hullmonkey

This is not good news as I had planned on 30 days max! I know that the mod has stated this should not be a timeline thread but as the process has changed it would be useful to have some idea of how long it will take

megoomegoo

Hi Everyone,
I am new here and I am going through the visa process as well. However, I am totally freaking out right now and want to share my experience and see if anyone had encounter the same and can give me some guidance.

-Application submitted in Vancouver Canada on March 10, 2017
-Never received any confirm from UKVI that my package arrived at the consulate, but still waited until 10 weeks after.

-Contact UKVI on line (ukvi-international.faq-help.com) May 25, 2017 requesting to check the status and received reply on May 29th that there was no update status on my application.

-totally freaking out now. May 30th My husband call the number provided on the website, after 4 hrs of constant calling from 9am to 1pm and getting the phone cut off or getting busy tone, he finally got through to someone. However, you can't proceed until they get you credit card payment, almost £2 PER MINUTE for them to help you over the phone. So he did, and the lady said they could not find my application in the system!!! so she escalated my case to the relevant department to look into and said she will get back to my husband within 24hrs......

-this phone call will cost us about £50, on top of the CAD$3850 total i had paid for the application, health surcharge ect.. but this is not the worst, the worst part is if they indeed loose my package, I can't apply again for a long while because we sent all the original papaperworkith my passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, mortgage paper...

so now we are crossing our fingers and praying.

Jeffrey92

I have just paid $700 for my wife's spousal application to come to the UK.

She is sending the documents off today to Sheffield and we are hoping that it won't be too long a wait.

Does anyone have any experience recently of bringing a spouse from the US to the UK using the priority service and how long it took?

Britflyer

Sheffield acknowledged receipt of our priority application and documents on April 10th and we are still awaiting a decision. From looking at comments on another board many are in the same situation.

Jeffrey92

Oh that's annoying! My aunt works for the visa department in the UAE and apparently they are really short staffed at the moment and still a long wait. Seems like it was paid for almost nothing!

Trevnorth10001

hi Kerri

Same drama, but ours went in on the 9/03, still no answer

A bit soul destroying. Surprised that it takes so long consider priority service was paid for, however it has only been 40 days excluding public holidays

Horrible time

Jeffrey92

Apparently as they are short staffed in Sheffield they are bringing in employees from overseas to help deal with the applications. My aunt obviously can't keep track of our application which is slightly annoying but understandable as it's a majorly sackable offence

Fingers crossed things start to pick up soon!

We have just sent my wife's application priority as of yesterday so looks like the waiting game now but good luck to everyone here!

Kh3pp3125

Hi I was just curious of a couple question regarding this process the correct forms for a spouse to move to the uk is the form VAF4A and Appendix 2 correct?
Also are their any standard processing times for the US applicants?
And one more question does anyone know if they try to finish seperated families applications I read somewhere I dont know where now that they were expedited I was just curious if this was true since I wont be filing till end of july because my husband has to complete the 6 month circumstance and if it takes as long as everyone has been saying I would of been seperated from my young daughters for 10 months.
Anyways if anyone has an experience with this or not that would be good, and if it takes the full length I guess it's better to wait and eventually get there is better than never getting there.
Thank you

Jeffrey92

Those two forms are correct yes from my knowledge as I've just finished all this myself although I don't have anything to hand right now. Those plus the online application plus IHS etc.

This is an email I got from my aunt who knows all about the Sheffield visa department:

"And yes then just send it all to Sheffield. Like I said, it's gonna be a good three months before it's decided as we are dealing with all settlement from everywhere in the world now but with no staff! Unfortunately I can't track it for you as I would get the sack (they monitor our activity!) but the service standard is 60 working days and we are working on day 60!

You can pay an additional fee for priority service but it is quite a lot and still a long wait. You would be better spending the money on a holiday when she is finally here!"

Make of that what you will but I paid for priority anyway

Kh3pp3125

so if it does take the full 60 days and i submit my application on the 24 of july its looking like it wouldnt get done till early october right?
And do you have to pay for the form (1,464) plus the 600 NHS fee at the same time online?
Also after the decision do you know how long it takes to get the passport and everything back?

Jeffrey92

Yeah that's what it seems, early October would be about right is my guess but you ever know you might get lucky as she told me today that they are sending staff from overseas to deal with the amount of applications coming in.

And yes, it's done in stages online and very self explanatory. Once you fill out the online application then it will put you to the next stage of paying both visa and IHS. It shows you exactly what you have done and also what still needs to be done, the next stage etc

No idea about how long it takes to get the passport back as my wife only sent hers off yesterday but hopefully someone on here knows

Kh3pp3125

Ok thank you good luck to you

Flynn.pauline

I sent my passport and my daughters 2 passports (Canadian and british) March 13th. still receive ed nothing
.. and still no email on update ...

Trevnorth10001

Hi Jeffery

I have not received any word, is it normal to get a notice that they have received docs, or is this not the case?

Jeffrey92

Did you send this priority service? If not then I'm guessing you should here very soon!

I would be tempted to call them too, I know there is a charge but it could be worth it to find out