Spouse Visa Help!

I don't know how many ECOs there are, so it's just an assumption that there aren't enough, based on the long processing times.

Back in 2012, for some reason, UKVI got rid of a load of staff right before the immigration rules changed for settlement visas... so there were a ton of people trying to get their applications in before the rule change in July, which meant massive backlogs for applications made both inside and outside the UK - though the FLR(M) applications were affected the most.

Priority applications from the US went from about 5-10 working days to about 8 weeks processing (this was when they were still processed in New York, not Sheffield).

And FLR(M) applications went from about 4 weeks processing time to 10-13 months processing time... and all those people were stuck in the UK without their passports for all of that time!

No idea why they do things this way. It used to be that each country's applications were processed in that country - or they had a hub where applications from a few countries would be processed at that hub.

I believe they started moving everything to Sheffield in order to streamline the applications and gain more consistency in the decision-making process, since it sounds like there were big differences in how settlement visas were being processed in various countries.

When I first joined the forum, visa applications from the US were processed in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York and the consulate you sent your application to depended on which state you lived in. Then they stopped processing applications in the LA and Chicago consulates and ALL visas were processed in New York (all types of visas).

Then in early 2013, they decided to move settlement visa applications to Sheffield and keep all other visa types in New York... which is still the case today. Of course, back then, Sheffield only processed applications from about 4 countries (US, Canada, and a couple of other countries), so the processing times were pretty fast.

Since then though, they've been gradually adding more countries to Sheffield, but I'm not sure that they have actually increased the number of staff by a proportionate amount. Then in 2017, each month they added more countries (Jan, Feb and March mainly), so the processing time for US applications jumped from about 2-5 working days in Jan 2017 to 30+ working days by March 2017... and we're seeing that as a standard processing time even now.

I know they're cracking down on immigration, too. They want to let less people in. I wonder if that's what all these rules/confusion/vagueness is about.

I don't know how many ECOs there are, so it's just an assumption that there aren't enough, based on the long processing times.

Back in 2012, for some reason, UKVI got rid of a load of staff right before the immigration rules changed for settlement visas... so there were a ton of people trying to get their applications in before the rule change in July, which meant massive backlogs for applications made both inside and outside the UK - though the FLR(M) applications were affected the most.

Priority applications from the US went from about 5-10 working days to about 8 weeks processing (this was when they were still processed in New York, not Sheffield).

And FLR(M) applications went from about 4 weeks processing time to 10-13 months processing time... and all those people were stuck in the UK without their passports for all of that time!

No idea why they do things this way. It used to be that each country's applications were processed in that country - or they had a hub where applications from a few countries would be processed at that hub.

I believe they started moving everything to Sheffield in order to streamline the applications and gain more consistency in the decision-making process, since it sounds like there were big differences in how settlement visas were being processed in various countries.

When I first joined the forum, visa applications from the US were processed in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York and the consulate you sent your application to depended on which state you lived in. Then they stopped processing applications in the LA and Chicago consulates and ALL visas were processed in New York (all types of visas).

Then in early 2013, they decided to move settlement visa applications to Sheffield and keep all other visa types in New York... which is still the case today. Of course, back then, Sheffield only processed applications from about 4 countries (US, Canada, and a couple of other countries), so the processing times were pretty fast.

Since then though, they've been gradually adding more countries to Sheffield, but I'm not sure that they have actually increased the number of staff by a proportionate amount. Then in 2017, each month they added more countries (Jan, Feb and March mainly), so the processing time for US applications jumped from about 2-5 working days in Jan 2017 to 30+ working days by March 2017... and we're seeing that as a standard processing time even now.

In my mind I guess I just never fathomed how many people might be applying for a settlement visa at once... I would love to know what the actual monthly numbers are... 

I know they're cracking down on immigration, too. They want to let less people in. I wonder if that's what all these rules/confusion/vagueness is about.

Oh, it definitely it. In fact, it's whole reason for the immigration rules changing in July 2012, for the income requirement, for the 2.5-year visas, for ILR in 5 years, for the high cost of applications, for the vague website... all of it is to reduce the number of people who can qualify for the visa.

When they introduced the £18,600 income requirement in 2012, they actually said that they estimated that 45% of would-be settlement visa applicants would no longer qualify for the visa.

It used to be:
- 1 year to ILR and 3 years to citizenship
then it became
- 2 years to ILR (one spousal visa) and 3 years to citizenship
now it's
- 5 years to ILR (2 spousal visas) and 3 years to citizenship... but you need ILR before you can apply for citizenship

When I first joined the forum, you could get all the way to citizenship in 3 years for about £1,500. Now it costs £10,000+ over 5 years.

Oh, it definitely it. In fact, it's whole reason for the immigration rules changing in July 2012, for the income requirement, for the 2.5-year visas, for ILR in 5 years, for the high cost of applications, for the vague website... all of it is to reduce the number of people who can qualify for the visa.

When they introduced the £18,600 income requirement in 2012, they actually said that they estimated that 45% of would-be settlement visa applicants would no longer qualify for the visa.

