UK Visa Settlement Processing Time

thank you! i've got my fingers crossed for you too!

Has anyone else recently submitted a settlement visa application?  I am on day 6 of processing time. I suppose I will be waiting a few more weeks before I hear anything.

Day 4 with Los Angeles ..... I miss my husband!

Chicago - 8 days, including the weekend, non-priority, spouse's visa with Indefinite Leave to Enter.

Chicago - 8 days, including the weekend, non-priority, spouse's visa with Indefinite Leave to Enter.

You only had to wait 8 business days?? That's awesome considering you did not purchase priority!

Submitted application online in June (don't remember date)
Biometrics appt: 14 July, mailed everything to Chicago that afternoon for next-day delivery
Received confirmation of receipt email: 16 July
Received visa issued email/UPS tracking no: 27 July
Visa received: 28 July

11 working days from when my passport left my hands to when I got it back. And we didn't pay for priority service as that wasn't an option when I submitted my app in June.

Don't know how often this info is updated but per my 16 July email from Chicago:

Please note UK Border Agency service standards for all applications are: to complete 90 per cent of visa applications (except settlement categories) in not more than three weeks, 98 per cent in six weeks and 100 per cent in 12 weeks.

The current estimated processing time in Chicago for UK visa applications is 5 - 10 working days plus return mail time, however in certain cases it is necessary to make additional enquiries on an application which will extend the processing time.

Good luck to everyone!

11 days is awesome!!! Congrats!

I'm on Day 10. My fiancée in Manchester just texted me that she got a call from Chicago but she missed it. No message left. I know it's routine but I hope they call back today. At least they're looking at it 

Spouse settlement visa, non-priority.
LA office received and began processing my application on July 1.
Still waiting. That's 26 working days so far.

Whoever said "no news is good news" never applied for a settlement visa in LA.

Congratulations to all those in Chicago and NY who got a swift reply. I don't understand why the Home Office website's stats show that LA is the fastest.

I don't understand why the Home Office website's stats show that LA is the fastest.

LA has always been slow...at least for the last 2ish years (just after I got my visa in 2008) so those in the know used Expediters when they were still allowed and now the Settlement Priority Service so the statistics that you see are as a result of 'fast tracking' of the majority of the visa applications. Also since the statistics only cover the previous month you're not taking into account the surge of Tier 4 Student applications that happen in July/August that must be processed in time for the September start.

I would expect that for anyone not using the Settlement Priority service and is going through LA expect to take at least the 50 days as stated in your emails...but be aware that the customer service standard for processing settlement visas is 12 weeks.

Hi all

We applied for a fiancé visa through Chicago and it was received on 23 July.  Still anxiously waiting for news.  Is no news good news?

Rachel and Jesse

WebyJ-
It would have been nice if that info was included on the site. I did my research and put together my application beginning of June, when there was no priority service, but couldn't send it in till I returned to the US end of June.

I didn't use the priority service because I didn't know about it, and I accept that that's my fault, but some better information on the part of the visa people would have been nice. Like asking you whether you want priority before you pay, instead of needing to go through Worldbridge, whose site I had read a million times just weeks before.

I appreciate you clearing that up though. Thanks.

It would have been nice if that info was included on the site. I did my research and put together my application beginning of June, when there was no priority service, but couldn't send it in till I returned to the US end of June.

If you checked the stats in June those would have been for applications processed in April as the statistics are always a month or so behind and statistics for May were never published because of the government change due to the elections. So you were looking, unfortunately, at stats that were over 2 months old which would have been purely visas that were expedited that were processed quickly and the ones that were not are the ones that were taking 30-120 business days, though I do recall checking stats at that time and it did say on the page that the data had not been updated for a period of time.. but you are correct it doesn't mention anything regarding the breakdown of what visas were expedited would definitely be helpful information for those making a decision on how to submit their application.

Right now LA is running (for Applications processed in June) 60% by 15 business days -- but this includes applications that were received before the Expediter option was removed AND visas received with the Settlement Priority Service...89% were processed by the 30 day mark and the rest were complete by 90 days.

Updated statistics for July should be posted soon as they do it around the 15th of the month.

Hopefully you'll hear soon.

Day 8 of processing through the NY consulate for unmarried partner visa non-priority.

Chicago Consulate-Priority Settlement Applications Spouse and Child

Applied Online July 15th

Biometrics July 19th

Applications Sent by USPS Express Mail July 20th

Email from Chicago Applications in Process July 21st

Approval Email August 10th 

That was the longest few weeks of my life. I wish everyone waiting the best, and hope you will have your news very soon.