# Sheffield Hasn't Received My Documents



## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Hi all,

I know a lot of people have been having issues with the Sheffield office not confirming that they received people's supporting documents so I wanted to check if anyone knows what this means or if I should be concerned?

I sent my supporting documents out last week via FedEx and they were signed for at the Sheffield office on Friday the 5th at 11:21am UK time. I even have the name of who signed it. I sent an email Sunday evening with my name, reference number, and FedEx tracking number... everything down to when it was received and weight of the package. (No response yet.) 

I also just had my husband call and they said they have no record of my package and to call back on the 19th. (Helpful as always... not!)

Should I be worried that it has been misplaced? Or is it just in a huge pile waiting to be sorted out and therefore not in the system yet?

I'm just frustrated because I paid for priority and if it hasn't been sorted correctly I want to fix that now rather than weeks from now. I wrote Priority Settlement Visa on the front and back in big letters so it SHOULD be fine... I do know I'm probably panicked over nothing and that this is the point where I wait with no real updates ha

Thanks in advance for any insight!


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

As long as you sent it to the right address and it was signed for you really shouldn't worry. You did the right thing writing priority all over it. Unfortunately, you just have to be patient.


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## Pallykin (Mar 30, 2014)

Keep in mind that the vast majority of the processing time of applications is spent sitting on a shelf gathering dust. 

It's entirely likely that your package is in the priority queue along with other priority applications waiting for step one, which is opening the package, logging the application in the system, and sorting your documents into their preferred order. They might or might not send you an automated email telling you that your application has been received. They've apparently been having technical difficulties with that system since the beginning of September. But they've never been good about communication.

All you can do is wait... and try not to worry.


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## hightensionwire (Jun 23, 2014)

There was a girl on here that never received an email about the receipt of her documents--her husband had to actually drive down there and request information about them. When he got there he was told that they'd received the documents, but I'm not sure that they ever did bother to email her, and if they did, it wasn't until after he went over there and asked about it.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Thank you for the replies. Nyclon that is kind of what I assumed but wanted to make sure so if there was something I needed to be doing I wasn't finding out weeks from now. Pallykin I will do my best not to worry! (So far not working haha)

Thanks again... I guess now I learn the virtue that is patience!


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

hightensionwire said:


> There was a girl on here that never received an email about the receipt of her documents--her husband had to actually drive down there and request information about them. When he got there he was told that they'd received the documents, but I'm not sure that they ever did bother to email her, and if they did, it wasn't until after he went over there and asked about it.


It's sad because my husband's in London but I've thought about making him go alllll the way to Sheffield if they never respond to us. Oh what a crazy person this visa has turned me into!


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## Galulie (Sep 2, 2014)

After I hadn't heard about my visa application for two weeks, and being told by sheffield that they had no record my visa, I sent a complaint to VFS, the people who handle visas from Canada. I received this reply : 

_Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your email.

We have received an response from British consulate, Sheffield today saying that there was an technical problem going on which has been resolved now.

They will start processing the applications as soon as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Best Regards,

VFS Global - UK Visa Application Team_

I received my confirmation 13 business days after sending it, so if you ask me, they are just backlogged. I wouldn't be concerned yet.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Galulie said:


> After I hadn't heard about my visa application for two weeks, and being told by sheffield that they had no record my visa, I sent a complaint to VFS, the people who handle visas from Canada. I received this reply :
> 
> _Dear Applicant,
> 
> ...


Thank you for the info! What is your timeline if you don't mind me asking?


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## Galulie (Sep 2, 2014)

meganf0412 said:


> Thank you for the info! What is your timeline if you don't mind me asking?



Location applying from: Canada
Type of visa: Settlement: Wife, Category A
Office Processing VISA: Sheffield
Online application submitted: August 16th
Biometrics Completed: Aug 25th
Documents sent: Aug 25th
Documents received email: Sept 8th
Email asking for Appendix 2: Sept 8th
"Decision has been made" email: none yet 

You can find more similar ones in this thread : http://www.expatforum.com/expats/br...pouse-priority-settlement-visa-timelines.html

We are all priority spouses!


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

Galulie said:


> Location applying from: Canada
> Type of visa: Settlement: Wife, Category A
> Office Processing VISA: Sheffield
> Online application submitted: August 16th
> ...


Thanks! I am following that thread, however I haven't had much luck getting responses there as my post gets buried among other other conversations within the thread. But following for the timelines for sure 

Thanks again!


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## hightensionwire (Jun 23, 2014)

meganf0412 said:


> It's sad because my husband's in London but I've thought about making him go alllll the way to Sheffield if they never respond to us. Oh what a crazy person this visa has turned me into!


