UK Visa Settlement Processing Time

Hi everyone..

I didn't use the priority service, regretfully, and the NY hub received my application on March 22.  It's now April 3rd and I still haven't received an email from NY.  Is this a rare case?  I've read so many stories on here of people who didn't use the priority service but still received a confirmation email from the NY hub.  Of course, I'm stress and worried already.  Not a fan of the waiting!  Good luck to everyone else out there going through this.

Not everyone gets the emails, so you don't need to worry.  

From NY, you application will be sent to Sheffield to be processed.  Friday and Monday were both bank holidays in the UK, so the offices were probably closed and there was no post.  It's only been 6 business days since your application was delivered in NY. 

I know waiting is tough, but not getting the emails isn't a bad or unusual thing.  

Hi everyone..

I didn't use the priority service, regretfully, and the NY hub received my application on March 22.  It's now April 3rd and I still haven't received an email from NY.  Is this a rare case? 

You won't receive any emails from NY at all - your application will be forwarded to Sheffield in the UK, and they will be responsible for sending you any emails about your application. Not everyone gets the emails though, so don't worry if you don't - you know that the application arrived in NY and so it will be processed.

As you did not use the priority service, your application will have been put to the back of the line in NY, so it may still be waiting and not have even been transferred to Sheffield yet.

When they get to it in NY, It will take a few days for the application to be received by Sheffield and for them to start processing it... because of the Easter weekend, it's only actually been 6 working days since your application was received in NY (UKBA Sheffield office will have been closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday), so there's no need to start worrying yet.

Ok great, thank you both for those replies.  Hopefully the Sheffield office will send me an email once they've received the docs!  The waiting is worse when you don't know where all the papers are.  Thanks again

Good news - just got the email today from the Sheffield office that it has arrived there.  Fingers crossed everything goes through okay! Will put my timeline up once I know the results.

Good news - just got the email today from the Sheffield office that it has arrived there.  Fingers crossed everything goes through okay! Will put my timeline up once I know the results.

Do not worry, I filed my application online on the 19th of March, Biometrics on the 21st March. Sent in my paperwork to NY priority mail on the 25th March and only received an email from the Sheffield office on 11th April saying they'd received my package. I then got an email on 16th April from someone saying they needed more paperwork for which I emailed today, 17th April.

I think it's pretty good time, considering!

Fingers crossed and good luck!

That's good to hear.  I wish I'd paid for priority but I didn't realize I could until it was too late.  Has anyone seen the updated UKBA Sheffield website, it says that 88% of settlement visas in March were decided in just 15 days.  I don't think April is following that pattern, as it's already been 17 days and still no 'decision has been made' email.  Unless I fall into that 12% that take 40+ days!  Anyway, as everyone going through this knows, the wait is killer.  Good luck to everyone!  Will post when I hear word, hopefully before the end of the month, but I won't hold my breath.

Hi All,

Its been almost 7 months since I applied for my ILR SET(O) application  ...

Below is my timeline

17/09/12 - Application Sent
25/09/12 - Acknowledgement Letter recieved
26/09/12 - Funds taken from account
30/11/12 - Biometrics letter recieved
03/12/12 - Biometrics completed

I am still waiting! I havent recieved anything from home office since then! My current work permit is expiring end of April and I am wondering if home office actually only deals with the cases where the visa has expired and the applications which has a valid visa goes to the end of the queue? I have contacted my MP as well and also have sent an expedite request letter from my work as my work travel is getting afftected by this. But still whenever I call them they say that "it is under progress"!!...I am really annoyed and frustrated .. I could have applied over the counter this month as my 5 years on work permit are up but now if I withdraw my application and book an appointment I will get it for sometime in May/June and by then my visa will be expired for a month which I am sure will affect my application!! 

Debs93 - I received an email on the 18th saying a decision has been made, and I'm expected to receive my outcome tomorrow as well... I'm nervouse about the financial aspect because my husband and I combined his salary with savings and did not provide 6 months consecutive statements... but they never emailed me like they emailed you requesting more information.  So it's my hope that they didn't just flat-out reject my application, as i've read from others that they do sometimes!  How nerve wracking!  Good luck to you, I'll post what my outcome is, praying for a positive one!

