Any updates from recent applicants?

Well, I got the visa! It's a 30-day visa, good between August 23 and September 22. So, biometric residence permit for me then. I have to pick it up from a post office in Edinburgh within 10 days of arriving.

I'll probably travel over on September 3, to coincide with my husband's work rotation. Can't believe I've finally got it! Now to start wrapping things up . . . I've got to give notice, offload my car, start cleaning up and packing up!

Congratulations Matilda!!
Hope to hear good news soon too️


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Thanks Claudia! Keeping my fingers crossed for you and everyone else still waiting. 

Got my visa today!!  cant wait to join my honey in Bournemouth! Need to book my flights and start packing!

In my passport the visa had valid dates for 33 months, however, my letter states that visa is only valid if you enter the country in the 30 day timeframe.  (Is this what everyones look like so far?) Once in England, need to pick up the BRP from the post office within 10 days.

Got my visa today!!  cant wait to join my honey in Bournemouth! Need to book my flights and start packing!

In my passport the visa had valid dates for 33 months, however, my letter states that visa is only valid if you enter the country in the 30 day timeframe.  (Is this what everyones look like so far?) Once in England, need to pick up the BRP from the post office within 10 days.

congrats ustouk so happy for you!! Still waiting on my hope to get good news soon as well


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In my passport the visa had valid dates for 33 months, however, my letter states that visa is only valid if you enter the country in the 30 day timeframe.  (Is this what everyones look like so far?) Once in England, need to pick up the BRP from the post office within 10 days.

That's odd - it should only be valid for 30 days if you are supposed to get a BRP when you arrive and should look like this (in terms of validity dates):

http://www.delphine-d.com/gallery/TemporaryVignette.jpeg

It should only be valid for 33 months if you DON'T have to get a BRP.

It sounds like you've been issued with half of the old procedure and half of the new one... which means that if you do end up with a BRP you may actually have two visas (the sticker in your passport and the BRP visa) :S.

I would email UKVI at the Sheffield email address to check that it has been issued correctly - if not, you may need to mail it back to them for correction:
visasheffield@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Upgraded to priority on July 15 and forward the email from VFS global with recipe to Sheffield home office email. I received and automatic reply with this:
 
This is an automated e-mail. Please do not reply.
 
YOUR EMAIL WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO IF YOUR QUESTION IS ANSWERED IN THE INFORMATION BELOW. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
 
We aim to reply to all other emails within 20 working days.
 
HEALTH SURCHARGE PAYMENT
From 6 April 2015, visa applicants intending to stay in the UK for longer than 6 months will normally need to make a Health surcharge payment when applying for their visa. To avoid unnecessary delays in processing visa applications, our customers are strongly advised to visit our website, www.gov.uk/home-office before making an application to check whether the surcharge applies in the category of visa bring applied for. Specific surcharge enquiries relating to an application already made should be e-mailed to IHS.Sheffield@fco.gsi.gov.uk

Is this means they got it?
I did include retroactive request for priority on the subject line... But I haven't heard nothing back yet. Did I miss any step?? Sorry just so anxious to get a decision I am panicking over here


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Upgraded to priority on July 15 and forward the email from VFS global with recipe to Sheffield home office email. I received and automatic reply with this:
 
Is this means they got it?
I did include retroactive request for priority on the subject line... But I haven't heard nothing back yet. Did I miss any step?? Sorry just so anxious to get a decision I am panicking over here

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I think that's just an automated answer. My understanding is that some people get word that their upgrade is received before the "decision is made" email and others do not. The upgrades are seeming to take about 2-3 days I think.  I upgraded after business hours on the 15th. I really didn't think we would, but we just had no choice. Luckily we were in a position to afford it. This system leaves a lot to be desired.

I think that's just an automated answer. My understanding is that some people get word that their upgrade is received before the "decision is made" email and others do not. The upgrades are seeming to take about 2-3 days I think.  I upgraded after business hours on the 15th. I really didn't think we would, but we just had no choice. Luckily we were in a position to afford it. This system leaves a lot to be desired.

I totally agree! I am so nervous awaiting for an answer hope they don't rejected it or something. We decided to upgrade just couldn't wait any longer... Nothing assuring we would had an answer within 12 weeks either and just didn't want to risk it... Hope to hear something back soon.


