How hard is it to book a Saturday appointment? Also, "Super Premium Service"?

https://www.gov.uk/ukvi-premium-service-centres/use-the-super-premium-service

Am I the last to learn about this?  I had no idea such a thing existed... They come to you, take your biometrics and documents, and you get a decision within 24 hours ("usually")... all for the low, low price of £10,500 plus the visa fees.  Wow!  I'm gonna have to pass, though.

Anyway, the real reason for this topic:
I came across that service when I was confirming the additional fee (£75) for an out-of-hours appointment.  My husband has been told he can start his new job on March 26th, but they won't be able to honour his holiday in the first full week of May booked at his old job.  If he wants to keep that week off, he would have to wait to start 'til the next lot of new hires come in at some unknown date in the future, after that week in May.  He booked that week off so he'd be available to go to my in-person ILR appointment.  It's not just a fun holiday for us!  *grumble*  (Though, admittedly, fun will be had when we're not sitting in the Cardiff Premium Center.)

So, now we're looking at a Saturday appointment in case he won't be able to take a day off because it's during his initial 15-week training period.  We are really eager to book and pay before the fees go up in early April.  So now our timings are going to be very close.

First Saturday I'm eligible for ILR is May 12th.  So I can book and pay from March 31st.  If I don't get that very first Saturday, we'll be spending a lot more money on my visa.    How hard is it to get a Saturday appointment?  Are they in high demand?  Are we going to be disappointed?

https://www.gov.uk/ukvi-premium-service-centres/use-the-super-premium-service

Am I the last to learn about this?  I had no idea such a thing existed... They come to you, take your biometrics and documents, and you get a decision within 24 hours ("usually")... all for the low, low price of £10,500 plus the visa fees.  Wow!  I'm gonna have to pass, though.

Anyway, the real reason for this topic:
I came across that service when I was confirming the additional fee (£75) for an out-of-hours appointment.  My husband has been told he can start his new job on March 26th, but they won't be able to honour his holiday in the first full week of May booked at his old job.  If he wants to keep that week off, he would have to wait to start 'til the next lot of new hires come in at some unknown date in the future, after that week in May.  He booked that week off so he'd be available to go to my in-person ILR appointment.  It's not just a fun holiday for us!  *grumble*  (Though, admittedly, fun will be had when we're not sitting in the Cardiff Premium Center.)

So, now we're looking at a Saturday appointment in case he won't be able to take a day off because it's during his initial 15-week training period.  We are really eager to book and pay before the fees go up in early April.  So now our timings are going to be very close.

First Saturday I'm eligible for ILR is May 12th.  So I can book and pay from March 31st.  If I don't get that very first Saturday, we'll be spending a lot more money on my visa.    How hard is it to get a Saturday appointment?  Are they in high demand?  Are we going to be disappointed?

Sign up now and start following the availability. You don't need to wait until you're eligible to apply to do that.

Sign up now and start following the availability. You don't need to wait until you're eligible to apply to do that.

Oh, that's a very good point.  I should at least see what the system looks like and how hard it is likely to be to get what I need.  Thanks for reminding me to take as much of the Unknown out of the equation, larrabee. 

Oh, that's a very good point.  I should at least see what the system looks like and how hard it is likely to be to get what I need.  Thanks for reminding me to take as much of the Unknown out of the equation, larrabee. 

Yes, you'll soon get a feel for what becomes available and when. Because we have our appointment booked, (yikes!) I can't get back into the availability without looking at changing the appointment and I don't want to go there!

Well... getting registered was an ordeal.  They ask a lot of questions just to get told that there's nothing available for the next 45 days.  Is that true, or is that a glitchy system playing up?

I'm wondering if there's any noticeable pattern with regard to what time appointments get released.  I'm happy to go online in the middle of the night to refresh the page if I need to.  I didn't realize this was going to be a stress point!  Ugh.

Well... getting registered was an ordeal.  They ask a lot of questions just to get told that there's nothing available for the next 45 days.  Is that true, or is that a glitchy system playing up?

I'm wondering if there's any noticeable pattern with regard to what time appointments get released.  I'm happy to go online in the middle of the night to refresh the page if I need to.  I didn't realize this was going to be a stress point!  Ugh.

I always worry most about that sort of thing!
 I had a really easy time signing up though, so much so that I really don't remember much about it except that I was going by the website when it said 45bd so I was confused as to why there were no appointments that far out, there were plenty much earlier though.
I think there was perhaps nothing for the closest 10 days but then lots until the 42 calendar day mark.
Then they added one day at a time on the end, try after midnight, I think it's round about then that the next day gets added on.

