# Expedited uk fiance visa now 12 weeks?!?!!



## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

Hello, I'm wondering if someone could help me because I'm really confused with the processing times for a UK fiancé visa. 

My fiancé, from the USA will be applying for his UK Fiancé Visa in September and after over 5 years of waiting we would obviously like to get it as soon as possible lol. It says on the WorldBridge website that the visas can be expedited for an extra $300 so we would like to do this, HOWEVER does anybody know or have any recent experience of how quickly it would be processed? I am asking because today I went on the A. Briggs website and spoke to someone online and they said that it takes 12 weeks for an expedited application as all visas are mailed to the UK for processing (Sheffield) as this is the new processing method.

I find this hard to understand when the WorldBridge website says the following
"Settlement priority service
This service is available at the UK Border Agency in New York. This service is only available to applicants based in the United States. 

Settlement priority service applications will be placed at the front of the queue once received by the UK Border Agency in New York, to commence processing ahead of other visa applications.

Cost: $300 USD for each visa application including dependants"

Please could someone help me understand 

Thank you


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

I can assure you that A. Briggs is _*incorrect*_ when they tell you that expedited applications take 12 weeks.

I can tell you this with 100% certainty because the UKBA website for the NYC office (where applications from across North America are sorted for processing) state, as of 15 February, that the estimated wait for _non priority_ applications is 7 weeks. The longest wait I've ever seen (in the 10 months I've been looking at that site) is 10 weeks.

Priority applications are done in New York (non priority applications are sent over to Sheffield), and are placed at the front of the queue when they reach New York.

In regards to A. Briggs, unless your situation is complicated, there really is no reason why you can't do the application yourself. They cannot guarantee you a successful application nor can they get you faster service than what the UKBA supposedly say their working time frames are (they can claim to and charge you extra, but all of the application fees that the UKBA charge and working timeframe estimates are public access), so unless your husband has a complicated past (prior visa refusals _anywhere_ in the world, messy past divorce etc) you should be able to do your own paperwork and submit your own application. 

Feel free to look around here and ask lots of questions.... We've collectively been through the process 100's of times (with a good number of us having applied from across North America via New York) and whilst our answers might not be immediately forthcoming (due to time zone considerations), we will try our best to help you through the process the best that we can from our collective experience (there are some areas of immigration law that are simply beyond our scope of experience/knowledge - we will advise when your questions lead there) _and_ we won't charge you an arm and a leg for it.

Good luck to you!


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

And using such a service doesn't spare you the hardest part of the application: pulling together all your documentary evidence. Now, if a service could step into your home and place of work and pull all your evidence together on your behalf, THAT would be worth paying for!! 

But as WCCG said, no need to use them unless your circumstances are complex, and if so, I think I'd favour a service where they are at least up to date on processing times. NY processing times have never been that long, and so it gives the appearance that this particular company is trying to paint a picture worse than it is in order to encourage more people to pay for their 'speedy' services. The reality is that actual priority processing times are around 15 days for everybody.


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## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

Thank you so much both of you  I don't know where I would be without this website! I think I am going to do everything myself like you said, our application isn't at all complex, we are just having to use the cash savings finance route because I don't finish University until May so will not have been in an adequate job long enough. A. Briggs also says you need proof of your travel to the UK, which UKBA strongly advices not to do, I'm sure Briggs are reputable but they sure do make the process more confusing than it actually is. Can't wait to be able to put my timeline on here! Thanks again


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

The savings category is probably the most straight-forward category under which to meet the financial requirement (take a look at Section 7 of this guide - starting at page 27) . You just need to ensure you have the equivalent of £62,500 held in a personal bank account in your name, your partner's, or jointly - for a period of at least 6 months. To support it, you'll need 6 months of bank statements for the account and a declaration on the source of the money (this is required to satisfy UKBA that it's not merely a helpful loan from a family member, but a source of money wholly at your disposal and within your control).

And I recommend paying for Priority service. No matter what happens in the meantime, this will always guarantee that your application goes to the top of the pile along with other priority applications. You'll also need to provide proof for the answers your fiancé will be giving (that you have met in person - a photo or two of the two of you together will help this), that there is a genuine relationship (some sample extracts of how you've kept in touch over the period of your relationship when apart), and where you will be living (house deeds or mortgage, or tenancy agreement). A council tax or utility bill helps too. it also helps to prove your intention to marry, and for this I recommend you make some provisional bookings so you can at least name venues, dates and possible costs. Make sure any booking has a decent cancellation policy, and given that the fiancé visa is for a whole 6 months, allow a month or two in case your fiancé is delayed in arriving in the UK.

If you plan on a Register Office ceremony, note that the identity and permission-to-marry checks must be carried out at one of 76 'designated' Register offices in England and Wales (ALL are designated status in Scotland). Designated Register Offices are the only ones equipped to carry out necessary visa checks of overseas nationals, and the overseas national must have resided in the UK for at least 7 days before this appointment can go ahead. Your actual ceremony can be anywhere.

