# UKBA New York Visa Processing Times



## Goetzy (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi all,

I sent my application for a Fiancé(e) Visa in a month ago today. At the time, I was told it would be a waste to pay for the premium service, as the majority of applications were being processed within a few weeks.

A few weeks has passed, and every time I look at the UKBA New York Office's processing times, which they seem to update each week, it goes up. When I first sent mine in, it was at 31 working days. Then, it jumped to 39. And, now it's at 41.

My question is, should I go by the current processing times they have posted online? Or, should I go by the one closest to the date I submitted my application?


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## liam85 (May 24, 2012)

Thats a good question, but I think its one which no-one knows. 

I am in the same boat as you, got told 5 weeks when my fiancee handed her app in, latest stats on the ukba website say 2-3months! Don't know which one to believe, we are just coming up to 5 weeks now with nothing heard


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## Goetzy (Jan 30, 2012)

liam85 said:


> Thats a good question, but I think its one which no-one knows.
> 
> I am in the same boat as you, got told 5 weeks when my fiancee handed her app in, latest stats on the ukba website say 2-3months! Don't know which one to believe, we are just coming up to 5 weeks now with nothing heard


It's a tough boat to be in. It's the uncertainty that's the worst. Anyway, I appreciate the reply. Just knowing I'm not the only one is comforting!


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## oneonefourone (Sep 5, 2012)

Goetzy said:


> It's a tough boat to be in. It's the uncertainty that's the worst. Anyway, I appreciate the reply. Just knowing I'm not the only one is comforting!


My documents were received in NY on August 7. Wait times were something like 20 days, so it didn't seem worth it to pay for processing in 15. I'm on day 30 and website now says 41 days average. The email said 98% were processed in 6 weeks. Well, it's 6 weeks tomorrow and I haven't even been told an officer is looking at it.

Despite being this close, I broke down and paid for priority on Monday (17th). Based on the comments on this forum, I don't believe I'd hear in 41 days and the times keep going up by a few days every week. For $340 (after tax) I have the peace of mind that it is actually going to be looked at in the next three weeks. Here's hoping it is!!!


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## Goetzy (Jan 30, 2012)

oneonefourone said:


> My documents were received in NY on August 7. Wait times were something like 20 days, so it didn't seem worth it to pay for processing in 15. I'm on day 30 and website now says 41 days average. The email said 98% were processed in 6 weeks. Well, it's 6 weeks tomorrow and I haven't even been told an officer is looking at it.
> 
> Despite being this close, I broke down and paid for priority on Monday (17th). Based on the comments on this forum, I don't believe I'd hear in 41 days and the times keep going up by a few days every week. For $340 (after tax) I have the peace of mind that it is actually going to be looked at in the next three weeks. Here's hoping it is!!!


I didn't know that you could pay for priority processing after handing in the application? How did you do that?


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## oneonefourone (Sep 5, 2012)

Goetzy said:


> I didn't know that you could pay for priority processing after handing in the application? How did you do that?


I asked on this wonderful forum (it's so nice to know others out there are also going crazy..) and was told I could retro-actively pay for priority. I contacted Worldbridge to be sure and this is what they said:

If you would like to expedite the processing of you application after submitting your documents, please take the following procedure;

Please provide a signed letter requesting the expedited service (one letter for each applicant), including the following information:

• Your full name and date of birth as it appears on the application;

• GWF number (received by applicant upon completion of the online application form);

• Transaction ID number (received by e-mail after online payment has been made).

• The Settlement Priority Service payment receipt

You may send that information by e-mail:

E-mail: [email protected] – Make sure you write “Settlement Priority Service Request” on the subject line.

In order to obtain information about how to apply for a Settlement Priority Service , please access the website www.visainfoservices.com choose the country from where you are applying (CANADA) and then click on the link “Additional services”.



You need to go onto the Other Services section of Worldbridge and select priority to pay.

I've already had an email confirming they received payment and have added me to the priority queue. It's almost silly... I would possibly have heard around the same time anyway in the first-second week of October, but I really need to have that as more of a guarantee so I can make plans. My apartment here is gone for Nov 1... Eep.

I also would have paid originally, but on the NY UKBA site it says priority is only available to American residents. I think they should correct this, considering for all intents and purposes our Canadian applications are considered to be handled by UKBA NY...


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## oneonefourone (Sep 5, 2012)

I'd definitely recommend you go for the priority service.

I just stumbled on this, and it amused me... There's a facebook page run by someone at the UKBA. The admin seems to have been on holiday or overwhelmed from mid-July to late August if you look at the account posting history. They have a history of updating when general applications go around 12-13 days stating they have a "high volume". Yet settlement applications going from 19 to 41 days in the span of a month and a half bears no mention... 

At any rate, it's another source of timeline info, though most of the recent activity is around tier 4's. 

https://www.facebook.com/ukba.in.the.usa


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## kzaki (Oct 5, 2011)

Where do they show current processing times? The only page I've found is the one that shows the last months stats.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

UK Border Agency news and updates


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## kzaki (Oct 5, 2011)

Thanks!

Edit: probably should have just hit the thanks button. :-/


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