Priority Spouse Visa FALL Timeline (Oct-Dec)

Hi,

I've been lurking here a long while and thought that I should share my experience.

I'm a UK citizen that lived in the US since age 6. I've got 6 kids and a US wife. On a visit last year, I decided I wanted to move over and try out the UK. With 3 small kids (not in school yet), we thought it would be good to go. I got UK qualifications through downloading manuals from shady spots on the internet and flying over for test; found a nice paying job in April. Then the visa process.

Priority Settlement / Wife and Adopted Son
Application: April 28th
Bio-metrics: May 7th
Received in Sheffield email: May 16th
Long Silence: May 17th - July 24th
Angry Email to useless UKVI: July 24th
Response saying literally nothing: July 25th
Email stating 'non-straightfoward application': July 25th
Emailed MP: July 25th
Email from UKVI requesting Payment for IHS fee: July 25th
Decision Email: (Pending)
Documents: (Pending)

I know the standard line is that emailing/calling the paid line doesn't do anything. However, in my case it seems to have got the ball rolling and I wish I would have done it a month ago. The email requesting the 'top up' of the IHS payment said it was needed before approval. So, how long would they have sat on it and not asked for the payment had I not called?

In the meantime my wife and 5 kids are living with my in-laws in a 800 Sqf in Atlanta. While I'm working and living a static life with relatives. The MP replied and would be happy to contact them on my behalf. We shall see....

Can you get a refund on the priority? It's pretty obvious they were just sitting on our applications until I email.

The good news is that the request for the IHS payment means the visas are approved!

Unlikely to get a refund on priority, I’m afraid.  The not straight forward email is their “get out of jail free” card on that one.

That's what I figured. Based on the email requesting payment of the fee. It mentioned that it was holding up the approval. Should I buy tickets or wait? The august flights over for 6 people (wife and 5 kids) go insanely expensive after August 15th and will get more expensive daily.

That's what I figured. Based on the email requesting payment of the fee. It mentioned that it was holding up the approval. Should I buy tickets or wait? The august flights over for 6 people (wife and 5 kids) go insanely expensive after August 15th and will get more expensive daily.

I would wait because you don’t know what dates the visa will be made valid from yet. You don’t want to book flights and then find the visas don’t start for another few days after the date you plan to fly.


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Well, BD 30 has come and gone  Fingers crossed for good news next week. Have a great weekend everyone!!

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Country: USA (Seattle)
Visa: Settlement - Spouse (Wife)
Priority Service: Yes
Visa processing office: Sheffield, UK
Projected timeline: up to 12 weeks for settlement visas (according to 1st email from Sheffield on 27 June)

Date application submitted (online at visa4uk.fco.gov.uk): 31 May 2018
Date biometrics taken (at USCIS ASC Seattle Application Support Center): 15 June 2018
Documents received at Sheffield (ParcelForce tracking): 20 June 2018 11:38am

Email "application being prepared for consideration by an ECO": 27 June 2018 10:33am
Email "visa application does not include airway bill": 27 June 2018 11:31am

Email "ECO assigned": WAITING...

Documents returned to UK address: WAITING...

Call to escalate at over 30 working days: N/A

Email "decision made": WAITING...

Passport received (by UPS courier, prepaid label from via VFS Global): WAITING...

Count as of 10 July 2018 at 22:42pm:
28 working days since online application submitted
17 working days since biometrics
14 working days since documents delivered to Sheffield

STATUS: WAITING...

TIMELINE UPDATE

Status on Fri 22 July 2018 after 9pm UK time:

41 working days since online application submitted
30 working days since biometrics
27 working days since documents arrived at Sheffield
22 working days since 1st (and only) emails from Sheffield

TIMELINE UPDATE

Status on Fri 22 July 2018 after 9pm UK time:

41 working days since online application submitted
30 working days since biometrics
27 working days since documents arrived at Sheffield
22 working days since 1st (and only) emails from Sheffield

Hey, we got our emails the exact same day! Hopefully we both hear good news soon 

Hey, we got our emails the exact same day! Hopefully we both hear good news soon 

I got my "application received" email on 20 June. We've hit 28 business days. I am losing my mind. I see a few others who got their "received email" on the 13 June or 14 June and they haven't heard back either. It helps to know I'm not alone, but doesn't help to know that someone a week ahead of me hasn't heard back either.
Good luck!

I got my "application received" email on 20 June. We've hit 28 business days. I am losing my mind. I see a few others who got their "received email" on the 13 June or 14 June and they haven't heard back either. It helps to know I'm not alone, but doesn't help to know that someone a week ahead of me hasn't heard back either.
Good luck!

Today is BD 31 for us- I completely sympathize ♡♡♡

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I got my "application received" email on 20 June. We've hit 28 business days. I am losing my mind. I see a few others who got their "received email" on the 13 June or 14 June and they haven't heard back either. It helps to know I'm not alone, but doesn't help to know that someone a week ahead of me hasn't heard back either.
Good luck!

If it helps soothe your nerves, sometimes they don’t go quite in order - there are times when people who are a week behind hear back before others who are ahead! Each case is unique. But still, I know the feeling - knowing I could hear back any day now is nerve wracking undoubtedly.
Good luck to you too! 

I suspect they don't have much experience with USA applications.  Though they are grossly misleading their clients.  The USA has some of the fastest processing times of any country in the world with UKVI. 

Did they have you include a property inspection report for where you will be living?  If so, that's a big red flag.

Apologies for long silence; life is chaotic right now. We were asked to provide "Estate Agents report confirming the size of the UK property (i.e. how many bedrooms, reception rooms etc) – this is so that we can demonstrate that the property will not become overcrowded under the Housing Act, and needs to be proven for the application."

