Settlement Visa Time Limit

Hi folks
Assuming my wife meets the criteria for the settlement visa, is there a time limit for first time use? For example when applying for US Green Card I had 12 months to enter the US for the first.
Thanks.

30 days to enter from when the visa is issued.

Hi folks
Assuming my wife meets the criteria for the settlement visa, is there a time limit for first time use? For example when applying for US Green Card I had 12 months to enter the US for the first.
Thanks.

It's 30 days. This date should be from the intended travel date you note on your application, or the date the visa is approved if the travel date has passed.

Can this be extended in anyway?

Ok no panic then as we put April 1st on our application.

Hopefully they honour your requested date (they usually don't).

Can this be extended in anyway?

If you are not absolutely ready to make the move within the time period you are given, you can always take a trip to the UK, pick up the BRP  (within 10 days of arrival) then go back for a short while to tie up any loose ends.

Which one is it? 30 days from issue or 30 days from the date I listed on my application as when we intend to travel (assuming I get the visa)?

The date I listed was April 1. If there is a possibility they will not honor the April 1 date, I do not want to take the chance. 😕

From following the timelines of others, I'm thinking I will get an answer on the visa this upcoming week.

It is supposed to be 30 days from the date you requested (April 1).

It's just they rarely honour this.  The visa is usually made valid from the date they issue it or sometimes a random date a week or two in the future.

They used to be good about honouring the date.  Then about six months ago they stopped paying attention again.  I would highlight the date you want and put it in bold and highlight in your cover letter if working to a specific date.

Which one is it? 30 days from issue or 30 days from the date I listed on my application as when we intend to travel (assuming I get the visa)?

The date I listed was April 1. If there is a possibility they will not honor the April 1 date, I do not want to take the chance. 😕

From following the timelines of others, I'm thinking I will get an answer on the visa this upcoming week.

Unfortunately you won't know until you receive your passport.

Is there a reason you're saying April 1?  Because that's only 8 weeks away.  My non priority application took 11 weeks, and although it seems like they're clearing up a backlog, it seems pretty much impossible to shoot for a specific day (or week or month in many cases).  So if you apply non priority it might take well into April, or maybe they'll be more efficient once the holiday apps are all processed and it will take much less time.  (Or maybe they'll honor your date of arrival.  Ours had passed by over a month when I got the visa, because we were too optimistic about it.)

Is there a reason you're saying April 1?

It was only a date to aim for, that we would have everything in order by then (if that's possible.)

I would be ok if the process took a little longer.

I was just worried because I saw someone who submitted around the same time, for the same visa, using non priority and she has gotten her decision email.

If I was to receive my visa by next week, there is no way we will be ready.

Freaking out like normal, over something that we might not even have to worry about. 

It was only a date to aim for, that we would have everything in order by then (if that's possible.)

I would be ok if the process took a little longer.

It's unlikely to take that long - this time of year, with no backlog, non-priority applications usually take 1-2 weeks, maybe 3 weeks.

It sounds like MPI got caught up in the massive backlogs from last summer, which took much longer to clear than normal.

Usually processing times in October/November and Jan/Feb are about 1-3 weeks for non-priority. Then they increase to about 3-4 weeks for applications mailed around March/April, and then much longer processing times, 2-3 months in the summer (May/June to around Sept).

I was just worried because I saw someone who submitted around the same time, for the same visa, using non priority and she has gotten her decision email.

You may well receive your visa very soon - as mentioned above 8-12 weeks is abnormally long for non-priority, and usually only happens in the summer months. This time of year, people usually get their visas within a couple of weeks.

If I was to receive my visa by next week, there is no way we will be ready.

Freaking out like normal, over something that we might not even have to worry about. 

Well it all depends whether they honour your travel date or not - they may well make it valid from April 1st to April 30th, but they might make it valid from, say, mid-Feb to mid-March instead.

You'll just have to see.

If you really cannot travel in the dates they give you, you can apply for a new visa vignette with a new 30-day window, but it means sending off your passport to UKVI again and paying £189 for it.

Freaking out like normal, over something that we might not even have to worry about. 

Which means you are normal.  We all love to worry.  Try not to worry until there is something to worry about.   

My hubby is the one who originally wrote this post and thought I would follow up on it...
They did honor my requested travel dates on the vignette. I received my approved visa today, 20/2/17 and was given a window of 25/3/17 until 24/4/17 to collect my BRP.

Thanks for everyone's input!