ILR biometrics at Manchester Fountain Street - my experience

Hi everyone, just an update on my ILR biometrics experience with Super Priority option at yesterday at Manchester Fountain Street service centre.

The building has no kind of signage to acknowledge it contains Sopra Steria services as far as I could see. it's also not listed on the PDF of service centre with hours on the actual SS website, so helpful 
https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/soprasteria-ukvi-prd-ukvcas/OpeningHours.pdf

I arrived early at 10:30 and was told to return at 11a for an 11:30 appointment. I was hoping to get in a bit earlier but no chance. My husband was not allowed in at all so he had a coffee at a shop next door.

I was told to wait in a small room down the hall once inside and eventually a lot of Tier 4 visa applicants arrived (I know this because the staff there asked who was there for what type of application) the people doing the confirmation QR code checking took those applicants upstairs in several batches and I waited until after 11:35 before I was taken to another room with one other applicant.

The person taking my photos and fingerprints was very nice and helpful, he checked my QR page and scanned it, checked my passport and also looked online to see that my documents were uploaded to the 'correct' categories even though this info is so vague on the website. He said that's because it was a one size fits all form in the background. The photos and fingerprints took only a couple of minutes. I did not pay for any extra services btw and this was a 'free' (ha! if you don't count the fact I had to take a day off work and pay for train!) appointment.

He checked my uploads, took photos, scans etc. and THEN the server went down. At this point I was feeling a bit (ok VERY) nervous because I had read about biometrics appointments being cancelled the week before at other locations because of technical issues. So he asked for my mobile in case he needed to phone about anything- but also said I could wait there. I opted to wait there of course, no way in heck was I chancing this going awry. This wait lasted for about ten minutes. The other staff member in the room had the same problem, nothing was working to upload the docs on her computer for her applicant. I was assured that my biometrics and scans were on the computer but were just not transmitting. He did have to rescan my passport on the hightech imaging? scanner he had there, said it had different tech than regular scanners. He did this when I first arrived in the room but for some reason it did not save properly so he did this twice. I waited a bit more...then the servers came back on and he said my application was successfully submitted to the Home Office. He said I was lucky to be there when I was and kind of alluded to the fact he wasn't confident that the server would be working after lunch. Kind of made it sound like this happened more frequently than I would expect...! I was out of there at around 12:40.

I had an email this morning at 9:54a from UKVI confirming my Indefinite Leave to Remain was granted! Yay, all that stress is gone and now I just have to wait for my new BRP to arrive and then apply for citizenship when I have the ££...!

(p.s. just noticed that the subject line in email from UKVI was misspelled- IMPORTTANT INFORMATION FROM THE HOME OFFICE...would be thinking this was SPAM any other time??!!)

Hope reading this helps anyone waiting for their appointment -  and best of luck!

Best,
beans 

Great news, beans! Congratulations!!! 

Thanks Larrabee, I feel like I can finally RELAX after five years! 

Thanks Larrabee, I feel like I can finally RELAX after five years! 

It is *such* a weight off.. !

Congratulations!  ILR success is the best!  Well, the citizenship ceremony is pretty good too, for those of us who are into it (including people like me who didn't expect to care).  And the day you get your British passport... man!  That's absolutely brilliant!

Also, thanks for recounting your experience at the centre!

Thanks jfkimberly! I feel very happy and I am excited to think I can get a British Passport one day in the not so distant future! That will be another weight off 

Congratulations, Beans!  So happy that you've heard back already AND that you now have ILR!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.  I just booked my appointment tonight, though not at a core centre (cheaper to go to a closer centre).  It was really helpful to read what to expect.  Now relax and enjoy your celebrations!

Thanks Beatlemania and best of luck for your appointment, I hope it goes smoothly and you hear back quickly too! 

Just a bit of an update...in case someone has a similar experience...

I still have not received my BRP and have had a bit of back and forth with Home Office and Sopra Steria. My letter stating my BRP would arrive under separate cover came on 3rd Oct, the day after my biometrics appointment (super priority).  My BRP didn't arrive so I filled in the online form and waited until 26th for a reply- stating my caseworker would contact me and not to travel until I receive my BRP. Ok.

I had a phone call yesterday to request I go back for another biometrics capture. I asked why and said I had my acceptance letter and the staff member said that was unusual it is usually for cases not decided. She said she would phone again today.

Instead I received an email from Sopra Steria this morning requesting that I arrange another appointment:
you are required to Recapture your Biometrics for your case at our site. Unfortunately we have not been able to contact you to arrange a new appointment.

They did not try to contact me? And they state: If you do not book a further appointment your application may be rejected by UKVI.