I just realized something horrifying... i was so concerned with getting all my papers in the right order I forgot to put in a letter of sponsorship from my husband in England, easily THE most important document.  I've just sealed my own fate.   I don't think the marriage certificate from 2 years go or anything else will be enough if I didn't have a letter from him, and they never called him or me for more information.  I should be getting my results any time now, but i already know what the answer is going to be.  i am kicking myself. wow.

so, as thought, i got refused for financial reasons.  so going to go live with my husband this summer so we can be together then apply premium at the office in UK when we have the sufficient financial evidence.  It really is a shame that we've lived together in New Zealand and in the states for the last 3 years, paying bills and working, yet none of that matters bc of the fact that he moved back to england less than 6 months ago to set up for us.  so onward and upward i suppose.  good luck to everyone else out there.

so, as thought, i got refused for financial reasons.  so going to go live with my husband this summer so we can be together then apply premium at the office in UK when we have the sufficient financial evidence

Sorry to hear that your visa was refused, but how are you planning to do this? Now that you have been refused a UK visa, you will have to apply for a visa to enter the UK from now on. And if you apply for a visitor visa after a spousal visa refusal, it's going to look like you're trying to live in the UK illegally on visitor visas, so it's probably unlikely to be approved.

Also, if you are in the UK as a visitor, you cannot apply for a spousal visa in the UK anyway... especially not as a premium application, since those are only for simple visa cases and your case would be outside the visa rules (and would be an automatic refusal anyway because you won't qualify to apply in the UK). You would have to return to the US to apply for it.

You could try for a visitor visa, but I have a feeling you may have to remain in the US until you can qualify for a spousal visa and can reapply.

so, as thought, i got refused for financial reasons.  so going to go live with my husband this summer so we can be together then apply premium at the office in UK when we have the sufficient financial evidence.

Sorry to hear about your refusal.

What visa will you be going to the UK with this summer?  I am making a guess that you'll be coming over on a visitor visa.  If so, unfortunately, you are not permitted to switch to a spouse visa while in the UK as a visitor.  You could go visit your husband and get the evidence, but you'll have to return to the US to make a new application.

Also - now that you have a visa refusal, it is highly recommended to apply for a visitor visa in advance.  It's not an absolute requirement, but it is definitely recommended to do so to alleviate potential problems at the border.  You may be fine to go without getting one in advance, but just in case the IO becomes suspicious, you won't have wasted the money on the plane ticket if you have advance entry clearance.  Unfortunately, from their point of view, you've already demonstrated you would like to live in the UK with your UKC spouse, and with a refused settlement visa to do so, they may be suspicious if you show up at the border saying you're just there to visit. 

If you would like to, you can post a new thread with the exact wording of the refusal letter (personal details redacted) to see if anyone has any input.  Depending on the exact reason of the refusal, you may be able to reapply straight away and be okay.  For example, if the refusal was based on missing documents, you could apply again and ensure you include those documents.

Oh wow, I'm glad I posted that because I had no idea that I could not go over there now.  This just goes from bad to worse.  My husband lived with me here in the states for a year and a half and went back to England in December to start working.  One of the reasons was because he did not have 6 months worth of payslips and was about 2 thousand pounds under the requirement.  I combined his salary with our savings, but it was still a no-go.

He has since picked up a second job to be able to meet the financial requirement but we will have to wait for 6 months worth of payslips.  Is it okay that he has two jobs if doing so takes his annual income over the requirement?

Do you think it will be impossible for me to get a visitors visa at this point?  Thanks for both of your input.

Oh wow, I'm glad I posted that because I had no idea that I could not go over there now.  This just goes from bad to worse.  My husband lived with me here in the states for a year and a half and went back to England in December to start working.  One of the reasons was because he did not have 6 months worth of payslips and was about 2 thousand pounds under the requirement.  I combined his salary with our savings, but it was still a no-go.

The problem with using savings is that you need a lot of them to meet the requirement! If his salary is £2,000 short, then you need £21,000 in savings to qualify for the visa... So if your savings were less than this, your visa was always going to be refused.

He has since picked up a second job to be able to meet the financial requirement but we will have to wait for 6 months worth of payslips.  Is it okay that he has two jobs if doing so takes his annual income over the requirement?

Two jobs is fine, must he must provide all the required documents from each job.

Do you think it will be impossible for me to get a visitors visa at this point?  Thanks for both of your input.

Not necessarily impossible, but it will probably look suspicious that you are applying for one right after being refused the spousal visa. It could look like you are trying to live in the UK by any means possible, even if it means living and working illegally as a visitor.

If you do try for one, be prepared to prove with plenty of concrete evidence that you have no intention of living in the UK, that you have a return ticket, that you have a home, a job and a life in the US that you must return to and that will prevent you from trying to stay in the UK with your husband for more than 6 months.