Non-priority Spousal Visa Timeline

Keep chasing the MP.  A call centre escalation means nothing, sadly.  The "case is not straightforward" seems to be Sheffield's new favourite excuse for delays.   

That's the plan! Thanks KFdancer. We are calling every day and hopefully will see some movement soon...

That's the plan! Thanks KFdancer. We are calling every day and hopefully will see some movement soon...

All the best eshodgson, again I am baffled to see such long timelines from what looks like a fairly straight forward application?!

Will be on business day 44 tomorrow with non-priority.
I retroactively payed for priority on July 8th with no acknowledgement from Sheffield. From what I've heard from others though is that sometimes they do get back to you other times they don't.
I'm really hoping to hear back early August 

Let's keep being strong friends!!

Will be on business day 44 tomorrow with non-priority.
I retroactively payed for priority on July 8th with no acknowledgement from Sheffield. From what I've heard from others though is that sometimes they do get back to you other times they don't.
I'm really hoping to hear back early August 

Let's keep being strong friends!!

Hi amber.cameron, did the honour the upgrade at all?

Hi amber.cameron, did the honour the upgrade at all?

Hey j2j not that I know of. I only got an automated email when I sent the receipt for my upgrade. I also had my husband in Scotland send a physical piece as well to Sheffield. But no, I have received nothing from Sheffield :/

All the best eshodgson, again I am baffled to see such long timelines from what looks like a fairly straight forward application?!

Thank you j2j. I'm pretty baffled as well, but from what I can tell my case is one of very few that is taking much longer than normal. Hopefully you won't have the same experience.

I will let everyone know when we hear news.

Hey guys,

New to the forum but thought I'd make my first post.

I met my wife back in 2007 and began dating around a year later. I moved to the US in 2015 where we married. We're currently there now almost three years later.

But we've decided to make the move back to Britain. I have a great job lined up at my former company.

I suppose there are two things we're a little nervous about regarding the application:

1. For the past 2.5 years I've been working self-employed in the US. According to the financial guidelines I need to provide evidence of my earnings for the last financial year so April 2016-April 2016. They far exceed the £18600, so it shouldn't be a problem. I have a job commencing several days after we arrive with a salary far higher than the £18600 as well.

2. When we move over initially we'll be staying at my mother's house until we can find a place of our own. Not sure if this is really a problem though since people can put a hotel address down if they need to.

We completed our online application on 21st July 2017.
Biometrics is booked for 9th August 2017.
We'll send all of the paperwork shortly after that.

We're going down the non-priority route, so we're expecting 2-3 months for processing.
Our move date is scheduled for 27th December.

Didn't think we'd go through a second Visa process, but there it is!

Good luck to anyone else going through the process.

Luke & Megan

Hey guys,

New to the forum but thought I'd make my first post.

I met my wife back in 2007 and began dating around a year later. I moved to the US in 2015 where we married. We're currently there now almost three years later.

But we've decided to make the move back to Britain. I have a great job lined up at my former company.

I suppose there are two things we're a little nervous about regarding the application:

1. For the past 2.5 years I've been working self-employed in the US. According to the financial guidelines I need to provide evidence of my earnings for the last financial year so April 2016-April 2016. They far exceed the £18600, so it shouldn't be a problem. I have a job commencing several days after we arrive with a salary far higher than the £18600 as well.

2. When we move over initially we'll be staying at my mother's house until we can find a place of our own. Not sure if this is really a problem though since people can put a hotel address down if they need to.

We completed our online application on 21st July 2017.
Biometrics is booked for 9th August 2017.
We'll send all of the paperwork shortly after that.

We're going down the non-priority route, so we're expecting 2-3 months for processing.
Our move date is scheduled for 27th December.

Didn't think we'd go through a second Visa process, but there it is!

Good luck to anyone else going through the process.

Luke & Megan

What date are you requesting on the application to move?  You can't apply more than 3 months in advance.  So, October 21st would be your latest move date....

We heard there was a three month limit from other forums, but there's no mention of a time limit on the application or any documentation on the site. Could you link me to where it states it on the gov.uk site?

We put in 27 December and it didn't error out or anything.

We heard there was a three month limit from other forums, but there's no mention of a time limit on the application or any documentation on the site. Could you link me to where it states it on the gov.uk site?

We put in 27 December and it didn't error out or anything.

Hi TwoWoolseys,

I am pretty sure you cant apply more than 3 months prior to travel.
Should the application be approved, I'm confident that your visa start date will probably be sometime in October as opposed to December.

j2j

Thanks for the reply.

A bit confused, since this is not documented anywhere on the GOV UK site, or during the application process. We weren't even able to find it in the guidance given to UK immigration employees who are the decision makers on these applications. I understand the UK fiance's visa, similar to the U.S. fiance's visa that we applied for a few years ago, has a 3 month advance time limit, but this was a family of a settled person application.

