UK Visa Settlement Processing Time

Alright Aaron555 and Joffafan you're on!

I received an email confirmation of arrival from the embassy earlier this afternoon: "We have received your PRIORITY SERVICE application at the UK Border Agency, Chicago and it has entered the assessment process."

 

Non-priority here... and I feel like this is varsity vs. junior varsity now.

I would've been varsity!! If only I had known!!!

... will you guys still sign my yearbook?

Non-priority here... and I feel like this is varsity vs. junior varsity now.

I would've been varsity!! If only I had known!!!

... will you guys still sign my yearbook?

Very funny EmmJayye! Will this waiting ever come to an end? I hope we will get an answer before the 8th week!!  Week 5 is approaching this Thursday! We could be more than half way finished with the waiting! Crossing my fingers for a decision very soon!

hey its julia again-thanks emmjayye and peggles esp for your encouragement..!! so weird how on some days its all good and others just totally suck. i have a part time crap job just to make time go by, but i really dont like misrepresenting myself...as in "im outta here as soon as possible.." either way, if my ical is correct im at day 39 on wed. whoa...
either way i will stop worrying and try to be positive for all of us!

I am coming up to week 5 with NY too. I hope we get an answer soon....It is so hard to keep waiting. I have 4 kids that were to start school tomorrow in Warrenpoint N. Ireland and they are bummed out to say the least! One more week til school starts here and hopefully we will know what is happening by then. It would have been SO nice if they advertised priority service!  I am keeping every one in my thoughts and everything crossed!

I am coming up to week 5 with NY too. I hope we get an answer soon....It is so hard to keep waiting. I have 4 kids that were to start school tomorrow in Warrenpoint N. Ireland and they are bummed out to say the least! One more week til school starts here and hopefully we will know what is happening by then. It would have been SO nice if they advertised priority service!  I am keeping every one in my thoughts and everything crossed!

I too wish that they advertised the priority service better! I am on day 24! Im hoping to have an answer before 40 days.  I hope you hear something very soon!

Well still no confirmation yet. But it was sent with the post office with their priority shipment, like the next day one, not with anything like UPS. I hope it hasn't gotten lost in the mail!

Hi everybody, I just recently completed the settlement application a few days ago for my wife.
Just a quick question for you guys........
I am currently living at home with my parents to help save money for a rental deposit for me and wife to later find a property. I sent a copy of my parents mortgage agreement, land registry document and the sellers agreement for their house, do you think the consulate would decline the application as they are not the originals. It's just that my parents are funny handing over sensitive information to anyone.

All replies are greatly appreciated.

Good Luck to everyone who's awaiting an answer

They may not refuse for that reason alone, but you should have had certified/notarised copies made of the originals to follow the exact requirement. The Land Registry document on it's own would have been enough to meet the rquirement so I wouldn't worry about it.


However, did you also include a letter from your parents stating who lives in the home currently and describing the home (number of bedrooms & such)?

Hi coolbreeze,

I'm in a similar situation, and all I sent (as per the advice on this forum) was a 1 year mortgage statement (original sent from bank), and a letter from my mother confirming how many rooms in the house, who lives there and how much rent I am/will be paying her etc.

They may not refuse for that reason alone, but you should have had certified/notarised copies made of the originals to follow the exact requirement.

I see notarizing mentioned all the time on here and it's starting to freak me out. When I applied for my visa, I never saw this listed as a requirement for anything. Notarizing something doesn't make it any more official... it just means that you are, in fact, the person who provided/signed  it.  I had nothing notarized in my application and now I'm all worked up thinking I'm going to get denied for it....

WebyJ - I'm hoping you can what you do best... say something fabulous that will make me stop worrying about it?? 

EmmJayye, if you submitted original copies of something, they don't need to be notarized. For example... I wasn't able (as a sponsor) to provide my original passport, so I simply had a notarized copy of the photo page sent instead.

I see notarizing mentioned all the time on here and it's starting to freak me out. When I applied for my visa, I never saw this listed as a requirement for anything. Notarizing something doesn't make it any more official... it just means that you are, in fact, the person who provided/signed  it.  I had nothing notarized in my application and now I'm all worked up thinking I'm going to get denied for it....

WebyJ - I'm hoping you can what you do best... say something fabulous that will make me stop worrying about it?? 

It is my understanding that when something is notarized or certified it means that it is a genuine copy of the original and that the person certifying the copy has seen and viewed the original and it is in fact a true copy of said document.

Anyway, if it makes you feel better, the only original documents I supplied for my visa (way back in 2008) was my passport and our marriage license and I was fine. Everything else was just a photocopy...but knowing what I know now, I would have taken the extra step and have sent the original documents or notarised copies....hindsight.

I would never suggest that anyone send anything other than the original or a certified/notarised copy of anything, because there is always the possibility that the ECO processing it may suspect that it is a false document and having something that is either the original or a certified/notarised copy means that there is very little possibility of false documents happening. As there are very steep consequences for having a false document, it's just not worth it. But considering the country of origin of the application I don't think you'll have to worry.

False documents
It is better to explain why you do not have a document than to submit a false document with an application. Applicants will be automatically refused and may be banned from coming to the UK for 10 years if they use a false document, lie or withhold relevant information.  They may also be banned if they have breached immigration laws in the UK.

Travellers to the UK who produce a false travel document or passport to the UK immigration authorities for themselves and/or their children are committing an offence. People found guilty of this offence face up to two years in prison or a fine (or both).

Thank you! I feel a little better. I sent my original marriage certificate, certified driving record, etc. However, I only sent a color photo copy of my husband's passport photo page. I didn't have that notarized but it's certainly not a false document either. Surely, they can check that out if they're really that suspicious of it (UK vital statistics?).

I'm sure I'll keep finding things to worry about every minute until I get that email...

That's the thing about this website EmmJayye. It's a great resource and it's reassuring to read stories of people in very similar situations to yourself. The only problem is it does expose you to unecessary stress. Just remember that when you read about someone elses experiences, they will differ slightly from your own.

I feel like a bit of a hypocrite saying that as I too am freaking out about the whole thing and driving my misses half crazy.

As for the colour photocopy of the passport, I couldn't tell you for definite, but I imagine there have been scores of people who have sent colour photocopies instead of notarized copies, and have been absolutely fine.

Fingers crossed for you!