Settlement Gold Premium Service Appointment

Did they scan your passport and send it in or did they just not take it at all ?!

Ok, so here's the timeline and details behind this fiasco.

They asked me at the appointment if I could leave everything with them. I asked about the time frame for a decision and they said to expect 6 weeks. I then explained that I wanted to travel to the UK over Christmas and he said that was fine. I said I was okay with leaving all the originals but wanted to keep my passport so I could travel. He took my passport to some office to make a photocopy and then returned it to me. So far so good.

Since they seemed a lot less informed than I expected, I was concerned and started looking online for others experiences when I stumbled across this forum. After seeing that processing times were  apparently significantly less than 6 weeks for others, I became concerned about getting my approval whilst out of the country. Our solicitor said there was no legal reason I couldn't travel to the UK but that VFS might require me to submit my passport within 2 days of the decision being made by UKVI.

That's when I sent off the first email asking if there was a hard time limit on returning the passport - since I might be out of the country when the decision is reached. You've seen what's ensued...

Chances are that these Gold applications haven’t been put right to the front - there may be a hundred applications in front of theirs that arrived earlier and the Gold ones are being treated the same as normal Priority.

I've asked them to clarify this point. I didn't ask directly enough at my appointment and naively assumed what I hoped was the case was correct. I imagine that you're right, but this should be made crystal clear to applicants.

.Dear applicant,
 
The operation team in DC, has stated verbally and via email that your travel is not a problem while you are having your decision made. The last question you asked highlighted below was regards to the process and processing time. We understand your concerns, in this email chain and while you were at the DC location this process has been explained and VFS looks to accommodate by holding your passport until you return from your trip.
 
The process for your visa is we take your documents and passport, scan them sending it to Sheffield for a decision to be mad. You had an option of leaving your passport or taking it with you if you needed to travel during this time. You choose to keep your passport due to travel arrangements made, which the DC representative told you it is okay, also letting you know that once the decision is made and the vignette is at the office you will be contacted to send your passport the next business day.
 
Since you plan on to travel upon your return back to the U.S you can send your passport for VFS to then apply your vignette also to return your passport.
 
It is also correct that from the time the vignette is used their will be a letter with a required time frame for you to be in the UK and also retrieve your BRP, this is depending on when the decision is made and the vignette is issued.
 
It can be tricky to plan anything or give you a direct answer that can be assured without knowing the exact time it will take for your decision to be made.  We try to accommodate the best we can to help make your experience a better one.

What I think they might be saying, is not that you must return your passport the next business day but rather they will contact you the next business day inviting you to return your passport. But they are also acknowledging the 30 day window that you'll have to enter the UK and pick up the BRP so realise that timing is an issue.

What I think they might be saying, is not that you must return your passport the next business day but rather they will contact you the next business day inviting you to return your passport. But they are also acknowledging the 30 day window that you'll have to enter the UK and pick up the BRP so realise that timing is an issue.

I agree with your interpretation. It's just frustrating that these replies have obviously been from different people, imprecise and then downright contradictory. I'm an engineer so perhaps I over thought this - I just wanted a clear reply from the outset, to my very simple question.

It seems to me, if you're in this business, especially in a customer-facing role, precise language and English proficiency is a must!

I agree with your interpretation. Is just frustrating that these replies have obviously been from different people, imprecise and then downright contradictory. I'm an engineer so perhaps I over thought this - I just wanted a clear reply from the outset, to my very simple question.

It seems to me, if you're in this business, especially in a customer-facing role, precise language and English proficiency is a must!

No, it's not too much to ask! And that's why it's so difficult to understand... it's barely even English!!!

Ok. Well, they managed to take a clear question and give an unclear answer. Here is how I posed the question: "Are Gold Settlement Service applications placed in front of the priority line at Sheffield or only to the front of the non-priority applications? Once they reach Sheffield are they treated as traditional priority applications?"

Their answer was that gold applications are put into a different line altogether. Then I was quoted 4 to 6 weeks again, and told 4 to 6 months is how long it normally takes.