It used to be:
- 1 year to ILR and 3 years to citizenship
then it became
- 2 years to ILR (one spousal visa) and 3 years to citizenship
now it's
- 5 years to ILR (2 spousal visas) and 3 years to citizenship... but you need ILR before you can apply for citizenship

When I first joined the forum, you could get all the way to citizenship in 3 years for about £1,500. Now it costs £10,000+ over 5 years.

omg 
People have asked me, "is it easier for him to come to the US" I wouldn't think so. Do you know much about that as well?

omg 
People have asked me, "is it easier for him to come to the US" I wouldn't think so. Do you know much about that as well?

The application process itself takes longer (they recommend starting the process about 10 months before you plan to move), but it’s much cheaper overall and the requirements are easier to meet (you can have a financial co-sponsor, for example).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Oh, it definitely it. In fact, it's whole reason for the immigration rules changing in July 2012, for the income requirement, for the 2.5-year visas, for ILR in 5 years, for the high cost of applications, for the vague website... all of it is to reduce the number of people who can qualify for the visa.

When they introduced the £18,600 income requirement in 2012, they actually said that they estimated that 45% of would-be settlement visa applicants would no longer qualify for the visa.

It used to be:
- 1 year to ILR and 3 years to citizenship
then it became
- 2 years to ILR (one spousal visa) and 3 years to citizenship
now it's
- 5 years to ILR (2 spousal visas) and 3 years to citizenship... but you need ILR before you can apply for citizenship

When I first joined the forum, you could get all the way to citizenship in 3 years for about £1,500. Now it costs £10,000+ over 5 years.

This is all just shocking to read. Wow. And it's tough because you can't help who you fall in love with.

So I have a random question. It is usually just one person looks at the visa or is it multiple people? Do you know what their process is? I'm just curious!

From what I understand (from reading the guidance that's available in the public domain because I'm a sad person), one person processes the application and makes the decision.  If the visa is approved, that's all there is.

If the application falls to be refused, the ECO (entry clearance officer) cannot refuse the application by her/himself.  The ECO must consult a senior (typically the ECM - manager) who must also agree that the application should be refused after reviewing it and considering any potential extenuating circumstances. 

That's also why approvals are typically faster than refusals.  Only one person is needed to approve; multiple people are needed to refuse.

omg 
People have asked me, "is it easier for him to come to the US" I wouldn't think so. Do you know much about that as well?

It's WAY easier to move to the USA.  If you move quick, you can do it in 4 months, though it's recommended to start about 10 months earlier.  Costs about $1,000, your husband would be given a TEN YEAR greencard and has the option of obtaining citizenship after 3 years of residency. 

Oh, it definitely it. In fact, it's whole reason for the immigration rules changing in July 2012, for the income requirement, for the 2.5-year visas, for ILR in 5 years, for the high cost of applications, for the vague website... all of it is to reduce the number of people who can qualify for the visa.

When they introduced the £18,600 income requirement in 2012, they actually said that they estimated that 45% of would-be settlement visa applicants would no longer qualify for the visa.

It used to be:
- 1 year to ILR and 3 years to citizenship
then it became
- 2 years to ILR (one spousal visa) and 3 years to citizenship
now it's
- 5 years to ILR (2 spousal visas) and 3 years to citizenship... but you need ILR before you can apply for citizenship

When I first joined the forum, you could get all the way to citizenship in 3 years for about £1,500. Now it costs £10,000+ over 5 years.

Hello again people! Wife and I just got back from a Mini moon in turkey and a surprise trip to wales which she really enjoyed. I thought of visiting here to come and say hello. Also out of curiosity, what is the break down for the £10,000+ ? Just so I know how early I need to start saving eek. 

Hello again people! Wife and I just got back from a Mini moon in turkey and a surprise trip to wales which she really enjoyed. I thought of visiting here to come and say hello. Also out of curiosity, what is the break down for the £10,000+ ? Just so I know how early I need to start saving eek. 

Okay, so the current visa fees are:

- Spousal visa = £1,523 plus £600 IHS surcharge, plus £573 for priority processing (if using)
- FLR(M) visa after 2.5 years = £1,033 plus £500 IHS surcharge, plus £610 in person premium appointment (if using)
- ILR after 5 years = £2,389, plus £610 in person premium appointment (if using)
- UK citizenship after gaining ILR = £1,330

However, the IHS surcharge will be doubling sometime this year so it will be £1,200 for a spousal visa and £1,000 for FLR(M).

Also, the fees for are approved to rise to £3,250 for EACH VISA by next year, and possibly higher after that.

They may not all go that high, but if they do, you're probably looking at at least £10,000 when you factor in the IHS surcharges, optional extra processing fees etc.

I don't know what it is today, but I can't stop thinking about my visa. I'm going over everything in my head and I'm worried about a few things. I feel like we missed out on a few things. I didn't have my husband's landlord sign his letter (he left all of his details on the bottom tho) but it shows his email address. This was the same with my husband's sponsor letter with his work email signature.  Also, I was worrying about the boarding passes as I put two from the delta trip details out of the 12 I printed. Am I just driving myself too crazy?! My husband says I need to stop worrying. but this is just SO Hard!