We did not have any issues inputting a future date for our intended travel, since my contract begin date is January 1 with my UK employer. We've seen this noted by others, but no one has been able to provide any actual government link or document that states this advance time limit for family of a settled person visa.

In addition, we've already found documentation that allows my wife to extend her passport vignette if she is unable to travel within the time limit on the visa.

Thanks

It's the same for ALL visas - they will not grant them starting more than 3 months ahead of the date you apply online.

From the Entry Clearance rules:

Where an applicant may not intend or be able to travel to the UK immediately following their application they can apply for a visa at any time before the date of travel to the UK, however, we can only defer the start date of the visa up to a maximum 3 months from the date of application. You may need to ensure that applicants applying under the various employment categories (and importantly under PBS Tier 2 and Tier 5) or as students under PBS Tier 4 would be acceptable to their UK sponsor, should entry be deferred by 3 months.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/entry-clearance-vignettes-ecb09/ecb09-entry-clearance-vignettes-types-safeguarding-and-validity#ecb95-what-if-applicant-is-not-intending-to-travel-straight-away-to-the-uk


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Thanks for the reply.

So the issue is not that our application will be denied, but instead that we will need to apply for an extension of the visa vignette in my wife's passport. That isn't really a concern to us. Our concern was that the application we just paid over $2,000 USD would be denied because it was applied for too early.

We are fine paying to extend the vignette for a later date of travel. It doesn't sound from those clearance rules that we are forbidden from applying earlier than 3 months ahead of travel date, but that is all they can issue originally, and we will need to extend.

I also understand that this means the validity period of "2.5" may have already begun ticking down, so we would need to extend the visa twice in the future, instead of the expected once to meet the "indefinite leave to remain" requirements.

Thanks

Thanks for the reply.

So the issue is not that our application will be denied, but instead that we will need to apply for an extension of the visa vignette in my wife's passport. That isn't really a concern to us. Our concern was that the application we just paid over $2,000 USD would be denied because it was applied for too early.

We are fine paying to extend the vignette for a later date of travel. It doesn't sound from those clearance rules that we are forbidden from applying earlier than 3 months ahead of travel date, but that is all they can issue originally, and we will need to extend.

Thanks

It wouldn't be denied for that, no. But I wouldn't recommend applying for another vignette unless there is no other option for you. We've had a couple of  people here have bad experiences here when they had to do it.

Also, be very careful with what you send for evidence of your self employment. It's the trickiest category by far.

7. In respect of self-employment in the UK as a partner, as a sole trader or in a franchise all of the following must be provided:

    (a) Evidence of the amount of tax payable, paid and unpaid for the last full financial year.
    (b) The following documents for the last full financial year, or for the last two such years (where those documents show the necessary level of gross profit as an average of those two years):
        (i) annual self-assessment tax return to HMRC (a copy or print-out); and
        (ii) Statement of Account (SA300 or SA302).
    (c) Proof of registration with HMRC as self-employed if available.
    (d) Each partner’s Unique Tax Reference Number (UTR) and/or the UTR of the partnership or business.
    (e) Where the person holds or held a separate business bank account(s), bank statements for the same 12-month period as the tax return(s).
    (f) personal bank statements for the same 12-month period as the tax return(s) showing that the income from self-employment has been paid into an account in the name of the person or in the name of the person and their partner jointly.
    (g) Evidence of ongoing self-employment through the provision of at least one of the following: a bank statement dated no more than three months earlier than the date of application showing transactions relating to ongoing trading, or evidence dated no more than three months earlier than the date of application of the renewal of a licence to trade or of ongoing payment of business rates, business-related insurance premiums, employer National Insurance contributions or franchise payments to the parent company.
    (h) One of the following documents must also be submitted:
        (i) (aa) If the business is required to produce annual audited accounts, such accounts for the last full financial year; or
        (bb) If the business is not required to produce annual audited accounts, unaudited accounts for the last full financial year and an accountant’s certificate of confirmation, from an accountant who is a member of a UK Recognised Supervisory Body (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) or who is a member of the Institute of Financial Accountants;
        (ii) A certificate of VAT registration and the VAT return for the last full financial year (a copy or print-out) confirming the VAT registration number, if turnover is in excess of £79,000 or was in excess of the threshold which applied during the last full financial year;
        (iii) Evidence to show appropriate planning permission or local planning authority consent is held to operate the type/class of business at the trading address (where this is a local authority requirement); or
        (iv) A franchise agreement signed by both parties.
    (i) The document referred to in paragraph 7(h)(iv) must be provided if the organisation is a franchise.

8. In respect of self-employment outside of the UK, evidence should be a reasonable equivalent to that set out in paragraph 7.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-fm-se-family-members-specified-evidence

Didn't someone just recently have their vignette valid from November 2017 and she was questioned how she got it issued that far out?

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