# Clarification on visa processing times



## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

Hey all, great site.

Just wanting some clarification on visa processing.

Applied for spouse visa from the US to my uk citizen husband

Biometrics done 13 July 

Received in Sheffield 15 July 

Priority service paid for.

Emailed last week as I'd heard nothing from them and received email saying no updates, I may have wrong application ref etc, just a generic email asking to send date of birth, GWF number again etc, it was the correct number on email I originally sentI did not bother responding.

Today - 18 working days later I received email saying:

Your online application has been received in Sheffield, UK. Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer.

Please note that UKVI aims to complete all Visit Visa applications within 15 working days and all Settlement Visa applications within 12 weeks of the application date. If it is not possible to complete your application within this timeframe a member of our team will contact you to explain why. 


Does this mean they have just opened my application and processing times will be from today? I wrote priority across the front and enclosed payment receipt.

Thanks.


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## AuroraSkye (Feb 11, 2016)

Priority puts your application in front of non-priority, that's all. It does not guarantee it'll be processed within a certain time. It is peak season at the moment as well so things are moving very slowly at Sheffield.

If you follow the timeline thread, you can see how other people are doing from the US (keep in mind: different countries = different timelines). The e-mail is a generic one they should send out when they receive your application in the beginning, unfortunately some people never get this e-mail or they get it way late like you do. ^-^;;


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## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

We submitted the online application on 10 July. They received all the paperwork on the 15 July.

When exactly does my time scale start from? 

Is it from the 10th when submitted.

Is it 13th when biometrics done?

Or 15th when Ups delivered it to Sheffield?

Surely this email does not mean they have just received my online application that was submitted and paid for on the 10th.

Does it mean my paperwork has sat in a pile of applications for nearly 4 weeks and just been looked at now?

The UKVI don't make it very clear.


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## AuroraSkye (Feb 11, 2016)

That has been the age old question unfortunately. Some people swear the biometrics date or some say when your application was received (either via official e-mail or courier confirmation). As I said, the e-mail sometimes is really late or doesn't come at all. I'm honestly not sure anymore after reading all the posts now. (so either 13th or 15th for you) There have been tons of applications over this summer from the US, so they definitely have a backlog at the moment according to people's timelines. There are a few people sitting at 28 working days for priority right now I think. x.x


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## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

Thanks, I do hope those are the dates. I did read on hear that these months are busier, you would think they would enrol extra staff or offer extra overtime in anticipation, the ukvi bank balance will be overflowing with visa fees.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

For those who submit their documents when submit biometrics, it's the biometric's date. For those who post their documents, it's when they are received.


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## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

Thanks Nyclon.

One item I never enclosed is my old passport, I renewed my passport May 2014 and have no idea where my old one is. Should I send them an email explaining this? I think I have a photocopy of the bio page though. Could they refuse my visa for this?


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## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

I contacted ukvi asking if I could forward copy of old passport, this is what I got back. Plus in this email it says it can take 24 weeks to process, I though 12 weeks was the max. It also says no one has looked at my application yet, has it been sitting there since July 15?
Or is this yet another generic email that means nothing?


Thank you for contacting the UK Visas and Immigration International Enquiry
Service.

We understand that you would like to know about the current status of your
visa application. I have tracked the status (gwf********* and date of birth
*******) and found it is yet to be assessed by an Entry Clearance
Officer (ECO). Your visa application centre or the entry clearance officer
(ECO) will contact you once a decision has been made or, if necessary,
during the consideration of your application.

Please note: The visa application will be processed and decided by the
British High Commission. Neither our department, nor any of our staff, play
any part or influence the outcome of the visa application.

Though we try our best to complete the visa application process in 15
working days, each application is subject to an individual assessment and
processing times may vary, hence applicants are requested to be patient and
wait for the processing to be completed. You can check how long you'll have
to wait for a decision on your visa application in your country (if you
applied from outside the UK) by entering your details at the following
link: https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times. Please note that the actual
processing times may vary depending on a range of factors.

We have service level standards for processing UK visa applications. We
will process 90% of non-settlement applications within 3 weeks, 98% within
6 weeks and 100% within 12 weeks of the application (biometric taken) date;
and 95% of settlement applications within 12 weeks of the biometric taken
date and 100% within 24 weeks of the application (biometric taken) date.
Please note that we define 1 week as 5 working days.

Please be aware, it is not possible to submit any additional documents
after you have submitted the application.

For any further details, or should you need to contact us again please
refer to our website at https://ukvi-international.faq-help.com/, select
appropriate country, click next and then select 'E-Mail form' and complete
as instructed. We will aim to come back to you within 1 day.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

There is no max time for processing visas. Processing times vary throughout the year for a variety of reasons but there is no time limit.

If you didn't include your old visa did you explain that you couldn't find it?


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## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

IT was my old passport not visa that was not included, I thought it was lost but have since found it, my new passport began May 2014 which shows my travel to and from the UK. 

I never included a note about my old passport, after reading here I saw they ask for them. I'm hoping something like this is not reason enough to refuse me.

On my other point, this email stating my visa has yet to be processed. Does this mean it's not been looked at and entered on their system. It's 22 work days since they received it.

This whole process is stressful, my husband is here in the states with me. He has a hospital appointment towards the end of this month for an operation to remove kidney stones, the hospital cancelled once, now it's looking as though he will have to cancel this one and suffer on.

Are there any official figures to show how many applications they receive from the US each month and how many eco's they have working in that department?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

You are supposed to include old passports if you have them or explain why you don't. They may contact you and ask you to either send it or explain why you can't.

The email says it is yet to accessed so it's sitting in a pile waiting it's turn to be seen by an ECO. As already stated, priority simply puts you application ahead of non-priority applications. There are no guarantees it will be processed in a specific amount of time.

I am not aware of any public information on how many applications are received or how many ECOs there are and I don't see these figures providing any useful information.

I'm sorry about your husband's health issues but why would he have to cancel his operation?


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## Harris48 (Aug 9, 2016)

nyclon said:


> You are supposed to include old passports if you have them or explain why you don't. They may contact you and ask you to either send it or explain why you can't.
> 
> I hope they do ask for it or don't actually require it with the new passport showing a lot of travel. Hopefully this can't be used a reason for refusal, if so, it's so wrong.
> 
> ...


He is here in the States, he would have to go back to Uk without me for op.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Harris48 said:


> He is here in the States, he would have to go back to Uk without me for op.


If the operation is necessary then he should return to the UK while you remain in the US awaiting the outcome of the immigration process.

There is no need for him to "suffer on" as you put it.


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