Priority Spouse Visa FALL Timeline (Oct-Dec)

The package arrived. I'm approved.

(cbjoe and sbdavi, I am so sorry about what they're putting you through. I really hope visas arrive for you both soon.)

Grats!!!

What was your timeline?

The package arrived. I'm approved.

(cbjoe and sbdavi, I am so sorry about what they're putting you through. I really hope visas arrive for you both soon.)

Congratulations!

Country applying from: USA
Type of visa applied for: Spouse
Priority/Non Priority: Priority
Projected timeline given: none
Date application submitted (online): July 5th
Date of biometrics (NYC USCIS): July 9th
Application submitted via lawyer in UK: July 11th
Documents received at Sheffield (courier confirmation): July 12th
Documents received email from Sheffield: none
ECO assigned email: none
Decision made email: none
Documents returned: Aug. 20th

I'm in a similar situation.

I escalated by email at 31 bd and received a reply saying it was escalated. I followed up by email a week later and the reply said it had been escalated. A further wo weeks later I checked again and was told it had not been escalated so I went to the back of the 15 day escalation queue. The call centre makes their money no matter how bad the service -- in fact they profit more by providing a bad service e.g. letting us down so we have to keep calling or emailing. Profiting from people at their mercy -- it's despicable.

Other applications received by Sheffield after ours were overdue have already been processed -- sometimes within 24 bd.

Other escalations were responded to within 3 days.

Your application and mine are blatantly not in any queue -- let alone the priority queue.

It is clear that after requesting something from us Sheffield has no reliable path back into the priority queue. I learned today that nobody has even looked at my application since 27 June -- the day they emailed confirming receipt (5 days after they actually received it).

There is no way to contact Sheffield. No way to inform them when their system goes wrong. It's appalling.

The frustration is mounting and it’s putting a strain on my relationship as my wife is stranded at her parents house with 5 kids. By all accounts this is a ‘check box’ visa and should be a simple exercise. Honestly the way this process has been is appalling. They are forcing us to be apart, they charged us an insane fee, and there is no recourse. I honestly don’t know if I would of pursued this if I knew this going into it.

I love it here, but the disgusting way my family has been treated makes me pause for a bit. We’re not asking for anything we don’t deserve; we are literally waiting for them to confirm we deserve it.



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The package arrived. I'm approved.

(cbjoe and sbdavi, I am so sorry about what they're putting you through. I really hope visas arrive for you both soon.)

YAY!!! Congrats!!!

Cbjoe and Sbdavi I hope you both get your answers soon. Wishing you all the luck in the world for your Visas!

The package arrived. I'm approved.

Yay! Congrats! 

Did they give you an email address to forward the IHS number to? Did you follow up via that address to make sure the payment had been linked to your application?

Yes, I did. But not right away. The emails for my sons application to to my wife even though they’re linked. That’s an oversight on my part for sure: but the email says ‘to speed the process up’, not that it’s a requirement. Still no response from that.

Also, they emailed me a link that went straight to a payment page. I’m assuming they’re some how linked?


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Yes, I did. But not right away. The emails for my sons application to to my wife even though they’re linked. That’s an oversight on my part for sure: but the email says ‘to speed the process up’, not that it’s a requirement. Still no response from that.

Also, they emailed me a link that went straight to a payment page. I’m assuming they’re some how linked?


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If they check, they will be able to see that you have paid but you want to draw their attention to it so that they check in the first place!

If you didn't follow up to say that you had paid, they may have just put your application to the side and moved on with someone elses.

I'm in a similar situation.

I escalated by email at 31 bd and received a reply saying it was escalated. I followed up by email a week later and the reply said it had been escalated. A further wo weeks later I checked again and was told it had not been escalated so I went to the back of the 15 day escalation queue. The call centre makes their money no matter how bad the service -- in fact they profit more by providing a bad service e.g. letting us down so we have to keep calling or emailing. Profiting from people at their mercy -- it's despicable.

Other applications received by Sheffield after ours were overdue have already been processed -- sometimes within 24 bd.

Other escalations were responded to within 3 days.

Your application and mine are blatantly not in any queue -- let alone the priority queue.

It is clear that after requesting something from us Sheffield has no reliable path back into the priority queue. I learned today that nobody has even looked at my application since 27 June -- the day they emailed confirming receipt (5 days after they actually received it).

There is no way to contact Sheffield. No way to inform them when their system goes wrong. It's appalling.

I suspect you’ll hear back in the next two weeks.  Last week, June 10-13 applications received their visas.