Yeah, my spouse's in London as well, and I looked into it myself at one point when they weren't getting back to me. Its about a three hour train ride from London.


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## yubinkyoku (Jul 29, 2014)

In case it helps put your mind at ease: Sheffield never confirmed receipt of my fiance's priority application. We sent an enquiry through the FAQ form and they replied saying there was no record of the application (such a stress-inducing choice of phrasing!). 

We also emailed Sheffield directly but never heard back. The only email we ever received from Sheffield was almost four weeks after Sheffield had received the packet, to say that the decision had been made and the passport was being sent back to my fiance in the US.

He got the visa 

I was going out of my mind worrying that the packet had somehow gotten lost even though I knew it had been signed for. So try not to worry (much easier said than done, I know). 

Watching the days turn into weeks with no acknowledgement from Sheffield that they even had the package (let alone that they had started processing it) was pretty tough - particularly as it seemed almost everyone else who'd applied around the same time was getting emails to tell them their application had been safely received. So hang in there.

I think it's just wildly inconsistent whether you hear anything from them until a decision has been made. I've even seen cases where someone didn't get an email at all, just a courier notification that the packet was due for delivery...madness.

I've chalked the "no record of your application" FAQ reply (possibly the same place your husband phoned) up to the fact that it is not the Sheffield office. Their information doesn't seem to be accurate or up-to-date in a lot of cases.

Anyway, best of luck. I really hope it works out and you hear soon!


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## kinza (Sep 18, 2014)

For those who sent the documents and got them received, what is the reference number you guys used? Please let me know.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

kinza said:


> For those who sent the documents and got them received, what is the reference number you guys used? Please let me know.


I was panicked about not receiving a confirmation that Sheffield received my documents (On September 5th) so I sent them an email with my original GWF reference number a few days later. I never received a response to that email but instead received the automated 'documents have been received' email on September 13 (yes on a Saturday... very strange!).

I was also so panicked that I had my husband call and with our FedEx tracking number and GWF reference number and they said I wasn't in the system yet, which freaked me out even more!

Don't panic (easier said than done), it seems to be taking them a long time to even sort through the piles of documents. My advice would be to wait at least a week from when your tracking number says it got to Sheffield, and then if you still haven't heard, contact them.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

yubinkyoku said:


> In case it helps put your mind at ease: Sheffield never confirmed receipt of my fiance's priority application. We sent an enquiry through the FAQ form and they replied saying there was no record of the application (such a stress-inducing choice of phrasing!).
> 
> We also emailed Sheffield directly but never heard back. The only email we ever received from Sheffield was almost four weeks after Sheffield had received the packet, to say that the decision had been made and the passport was being sent back to my fiance in the US.
> 
> ...


yubinkyoku thank you so much for your reply, I don't know why I missed it earlier! 

First of all congratulations on getting the visa! Also as an update I got confirmation from Sheffield on September 13th that they received my documents so now we wait.

Thank you for the kind words again, really means a lot to have others take time out of their day to ease my visa freak outs haha


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## kinza (Sep 18, 2014)

Thank you so much but my issue is a bit different. I applied from a different country and I received an email requesting for additional documents. They asked me to mention the reference number in the subject field when I email the documents. They have been resending me the email over and over again saying they did not receive my documents. I need to know which reference number is correct? the GWF one or the one given by VFS after submitting the application. It has a format like this DHAK/../../1.


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## meganf0412 (Mar 11, 2014)

kinza said:


> Thank you so much but my issue is a bit different. I applied from a different country and I received an email requesting for additional documents. They asked me to mention the reference number in the subject field when I email the documents. They have been resending me the email over and over again saying they did not receive my documents. I need to know which reference number is correct? the GWF one or the one given by VFS after submitting the application. It has a format like this DHAK/../../1.


I haven't had that exact situation happen to me but I would reply with your name exactly as it appears on the passport on file, and both reference numbers in the email subject, and then again in the body of the email with all attachments requested.


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## meremaid (Oct 10, 2013)

*No email yet either*



Galulie said:


> Location applying from: Canada
> Type of visa: Settlement: Wife, Category A
> Office Processing VISA: Sheffield
> Online application submitted: August 16th
> ...


Your timeline makes me feel slightly better, as UPS told me my documents were received Oct 30 but I haven't gotten an email from Sheffield yet. And a lot of people lately have been getting a very quick turnaround with the emails, so I don't know what to think. It makes me rather panicky, but I'm glad to hear there are folks who didn't hear for a few weeks or who didn't hear at all! Still, I'd feel a million times better if I'd just get that email confirming they received it....


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