We didn't pay for this. I just asked our landlord to forward the document from when he purchased the house 2013, which he did. Our application folder was enormous. It was packed with documents such that the guy at the UPS office said it was the largest visa application he'd ever mailed. At the time I wondered how on earth such a large folder could be processed in the quick window they'd suggested, but figured they knew what they were talking about. Now I realise it was probably packed with unnecessary things that could slow us even further.

In response to my email to them querying the original "2-3 week" processing time suggestion, they replied saying that they have had applications go through that quickly ("although 3-5 weeks was more standard" [even this seems ridic looking at current processing times]). Of course, they pointed me to the small-print in our contract which did re-state the "up to 12 weeks" that we always knew was a worst case scenario.

In the meantime, I have gone ahead and booked a flight for myself for 10 days time (our stuff is being shipped and I need to collect it). We have made arrangements for my husband and son to remain in the US and follow once his visa arrives. The cost of making these contingency arrangements, accepting a loss of income in August, arranging emergency health insurance (our runs out tomorrow) etc, on top of their fees, is eye-watering. And I am not relishing being separated from my toddler for a prolonged period. If we're working to a 30 day best case scenario, we'd be apart for 2-3 weeks minimum.

Moral of the story - always do the research yourself.

Apologies for long silence; life is chaotic right now. We were asked to provide "Estate Agents report confirming the size of the UK property (i.e. how many bedrooms, reception rooms etc) – this is so that we can demonstrate that the property will not become overcrowded under the Housing Act, and needs to be proven for the application."

We didn't pay for this. I just asked our landlord to forward the document from when he purchased the house 2013, which he did. Our application folder was enormous. It was packed with documents such that the guy at the UPS office said it was the largest visa application he'd ever mailed. At the time I wondered how on earth such a large folder could be processed in the quick window they'd suggested, but figured they knew what they were talking about. Now I realise it was probably packed with unnecessary things that could slow us even further.

In response to my email to them querying the original "2-3 week" processing time suggestion, they replied saying that they have had applications go through that quickly ("although 3-5 weeks was more standard" [even this seems ridic looking at current processing times]). Of course, they pointed me to the small-print in our contract which did re-state the "up to 12 weeks" that we always knew was a worst case scenario.

In the meantime, I have gone ahead and booked a flight for myself for 10 days time (our stuff is being shipped and I need to collect it). We have made arrangements for my husband and son to remain in the US and follow once his visa arrives. The cost of making these contingency arrangements, accepting a loss of income in August, arranging emergency health insurance (our runs out tomorrow) etc, on top of their fees, is eye-watering. And I am not relishing being separated from my toddler for a prolonged period. If we're working to a 30 day best case scenario, we'd be apart for 2-3 weeks minimum.

Moral of the story - always do the research yourself.

A visa application really shouldn't be more than one inch thick, if that helps.    It does sound as though they had you chasing your tail a bit.

You've found us now.  Just promise to use us and not your lawyer when it's time to renew.    You'll get through this.  And you'll forget all about it the moment your family is reunited. 

Hi

I just noticed that I didn't get any notice for the UPS documents I shipped to the authority.
Is this normal?

Also, My time line is that I got a confirmation  for the on line application on 6/15 ( priority)
but I still haven't heard.


Applied from : Virginia, U.S.A
Priority : Yes
Biometrics given date : Oct 10th 2017
Documents mailed to UK : Oct 11th 2017
Documents received by Sheffield on : Oct 13th 2017

Guys I applied already and my application was delivered on July 2nd and got the Sheffield Acknowledgment on July 3rd (Priority).
We applied under category F Sole-Trader. My wife is living away from the UK and we struggled to get an original statement from Halifax.
We were able to get the last 6 months original but they didn't dispatch the first 6 months. I have included with the application the first 6 months as a print out and explained to them in a cover letter the situation.
Now , i got all the full 1 year original statements as of today and my application is pending.
I have replied the acknowledgment email asking them on instructions how to dispatch the statements?
My application is still pending with the Home Office and I would like to add that full 1 year original statement to my current pending application.
Should I dispatch my documents to the same address and attach the Visa Acknowledgment email?

Many Thanks,

Guys I applied already and my application was delivered on July 2nd and got the Sheffield Acknowledgment on July 3rd (Priority).
We applied under category F Sole-Trader. My wife is living away from the UK and we struggled to get an original statement from Halifax.
We were able to get the last 6 months original but they didn't dispatch the first 6 months. I have included with the application the first 6 months as a print out and explained to them in a cover letter the situation.
Now , i got all the full 1 year original statements as of today and my application is pending.
I have replied the acknowledgment email asking them on instructions how to dispatch the statements?
My application is still pending with the Home Office and I would like to add that full 1 year original statement to my current pending application.
Should I dispatch my documents to the same address and attach the Visa Acknowledgment email?

Many Thanks,

Did you supply the rest of the financial evidence required for a sole trader?

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

Unfortunately you can't add to your application once it has been submitted but if the application is otherwise perfect they may let it slide that the first 6 months of statements were not original.

Did you supply the rest of the financial evidence required for a sole trader?

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

Unfortunately you can't add to your application once it has been submitted but if the application is otherwise perfect they may let it slide that the first 6 months of statements were not original.

Thanks a lot for your help. I supplied everything else yes that's right. My wife has cancer actually and she is on-going treatment at the moment.
I have made a note that under Article 8 asked them kindly not to refuse the application until they contact us first.
I have provided them with original PCP/GP letter stating her current condition and she is going through the treatment. I hope they treat our application with a humanitarian matter