I don't know what it is today, but I can't stop thinking about my visa. I'm going over everything in my head and I'm worried about a few things. I feel like we missed out on a few things. I didn't have my husband's landlord sign his letter (he left all of his details on the bottom tho) but it shows his email address. This was the same with my husband's sponsor letter with his work email signature.  Also, I was worrying about the boarding passes as I put two from the delta trip details out of the 12 I printed. Am I just driving myself too crazy?! My husband says I need to stop worrying. but this is just SO Hard!

I kept doing the same thing. I hate to say it, but it's sent. There is absolutely nothing you can do about it now. If you sit there and think of every possible thing wrong, you'll only make yourself ill. I did the SAME thing!!! EEEK I hate watching everyone get stressed, I now know how they felt watching US get stressed!! I am unsure about the landlord/sponsor letters. Both of mine were signed, but I don't know if the electronic signature is okay or not. One of the experts might be able to help more with that. I didn't include every single boarding pass because I didn't have every single one. Did you include any itineraries? That might've helped to fill in some gaps. But to answer your question, YES you are driving yourself crazy!

It's sent. Have yourself a glass of wine, girl!

*hugs*

I kept doing the same thing. I hate to say it, but it's sent. There is absolutely nothing you can do about it now. If you sit there and think of every possible thing wrong, you'll only make yourself ill. I did the SAME thing!!! EEEK I hate watching everyone get stressed, I now know how they felt watching US get stressed!! I am unsure about the landlord/sponsor letters. Both of mine were signed, but I don't know if the electronic signature is okay or not. One of the experts might be able to help more with that. I didn't include every single boarding pass because I didn't have every single one. Did you include any itineraries? That might've helped to fill in some gaps. But to answer your question, YES you are driving yourself crazy!

It's sent. Have yourself a glass of wine, girl!

*hugs*

yes, I know it's sent and there's nothing I can do about it now. It's really hard not to get stressed about it. I'm trying!! The issue that we had is our landlord was traveling in Australia (and still is) and didn't have access to a scanner. and Adam just emailed it from his work email, so hopefully that will tie in with it all. (as we submitted with CAT A) Fingers crossed that this will be okay. I'd hate to get denied over the smallest thing.  as we all know it happens....  for the boarding passes I included 10 itineraries (12 total) - one included a hotel when we met up in San Diego.  There was two of Adam's flights to San Diego and one for the wedding. I only added the two with the delta skymiles trip showing that I went back to Minnesota. I stayed in England for two long periods of time so I wanted to make sure that I showed that I left. That's why I added the skymiles one! Those weren't even all of our flights (we travel a lot!) I wanted to give them a good timeline of our relationship. I even still had the printed boarding pass delta gave me for my first visit, included that! We have plenty of evidence there. I'm sure I'm over stressing about this waaaayyyy too much. and yes, I'll be having a glass of wine or something when I get home from work!! haha

yes, I know it's sent and there's nothing I can do about it now. It's really hard not to get stressed about it. I'm trying!! The issue that we had is our landlord was traveling in Australia (and still is) and didn't have access to a scanner. and Adam just emailed it from his work email, so hopefully that will tie in with it all. (as we submitted with CAT A) Fingers crossed that this will be okay. I'd hate to get denied over the smallest thing.  as we all know it happens....  for the boarding passes I included 10 itineraries (12 total) - one included a hotel when we met up in San Diego.  There was two of Adam's flights to San Diego and one for the wedding. I only added the two with the delta skymiles trip showing that I went back to Minnesota. I stayed in England for two long periods of time so I wanted to make sure that I showed that I left. That's why I added the skymiles one! Those weren't even all of our flights (we travel a lot!) I wanted to give them a good timeline of our relationship. I even still had the printed boarding pass delta gave me for my first visit, included that! We have plenty of evidence there. I'm sure I'm over stressing about this waaaayyyy too much. and yes, I'll be having a glass of wine or something when I get home from work!! haha

Trust me, I know! I would sit there getting a stomach ache. Tom doesn't get original payslips, all of his are digital so we had to print them and get them authorized by his employer. I was like "What if that isn't good enough?" What if what if....I really, really can relate.

That sounds like more than enough relationship evidence!! You did good. Be proud!! And crossing my fingers for an approval!

Trust me, I know! I would sit there getting a stomach ache. Tom doesn't get original payslips, all of his are digital so we had to print them and get them authorized by his employer. I was like "What if that isn't good enough?" What if what if....I really, really can relate.

That sounds like more than enough relationship evidence!! You did good. Be proud!! And crossing my fingers for an approval!

Some days I don't worry about it at all but today, ugh I can't stop!! I'm like questioning everything! I think we're okay on his payslips, they look legit to me. Fingers crossed those letters are good enough without signatures. yep, what if?! UGH!

I should look at it like that! Thanks lady, hopefully we have good news in a month or so!!