Non-priority Spousal Visa Timeline

Wow... I'm glad that when I went to Russia, it was for a school trip - all we had to do was fill out some forms and the school sorted out the visa stuff for us .

Yeah, when I went a tour agency sorted everything for us.  But I know it's a bit more complicated now.  I still want to go back and see more though. 

Yeah, when I went a tour agency sorted everything for us.  But I know it's a bit more complicated now.  I still want to go back and see more though. 

Yeah, our school trip was 18 years ago, and I'm not really sure what the visa process was like back then, since I didn't have to sort it myself, but I'm sure it has changed since.

Yeah, when I went a tour agency sorted everything for us.  But I know it's a bit more complicated now.  I still want to go back and see more though. 

KFdancer, it's not complicated. The process is pretty straightforward. I would rather apply for the visa myself, than through the travel agency.

bisousdarling, I am Russian, and I was helping out with visas for all my friends. First of all, you can pay for the priority service in the embassy, and your visa for Russia will be issued within 1 day. Secondly, you don't need any visa company (apart from tourist invitation), a hotel can do it for you as well for free. There is the same VFS in UK, and everything is very easy.

This is good to know. I was looking at using Real Russia because their prices didn't seem too extreme, they have low processing times, and I don't have to deal with getting a letter from the hotel where I am staying. If it turns out I can go to  Russia, I may be sending you a message! The outlook isn't fantastic at this point, but also good to know for the future

This is good to know. I was looking at using Real Russia because their prices didn't seem too extreme, they have low processing times, and I don't have to deal with getting a letter from the hotel where I am staying. If it turns out I can go to  Russia, I may be sending you a message! The outlook isn't fantastic at this point, but also good to know for the future

Well, my friends always applied themselves, so I can't recommend you any travel agency. You don't need a letter from the hotel, you need a tourist voucher (you can get it online for 10 USD), plus hotel booking confirmation, fill in the form online and go to the appointment to VFS centre in London or Edinburg. Super easy.

I really understand your feelings about being in the limbo. It upsets me so much as well. I am on my 39th business day today with priority... We can't plan anything either...

I applied for a fiance visa, and we decided if it will be rejected, we'll go to USA to marry to avoid french bureaucracy. And that will be our winter holidays... But if it'll be approved we want to go to the mountains for a week... So can't really book anything right now.

Well, my friends always applied themselves, so I can't recommend you any travel agency. You don't need a letter from the hotel, you need a tourist voucher (you can get it online for 10 USD), plus hotel booking confirmation, fill in the form online and go to the appointment to VFS centre in London or Edinburg. Super easy.

I really understand your feelings about being in the limbo. It upsets me so much as well. I am on my 39th business day today with priority... We can't plan anything either...

I applied for a fiance visa, and we decided if it will be rejected, we'll go to USA to marry to avoid french bureaucracy. And that will be our winter holidays... But if it'll be approved we want to go to the mountains for a week... So can't really book anything right now.

Sorry, yeah, the hotel was offering me a tourist voucher - that was what I was trying to spit out 

I lived in France years ago, so I understand the French bureaucracy thing. Funny, back when I was moving to France (well, I did this twice), I thought it was so inconvenient to have to go to Chicago to turn in my paperwork and get a response right there in the office - yes or no. Good god, I would love if I could just go to Chicago and turn in my spouse visa paperwork and then get a yes or no right there.

My husband and I got married in the states. Granted, I'm a USC, but it's really really easy to get married here. My husband knows other people who have done this as well. Funny enough, the friend getting married in Russia is a UKC who is marring a Russian woman and then bringing her over to the UK. Our wedding present to them is the wisdom of having done a spouse visa 

I take it no non-priority folks have heard yet? Good god is it hard to see priority apps getting processed in 10 business days.

