# Advice Needed - No Premium Service Centre Available Before Expiry Date



## Wickio (Apr 7, 2015)

Hi everyone, hope you're all well! Looking for some advice today.

My wife's visa is due to expire on the 6th November and we're attempting to book in at a Premium Service Centre to present our FLR(M) application. Problem is, everywhere seems to be booked up for the best part of the next 4-5 weeks, with the exception of Glasgow which has availability on the 8th, two days after expiry.

I have spoken to a number of immigration advisers who all seemed quite shocked that there was no space in the coming weeks.

Admittedly, we should have booked this earlier, but my wife works as cabin crew and has a rather erratic schedule, making it difficult to lock down a date. The nature of her job also means that we are not able to apply by post, as she is required to have her passport for work.

With that outlined, I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know of any immigration advisers/solicitors who can expedite Premium Service Centre bookings? If there is an extra cost incurred, that is fine.

2. Long shot, but I read somewhere online about a 28 day leeway in regards to expiry date if you have secured your application. Is this nonsense or is there anything behind this?

Thanks for your help in advance, any and all advice is appreciated.

Nick


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

#1 Yes, that used to happen but I don't know if it's still available.
#2 There is 21-day grace period for applying by post, but not for PSC application.


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## keeno (Jan 4, 2015)

I'd say keep searching for appointment but don't apply after expiry date. I know one exact similar case where the visa was issued but on 10 year route. You don't want that. Might as well send in the post around 1st November but keep looking for appointments until then rigorously?


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## Wickio (Apr 7, 2015)

Joppa said:


> #1 Yes, that used to happen but I don't know if it's still available.
> #2 There is 21-day grace period for applying by post, but not for PSC application.


Thanks Joppa, will try and seek out an adviser, but understand it's not as common as it once was.



keeno said:


> I'd say keep searching for appointment but don't apply after expiry date. I know one exact similar case where the visa was issued but on 10 year route. You don't want that. Might as well send in the post around 1st November but keep looking for appointments until then rigorously?


Cheers keeno, we'll keep checking. One did come up for Glasgow on Saturday morning, but my missus isn't back from her flight until Saturday midday. :frusty: It's good to see that there is some fluctuation in the available dates, at least!

I think you've hit the nail on the head. We'll try until early November when we'll have to resort to sending it via post. We're both hammering the site at the moment, so hopefully we catch something. Fortunately, she's off through all of December, so hopefully her employer will show mercy and help her through November.

This is our second time on the 5-year route, so she'll be up for ILR next. Would be nice to avoid an additional 5 years of this. 

Thanks again for the reply!


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## carla32 (Mar 5, 2013)

I hope you get an appointment soon. Sometimes you can pay extra for late or early.


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## KristenJune (Oct 8, 2016)

Thats very unfortunate and I wish you all the best.

Out of interest, how early can someone book a premium service before the visa expires?


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## Missblissbear (Dec 21, 2014)

You can book up to 45 days in advance... as long as the appointment is no more than 28 days before the expiry of your current visa.


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## KristenJune (Oct 8, 2016)

I just found this online. Dated 2012 so not known of its still relevant

*04 October 2012 
Thank you for your E mail dated 08 September 2012 in which you are asking various questions about the Premium appointments booking system.
Your request has been handled as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please find below the answer to your queries.
1. If it is not possible to get an appointment via the website, is there any alternative way to book a Premium appointment for ILR applications in urgent situations where the current visa is about to expire?
There is the UKBA helpline number 0871 606 7766 and they may be able to book appointments in emergency situations otherwise you must book online.
2.
What are the rules behind the Premium appointment booking system in particular:
 How many appointments are booked per day in each application centre?
 How do cancelled slots get re opened for booking and at what time do
these slots become available?
 How often and at what time of the day do new appointment slots get
released to the public?
 What percentage of total appointments per day in each centre get
released for online booking?
 Any other rule of interest to the public?
The answers to your queries about the Premium Appointment Booking Process are as follows:
 The number of Appointments released each day at each PEO is 1) Glasgow, 35 2)Liverpool, 58 3)Sheffield,30 4) Cardiff ,26 5) Belfast, 12 6) Solihull , 40 and Croydon 220.
 Cancelled appointment slots are not re-opened.
 New appointment slots are released between Midnight and 6am between Monday to
Friday.
 I refer you to the numbers of appointments provided above and can confirm that all
released appointments must be booked online and there is no longer any telephone booking service.
3. Based on the above rules and the UKBA IT system functionalities, what is the best time of day when the chance to get a premium appointment slot, online, is the highest?
The website should work at all times of the day as the chance of free appointment slots should be the same throughout the day, however, the early morning period could be used to book appointments from approximately 6 am.
4. Does UKBA provide any facility that Immigration solicitors can use to book premium appointments for a client, which is otherwise not available to common public via online appointment booking service.
Yes there is a Representatives booking service and solicitors and Legal Representatives who wish to use this service must register on the link below:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/contact/applyinginperson/sameday/
5. The online appointment booking system(website) goes down(pages do not load) just after midnight every night. What happens during that time? What effect does it have on available appointment slots?
The period from Midnight to 6am should not adversely affect the availability of appointment slots.
I hope that this information meets your requirements. I would like to assure you that we have provided you with all relevant information that the Home Office holds.*


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## KristenJune (Oct 8, 2016)

Missblissbear said:


> You can book up to 45 days in advance... as long as the appointment is no more than 28 days before the expiry of your current visa.


