Tier 1 Visa from Chicago - Still patiently waiting after 21 days...

Hi,

I applied for my Tier 1 visa (Chicago Consulate) and received the below email on July 30th, but nothing since!!

**We have received your application and it is now waiting to be assessed. We ask that you allow us 3 working days to review your application. If everything is in order with your application and we are able to issue your visa, we will send an email to let you know when it has been dispatched and provide you with a UPS tracking number.

If your application is deemed non-straightforward it may take up to 15 working days in total from the date it was received in this office to complete your application. **

It has been 21 days and I haven't heard anything. From reading other posts for different types of visas it seems as though people are having longer wait periods than indicated in the email sent from the British Consulate. However, I am getting really nervous since I haven't heard anything....In terms of whether or not I qualify for the visa, I have taken the points test and have more than 75 points, so there I'm not quite sure what the hold up would be. If anyone has advice, please, please let me know.

Also, once the visa is *hopefully* issued, is there a certain time period when you have to leave, to start the 3 years visa? For example, say my visa arrived at the end of Sept., would I have to leave by the end of the following month, or is there a longer period I would have?

Many thanks for your help!

 

You need to remember that they have only recently started doing Tier 1's, that this is the busiest time of year, so be patient.

Vicky

Did you use a courier?

If you used a courier, a) you should be able to contact them with a status b) get straight forward applications quicker.  If you didn't then 20 business days by post it could easily take.  Some people have gotten resposes to e-mail enquiries to the consulate, some haven't, but that is your best (and only) option.

I applied with Tier 1 application to Chicago consulate via courier on October, 20 and haven't heard anything since then. I didn't receive any e-mails from the consulate either. The courier is not very helpful, they just say that visa is not ready yet and ask to call back later. I did biometrics on October, 7, so biometrics problem might be an issue

I don't know if this helps, but I just called the courier again, and they said that my Tier 1 wait time is pretty consistent with other Tier 1 applications they are processing. Initial consular estimate given to courier was 15 days but now there are delays and no new estimates given at this moment.

I applied October 29th to the Chicago consulate via courier for Tier 1, and got a call today saying that it will be another week before I hear anything.  I have a detainment on my record, so I'm assuming my wait time might be a little longer for that reason.

Calm down.

It takes way more than six months to get a visa to settle in the US.  You were unlucky to apply for HSMP just at the time they were ebing phased out, and I agree that HSMP holders were treated shabbily, but there is no need to slag off the whole damn country.

You are still a US national and you still have it a lot easier than most.  If you want to whinge, think about the 14 year old stuck in Zimbabwe for 3 years because the government won't give her a visa to join her mum, or the man stuck in Pakistan for 2 years because they don't believe his relationship with his wife is genuine.  Or the highly skilled Indian who applied for Tier 1 but was refused because he doesn't meet the maintnence requirement because of currency fluctuations.


Vicky

thank you british embassy thank you so much.

With all that travel experience under your belt, I'd expect you to be aware that the British embassy represents HM's interest overseas and has nothing to do with visas.  British consulates handle visas and related consular business.

kiko123, people here want to help you!  Vicky has had people in much dire situations than you can ever imagine, so she'd have great insight. 
Sounds like you've applied 3 weeks ago. The problem is you applied in the middle of a huge shake up.  It sucks.  It doesn't help the stress any.  We all know how stressful an international move can be.  Perhaps if you breathe a little and explain "your situation" a bit further we can help...   We are friendly and want to help. 

There is no way in hell somebody called you from the UK embassy? youre kidding me...please clarify youre statement.  Processing time is looking at 25 days (business days) with all the stupid holiday in november expect to wait way over a month or just about a month.  I am basically screwed, my lease runs out, my job goes and im out cold. thank you british embassy thank you so much. We all love you.  Makes me wonder why the hell i even want to go over there, if the treat us like this.  Backlog my ass.  I have touched the pyramids, seen the great rift valley and seen the taj mahal....my point i have travelled to more countries than most people in the USA can flip on the travel channel - and none of them, not one has taken 6 bloody months to put a visa stamp in a bloody passport.

With statements like this, a view on situations like this, might mean why you got a rather brisk and curt response to your query.

wow gary thanks for you insight...did you graduate harvard?  Keep your sarcastic remarks to yourself, and vicki dont tell me to calm down, you dont know me or my situation.  Dont worry keep your thread, I will kindly remove myself from this stinking forum.

Maybe it is best you are moving on...  You have just alienated two of the most ulteristic people I know.  Yes, sometimes a bit short, sometimes a bit sarcastic, but a holier then thou attitude was met in kind.  If I would were a mean person, I would point out that in all of your travels, it appears basic English grammar, capitalisation and punctuation eludes you, but that would simply be a mean and sarcastic thing for me to say, so I will take your advice and not say that.

Another one doesn't like a reply and deletes a post.  I sometimes feel that we should all just say "yes, you are right, it's all lovely and the world is made of marshmallow and cream cheese" just so people don't get pissed off!

 


Vicky