Hi,

Thought I'd add our info to the thread. We applied by post to Durham on 22 November 2017. Got a reply from the Home Office on 11th December stating that my wife had to enrol her biometrics at the post office within 15 working days and that a decision would be made within 8 weeks from the date of application.

Got documents back on 14th of January 2018 with the visa approved and the biometric card ect   

We did it through a lawyer so don't know the date of the decision made email as it would have came to them. 

Hi,

Thought I'd add our info to the thread. We applied by post to Durham on 22 November 2017. Got a reply from the Home Office on 11th December stating that my wife had to enrol her biometrics at the post office within 15 working days and that a decision would be made within 8 weeks from the date of application.

Got documents back on 14th of January 2018 with the visa approved and the biometric card ect   

We did it through a lawyer so don't know the date of the decision made email as it would have came to them.

Congratulations on getting your visa .

You've actually posted in the wrong thread though - you applied for an FLR(M) visa in the UK, whereas everyone on this thread is applying for a spousal visa from outside the UK.

It's a different visa with a different application process and a different processing timeline.

For example, there is no 'decision made email' sent out for FLR(M) visas because all communication is by post.. your 'decision made email' was the letter you got stating the visa had been issued and your documents being sent back.

Here's the thread for other FLR(M) applications and processing times:
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=91080.0

Got documents back on 14th of January 2018 with the visa approved and the biometric card ect   

Congratulations! 

Congratulations on getting your visa .

You've actually posted in the wrong thread though - you applied for an FLR(M) visa in the UK, whereas everyone on this thread is applying for a spousal visa from outside the UK.

It's a different visa with a different application process and a different processing timeline.

For example, there is no 'decision made email' sent out for FLR(M) visas because all communication is by post.. your 'decision made email' was the letter you got stating the visa had been issued and your documents being sent back.

Here's the thread for other FLR(M) applications and processing times:
http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=91080.0

Awesome mods can move the post or I'll repost in the above thread myself shortly.

Hi,

Thought I'd add our info to the thread. We applied by post to Durham on 22 November 2017. Got a reply from the Home Office on 11th December stating that my wife had to enrol her biometrics at the post office within 15 working days and that a decision would be made within 8 weeks from the date of application.

Got documents back on 14th of January 2018 with the visa approved and the biometric card ect   

We did it through a lawyer so don't know the date of the decision made email as it would have came to them.

Rock on!   ;0)

I take it no non-priority folks have heard yet? Good god is it hard to see priority apps getting processed in 10 business days.

Agreed, bisousdarling. I'm thoroughly fed up 

Well, it's now been 32 business days and 49 total days since UKVI has had all of my paperwork. They've updated their visa processing times chart to the December numbers now... I can't wait to see their January numbers. It's just amusing to me that someone else in here's paperwork arrived something like 1 or 2 days before mine and they got their visa in 12 days and here I am still waiting (and all of the rest of us as well). I know that complaining really doesn't help get this processed faster but at this point in time, I'd really just like to give UKVI the one finger salute. Absolutely annoyed that there is literally no rhyme or reason behind their processing times, they obviously don't work from who is received when, and it's all just a flaming clusterf*ck. I've had to have plenty of visas granted in the past and this is far and away the worst process that I've experienced.

Well, it's now been 32 business days and 49 total days since UKVI has had all of my paperwork. They've updated their visa processing times chart to the December numbers now... I can't wait to see their January numbers. It's just amusing to me that someone else in here's paperwork arrived something like 1 or 2 days before mine and they got their visa in 12 days and here I am still waiting (and all of the rest of us as well). I know that complaining really doesn't help get this processed faster but at this point in time, I'd really just like to give UKVI the one finger salute. Absolutely annoyed that there is literally no rhyme or reason behind their processing times, they obviously don't work from who is received when, and it's all just a flaming clusterf*ck. I've had to have plenty of visas granted in the past and this is far and away the worst process that I've experienced.

Does it help that I have them a DOUBLE double finger salute after my ILR was granted a few months ago?