Any updates from recent applicants?

I want to congratulate every who received their visa's in December!! Also, good luck to all who are still waiting!! It's a hard journey but well worth the wait!!

We got my VISA this morning! No letter was included, but my passport was on top and opened up to the VISA page and valid from December 29, 2014 to September 29, 2017. So excited and relieved to be able to finally make some solid plans.

The DHL prepaid envelope was also returned to us and although we later submitted a UPS account number for billing, we haven't yet been billed for the return of our documents. Maybe it takes a few days?

Our envelope weighed 2.20 pounds and I'm absolutely certain we filled it with a few things they didn't need. But we're going to post our document list below in case it's helpful to anyone else.

Best of luck to those still waiting. It's extremely difficult to wait, but it's worth it.

DOCUMENT LIST (in a clear see-through zipped binder with tabs)
- Payment receipt to VFS Global for Priority VISA Service (placed on the top of everything)
- Biometric Appointment Receipt (signed / stamped by officials at biometrics appointment)
- 1 Passport photo for me
- Complete VISA application under the SETTLEMENT: WIFE category
- Complete APPENDIX 2

PROOF OF IDENTITY
- My passports (old passport with maiden name and new passport with married name)
- Certified (in the United States) copies of husband's UK and US passports (dual resident)
- My social security card
- My voter registration card (shows current address in US)
- My certificate of American Indian Blood
- My American Indian tribal membership card
- My birth certificate (original)
- My husband's birth certificate (certified copy)
- My husband's NHS number and NHS document
- Copy of my husband's US driver's license (not certified, but in color. Shows our address.)
- Copy of my US driver's license (not certified, but in color. Shows our address.)

PROOF OF MARRIAGE / RELATIONSHIP
- Letter from my husband explaining situation
- Letter from registrar confirming our date to marry on November 24, 2005 in UK
- Marriage registration (also known as marriage certificate) in UK
- 3 wedding photos
- Copy of our current rental agreement (address matches all other forms of ID)
- Original copy of husband's successful application to live and work in the United States
- Copy of our joint auto insurance policy (proof of living together / shared expenses)
- Six months of joint electricity bills showing both our names at current address
- Six months of joint natural gas bills showing both our names at current address

PROOF OF ACCOMMODATION
- Letter from his UK parents explaining situation and welcoming us to live with them
- Proof that his parents own the home where we will live and information about the home
- Copy of passports from both of his parents (in color)

PROOF OF HUSBAND'S WORK AND FINANCES
- Letter and contract from the job he accepted in the UK, with clear start date & salary noted
- One year of pay stubs from current job in the US
- Copies of our joint IRS filings for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
- One year of bank statements from our joint primary checking account (name on each page)
- Proof of current home ownership in the UK (mortgage and proof we're renting out home)

MY WORK HISTORY
- 2 published articles about me (playwright)
- Old resumes showing my work history at least ten years back
- Examples of my work contracts
- Letter of recommendation from old job
- Copy of grades from last year of college
- Proof of work registered in the United States under copyright laws

EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS DIVORCE
- Original paperwork showing divorce finalized by judge

We got my VISA this morning! No letter was included, but my passport was on top and opened up to the VISA page and valid from December 29, 2014 to September 29, 2017. So excited and relieved to be able to finally make some solid plans.

Congratulations !!

Yep, you don't get a letter when the visa has been approved... they only include a letter if it's refused, explaining the reasons for refusal.

The DHL prepaid envelope was also returned to us and although we later submitted a UPS account number for billing, we haven't yet been billed for the return of our documents. Maybe it takes a few days?

That could be the case. Did you manage to sort out a refund from DHL?

Just a note for others - you don't need to include binders or tabs - as they need to be able to reorganise and move your documents around easily. It's generally best to just send the papers as they are, but maybe with paperclips holding each section together.

Also, for others applying, you didn't actually need to include ANY the following (and they may not have even looked at any of it - they are not allowed to consider your employability for the visa at all):

- your husband's US passport copy
- My voter registration card (shows current address in US)
- My certificate of American Indian Blood
- My American Indian tribal membership card
- My birth certificate (original)
- My husband's birth certificate (certified copy)
- My husband's NHS number and NHS document
- Copy of my husband's US driver's license (not certified, but in color. Shows our address.)
- Copy of my US driver's license (not certified, but in color. Shows our address.)
- 2 published articles about me (playwright)
- Old resumes showing my work history at least ten years back
- Examples of my work contracts
- Letter of recommendation from old job
- Copy of grades from last year of college
- Proof of work registered in the United States under copyright laws

A couple of other notes:

This one is not normally needed, but it won't hurt to include it:
- Copy of passports from both of his parents (in color)

This one would actually be proof of relationship (living together), not proof of finances:
- Copies of our joint IRS filings for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013

Thank you so much, Ksand. We were so paranoid we basically sent absolutely everything we could think of. Realizing now we probably over-reacted. =)

Truly appreciate all of your advice and input. THANK YOU!!! =)

On our way to see about a DHL refund later today, but truly so elated it doesn't even matter if we don't get it.

Congratulations to you both.... can't wait for the day I can write that my husband has his visa .... enjoy celebrating and get packing !!!!  Lol

We got my VISA this morning! No letter was included, but my passport was on top and opened up to the VISA page and valid from December 29, 2014 to September 29, 2017. So excited and relieved to be able to finally make some solid plans.

The DHL prepaid envelope was also returned to us and although we later submitted a UPS account number for billing, we haven't yet been billed for the return of our documents. Maybe it takes a few days?

Our envelope weighed 2.20 pounds and I'm absolutely certain we filled it with a few things they didn't need. But we're going to post our document list below in case it's helpful to anyone else.

Best of luck to those still waiting. It's extremely difficult to wait, but it's worth it.