So I'm obviously getting a great deal, right?! 

I've now asked again. Here is what I said: "Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. It’s still unclear to me if gold service applications are processed before all other applications. It’s interesting to know they are put into a different queue, but are they processed before the less costly standard priority applications?"

I'm on the edge of my seat to find out what happens next...

Ok. Well, they managed to take a clear question and give an unclear answer. Here is how I posed the question: "Are Gold Settlement Service applications placed in front of the priority line at Sheffield or only to the front of the non-priority applications? Once they reach Sheffield are they treated as traditional priority applications?"

Their answer was that gold applications are put into a different line altogether. Then I was quoted 4 to 6 weeks again, and told 4 to 6 months is how long it normally takes.

So I'm obviously getting a great deal, right?! 

I've now asked again. Here is what I said: "Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. It’s still unclear to me if gold service applications are processed before all other applications. It’s interesting to know they are put into a different queue, but are they processed before the less costly standard priority applications?"

I'm on the edge of my seat to find out what happens next...

I am guessing that VFS is looking at times for countries other than the US. that's scary that you may have paid more to go in line with say, Australia where it does take longer.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

I am guessing that VFS is looking at times for countries other than the US. that's scary that you may have paid more to go in line with say, Australia where it does take longer.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Oh good Lord! That hadn't even occurred to me

Let's hope not.

Ok. Well, they managed to take a clear question and give an unclear answer.

What a shocker! 

It’s interesting to know they are put into a different queue, but are they processed before the less costly standard priority applications?

Considering there have been a couple of recent applications that seemed to breeze through while we're both still waiting, I'm guessing not. I think we'd all love a straight answer to this question... Not holding my breath though!

I am guessing that VFS is looking at times for countries other than the US. that's scary that you may have paid more to go in line with say, Australia where it does take longer.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Well this rings some alarm bells.

I guess I'll have to figure out a way to ask them if the US has it's own line lol. I'm sure they'll totally know what I'm talking about. 

I am guessing that VFS is looking at times for countries other than the US. that's scary that you may have paid more to go in line with say, Australia where it does take longer.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Oh dear.  Of all the scenarios on this new process that have gone through my head, I never considered Gold may be a pile from all around the world!  Let's hope that's not the case - definitely a rip off then!

Does Sheffield only process the United States ?

Does Sheffield only process the United States ?

No, they process applications from countries all over the world. If they only processed applications from the US, everyone would probably get their visas in 1-2 weeks.

They started processing US settlement visa applications in March 2013, along with applications from Canada and a couple of other countries.

However, they have been adding more countries since then and between January and March 2017, they moved several other countries to Sheffield (at least 20 countries).

The problem was that Sheffield did not have suitable resources to deal with them and they became overwhelmed. As a result, the processing times went from 2-5 days priority and 1-2 weeks non-priority in February, to 2-3 months priority and 3-6 months non-priority this summer, and they're only just clearing the backlog now.

Between July and September 2017, UKVI processed 13,067 settlement visas in total around the world (and granted 10,254 of them). I would estimate that the majority of those were processed in Sheffield. Only 773 of those 10,254 approved applications were from US citizens (I'm not sure how many total settlement applications were made by US citizens though, but the approval rate is around 95-98%).

The problem was that Sheffield did not have suitable resources to deal with them and they became overwhelmed. As a result, the processing times went from 2-5 days priority and 1-2 weeks non-priority in February, to 2-3 months priority and 3-6 months non-priority this summer, and they're only just clearing the backlog now.

Although to be fair sometimes it did take longer before February, I remember waiting for 2 months for my non priority one, and then once I landed here it started only taking a week or two for non priority.  I was super salty about it 

Buyer beware... We saw the words "gold premium" and just assumed that since it was twice as expensive, it must be  faster than the standard priority. They don't actually say that anywhere, but we couldn't see how else they could justify charging us so much more. Boy did we get it wrong!