much please take it up with the person who is responsible for the coding of the site! It's here to be used, I used it.

I also find it hypocritical that you speak of being rude when a quick scan of your many previous comments leaves me with no other conclusion that you're rather guilty yourself. One of my favourites was when you accused brits of not bothering to 'get off their asses' when it came to immigration.

I personally found it rude that in at least four other comments AV spoke of having paid priority and wanting value for money, and was pretty much telling non priority to suck it up and wait. A quick scan of MY comments will show you I'm rather keen on extending support and so it grated on me. I speak my mind. Arrest me for it.

I do find it very amusing that yourself and AV are getting particularly offended, merely because I said non priority could hear back before 12 weeks. And despite you trying to make it seem like more than it was, it wasn't. Is the case that now you've realised you've started a debated over nothing, you're finding issue with an emoji? 

I'm finding it all rather sad to be honest.

To the original poster, be positive. You may very well hear back, and there's absolutely no harm in contacting them to see if there's anything that can be done. Sometime hope is all that keeps you going!

Hi there, I'm in a very similar boat. My application was received April 7th and I have a wedding reception in the UK June 2nd. I will cancel my application if it comes to it because I have over 40 US guests with plane tickets booked. The timing advice we received was very wrong. Please let me know if find a way to speed up/ circumvent the process, and I will do the same!

I'm debating sending a letter to Prince Harry 

On one of the recent threads someone was successful in upgrading to priority after sending in their application. They said it took more than 2 weeks to do though, which I don't know how helpful that would be at this point.

If you already applied priority, there isn't any way to make it move any faster. UKVI will simply say you have to wait for them to be outside their service standards.

It will take a bit of time to get your passport sent back to you, make sure you factor that in. You will lose your application fee, but the IHS fee will be refunded.