Any updates from recent applicants?

It has been 16 weeks so far for our spouse visa (not priority.) We have heard nothing at all, except for the confirmation email from Sheffield on the 9th April.

We had to upgrade to priority after many months of waiting due to our situation.
 I finally got an email stating my Visa was approved and would be sent back early next week.. well that was last week, and i've heard nothing.

Update from us, email received this morning saying application received and being processed.

"Dear Applicant,

Your UK visa application has arrived safely at UK Visas & Immigration, Sheffield and is currently being processed..."

Hi all!

I am new to this Forum, and am looking for support as I am very stressed about my Spousal Visa Process.  I am having difficulty Fathoming the fact that Visas are taking longer than three months to be processed considering the fact we are only permitted to apply three months prior to our travel date. 

I have not seen my husband since April, and am two weeks away from my move date with almost NO information after calling the Visa Paid phone line and being told they had no information other that that our visa is being processed.  I have today been talked into upgrading to Priority, but with my travel date merely 18 days away I have this gutting feeling I will be postponing my flights and my move. 

Does anyone have anything they can say that is encouraging here?!

Renee, The Bewildered 




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Engaged: January 2013
Married: April 17 2014
Online application completed: May 20 2014
Biometrics completed: June 9 2014
Application packet mailed: June 12 2014
Decision email received: waiting....
Visa arrived: Waiting...
Moved to England: Supposedly, Aug 17,2014

I am new to this Forum, and am looking for support as I am very stressed about my Spousal Visa Process.  I am having difficulty Fathoming the fact that Visas are taking longer than three months to be processed considering the fact we are only permitted to apply three months prior to our travel date. 

Only being able to apply 3 months out isn't really relevant to the processing time - it's just how far in advance you can put for the travel date on your visa (which is when it will be made valid from - doesn't mean that the visa will definitely be processed by this date... if it hasn't been, they will just make the visa valid from the date they approve it instead.

Your spousal visa will be valid for 33 months, but you only have to live in the UK for 30 months on it before applying for the next visa, which you can apply for 28 days in advance... so it actually gives you 3 months and 28 days leeway to enter the UK from the date your visa is valid and still be able to qualify for future visas before the previous ones expire.

So, in theory you could actually apply for your visa almost 7 months before you wish to move to the UK. For example, you could apply on January 1st, put a travel date of April 1st, and then move to the UK on, say, July 25th and still be fine for your future visas.

I have not seen my husband since April, and am two weeks away from my move date with almost NO information after calling the Visa Paid phone line and being told they had no information other that that our visa is being processed.  I have today been talked into upgrading to Priority, but with my travel date merely 18 days away I have this gutting feeling I will be postponing my flights and my move. 

It's for this very reason that UKBA advise that you do not book your flights until after you have received your visa and made sure it is correct... just in case the processing time is delayed (as it can take up to 6 months) or your visa is refused (in which case you can't travel anyway).

Does anyone have anything they can say that is encouraging here?!

If you have already upgraded to priority, then you've done all you can now. All you can do is wait and hope you get your visa sooner rather than later... and be prepared to change your flights if necessary.

Visa approved & being shipped out today! Spouse, priority processing, total 29 working days. Crossing fingers to more answers today for those who are still waiting.

BTW, any suggestions about clearing immigration? Stupid question, I do clear UK Border if I flight through Belfast, right? (Final destination is the Isle of Man, and if I enter through Dublin, I wont clear UK Immigration, so I want to make sure I do before entering the CTA). Great airfare deals flying through Belfast, rather than mainland UK, at the moment.

Congratulations !

Yes, if you fly through a UK city, you will go through UK immigration there. As Belfast is in the UK, this won't be an issue (you will go through immigration and be stamped into the UK in Belfast). You will only be entering and travelling within the UK and no other countries in the CTA.

The problem comes if you enter through the Republic of Ireland (i.e. Dublin) as there are no immigration controls between Ireland and the UK... you will go through Irish immigration, but not UK immigration... which means your visa won't be stamped showing the date you entered the UK, and that could cause problems later on when you have to prove how long you have been in the UK for future visas.

Hi just wanted to update my timeline for those still waiting. I know it has helped me looking to see similar timelines on the net. Hang in there!
Applied on June 17th
Biometrics June 19th
Sent via FedEx June 20th
Arrived in Sheffield June 23rd
Confirmation email June 25th
Decision has been made email July 28th
Success! Visa arrived July 31st
A big thank you to everyone on this forum and I wish all the best for you all.

To help everyone, can you please specify if your visa is priority or not otherwise we are left guessing and it leads to confusion. Thanks.

Oops sorry I thought I did. I must have wrote it in a previous post in the thread. Anyways, we decided shortly before sending off our packet to send priority because of the wait times that were being reported at the time. So with priority it took almost 5 weeks from when they sent a confirmation email to getting the decision has been made email. Hope that helps.

We upgraded a week ago and still waiting for an email. At least we have more of an inkling of when we'll get a decision.
Haven't seen him in 19 months

Settlement Visa for US husband 2014

4th June - Payment made online for Visa
9th June - Biometric Appointment
17th June - Application received in Sheffield (checked by DHL number)

NEVER HAD ANY CONFIRMATION EMAIL OF RECEIVED PACKAGE

5th July - wrote to both visasheffield and used the contact form on the internet to ask about upgrading to priority.
6th July - Reponse from online contact form to say we can upgrade and instructions.
8th July - Upgraded to priority - email received in response to upgrade to say we will respond to the email sent within 20 days
13th July - Reponse from visasheffield email from the email sent on the 5th of July (not the upgrade email) stating we would certainly get a quicker response and at looking at the queue it would be two weeks.

33 WORKING DAYS IN TOTAL THUS FAR NO EMAILS AT ALL NOT EVEN ONE SENT BACK TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF UPGRADE.

26th September expecting our first child....will he be here....I dont know!

Ive heard that if we contact them it sometimes moves the visa back in the queue. Should I try contacting the visasheffield office again im not sure?

Its just frustrating you pay so much money and they cant even acknowledge they have received and are processing.

Applied: July 24th  Fiance/Priority
Biometrics: July 29th
Sent via FedEx: July 29
Arrived to fiance: July 31
Confirmation email: NA
Decision has been made: NA

We have everything included except we are waiting for some updated forms from the banks since the submission of the General Visitor Visa (refused) which only went until the end of May 2014.  We did go ahead and apply Priority because on some other boards they are still waiting and are over 4 months in. I just want to know I have done everything in my power to get the quickest response possible.  I also included the refusal letter from the visitor visa (not enough ongoing social and economic ties) and a copy. Twenty-two bits of information including the application and Appendix 2. Fingers crossed......And congratulations to everyone who has recently gotten their approval.

It's finally our turn to join this topic! I have been watching everyone's previous timelines for the past 6 months from back around February time when priority visa were being processed so fast! to the current roughly 5 week? wait for priority if I am right?

Anyhow, here's us:-

Online application completed:- 3rd August
Biometrics Completed:- 3rd August
Priority Purchased:- 3rd August
Application mailed to Sheffield:- 4th August
Application arrived in Sheffield:- TBC

Wishing luck to all those with visa's being processed at the moment

then we will be on the same timeline.....we are doing priority.......i think it is about 4-6 weeks now.