Non-priority Spousal Visa Timeline

I'm right there with you...Day 45

So I know on this forum everyone says that the clock starts when the package is received at Sheffield.  The attorney who handled my application said it starts from the Biometrics date and UKVI also said this.  For me, it makes a difference of about two weeks. 

So I know on this forum everyone says that the clock starts when the package is received at Sheffield.  The attorney who handled my application said it starts from the Biometrics date and UKVI also said this.  For me, it makes a difference of about two weeks.

For USA applications, it's from date of acknowledgement email.  Other countries it is from biometrics date.

For USA applications, it's from date of acknowledgement email.  Other countries it is from biometrics date.

Is this the "Your online application has been received at the UK Decision Making Centre.  Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer. email?

I've been counting from February 12, which is the day I received the email acknowledging the receipt of the package.  My target date is May 9.

Is this the "Your online application has been received at the UK Decision Making Centre.  Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer. email?

Yes.

Basically, in other countries, you submit the documents at the same time as giving biometrics, so the count starts from that date, because that's the date UKVI receive your documents.

However, in the US, you give biometrics first, then mail your documents, so they don't start the count until they receive your documents in Sheffield... because they have no control over how long it takes you to mail your documents to them.

For example, the visa decision might be made 60 working days after your biometrics, but they might not have received your documents until working day 20... which means actually, it only took them 40 working days to make a decision... the other 20 working days would have been your fault for not sending the documents earlier.

Is this the "Your online application has been received at the UK Decision Making Centre.  Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer. email?

That's the one!   

BD 48 today.

So I know on this forum everyone says that the clock starts when the package is received at Sheffield.  The attorney who handled my application said it starts from the Biometrics date and UKVI also said this.  For me, it makes a difference of about two weeks.

When we called the UKVI office to ask about upgrading, the woman gave us our info based on our biometrics date, not our "application received" date. Basically, when she told us the exact date it would be 60 BD, it was figured from the date of my biometrics appointment. It's only  a difference of about 4 days for us but at this point, where every day feels like an eternity, it makes a difference! I hope she didn't give us the wrong info.

When we called the UKVI office to ask about upgrading, the woman gave us our info based on our biometrics date, not our "application received" date. Basically, when she told us the exact date it would be 60 BD, it was figured from the date of my biometrics appointment. It's only  a difference of about 4 days for us but at this point, where every day feels like an eternity, it makes a difference! I hope she didn't give us the wrong info.

Like what ksand24 said, applications from the US start from the day Sheffield receives your documents. Unlike in other countries where biometrics & document submission are on the same day, usually in an application center. Also the UKVI “help line” is useless so any information they give can’t be trusted.

When I received my documents & passport back on my first application (refusal), UKVI forgot to include the refusal letter with the packet! Of course the help hotline was useless. Immigration lawyer based in London that we consulted also had no clue how to proceed. So not surprisingly, I got the help here on UKY forum. I think it was larrabee who gave me the email address I could write to ask for the reason why we got a refusal. I don’t trust anybody else but UKY visa experts.


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When we called the UKVI office to ask about upgrading, the woman gave us our info based on our biometrics date, not our "application received" date. Basically, when she told us the exact date it would be 60 BD, it was figured from the date of my biometrics appointment. It's only  a difference of about 4 days for us but at this point, where every day feels like an eternity, it makes a difference! I hope she didn't give us the wrong info.

Unfortunately, you can't rely on anything that the UKVI call line tells you, they often provide inaccurate information. It's best just to save your money. You can ask us instead! 

Unfortunately, you can't rely on anything that the UKVI call line tells you, they often provide inaccurate information. It's best just to save your money. You can ask us instead! 

Great that we all found this site! Completely discouraging and ridiculous that the UKVI helpline is useless. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Great that we all found this site! Completely discouraging and ridiculous that the UKVI helpline is useless. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

They are a third party private organisation.  They have no access to UKVI's systems and certainly do not provide any help.  Sadly, been the same story for years.  I found this forum 6 years ago as they sent me into an absolute panic about my in-country application at that time.  It hasn't changed!

They are a third party private organisation.  They have no access to UKVI's systems and certainly do not provide any help.  Sadly, been the same story for years.  I found this forum 6 years ago as they sent me into an absolute panic about my in-country application at that time.  It hasn't changed!

Wow! So they can’t really check the status of your application or give you any feed back? My husband called once to ask them a question before we sent everything to Sheffield and they couldn’t answer it for us. He also tried the embassy in San Francisco since we were right next to it. I knew they couldn’t help us but he thought he would just ask a question. They were unbelievably rude. This entire process has me disgruntled at government organisations.

Wow! So they can’t really check the status of your application or give you any feed back? My husband called once to ask them a question before we sent everything to Sheffield and they couldn’t answer it for us. He also tried the embassy in San Francisco since we were right next to it. I knew they couldn’t help us but he thought he would just ask a question. They were unbelievably rude. This entire process has me disgruntled at government organisations.

All they can do is type your GWF number and personal details into your computer and read off what it says on the screen - which may or may not be up-to-date (and sometimes I think they like to 'interpret' what it says into something that's just wrong). So, usually the information they give you is either inaccurate or just completely incorrect.

All they can do is type your GWF number and personal details into your computer and read off what it says on the screen - which may or may not be up-to-date (and sometimes I think they like to 'interpret' what it says into something that's just wrong). So, usually the information they give you is either inaccurate or just completely incorrect.

Thanks for clueing me in. I won’t waste money on calling or emailing. How frustrating that there isn’t anyone to contact.