DOCUMENT LIST (in a clear see-through zipped binder with tabs)
- Payment receipt to VFS Global for Priority VISA Service (placed on the top of everything)
- Biometric Appointment Receipt (signed / stamped by officials at biometrics appointment)
- 1 Passport photo for me
- Complete VISA application under the SETTLEMENT: WIFE category
- Complete APPENDIX 2

PROOF OF IDENTITY
- My passports (old passport with maiden name and new passport with married name)
- Certified (in the United States) copies of husband's UK and US passports (dual resident)
- My social security card
- My voter registration card (shows current address in US)
- My certificate of American Indian Blood
- My American Indian tribal membership card
- My birth certificate (original)
- My husband's birth certificate (certified copy)
- My husband's NHS number and NHS document
- Copy of my husband's US driver's license (not certified, but in color. Shows our address.)
- Copy of my US driver's license (not certified, but in color. Shows our address.)

PROOF OF MARRIAGE / RELATIONSHIP
- Letter from my husband explaining situation
- Letter from registrar confirming our date to marry on November 24, 2005 in UK
- Marriage registration (also known as marriage certificate) in UK
- 3 wedding photos
- Copy of our current rental agreement (address matches all other forms of ID)
- Original copy of husband's successful application to live and work in the United States
- Copy of our joint auto insurance policy (proof of living together / shared expenses)
- Six months of joint electricity bills showing both our names at current address
- Six months of joint natural gas bills showing both our names at current address

PROOF OF ACCOMMODATION
- Letter from his UK parents explaining situation and welcoming us to live with them
- Proof that his parents own the home where we will live and information about the home
- Copy of passports from both of his parents (in color)

PROOF OF HUSBAND'S WORK AND FINANCES
- Letter and contract from the job he accepted in the UK, with clear start date & salary noted
- One year of pay stubs from current job in the US
- Copies of our joint IRS filings for 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013
- One year of bank statements from our joint primary checking account (name on each page)
- Proof of current home ownership in the UK (mortgage and proof we're renting out home)

MY WORK HISTORY
- 2 published articles about me (playwright)
- Old resumes showing my work history at least ten years back
- Examples of my work contracts
- Letter of recommendation from old job
- Copy of grades from last year of college
- Proof of work registered in the United States under copyright laws

EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS DIVORCE
- Original paperwork showing divorce finalized by judge

Congratulations to you both!! I am so happy for you 

I was wondering if anyone could post the email they received from ukba informing them that a decision has been made? I am wondering if there are any differences between a email that they send out for approved applications vs rejected applications.

I applied to switch from a student visa to a work visa and my first application was rejected because the HR department at my new job accidentally put the wrong hours on the Cos application. I have applied again and just received an email stating that a decision has been made. I am feeling nervous because the decision email is exactly the same as the last one. I am nervous because the email states that a 'decision letter' has been sent - and as we know they only send a letter if the visa has been denied.

Hopefully I am over thinking this but I am feeling sick over this whole process!

Thank you for your recent Tier 2 Priority Service application.
 
This e-mail is to inform you that a decision has been made on your application today.
 
I am unable to disclose the decision by email, but I can confirm that the decision letter and documents have been despatched to you by Special Delivery

Thanks to all for the good wishes and congratulations!

To AvaBlue: Does the email tell you the courier used to return your documents or provide a tracking number? Hope you get good news.

Another successful applicant. Yeah....you sent way too much stuff. I think I have myself under control to not send more than I need. My one slightly paranoid thing (so far) is to keep our bank balance more than full enough so that we meet the 62,500Pounds requirement if we had no other income. With my pension coming in I could get by with 33K Pounds. But.....we will need that cash in the coming year anyway so what the heck. Although with the Pound being so low right now......I'm tempted to move some of that cash over now. $1.51!! Yowza!

Hah! =)

Yes, I think we nearly emptied our filing cabinet sending over way too many documents.

Hope your application is successful and wishing you all the best! =)

To AvaBlue: Does the email tell you the courier used to return your documents or provide a tracking number? Hope you get good news.

AvaBlue, the e-mails sent from NYC are different to those sent from Sheffield - normally they actually say whether the visa has been approved or refused in the email.

As most people on this thread have been applying for settlement visas through Sheffield, their emails will have been different to yours so may not be helpful for you. Hopefully someone who has received a visa through NYC recently will be able to post their email though.

Also, although we know that they only send a letter from Sheffield if the visa has been refused, I don't remember whether NYC do the same thing or if they send letters to everyone.

ksand24 Thank you for the comment! I currently live in the UK on a student visa (and have for the past four years) so I have applied through the Sheffield office.

ksand24 Thank you for the comment! I currently live in the UK on a student visa (and have for the past four years) so I have applied through the Sheffield office.

Sorry, I thought I read that you returned to the US to apply for the visa (don't know where I thought I read that now though).

 In that case, I'm not sure that anyone will really be able to help as I can't recall anyone else either applying for a Tier 2 from inside the UK recently or receiving an email about the decision (they've only just started sending emails for in-country applications in the last few months - it was all by post before that).

Almost everyone on this thread is applying to Sheffield from outside the UK, and those applications are dealt with by a different department within the consulate, so the application process and decision emails are completely different.

Thank you ksand24. I just checked the tracking number and it should be delivered today. Hoping for good news!

I got my "your application has been received" email today, woo! I hope there hasn't been too much of a backlog over the holidays as I know they were processing really quickly the week prior.

I had thought that previous applicants' emails had confirmed that their application was Priority...mine just said, "if you have paid priority, your application will be assessed ahead of other non-priority applications."

I was very excited to get that email this morning though! I was hoping not to be one of the applicants who never hears anything until they get their packet back in the mail!