Non-priority Spousal Visa Timeline

I paid to upgrade to priority today! 

You gotta do what you gotta do.

Have they acknowledged the upgrade?  How did you do it?  (I ask because you guys are going to disappear soon and we need to know what to tell people who get caught in the summer backlog).   

I paid to upgrade to priority today! 

Do you feel a little better now, since you were able to make up your mind?  Hope so. 

Girl, you gotta do what you gotta do! And I wish you loads of luck.

I hope they acknowledge it, but there's always the possibility that they might not email you back but acknowledge it. I talked to purplepeopleeater, and she said that no one emailed her acknowledging the upgrade, but it still happened (obviously)!

So I got an automated email:
Home Office – UKVI  | Sheffield Visa Section  | 
 
This is an automated e-mail. Please do not reply.
 
Please note that the remit of the VisaSheffield mailbox has changed.  From Monday 3rd April 2017, this mailbox will be for internal use only.  If you are an external customer you will not receive a reply to your email unless you have contacted us with regard to the following:
 
·         Documents that we have requested from you in support of your application
·         Notification that you have submitted your passport following an overturned appeal, visa correction or a ‘Submitted without Passport’ application
·         Courier Airway bills for USA and Canada settlement applications
 
For any other queries relating to Entry Clearance information, or if you have a query about the visa application process from outside the UK, you can contact our International Enquiry Service and their details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-outside-uk
If you are not the main applicant, and have not been previously noted as the main contact for the applicant, we cannot disclose any information regarding an application without prior consent from the applicant concerned. This includes both Legal and UK sponsor representations.

Was that an automatic reply from the visasheffield@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk address?

So I got an automated email:
Home Office – UKVI  | Sheffield Visa Section  | 
 
This is an automated e-mail. Please do not reply.
 
Please note that the remit of the VisaSheffield mailbox has changed.  From Monday 3rd April 2017, this mailbox will be for internal use only.  If you are an external customer you will not receive a reply to your email unless you have contacted us with regard to the following:
 
·         Documents that we have requested from you in support of your application
·         Notification that you have submitted your passport following an overturned appeal, visa correction or a ‘Submitted without Passport’ application
·         Courier Airway bills for USA and Canada settlement applications
 
For any other queries relating to Entry Clearance information, or if you have a query about the visa application process from outside the UK, you can contact our International Enquiry Service and their details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-outside-uk
If you are not the main applicant, and have not been previously noted as the main contact for the applicant, we cannot disclose any information regarding an application without prior consent from the applicant concerned. This includes both Legal and UK sponsor representations.

Ah, yes, someone mentioned a few weeks ago that the email address was changing

You could try this one instead:
VISAINFO.SHEFO@fco.gov.uk
(which is the address that the decision emails seem to be coming from now)

Was that an automatic reply from the visasheffield@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk address?

yes!

Ah, yes, someone mentioned a few weeks ago that the email address was changing

You could try this one instead:
VISAINFO.SHEFO@fco.gov.uk
(which is the address that the decision emails seem to be coming from now)

thanks, I'll do that now. I figured since the email says Courier Airways bills I was okay but it doesn't hurt to be double sure.

You gotta do what you gotta do.

Have they acknowledged the upgrade?  How did you do it?  (I ask because you guys are going to disappear soon and we need to know what to tell people who get caught in the summer backlog).   

I really hope they honor it, even if it's a refusal I just need to know...although with my luck it'll be my application that triggers the "no retroactive upgrade" rule into effect.

I went to VFSGLOBAL and clicked "track previous orders", there was an option to add the priority service right above my "bill", I paid and emailed them the receipt in PDF format with the subject line: Retroactive Priority Upgrade and my GWF#

Huh, I've never gotten that message from that email address before, which is weird that it was triggered for you, but not for me. And I've emailed them like... must be five or so times in the past two weeks.

I'd try the one ksand24 gave.

I don't mean to be a downer, but I'd plan for at LEAST 12 weeks.

If you need to say 10-12 weeks to get yourself through the next 7, then go ahead. You gotta do what you gotta do. But in my case, I need to prepare for worst case scenarios. 6 weeks for priority was my personal worst case scenario, and we're coming up to that for me. And I'm flipping out. So...if you're like me, it might be a good idea to extend that mental timeline. It's a HARD wait.

  I know it could be 12.. or possibly longer.  Just trying to keep my positive thoughts flowing! haha

Random question that I'm sure someone can help me with! My passport expires in December of this year.  Thats the same passport I mailed to the UK with my visa paperwork. I know I need to get a new passport soon... but didn't know if that would become an issue because my visa will be inside my old passport. Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense! Any thoughts on this??

Huh, I've never gotten that message from that email address before, which is weird that it was triggered for you, but not for me. And I've emailed them like... must be five or so times in the past two weeks.

I'd try the one ksand24 gave.

Hmm...did you email after hours? I literally upgraded an hour or so ago, way after they're closed so perhaps that's why?

Hmm...did you email after hours? I literally upgraded an hour or so ago, way after they're closed so perhaps that's why?

Nope, I have an email generator linked to my gmail account that sends messages at appointed times. So I made sure to send them at 9 AM Brit time/3 AM CST.

It could be an after-hours email reply, but it's weird that some people get it and some don't.

Random question that I'm sure someone can help me with! My passport expires in December of this year.  Thats the same passport I mailed to the UK with my visa paperwork. I know I need to get a new passport soon... but didn't know if that would become an issue because my visa will be inside my old passport. Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense! Any thoughts on this??

I don't know if it's an issue with your visa atm, but I know you can apply for a new passport in the UK through the US Consulate website. Someone mentioned that was about a 4 week turn around.

I would assume that if you had a passport that had the vignette in it, but you needed a new one the solution would be to keep the old passport just in case. You'd need it for your next visa application anyway. That's got to happen to loads of people.

Maybe make a thread about this question so the k's, sirius, and larrabee can see it?