For what it’s worth, escalations aren’t real (as you’ve discovered).  It’s just what the third party service says to make you feel like something has been done.  Right now, you are well within the service standard of 12 weeks.  Priority has been running close to 40 business days right now, so nothing unusual there.

As it only takes an hour or so to assess an application, it truly is just sitting there until it’s processed.

For sbdavi it’s a bit harder.  As once the “not straight forward” email has been triggered, all bets are off regarding service standards.  I guarantee sbdavi’s not straight forward was triggered by having a minor dependent.  For the past year, all applications that have had a minor child associated have received the dreaded email.  It has to do with extra checks ensuring the child has proper permission to leave their home country by the “other” parent. 

Try to hang in there.  I truly suspect you’ll be in the UK in the next couple of weeks.   

The package arrived. I'm approved.

(cbjoe and sbdavi, I am so sorry about what they're putting you through. I really hope visas arrive for you both soon.)

YAY Congrats!!!

I suspect you’ll hear back in the next two weeks.  Last week, June 10-13 applications received their visas.

For what it’s worth, escalations aren’t real (as you’ve discovered).  It’s just what the third party service says to make you feel like something has been done.  Right now, you are well within the service standard of 12 weeks.  Priority has been running close to 40 business days right now, so nothing unusual there.

As it only takes an hour or so to assess an application, it truly is just sitting there until it’s processed.

For sbdavi it’s a bit harder.  As once the “not straight forward” email has been triggered, all bets are off regarding service standards.  I guarantee sbdavi’s not straight forward was triggered by having a minor dependent.  For the past year, all applications that have had a minor child associated have received the dreaded email.  It has to do with extra checks ensuring the child has proper permission to leave their home country by the “other” parent. 

Try to hang in there.  I truly suspect you’ll be in the UK in the next couple of weeks.   

Thanks. From timelines I'm seeing on the various forums I monitor daily, it could just as easily be another 4 weeks and could be more. It's unfair that they are processing other applications so quickly when people have waited so long, I do not believe this delay has anything to do with the contents of my application. I could still receive the "complex case" email at any time, though I am relieved that it has not happened yet. I believe this is a process problem at Sheffield, rather than anything that can be explained by the differences between individual cases. I believe nobody has looked at my application since Sheffield emailed me on 27 June.

I  have seen others in much worse situations than mine is at this stage, but this is starting to cause us real problems. It's madness that there is no way to communicate with the decision-making centre. Very clearly there is a problem with my application, perhaps they think they are waiting for me to do something, but there is literally nothing that can be done about it. Unbelievable.

Thanks. From timelines I'm seeing on the various forums I monitor daily, it could just as easily be another 4 weeks and could be more. It's unfair that they are processing other applications so quickly when people have waited so long, I do not believe this delay has anything to do with the contents of my application. I could still receive the "complex case" email at any time, though I am relieved that it has not happened yet. I believe this is a process problem at Sheffield, rather than anything that can be explained by the differences between individual cases. I believe nobody has looked at my application since Sheffield emailed me on 27 June.

I  have seen others in much worse situations than mine is at this stage, but this is starting to cause us real problems. It's madness that there is no way to communicate with the decision-making centre. Very clearly there is a problem with my application, perhaps they think they are waiting for me to do something, but there is literally nothing that can be done about it. Unbelievable.

I agree with you. If it’s truly easy to check on an application, as everyone says, than they are just being very leisurely with peoples lives.


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Thanks. From timelines I'm seeing on the various forums I monitor daily, it could just as easily be another 4 weeks and could be more. It's unfair that they are processing other applications so quickly when people have waited so long, I do not believe this delay has anything to do with the contents of my application. I could still receive the "complex case" email at any time, though I am relieved that it has not happened yet. I believe this is a process problem at Sheffield, rather than anything that can be explained by the differences between individual cases. I believe nobody has looked at my application since Sheffield emailed me on 27 June.

I  have seen others in much worse situations than mine is at this stage, but this is starting to cause us real problems. It's madness that there is no way to communicate with the decision-making centre. Very clearly there is a problem with my application, perhaps they think they are waiting for me to do something, but there is literally nothing that can be done about it. Unbelievable.

Just make sure you are comparing USA applications with USA applications.  Different countries are processed by different teams. 

And yes, transparency would be AMAZING.  Accurate statistics would be amazing (instead of blended and skewed).

I assure you NOTHING is wrong with your application.  You are getting close to the top of the USA pile.  I promise!

Hi, did anyone get decision made emails so far this week? I know there was a rash of them last week; haven’t seen one this week.

Meanwhile I’m going on 70 BD..


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