UK Visa Settlement Processing Time

sw, why is it okay for you to assume that there's a problem with our applications, yet you take exception to us thinking, based on the times we're seeing, that the priority applications are pushing us aside in an extreme way?

And you just said it yourself - the quicker UKBA turns apps around, the better they look. Hence, if they turn applications around in 3-5 days (priority applications), the better they look. Hence, being pushed aside unfairly.

I've got the world's most straightforward app and I'm 35 days in.

You might be right - every single one of us who didn't use priority service might also happen to have a problem with our applications. But I don't understand why you're completely discounting the much more plausible explanation that we're being pushed aside in what seems to be high favor for priority applications.

I am basing my belief on what I am seeing, with turnaround times. What have you seen in this thread to base your belief on?

I just think we all picked the wrong time to apply. I mean not only priority applications, but student ones too. I really have a hard time believing that all of us have a problem with our applications.

Hello Kathrynhabibti, that email was spot on!! Job well done! Let's hope the consulate is empathetic!

Thanks Nicki
sw1085, please don't get me wrong - I do appreciate your words of encouragement about my email. I just think it's wrong for you to say without any evidence that there must be something wrong with our applications.

I have a hard time with the spitefulness being shown by sw1085....and something here still seems a wind up to me. I don't know why someone who as been through this process and knows how stressful and costly it is would want to discourage people who are going through it as well. There is nothing to be gained by what you say except possibly more stress. And I don't believe for a minute that we all have difficult apps. I have been married to my husband for 7 years, we have a child together, ample savings and good income. We own a home in the States and my husband has 17 acres in Northern Ireland on which we will build a house. We supplied all of the correct documents. More than we needed to. I would be interested to know what your partner submitted that would be any better or straight forward than what any of us sent. I would suggest that if you want to try and discourage people during this process that you start a new thread for that purpose. I don't know if you noticed that this has been a source of comfort to a lot of people and that the atmosphere has been one of support.

To add my support, we also had a pretty straightforward application and from my work experience they will probably have a larger team working on the priorities to meet the targets.  If I remember correctly one of our 'Guru's' on here said it takes approximately 45 minutes to turn an application around.  We waited 38 days.

sW1085 until you've walked that many days in our shoes please refrain from your negative comments.  People in OUR situation use this board for positive information, positive support and positive information and telling these guy's in a round about way that their applications may not be straightforward is none of the above.

Sending a very polite email to the consulate worked for us.  Good luck everyone.

xxx

..and as for the advice to contact your MP, I did and mine contacted the border agency who were very pleased to tell him they didn;t tell anyone what was happening! The only point at which your MP can do anything is once they have exceeded their service standard - whatever that plans to be and clearly of they turn around the priority ones quickly that brings down their 'average' clearance times - you know...lies,lies and statistics to quote disraeli... we just have to stick with it and ignore people who are taken out of their back passage....this is a support group, not a demolition derby.... anyway, another day dawns here in the UK - 2 days of this week left to hear something...I'm beginning to think I may book a flight to LA for half term after all!!!! Keep the faith!!!!!

rebotting...did you use the complaints button to send the email.... just can;t find anywhere to send one on the site!!!

I'm still waiting too!  And very pleased, at least, that I'm not alone.  I'm on the Nickiboo timeline 44 days or so.  I'm too depressed to count anymore.  I've been married to my husband for five years and we have a nearly three year old daughter who misses her Daddy. Neither of us are criminals and we've been together all of those five years (read: straightforward app).  If the only thing keeping us apart is that $300 priority service that I didn't know existed at the time I made my application . . . well I'd be willing to give them $600 right now to know by Friday.  Y'all with me??

So to recap -- how many complaint emails have been sent?  I might try one, since doing something is better than feeling completely powerless.

Apologies for upsetting everyone.  That wasn't my intentions.

Good luck.

Someone asked for the email address to complain.

See this link:

http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en/visiting-uk/visas/

mailto:CHICAVisaInfo@fco.gov.uk

This was the one I sent our email to for chicago.  Someone else posted this on here. Sorry not sure about the other consulates

This was the email I sent

Dear sir/madam

Thank you for your kind email. I was wondering whether our application will be processed by the end of this week because if Jesse doesn't arrive before 14th September then I will have to cancel our wedding. I'm sorry to be a pest and I do understand how busy you are, but would greatly appreciate some guidance.

 

Many thanks for your time and consideration

I'm pretty sure that the long waiting times are more likely due to the influx of Tier 4 visa applications than the priority service applications - the US consulates deal with, on average, 1,500 applications each month in total (for all types of visas).

However, looking at the stats for August, the LA and NY consulates have processed about 1,500 Tier 4 visas alone (Chicago had about 800), which means that there were double the number of applications being received at each consulate in August... it only makes sense that the processing time for settlement visas will just about double as well, especially as those 1,500 Tier 4 applications are likely to have been given priority over the settlement visa applications due to the students having to travel by September.

Now that the Tier 4 visas will have mostly been processed, there'll be a backlog of other types of applications that they now have to get to, which again is probably why it's taking so long.

Apologies for upsetting everyone.  That wasn't my intentions.

Good luck.

Hey, thank you, and fwiw I myself would go back and dial it down a notch as well if I could - I think tensions are just getting super-high. This wait, while within their standards, is infuriating when compared with how extra-quickly the priorities seem to be getting turned around.

I'm still waiting too!  And very pleased, at least, that I'm not alone.  I'm on the Nickiboo timeline 44 days or so. I'm too depressed to count anymore.  I've been married to my husband for five years and we have a nearly three year old daughter who misses her Daddy. Neither of us are criminals and we've been together all of those five years (read: straightforward app).  If the only thing keeping us apart is that $300 priority service that I didn't know existed at the time I made my application . . . well I'd be willing to give them $600 right now to know by Friday.  Y'all with me??

So to recap -- how many complaint emails have been sent?  I might try one, since doing something is better than feeling completely powerless.

So am I! Just a day behind. Same day, I guess, if you count that they received my application on the Friday but I got the confirmation email on the following Monday. I've written, Rebotting has, and.... has Nickiboo? I'm not sure if she has. Those are the only ones I can think of but maybe others will say the same. How sad for your daughter, too. Poor baby

If I remember correctly one of our 'Guru's' on here said it takes approximately 45 minutes to turn an application around.  We waited 38 days.

I believe that would be WebyJ?

mrscolgan, keeping my fingers crossed for you!

OK peeps....everyone take a step back and just relax.

You have no right to jump on anyone that uses the priority service and received their visa ahead of your application being processed.

It's a choice that either you made or had unfortunately missed knowing about the service, we all know it's so very hard to be apart from our spouses/fiance(e)s but spewing venom about those who used the service just because you didn't (for whatever reason) is wrong and it needs to stop now.

Non-priority applications mean just that. They will take as long as they will take. By not using the priority method you basically say to the Consulate: I'm aware of the Customer Service standards of up to 24 weeks for processing and I am prepared to wait that long.

It's fine to be upset about how long it's taking, but until you've hit the processing time quoted in your receipt of application emails you will not get any result from a complaints email.

To assume your applications are straightforward is a bit rich since you don't know what makes an application 'not straightforward'. Any irregularities such as you used punctuations in your name on your application or they had to correct your name when you did you biometrics, whether or not additional checks need to be carried out. You don't know this and won't know it unless it brings up something that needs to be looked at.

To place blame on how long your applications are taking at the feet of those who used the priority system is wrong and you should apologise to those who were lucky enough to know about it and chose to use it because they have NOTHING to do with how long it's taking to process your visa. Period END OF.