Non-priority Spousal Visa Timeline

Until you or your lawyer receive an actual email from Sheffield stating that a decision has been made and that your passport and documents are on their way back, I would assume your application has not been processed yet.

Oh kk!  I am yet to receive decision email in that case. Don’t know why the call center people doing like this.

If your lawyer has not yet sent them an international shipping label or waybill for them to return your passport (and documents) to you in the US, they won’t have been able to mail your passport and documents anywhere yet.


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I will talk to my lawyer. Thanks.

My British citizen partner and I have been living together here in the US since Nov 2014. We also have a biological son together (also registered as a British citizen), born March 2016.

My intention was to apply for the Family Visa for Unmarried Partner, but I got confused with the online application because the visa category was under "Settlement". When I tried to select Family Visa (Long-term) I got a pop-up warning that this visa category didn't allow you to work in the UK. So I went ahead and selected "Settlement" for Unmarried Partner. I emailed and called UKV (paid for service) to inquire but all I got was "The International Enquiry Service (IES) staff are unable to provide advice on individual applications. This is because the type of visa that you should apply for, along with the specific documents you should provide with your application, will depend on your personal circumstances."

I have some questions hopefully somebody can help clarify.

1. Did I apply for the correct visa category for unmarried partner? Is it really under the Settlement category? I am confused because I know I am not yet eligible to settle or apply for "Indefinite Leave to Remain".

2. Bank Statements – We have a joint Checking and Savings account with Wells Fargo. Since we’re enrolled in paperless banking, I printed the statements from the internet. We asked Wells Fargo to issue a letter to confirm the authenticity but they were only willing to give us a letter stating below. I have read of this forum that some members went to the bank and had each page stamped. Will this be a problem for us then?

----Start of letter from Wells Fargo---
Applicant and Sponsor’s Name
Our street address
Our city, state, zip code

Dear (blank),

This letter is verification that the Customer named above has the following deposit accounts with Wells Fargo.

Account Number
-xxxx (last 4-digits of account number)
- xxxx (last 4-digits of account number)

Date Opened 10/20/2014

Current balance as of the date of the letter
--End of letter from Wells Fargo---

3. Financial Requirement  - We submitted our application using only cash savings to meet the minimum requirement (ie. £18,600 x 2.5 + £16,000 = £62,500). Our current savings today are well above the minimum £100k+ but if you count 6 months back, it was only about £60k at that time. We did provide additional proof of the savings coming from our employment (pay slips + corresponding ACH deposits from our company). Is UKV extremely nit picky and strict about the 6 month rule? I am really worried about that.

4. Financial Requirement – My partner is fortunate the company he works for here in the US has a branch in the UK. They agreed to transfer his position to the UK but they were taking forever to provide his new job contract. After more than 3 months of waiting we finally found out today that they are releasing his new job contract this week. His annual salary in his new position in the UK will meet the minimum requirement. Is there a way for us to provide UKV with a revised Appendix 2 Financial Requirement Form so we are relying on Category 3B “With current employer for 6 months or more – overseas sponsor returning to the UK” instead of Category 3F Cash Savings?

5. Retroactive Priority – How do I request for this service? Where do I pay for the priority fee and how do I inform Sheffield?

Thank you in advance!

Online application submitted: 14 Nov 2017
Biometrics appointment: 17 Nov 2017
Shipping to UK: 04 Dec 2017
UPS Tracking Delivered to Sheffield: 07 Dec 2017
Email confirmation from Sheffield: --
Decision Made Email: --
Decision Made: --

My British citizen partner and I have been living together here in the US since Nov 2014. We also have a biological son together (also registered as a British citizen), born March 2016.

My intention was to apply for the Family Visa for Unmarried Partner, but I got confused with the online application because the visa category was under "Settlement". When I tried to select Family Visa (Long-term) I got a pop-up warning that this visa category didn't allow you to work in the UK. So I went ahead and selected "Settlement" for Unmarried Partner. I emailed and called UKV (paid for service) to inquire but all I got was "The International Enquiry Service (IES) staff are unable to provide advice on individual applications. This is because the type of visa that you should apply for, along with the specific documents you should provide with your application, will depend on your personal circumstances."

I have some questions hopefully somebody can help clarify.

1. Did I apply for the correct visa category for unmarried partner? Is it really under the Settlement category? I am confused because I know I am not yet eligible to settle or apply for "Indefinite Leave to Remain".

2. Bank Statements – We have a joint Checking and Savings account with Wells Fargo. Since we’re enrolled in paperless banking, I printed the statements from the internet. We asked Wells Fargo to issue a letter to confirm the authenticity but they were only willing to give us a letter stating below. I have read of this forum that some members went to the bank and had each page stamped. Will this be a problem for us then?

----Start of letter from Wells Fargo---
Applicant and Sponsor’s Name
Our street address
Our city, state, zip code

Dear (blank),

This letter is verification that the Customer named above has the following deposit accounts with Wells Fargo.

