ncoomber

Update:
2nd April - Completed online form and payed fees.
3rd April - Payed extra $510 for priority service.
3rd April - created online fedex account
7th April - wife went to US immigration for Biometrics
7th April - fedex all supporting docs + online form + appendix 2 to Sheffield.


Documents sent (I am UK, wife is USC, 3 UK kids, using savings):
Cover letters (one general, one finance sources)
Wifes US passport, 4 UK passports (mine and kids)
Wifes US Citizenship paper
Copy of my green card
Kids birth certs (used to prove our marriage - has both our names on)
Marriage certs
Deeds to US house (both our names on)
My previous marriage and divorce certs
2 X passport pix
12 pix from 15yrs of marriage (Jpeg on disc)

Letter from my sis about our accommodation plans (we will live in our deceased fathers house which is now owned my me and sis)
Copy of sis passport (ID purposes)
Deeds of house in UK, fathers Will, Fathers Probate
Copy of 'For Sale' from last year (to show number of rooms etc)
Copy of counsel tax bill (in my name)

Six months of US bank statements (each page signed and stamped by bank)
Last three pay checks (to help show how I saved the money)

Copy of Biometrics receipt
Copy of Priority Service receipt


Costs:
Visa fee $1500
Priority $510
FedEx 2x$120 = $240
Money tied up in bank $113,000



Cheers
Nigel

ncoomber

Update:
2nd April - Completed online form and payed fees.
3rd April - Payed extra $510 for priority service.
3rd April - created online fedex account
7th April - wife went to US immigration for Biometrics
7th April - fedex all supporting docs + online form + appendix 2 to Sheffield.
9th April - fedex report package arrived at destination

Not heard anything from UK visa department yet!

Cheers
Nigel

ncoomber

Update:
2nd April - Completed online form and payed fees.
3rd April - Payed extra $510 for priority service.
3rd April - created online fedex account
7th April - wife went to US immigration for Biometrics
7th April - fedex all supporting docs + online form + appendix 2 to Sheffield.
9th April - fedex report package arrived at destination
11th April - auto email from visa UK (see below)

Cheers
Nigel
_________________________
Dear Applicant,
Your UK visa application has arrived safely at the UK Border Agency, Sheffield and is currently being processed.

Priority Service:
Your application will be placed in the front of the queue and assessed ahead of other non-priority visa applications.
Please note, as indicated in the terms of service, the amount paid for the priority service, as well as visa fees, is not refundable if the visa application is refused or due to delays in processing times.
You will receive a further e-mail advising you when a decision has been made on your application. This e-mail will also provide you with details of your return package.
We are unable to respond to status enquiries. Further information on UK visa services is available at www.visainfoservices.com
This is an automated e-mail. Please do not reply. Your reply will not be received.

Kind Regards,
UK Visa Section, Sheffield

Biglittleben

Had any more news on the visa?

I am also planning on applying using the savings option myself. Are the savings in either one of your names or jointly owned?

also when you sent passport pics, were they of your wife or one of each?

Thanks and good luck!!

michali

The savings can be in either the applicant's or aponsor's name, or both and must have been under your control for at least six months. The photos should be of the applicant as it is needed for the visa stamp in passport, if issued!i

ncoomber

Hi Ben,
Our savings are in both our names. And yes the pixs I sent were of my wife only (the USC applicant).

And no, I have not heard boo from them yet!!! Its so frustrating. I have so much to do. We have packed half the house and given away loads of stuff but I don't want to sell the house, cars etc until I have the visa. I got three young kids and don't want to end up renting somewhere or moving in with friends etc. And I haven't booked the shippers or flights yet. So much to do and I am on hold just waiting on some bod in a gov office in Sheffield who seems to have total control over my and my families life. Sorry for the rant. I wish you good luck.
Cheers
Nigel

Biglittleben

Man that sounds stressful!! I'm probably going to be in a similar situation myself later, except we rent and don't have kids, so wont be nearly as bad as what you're going through! Don't give up, or crack lol, you're close...

Why did you send it all to Sheffield? I haven't got to the stage of actually applying yet, just preparing and organising all our stuff. But i was under the impression you would apply for the visa at your local Embassy, Consulate in the country you are currently in?

ncoomber

All settlement visa applications are done through Sheffield (as far as I know). The application is done online and then you gotta send all supporting docs to Sheffield (it use to be NYC - and some info still says to send it there - but don't - send it to Sheffield). There is a priority service for a mere $510 extra that is suppose to get you on the top of the pile! That is done through what looks like an immigration lawyer company in NYC. Dunno why. God knows where the money ends up. It doesn't feel right to me. But I played along and gave them my money. Whether it makes any difference I really don't know.
Good luck
Cheers
Nigel

wombatboy

My wife applied last month (from USA). We didn't use priority processing.

March 17 - we sent all our documents
March 18 - they asked for Appendix 2
March 19 - we sent Appendix 2 (last document)
April 21 - we enquired whether they received everything
April 22 (today) - they emailed back saying they had received everything BUT our application had yet to be processed.


So be aware - they might say 98% of people are done by a month ... but we will definitely not be.

It will probably be more like 2 months for us.

ncoomber

Hi Wombat,
Thanks. Keep us posted with your progress. I am curious, what email address did you use to contact them?

What I fail to understand about this whole process is, if it takes so long for them to process why on earth cant you apply more than three months before you want to leave. I have so much stuff to take care of and I cant do any of it until I get the visa. I am pissed off about a lot of this but this is my biggest grief with them. I could have had this done months ago. So now I should be getting my move organized. Instead, I am on hold just waiting. Sorry, grumble over!

Good luck, hope it comes through soon.
Cheers
Nigel

wombatboy

I'll PM you the email
We were checking they had received all of our documents (apparently you aren't supposed to contact them for progress report ... but they did mention we hadn't reached processing yet).

I am in exactly the same boat. I am waiting around to go back and our lives are on hold until we do so. I want to get on with the job search in London and they are holding up the process. It's especially annoying when they talk online about 98% of people being processed within a month. Yeah maybe in January 2014 but not now.
It's good to have a grumble now and then

Thanks, good luck to you too. I'll post here when we finally get ours - and put the timescale in for other British Expats.

brissybee

I will also be watching this thread for news. I was about to post an inquiry to see if anyone knew how long the spouse visas are taking.

They do advise they could take up to 3 months.

We're waiting in Australia... though we haven't been waiting long - yet.

ncoomber

so if they are saying it takes three months now...then why on earth can you only apply three months before you leave....sorry, you don't know the answer....I am just venting!

Could you post details of your application please so we can compare?

And good luck
Cheers
Nigel

brissybee

Very early days here so nothing to report yet but will try to post any update when we have one.

We have sent off what we hope are the correct documents and done the biometrics but haven't heard anything except it can take up to three months.

We didn't pay the priority because we'd been hearing it didn't take that long.

Frankly, if it takes 3 months we'll be in strife. We've already had to push back travel because of an Australian work contract... and the longer it takes to get the visa, the longer it will be before it can be used to job hunt in Britain.

Plus we want to buy tickets (which are selling out and getting more expensive) for when the work contract expires but there now seems a risk that the visa (and our returned passports) won't be here before we fly... then there's the house letting, removalists, house cleaning etc to organise... empathy to all.

Biglittleben

What are the biometric requirements? I've been looking into applying for a spouse visa for a little while but didn't see much about this? I haven't been in the UK for about 7 years. Are these medical tests or finger prints? Or...?

Thanks