Any updates from recent applicants?

I would hate to put my travel date of March 1 down and not receive the visa before then and be left in the states waiting :/ I've read that some processors don't really look at your travel date and issue the visa according to the date they approve it then giving you around 28 days (after shipping it back to you) for you to get out of the country.....or am I just crazy? 

They used to be a bit lax with the travel dates, making them valid from the day they were issued, not the date you requested, but now that they are only issuing 30-day vignettes in the passport and not the actual 33-month visa (which you pick up from a post office within 10 days of arriving in the UK), they look to be honouring the travel dates properly now... because if they don't the applicant could have problems with being able to travel within the 30 days.

If you wish to travel on March 1st 2016, you can apply as early as December 1st 2015, so you have plenty of time to apply and get the visa back before March 1st. I would just make it clear on the application and cover letter that you wish the visa to be valid from March 1st.

Hi all, I did pick up my secondary passport today. I noticed is has an entirely different passport number than my other one. Still does make me wonder...if the numbers are indeed different...how would they link the two...

The same way that they can track your travel history on all the passports you have ever held in the past (lost, stolen, expired etc.)... all they have to do is scan the passport you hand them and they can look up your entire travel history.

Which is why it doesn't work if people have been refused visas or entry to the UK and then try to cover it up by getting a new 'clean' passport and travelling on that instead... it's all electronic now, so even if they don't have the passport with the refusals in it, the border agent can still look up your immigration history in the system using the new passport number.

**stamps feet** but I want to goooooo!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We got the visa!

Our timeline...

Relationship Aug 2014
Met in US Nov 2014
General Visitor Visa refusal 2nd Feb 2015
Met again in US March 2015 and got engaged
Married in US May 2015
Online application 14th July 2015
Sent priority 27th July
Sheffield acknowledgement email 28th July
Decision made email 4th August
Package received via UPS 6th August - Spouse Visa Application Successful!

30 day vignette valid from 28th August, so we have a bit of time to book flights and get things tied up in the USA.

Can't quite believe it!

Also, it is definitely worth paying for priority from the start - look how fast we had the visa issued and that was with a misdemeanor and previous visitor visa refusal!

congrats!!! So happy for you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I emailed the UKVI contact two days ago and it said there was no current status on my visa application. (This made freak out because I received the acknowledgement email on June 9th).

The person sent me information to escalate my application. What does that even mean? That they are just going to look further into it to see what its current status is?

It makes me nervous that it has not even been touched yet since the beginning of June.  I am non-priority, so I know they're taking longer, but now I'm getting quite worried.

I am sorry you're still waiting   I really hope it's soon and I will keep checking back.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

gemology, can I ask what you put down for your travel date? We are in the process of getting hubby's passport and then the kids passports and then my visa and am trying to coordinate travel for all five of us to coincide around the first of March 2016. I would hate to put my travel date of March 1 down and not receive the visa before then and be left in the states waiting :/ I've read that some processors don't really look at your travel date and issue the visa according to the date they approve it then giving you around 28 days (after shipping it back to you) for you to get out of the country.....or am I just crazy? 

We put 30th Aug as travel date and got 28th Aug.

I emailed the UKVI contact two days ago and it said there was no current status on my visa application. (This made freak out because I received the acknowledgement email on June 9th).

The person sent me information to escalate my application. What does that even mean? That they are just going to look further into it to see what its current status is?

It makes me nervous that it has not even been touched yet since the beginning of June.  I am non-priority, so I know they're taking longer, but now I'm getting quite worried.

I've had the same thing happen! Our application was accepted on 16 June.  We did need to send something to them in the beginning of July, but have heard nothing since.  I called the service and they "escalated" the case on 6 Aug, but no word since then.  Have you heard anything since they escalated yours?  I sent another email through the system to check in this morning.

My planned move date was 15 Aug, but I've conceded that won't happen

I've had the same thing happen! Our application was accepted on 16 June.  We did need to send something to them in the beginning of July, but have heard nothing since.  I called the service and they "escalated" the case on 6 Aug, but no word since then.  Have you heard anything since they escalated yours?  I sent another email through the system to check in this morning.

My planned move date was 15 Aug, but I've conceded that won't happen

I got the email back this past Friday, 7th of August, saying that they also escalated my case. I haven't heard anything since then either, so I'm not really sure what is going on or what to do.   

Has anyone else had this experience of them saying the application was being "escalated"?!

My processed visa arrived today via UPS. The timeline for my Tier 2 Visa was as follows:

July 21st: Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) Received from sponsor
July 22nd: Applied for visa after IHS payment error
July 28th: Biometric Appointment
July 29th: Sent Priority application overnight air mail using VPS purchased services.
July 30th: Application arrived in New York
July 31st : E-mail confirmation of priority application that stated, "Please note that due to an increase in demand priority processing currently stands at 7 working days."
August 6th: E-mail that stated, "We are happy to inform you that your visa has been issued. You will receive a further email when your documents are ready to despatch via courier."
August 10th - Package returned with Entry Clearance sticker in my passport and the letter to take with me to pick up the BPR.

They used the date that I indicated I wanted to enter the country on as the first day I could enter, and the BPR isn't available for pick up until a week after this date.

Yay Jess! Very exciting! I'm sure you're relieved


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yay Jess! Very exciting! I'm sure you're relieved


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Has anyone else had this experience of them saying the application was being "escalated"?!

I received a response back, which unfortunately states that they received a response from the Decision Making Centre, "Application is awaiting for Entry Clearance Officer assessment".  My interpretation is that the "escalation" is just a further inquiry with the home office and does nothing to speed the process.  It also would seem that my application has not been looked at even though it was submitted almost 2 months ago!

Since all applications are a case by case basis, I hope this does not mean the same for you.  I am curious to see what response you get though.  Keep us updated!

I received a response back, which unfortunately states that they received a response from the Decision Making Centre, "Application is awaiting for Entry Clearance Officer assessment".  My interpretation is that the "escalation" is just a further inquiry with the home office and does nothing to speed the process.  It also would seem that my application has not been looked at even though it was submitted almost 2 months ago!

Since all applications are a case by case basis, I hope this does not mean the same for you.  I am curious to see what response you get though.  Keep us updated!

To process an application only takes a couple of hours, so it's usually processed the same day it is actually at the "front of the line".  So, unfortunately it is very likely it's simply sitting in a pile at the moment.      Fingers crossed you get an answer soon.  Processing should start speeding up this month (historically what happens).

Thank you for the encouraging words!

I received a response back, which unfortunately states that they received a response from the Decision Making Centre, "Application is awaiting for Entry Clearance Officer assessment".  My interpretation is that the "escalation" is just a further inquiry with the home office and does nothing to speed the process.  It also would seem that my application has not been looked at even though it was submitted almost 2 months ago!

Since all applications are a case by case basis, I hope this does not mean the same for you.  I am curious to see what response you get though.  Keep us updated!

That is exactly what I am thinking, too! I have a feeling our application has not been touched because they have no information on it. 

My application was officially "received" in Sheffield on 9 June, as I got the email letting me know.  So it has been quite a long time of waiting, but I'm non-priority. So I guess the priorities are over taking my app. 

I'll keep you updated and fingers crossed for you guys as well. Let me know if you hear anything regarding yours.  Hopefully we hear something soon!