I'm in! I got the notification yesterday that they had tried to deliver the Special Delivery envelope, so I had to spend the night worrying it was a rejection! The letter is dated 21 February, and it technically arrived 24 February. It's going to take all of my patience to wait for the letter from the council.
My timeline:
Application sent: 3 February
Application received: 4 February
Payment cleared: 12 February
Acknowledgement letter received:18 February (dated 11 February)
Approval received: 24 February (dated 21 February)
beatlescowgirl--that's great! Congratulations! It's a relief to know that I'm on my way, but I think the real excitement will hit when I have passport in hand.