Priority Spouse Visa FALL Timeline (Oct-Dec)

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.  This is just the first glimpse into how the UK feels about immigration that you guys will experience over the next 5 years +.  It's not nice.  But hopefully she will make a small difference to those around her in educating them on the process and the sheer expense involved.  I know my final payment of nearly £5,000 last year while on maternity leave dug deep.  But at least with that payment, my journey as an immigrant officially ended.

Though people try in good humor to banter that I'm not REALLY British....  HA!  Nice try! 

Big hugs.  I hate how this process often separates families.  Kids need their parents.  Both of them.

To be fair, the US visa and border system is no less challenging!!!!

I'm not going to sugarcoat it.  This is just the first glimpse into how the UK feels about immigration that you guys will experience over the next 5 years +.  It's not nice.  But hopefully she will make a small difference to those around her in educating them on the process and the sheer expense involved.  I know my final payment of nearly £5,000 last year while on maternity leave dug deep.  But at least with that payment, my journey as an immigrant officially ended.

Though people try in good humor to banter that I'm not REALLY British....  HA!  Nice try! 

Big hugs.  I hate how this process often separates families.  Kids need their parents.  Both of them.

I've been imagining how much worse this would be if I had children, didn't speak English as a first language, and wasn't born in a country with a good reputation.

I applaud those who come to the states and don't speak English fluently. I can't even imagine...

I've been imagining how much worse this would be if I had children, didn't speak English as a first language, and wasn't born in a country with a good reputation.

I applaud those who come to the states and don't speak English fluently. I can't even imagine...

This....absolutely this!  I know people who have been stuck in refugee camps for more than 2 years, just trying to make it to their family. As horrible as this process is, I keep reminding myself it could be so much worse....

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Anyone get a decision this morning? I feel like we have another week where no one has heard.

Whelp, I haven’t received a decision email. We’re somewhere in the 70’s.. it’s too painful to think about it at this point. My 5 year olds birthday is in 5 days and she wants me at her party.. thanks ukvi (sorry 3.5 months wasn’t enough time to tick boxes)..

I did receive and email today from the same email account that sent the receipt email back in May. It says:

‘Thank you for your enquiry, I apologise for the delayed response.

I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it; a decision will be made as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated.

If you have any further enquiries, please visit our website at www.GOV.UK

Kind Regards,

Ben Smith

UKVI Contact Centre Service - UK Decision Making Centre
www.GOV.UK ‘

This doesn’t look good to me..


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Whelp, I haven’t received a decision email. We’re somewhere in the 70’s.. it’s too painful to think about it at this point. My 5 year olds birthday is in 5 days and she wants me at her party.. thanks ukvi (sorry 3.5 months wasn’t enough time to tick boxes)..

I did receive and email today from the same email account that sent the receipt email back in May. It says:

‘Thank you for your enquiry, I apologise for the delayed response.

I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it; a decision will be made as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated.

If you have any further enquiries, please visit our website at www.GOV.UK

Kind Regards,

Ben Smith

UKVI Contact Centre Service - UK Decision Making Centre
www.GOV.UK ‘

This doesn’t look good to me..


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I'm so very sorry....sending hugs ♡♡

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Whelp, I haven’t received a decision email. We’re somewhere in the 70’s.. it’s too painful to think about it at this point. My 5 year olds birthday is in 5 days and she wants me at her party.. thanks ukvi (sorry 3.5 months wasn’t enough time to tick boxes)..

I did receive and email today from the same email account that sent the receipt email back in May. It says:

‘Thank you for your enquiry, I apologise for the delayed response.

I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it; a decision will be made as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated.

If you have any further enquiries, please visit our website at www.GOV.UK

Kind Regards,

Ben Smith

UKVI Contact Centre Service - UK Decision Making Centre
www.GOV.UK ‘

This doesn’t look good to me..


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I am so sorry you are going through this.. I really do hope you hear back soon. I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

We received that email today too:

"I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it; a decision will be made as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated."

It's from Sheffield. Does anyone know what it means? Have we seen this message before and if so do decisions usually follow soon??

We received that email today too:

"I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it; a decision will be made as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated."

It's from Sheffield. Does anyone know what it means? Have we seen this message before and if so do decisions usually follow soon??

I wish i could answer your question but I did want to say I hope so and my fingers are crossed that you will soon receive your decision email.

To be fair, the US visa and border system is no less challenging!!!!

It's actually much more forgiving.  You can apply to change your status from within the USA (not encouraged but allowed), it costs about $1,000 and you get a 10 year green card and can naturalise after 3 years, and you can have third party sponsorship.  So while still a government making decisions, MUCH more friendly towards families and expats repatriating.

It's from Sheffield. Does anyone know what it means? Have we seen this message before and if so do decisions usually follow soon??

It's just the generic email that is sent when they've "escalated" your case.  Absolutely nothing will come of it.  Luckily!  It used to be that the "escalations" actually delayed decisions on cases!

It's actually much more forgiving.  You can apply to change your status from within the USA (not encouraged but allowed), it costs about $1,000 and you get a 10 year green card and can naturalise after 3 years, and you can have third party sponsorship.  So while still a government making decisions, MUCH more friendly towards families and expats repatriating.

Exactly, the UK system is designed to basically dissuade anyone from attempting. It’s meant to be hard. There is no other explanation as to why they would want to separate families.


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We received that email today too:

"I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it; a decision will be made as soon as possible. Your patience is appreciated."

It's from Sheffield. Does anyone know what it means? Have we seen this message before and if so do decisions usually follow soon??

We must be in the same pile. The ECO has taken the summer off. With bank holiday Monday I don’t expect a response until November.


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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 https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/User/Home): 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 GMT

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

Email "ECO assigned": WAITING...

Call to employer: ?

Call to interview applicant: ?

Call to escalate at over 30 working days: twice, 1st time they said it was escalated but it wasn't.

Email from Sheffield 23 Aug: "I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it..."

Documents returned (to UK address): WAITING...

Email "complex case": N/A

Email "final stages": N/A

Email "decision made": WAITING...

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

Timeline as of Fri 24 Aug 2018 after 5pm UK time:
61 working days from online application submitted
50 working days from biometrics
47 working days since documents arrived at Sheffield
42 working days from first email from Sheffield

STATUS: WAITING...

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 https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/User/Home): 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 GMT

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

Email "ECO assigned": WAITING...

Call to employer: ?

Call to interview applicant: ?

Call to escalate at over 30 working days: twice, 1st time they said it was escalated but it wasn't.

Email from Sheffield 23 Aug: "I have escalated your application to the relevant department in order to expedite it..."

Documents returned (to UK address): WAITING...

Email "complex case": N/A

Email "final stages": N/A

Email "decision made": WAITING...

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

Timeline as of Fri 24 Aug 2018 after 5pm UK time:
61 working days from online application submitted
50 working days from biometrics
47 working days since documents arrived at Sheffield
42 working days from first email from Sheffield

STATUS: WAITING...

You are in the sweet spot!  I suspect you’ll have a decision tomorrow or Tuesday!