For the application process and other documents required, UKBA lists the information here, and people on these boards will be happy to add suggestions too.


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## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

Thank you for that  some of the source is from Premium Bonds that I've had since last year, I will put them into a savings account and will have the paperwork proving this and the rest is from money that I have had in my bank since I was younger, it was in there for a couple of years I think but I recently had to lend it to my Dad for him to put in his pension fund, but he has now given it back to me. I have the paperwork showing all of this, so do you think that would be ok? I will have the full amount, plus a bit more money in my current account and by that time I should have a job as well, so I figured as long as my sources are ok then there shouldn't be any problems. Thank you


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

HannahD said:


> Thank you for that  some of the source is from Premium Bonds that I've had since last year, I will put them into a savings account and will have the paperwork proving this and the rest is from money that I have had in my bank since I was younger, it was in there for a couple of years I think but I recently had to lend it to my Dad for him to put in his pension fund, but he has now given it back to me. I have the paperwork showing all of this, so do you think that would be ok? I will have the full amount, plus a bit more money in my current account and by that time I should have a job as well, so I figured as long as my sources are ok then there shouldn't be any problems. Thank you


That sounds absolutely fine. UKBA is mostly on the lookout for people who suddenly materialise with that sum of money (ie have they been loaned this just to get through the process before hving to give it back).


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## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

That's great thanks! I know I'll have to declare the source on the application, but could I put something brief like "premium bonds" and "childhood savings" on there and then in the supporting documents explain the situation further? Thanks so much for you help.


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

One other helpful hint... when you are sending your supporting documents to your fiance (your bank statements need to be bank issued or at least stamped by your bank), it's probably a good idea to go with a reputable courier (like DHL or FedEx) and _not_ with RoyalMail's AirSure service... in spite of what they may advertise, it is _not_ fully tracked nor is it any faster than regular Royal Mail 1st Class Air. Ed, my husband, sent his stuff to me via AirSure and it was untracked for almost a week and was _not_ given priority handling when it arrived in Vancouver.

While it may cost a bit more (DHL can get it to the US in 1-3 working days for under £40 for up to 1kg in weight), at least with the courier you know it'll get there.

Again, good luck to you!


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## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

Oh that's good to know, I will do that  I'm going to see him in the US in June, so I'm going to get as much together as possible to take it with me then and then I will use fedEx or someone to get the remaining things to him quickly  its so good being able to talk to people on here about everything because nobody else has any idea what its like and what is required and everything, good to talk to people who actually understand  Thanks again.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

HannahD said:


> Thank you so much both of you  I don't know where I would be without this website! I think I am going to do everything myself like you said, our application isn't at all complex, we are just having to use the cash savings finance route because I don't finish University until May so will not have been in an adequate job long enough. A. Briggs also says you need proof of your travel to the UK, which UKBA strongly advices not to do, I'm sure Briggs are reputable but they sure do make the process more confusing than it actually is. Can't wait to be able to put my timeline on here! Thanks again


You don't need proof of travel and you definitely shouldn't book anything before you recieve the visa but you do need to include a sample itinerary for around the time you hope to leave for the UK.


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## marie1715 (Feb 5, 2013)

My experience with US-based agencies has been horrible! I wouldn't recommend A.Briggs- they knew nothing about documentation under the new rules (at least the office I spoke with). Another US agency that supposedly specializes in UK visas said the same thing about ALL applications being sent to Sheffield and didn't even know the $300 priority service existed. Like everyone else was saying, unless you have a complicated case, ask questions here and don't waste your money!


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## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

Yeh they seem really far behind on everything and obviously it is such an important situation for everyone so we want to be sure and reassured on any questions we may have, the lovely people on here can do a much better job in our situation. I'm trying to figure out when to book the meeting to give notice of marriage and the actual marriage at the registry office. My fiancé will apply around the 15th of September, so was thinking getting married about the 9th of November as I thought this would give us enough time for the processing time, his arrival and the giving notice, would you recommend that kind of time frame or should I allow more time? Thanks for everything


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

HannahD said:


> Yeh they seem really far behind on everything and obviously it is such an important situation for everyone so we want to be sure and reassured on any questions we may have, the lovely people on here can do a much better job in our situation. I'm trying to figure out when to book the meeting to give notice of marriage and the actual marriage at the registry office. My fiancé will apply around the 15th of September, so was thinking getting married about the 9th of November as I thought this would give us enough time for the processing time, his arrival and the giving notice, would you recommend that kind of time frame or should I allow more time? Thanks for everything


That sounds like a very sensible time-frame. We did the same back when my partner applied for a fiancée visa: although I knew my partner was due here December/January, I planned that our first Register Office appointment for March, followed by the ceremony booking in April. Given her visa would expire towards the end of June, that gave us plenty of time to move things around if we needed to, without having too much panic if she couldn't arrive until February.


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## HannahD (Mar 31, 2011)

That's great to know thank you  its hard to decide because obviously want to get married as soon as possible, but have to be realistic, but I'll use this time-frame roughly as like you said it gives time to move things around.


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