So does that mean you can book an appointment 72 days ahead of it expiring (45 days plus premium appointment booked no more than 28 days before visa expires)?


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## Wickio (Apr 7, 2015)

carla32 said:


> I hope you get an appointment soon. Sometimes you can pay extra for late or early.





KristenJune said:


> Thats very unfortunate and I wish you all the best.
> 
> Out of interest, how early can someone book a premium service before the visa expires?


Thank you, both! I was fortunate enough to secure a cancelled booking in Glasgow next Friday, so luck was on our side! A 6-hour drive I don't mind making, given the circumstances.


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## Wickio (Apr 7, 2015)

KristenJune said:


> So does that mean you can book an appointment 72 days ahead of it expiring (45 days plus premium appointment booked no more than 28 days before visa expires)?


I suppose you could! I actually never thought of it in that way, I always just took it as you can book 45 days before your expiry, but your theory makes sense. :thumb:


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

Back then (2012) the booking system was a horse of a completely different colour, so to speak. The system would crash all of the time; it was next to impossible to get a booking on the first try; people (immigration agents) would hog slots etc etc etc.

It took my now husband and I two days of attempts to secure a PEO appointment for my first FLR(M) visa [I came to the UK on a Fiancée Visa in October '12]. Husband logged onto the site at midnight, as one did back then. The system froze on him several times and by the time it had righted itself (i.e. _within minutes_), there were no more spots available for the date that they were introducing. 

The next night, Husband logged in again and was able to secure a slot before the system crashed again - he thought that his request had been rejected because of the crash: there was no indication of the booking on our account. He quickly tried again and was able to secure a date 3 days after our wedding (i.e. on the date 42 days into the future) - that appointment showed up on our account.

Fast forward to late afternoon on the day before the wedding - I receive an email stating that my appointment is going to be cancelled. !!!! My husband spent about an hour trying to "fix" this problem by calling is various contacts in the Home Office (he works for the government but not in HO)... sadly, he couldn't make any headway [it was, after all, after 16h30 on a Friday afternoon], so we had no choice but to proceed as planned and try to fix the mess on Monday.

Fortunately, on Monday we were advised that we'd received two bookings at 9am and 11:30am (i.e. the first request went through, even though it didn't get recorded on our file) and that we were welcome to attend the 9am slot and the later appointment would be thrown back into the system for someone else.

Three years ago, when we applied for my ILR*, we had a much easier time booking the premium appointment. Not only had the booking system received an apparent overhaul (i.e. it didn't crash nearly as much as it did in '12) we were able to get the first appointment of the day at the location we wanted (Croydon) and were done and dusted within 5 minutes of logging on.

(*even though I didn't arrive until after the rules changed in July '12, I got my initial entry clearance application in before the rule change and was grandfathered into the 3-years-to-citizenship route that was available to spouses of UK citizens),, 



KristenJune said:


> I just found this online. Dated 2012 so not known of its still relevant
> 
> *04 October 2012
> Thank you for your E mail dated 08 September 2012 in which you are asking various questions about the Premium appointments booking system.
> ...


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## Missblissbear (Dec 21, 2014)

Possible.... but I’m not 100% that was the information given to me.


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## ithinkin (Jan 30, 2015)

Hi all. I'm planning on making a payment to book an appointment for around 20th Nov. If I do not get the preferred dates. Can I just post and get refund? 

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## Whatshouldwedo (Sep 29, 2013)

I dont think you pay until you have picked your appt. date but others who have applied more recently can advise.


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## ithinkin (Jan 30, 2015)

Many thanks. Will let everyone know how I get on. 

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## Missblissbear (Dec 21, 2014)

You can cancel up to 24 hours before... so I guess so. Don’t leave it to book tho... as appointments go like hot cakes.


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## ithinkin (Jan 30, 2015)

Hi guys, can someone clarify please. 

So I started an an online FLR-M application a few weeks ago but I stopped with this and proceeded with doing the handwritten form. 

Now, when I log in to make payment for NHS surcharge, and the premium appointment. I am worried that the incomplete FLR applicantion online will be submitted too. Is there a way I can delete this? 

Thanks. 

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## ithinkin (Jan 30, 2015)

The above may not be the case, as it's a different page alltogather. But would be great if someone can clarify please. There are no options to delete active-incomplete applications. 

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## Missblissbear (Dec 21, 2014)

I started an online application but in the end printed a paper one so I could book my premium appointment. I paid for my surcharge separate and then paid for my premium and application... the online did NOT submit.


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## ithinkin (Jan 30, 2015)

Missblissbear said:


> I started an online application but in the end printed a paper one so I could book my premium appointment. I paid for my surcharge separate and then paid for my premium and application... the online did NOT submit.


Thank you so much Missblissbear for your response on this.  

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## ithinkin (Jan 30, 2015)

I managed to book a premium appointment last night, but nothing available for November. Had to go for a December date. Those of you asking; yes you can view dates prior to payment.

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