Account Number
-xxxx (last 4-digits of account number)
- xxxx (last 4-digits of account number)

Date Opened 10/20/2014

Current balance as of the date of the letter
--End of letter from Wells Fargo---

3. Financial Requirement  - We submitted our application using only cash savings to meet the minimum requirement (ie. £18,600 x 2.5 + £16,000 = £62,500). Our current savings today are well above the minimum £100k+ but if you count 6 months back, it was only about £60k at that time. We did provide additional proof of the savings coming from our employment (pay slips + corresponding ACH deposits from our company). Is UKV extremely nit picky and strict about the 6 month rule? I am really worried about that.

4. Financial Requirement – My partner is fortunate the company he works for here in the US has a branch in the UK. They agreed to transfer his position to the UK but they were taking forever to provide his new job contract. After more than 3 months of waiting we finally found out today that they are releasing his new job contract this week. His annual salary in his new position in the UK will meet the minimum requirement. Is there a way for us to provide UKV with a revised Appendix 2 Financial Requirement Form so we are relying on Category 3B “With current employer for 6 months or more – overseas sponsor returning to the UK” instead of Category 3F Cash Savings?

5. Retroactive Priority – How do I request for this service? Where do I pay for the priority fee and how do I inform Sheffield?

Thank you in advance!

Online application submitted: 14 Nov 2017
Biometrics appointment: 17 Nov 2017
Shipping to UK: 04 Dec 2017
UPS Tracking Delivered to Sheffield: 07 Dec 2017
Email confirmation from Sheffield: --
Decision Made Email: --
Decision Made: --

Hi masonjohnsmum, welcome to the forum! 

There are quite a lot of issues going on there, it would be best if you started a new thread so that we can help you out more easily. 

Welcome to the forum, masonjohnsmum .

Edited to take out the answers I wrote and move them to your separate thread .

I forgot to post here, so I suppose I should throw my info into the ring. I submitted my electronic application November 26th, documents were received in Sheffield on December 1. I've never gotten an email that said that they received my documents, but I did receive the "we've received your online application" email. Sitting here waiting patiently now....

I've never gotten an email that said that they received my documents, but I did receive the "we've received your online application" email. Sitting here waiting patiently now....

Good luck .

That email you received WAS the email to say they received your documents . It's just badly worded.

In the US, you submit your application and your documents at the same time, so they receive them all together, and then they send out the email you got.

In other countries though, the applicant submits their application and passport in person, which are then sent to Sheffield, and after that, the UK sponsor mails their documents to Sheffield. So, in that case, they receive the application and the documents separately.

Oh, I got this email before I mailed in anything in. It said that they had received my online application and that they are awaiting my documents. It says at the bottom that the only other contact from them will basically be when they make a decision.

Oh, I got this email before I mailed in anything in. It said that they had received my online application and that they are awaiting my documents. It says at the bottom that the only other contact from them will basically be when they make a decision.

Yeah, sometimes the email gets automatically sent when you give biometrics, as it thinks you are applying from a country where you give biometrics at the same time as submitting your application and documents.

However, as long as you know your documents were delivered to Sheffield, your visa will be processed .


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Happy to say that our visas came through yesterday.  We did biometrics on Sep 27 and paperwork was received by Sheffield on Sep 29.  The only change was that visas started a week earlier than expected, but that won't change our travel plans.

Happy to say that our visas came through yesterday.  We did biometrics on Sep 27 and paperwork was received by Sheffield on Sep 29.  The only change was that visas started a week earlier than expected, but that won't change our travel plans.

Congratulations! 

Happy to say that our visas came through yesterday.  We did biometrics on Sep 27 and paperwork was received by Sheffield on Sep 29.  The only change was that visas started a week earlier than expected, but that won't change our travel plans.

Score!  ;0)

Eerie radio silence on here these days. Doesn't look like any movement on priority or non-priority applications from forum members. The Home Office employees are probably gearing up for a lovely Christmas with their loved ones  Hang in there friends. We're all in this together.

Yes. Definitely don't expect to hear anything until after the New Year's.

Yes. Definitely don't expect to hear anything until after the New Year's.

 I have a question. Can I request them to return all my originals?   I had a plan to go to UK on Jan 1st week and then go to India on the following week to attend my sister’s wedding. But it looks like that plan may not work. My plan B is to travel directly to India for attending wedding as she is eagerly waiting for me. But unfortunately I don’t have original passport to travel from USA.

So is there any way get all my originals back?

Thanks,
Nikki

I have a question. Can I request them to return all my originals?   I had a plan to go to UK on Jan 1st week and then go to India on the following week to attend my sister’s wedding. But it looks like that plan may not work. My plan B is to travel directly to India for attending wedding as she is eagerly waiting for me. But unfortunately I don’t have original passport to travel from USA.

So is there any way get all my originals back?

Thanks,
Nikki

Unfortunately not - if you request your passport back, it cancels the entire application.

And that means you lose all the money you paid for it (except the IHS surcharge which will be refunded, if you had to pay it). Then you'll have to start over and re-apply from scratch, paying all the fees again.