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Claudia, 
For us, if they went the full 12 weeks or worse, 16 weeks,as happened last summer, We would be left risking my husband's future job in the UK as well as forced to sign a new lease for our business we are closing.  We have to give an answer about the lease to our landlord at the store by July 29th or vacate by 8/1. If we can give him an answer, he will allow us to lease the space for the month of august without a lease. I am hoping we have a definitive answer by then. If it's denied, we would sign a 6-12 month lease and apply again.  I just can't be trapped into a 6 month lease and have to pay it all. I was foolish to not have paid priority in the first place and to reply on the April and May wait times as a guess.  I knew it would be tight, but not this tight. 

Is same that happened to us we assumed the processing times on the ukvi website were accurate and didn't think the priority upgrade was a necessity. Now I regret we didn't do it from the beginning. In my case I already got rid of everything my house my car even my job, luckily they let me stay until I get my visa... My husband is been gone for over a month he is working in the UK now. So I am living with my mom for this time. So I am super ready to just go and be there and put an end to this stressful time


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Claudiamcastro13,

I upgraded to priority after Sheffield had received my application, I got the same generic email response you did, never got a confirmation of my priority upgrade...3 days later the decision email came through!  Hoping you get your answer soon! Good luck!

Claudia, we didn't get any acknowledgement of the priority upgrade from Sheffield, but we got our visa yesterday.

If you remember that initially when I sent the upgrade I got a response claiming it's not possible to upgrade.   I contacted VFS global by email and they followed up with Sheffield and confirmed the upgrade was applied.

If you're very nervous I'd recommend contacting vfs at

ukvi.feedback.usa@vfshelpline.com

and mention that you paid for and sent the upgrade and have received no response.

VFS confirmed the upgrade to us on 7/13 and we got the "decision has been made" email on 7/15.   

Best wishes - it really is an awful process.

Claudiamcastro13,

I upgraded to priority after Sheffield had received my application, I got the same generic email response you did, never got a confirmation of my priority upgrade...3 days later the decision email came through!  Hoping you get your answer soon! Good luck!

Thanks UStoUK since I upgraded on Wednesday I am thinking I should hear something on Monday I hope!


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Claudia, we didn't get any acknowledgement of the priority upgrade from Sheffield, but we got our visa yesterday.

If you remember that initially when I sent the upgrade I got a response claiming it's not possible to upgrade.   I contacted VFS global by email and they followed up with Sheffield and confirmed the upgrade was applied.

If you're very nervous I'd recommend contacting vfs at

ukvi.feedback.usa@vfshelpline.com

and mention that you paid for and sent the upgrade and have received no response.

VFS confirmed the upgrade to us on 7/13 and we got the "decision has been made" email on 7/15.   

Best wishes - it really is an awful process.

Thanks sdt99 since Wednesday the 15th did not hear anything back or get a "decision email" looks like others applicants on this forum had waited 3 days to get a decision email after upgrading to priority. I will wait to Monday and hope to get and email. I will send an email to VFS global to follow up and make sure they got the priority request I sent. So done with this "waiting" this process has been so stressful from day one trying to figure out how we can do the visa. I almost made the mistake to travel to the UK as a visitor and just "change status" when I got there with my husband but after days of looking through the tedious ukvi website we found out it could not be done... And now all I can do is keep waiting!


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Hi Everyone,

I'm gearing up to send in my spousal visa application to Sheffield (target submission date of August 4th for online application + biometric appointment) and am wondering if I should do the priority processing...reading some of your posts over these last few days/weeks is making me think the answer is yes.

I married my wife in June as a marriage visitor, she came back to the states with me for a month. Now she's back in England and we're working with our solicitor to get all the documentation in order. Having gone through the stress once before with the visit visa, I'm not looking forward to waiting again. We did priority processing for the visit visa because it was affordable and we had a fixed date (impending ceremony booked!) - but had planned on just doing regular processing with the settlement visa because it costs a lot more money and there is no pressure on when I should arrive back in England. That said, it's more stressful than either of us had anticipated, and we'd rather be "back together" ASAP! I can't handle the idea of it taking 12 weeks or something to be decided.

Are the processing times listed on the website really that far off from what it's been taking? Should I bite the bullet and just pay up the extra cash so we have peace of mind and I get back there before bloody Christmas?! I was expecting a 2-4 week turnaround...now I'm completely confused.

Thoughts? Thanks!