Wonderful. So now I have to take another day off work and travel, get train tickets, lose a day of pay...! And I know this is their fault as the server was down and then back up and down while I was sat their waiting. Staff there assured me it all was transmitted to Home Office but clearly, this is not the case.
So I have attempted to log back in to book another appointment and OF COURSE the site won't allow. My Oct 2 appointment appears and there is no option to book another- so I will be phoning them.

Just utterly UNIMPRESSED with this 'super priority' service that has been outsourced to a third party company. I filled in a complaint form on Sopra Steria's website so will see what comes of that...
UGH!!! 

Just a bit of an update...in case someone has a similar experience...

I still have not received my BRP and have had a bit of back and forth with Home Office and Sopra Steria. My letter stating my BRP would arrive under separate cover came on 3rd Oct, the day after my biometrics appointment (super priority).  My BRP didn't arrive so I filled in the online form and waited until 26th for a reply- stating my caseworker would contact me and not to travel until I receive my BRP. Ok.

I had a phone call yesterday to request I go back for another biometrics capture. I asked why and said I had my acceptance letter and the staff member said that was unusual it is usually for cases not decided. She said she would phone again today.

Instead I received an email from Sopra Steria this morning requesting that I arrange another appointment:
you are required to Recapture your Biometrics for your case at our site. Unfortunately we have not been able to contact you to arrange a new appointment.

They did not try to contact me? And they state: If you do not book a further appointment your application may be rejected by UKVI.

Wonderful. So now I have to take another day off work and travel, get train tickets, lose a day of pay...! And I know this is their fault as the server was down and then back up and down while I was sat their waiting. Staff there assured me it all was transmitted to Home Office but clearly, this is not the case.
So I have attempted to log back in to book another appointment and OF COURSE the site won't allow. My Oct 2 appointment appears and there is no option to book another- so I will be phoning them.

Just utterly UNIMPRESSED with this 'super priority' service that has been outsourced to a third party company. I filled in a complaint form on Sopra Steria's website so will see what comes of that...
UGH!!!

Shocking.. I hope you get this resolved quickly.

You will be refunded for the service but I know that's not the point.. so sorry...
 

Thanks larrabee! This is all too much, it's so stressful 

Yes, it is quite worrisome, especially since the email from Home Office said to not travel until I get my BRP and the email from Sopra Steria says, 'If you do not book a further appointment your application may be rejected by UKVI' - so my application was not, in fact, approved/granted?! 

I wrote a long email to the Home Office complaints about this today and also included the fact that I am so not convinced of any 'cyber security' of my personal information. I mean, the servers crashed at SS and the guy told me not to worry, the documents and biometrics were on his computer and he could resend them later! HA 

I phoned SS today and was booked in for another appointment later in November, I paid £60 and was assured that this would be reimbursed. 

another UGH from me. I am probably just an unlucky one, go figure...

Congratulations

Wow, Beans, that's an odyssey and a half!  So sorry that you have to go back.  I can't believe that they charged you!  Definitely push for that refund.  I hope it gets sorted out soon for you.  Sorry that it's been such a hassle up to this point.

Hi - thanks Beatlemania!

I've been away for a while but just an update here, I have yet to receive my BRP. I had another biometrics appointment on 18 Nov after being recalled by UKVI. I had hoped it would arrive a couple of days after the appointment, ha.

I wrote two letters of complaint on 29 October, one to Sopra Steria and one to the Home Office. Sopra replied the day after on the 30th. They laid out the timeline of my application details and they also said that UKVI had contacted them on the day of my application to request a resend my documents (the server had gone down a couple of times there while I was waiting!) So my guess is the biometrics scans did not get transmitted successfully. I complained to Home Office about this as well, with my concerns about personal data and transmission. Sopra booked another biometrics appoinment after I phone a number they included in the email (free) and have me a refund for the cost of the next appointment, £60.

I wrote a letter of complaint to Home Office on 29 October about my experience with super priority service and received a reply on 21 Nov. The reply stated that UKVI did not uphold my complaint about failure of the super priority service as I received an 'application was successful' email the day after my original appointment on 2 October. The letter goes on to blame Sopra Steria for the problem with my biometrics and the need to recapture them. When I attended my 2nd appointment on 18 Nov staff at Sopra Steria said my original scans looked 'perfect' and they were puzzled as to why I was recalled.

However, I was granted a refund of the £800 super priority fee. I wrote in my letter that I had conflicting information about my immigration status as the 'application was successful' email and supposed granting of ILR is contradicted by the fact that the letter to recapture biometrics states 1) my application would be withdrawn if I did not attend and also, 2) my right to work checks show my status is only valid to work in UK until April 2020.

Will be back to update more....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone 

oh beans! I'm so sorry to hear this, what a nightmare.

at least you got your refund??!!

really hope that BRP arrives today for you - would make for a great thanksgiving.