It *may* be that only some offices are open Saturdays so look at a few.  I'm sure it'll work out though. You are so close to booking!

I always worry most about that sort of thing!
 I had a really easy time signing up though, so much so that I really don't remember much about it except that I was going by the website when it said 45bd so I was confused as to why there were no appointments that far out, there were plenty much earlier though.
I think there was perhaps nothing for the closest 10 days but then lots until the 42 calendar day mark.
Then they added one day at a time on the end, try after midnight, I think it's round about then that the next day gets added on.

I just checked all of the premium centres and they're all showing no availability at all for the next "45 days" (I know it's meant to be 42... I don't know how they can get something so basic wrong!).  I think I've seen other posts on here where the applicant encountered a similar glitchiness, so I'll just try again later.  And I'll definitely try just after midnight to see if that's when the new days are released.  It is very important that I know the pattern so I can get what I need.

If I do book and pay, but later realize my husband's day off will be Thursdays instead of Saturdays, or whatever, can I just reschedule to an available Thursday, or am I locked in to the day I set?  And if I have to change it and do after fees go up, will I have to pay the difference?

All these hypotheticals... Ugh.  Maybe I should just put my keyboard down and back away slowly. 

It *may* be that only some offices are open Saturdays so look at a few.  I'm sure it'll work out though. You are so close to booking!

There's a list of hours for all of the centres... they seem to all do Saturday.  https://www.gov.uk/ukvi-premium-service-centres/find-a-premium-service-centre

It still feels like forever!  About six weeks to book, then another six weeks to the appointment.  Ahhhhh!  I'm gonna go knead some pizza dough. 

I just checked all of the premium centres and they're all showing no availability at all for the next "45 days" (I know it's meant to be 42... I don't know how they can get something so basic wrong!).  I think I've seen other posts on here where the applicant encountered a similar glitchiness, so I'll just try again later.  And I'll definitely try just after midnight to see if that's when the new days are released.  It is very important that I know the pattern so I can get what I need.

If I do book and pay, but later realize my husband's day off will be Thursdays instead of Saturdays, or whatever, can I just reschedule to an available Thursday, or am I locked in to the day I set?  And if I have to change it and do after fees go up, will I have to pay the difference?

All these hypotheticals... Ugh.  Maybe I should just put my keyboard down and back away slowly. 

There's a list of hours for all of the centres... they seem to all do Saturday.  https://www.gov.uk/ukvi-premium-service-centres/find-a-premium-service-centre

It still feels like forever!  About six weeks to book, then another six weeks to the appointment.  Ahhhhh!  I'm gonna go knead some pizza dough. 

Yes, someone very recently got the whole no availability thing but the next day was able to get just the appointment she wanted.

I know you can reschedule but not if that will change the fee. I wouldn't want to risk it though so I would make the first appointment count if I were you!

I hear you on the forever thing though, totally! It's like all the waiting is done before hand instead of afterwards, like with the postal application! 

 

The woman with the job phoned back!  They have agreed to has been granted one day off during the first week I'm eligible to apply!  He starts his new job on March 26th.

So now we'll be applying under Category B, and he'll have more than enough income, so he could actually give notice and stop his old job a little early and have some time off between jobs if he wants.  All the things!  They came together!  We have the joy!  Plus I just made some pizza dough that looks pretty darn amazing... if the forecast holds out tomorrow, we're going to have celebratory pizza.

I literally just sighed with relief.  I don't think I've ever noticed doing that before.

The woman with the job phoned back!  They have agreed to has been granted one day off during the first week I'm eligible to apply!  He starts his new job on March 26th.

So now we'll be applying under Category B, and he'll have more than enough income, so he could actually give notice and stop his old job a little early and have some time off between jobs if he wants.  All the things!  They came together!  We have the joy!  Plus I just made some pizza dough that looks pretty darn amazing... if the forecast holds out tomorrow, we're going to have celebratory pizza.

I literally just sighed with relief.  I don't think I've ever noticed doing that before.

Perfect!  . What a relief,.. I think I felt that sigh from here! 

Oh JF!!!  What a way to end the week.  I think you two need some bubbles this weekend!!

Oh JF!!!  What a way to end the week.  I think you two need some bubbles this weekend!!

I won't lie... this was not my best week (so much internet outage! and then this job start dilemma), but it ended on the highest of highs.  Celebrations shall commence in roughly 30 minutes.

You know how words can get stuck in your head?  Mine right now is catharsis.