# UK visa will take longer than usual... what's the expected delay?



## giorgob (Oct 19, 2020)

Hi,

I just received an email stating my application is "not straightforward" and will take longer to process. I've seen several posts in the forum of people in similar situations in 2017 and 2018, but no post for 2020.

It's unrealistic to think it would be due to the volume of applicants. I highly doubt people are in a rush to ask for a UK visa in full lockdown and with no air travel available. 

Also, we asked for a VISA three times and the other 2 times the process was fast and required 5-6 business days, even without priority service. 

At this point, I have no idea what this "delay" would mean. Is it 5-6 more days? or 5-6 more weeks? 

It's astonishing to me to see they can just say "yeah you'll have to wait more" without a NEW deadline. I don't care about how long it will take as long as you give me a DATE! 

Right now, my partner and I have to leave Europe and I'm postponing the pet carrier every damn week for this VISA. It's not for us, it's for the cat. We can't just book a carrier at the last minute, so that's why we pre-booked it so at least we have it set. 

I would bring the cat by myself and let my partner (the one applying for the VISA) travel when he receives it, but that would be a stupid decision. If the answer is "no", we'll need to bring the cat back to Italy, and I can assure that won't be a cheap solution (pet carrier is 2000€ for a one-way trip).

Anyone in a similar situation? 

Giorgio


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

What visa are you applying for?


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## giorgob (Oct 19, 2020)

Hi Crawford,

Since the UK doesn't like italian civil unions (they declined our first request for a family permit under the EUSS) we applied for an unmarried partner visa. It's still a non-settlment VISA application so their deadline is 15 days and that's why we received that message today. 

I read on Reddit that users with priority service received this message after 1 day just to let them know their priority is basically fake. 

Also, the message is from the liverpool UKVCI. So it's likely due to the covid partial lockdown, not the application. So I hate the wording there.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

An unmarried partner visa can certainly lead to settlement. 

The unmarried partner visa has always had the same timescale as the spouse visa - in normal times, up to 3 months. That time period has extended due to the Covid situation. 

As far as I am aware there is no priority service at present due to backlogs and Covid restrictions.

https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement

If your application is not straightforward, plus the Covid backlog you may be waiting some time.

When did you apply?


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## giorgob (Oct 19, 2020)

Mh, but the lawyer told us it's maximum 15 days and the UK site gave us the possibility to buy priority service. 

It's an unmarried partner visa under the EUSS scheme, I think it works a little differently. Not sure though. But no one ever mentioned such long waiting times, including the UKVAC and the UKVCI we heard on the phone. 

I applied mid-September and gave biometrics Sept 30th


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

giorgob said:


> Mh, but the lawyer told us it's maximum 15 days and the UK site gave us the possibility to buy priority service.
> 
> It's an unmarried partner visa under the EUSS scheme, I think it works a little differently. Not sure though. But no one ever mentioned such long waiting times, including the UKVAC and the UKVCI we heard on the phone.
> 
> I applied mid-September and gave biometrics Sept 30th


Sounds like your lawyer gave you incorrect information. 
The unmarried partner visa is NOT under any EU scheme, it is purely under the UK Immigration laws.* (Are you talking about the EU Settlement scheme, which is completely different?*)

https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families


As per that link I gave you priority service is not available
If you only applied in September, you have some way to go yet.

As a side issue, your partner is a British citizen?


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## giorgob (Oct 19, 2020)

Well all lawyers agree it should take no more than 30 days though. I just researched a few firms and articles online and also personal experiences by individuals seem to align.

I guess there's nothing else to do than wait then...

No, he's not.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

giorgob said:


> Well all lawyers agree it should take no more than 30 days though. I just researched a few firms and articles online and also personal experiences by individuals seem to align.
> 
> I guess there's nothing else to do than wait then...
> 
> No, he's not.


Sounds like you are applying for an EU Family permit ....


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## giorgob (Oct 19, 2020)

I'm not. 

We tried that route first, because it was easy and free. But the Home Office said they don't recognize italian marriages for gay couples. 

So we're not married for the UK Home Office and we had to require an unmarried partner VISA. 

I know it sounds weird but it's actually pretty common for us. Interracial gay couples always have to produce more papers and go through weird processes.


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

Visa applications almost always take significantly longer than EEA/EUSS Family Permits. From within the UK, the standard (maximum) is 8 weeks. From outside the UK it's 12 weeks (See link at the bottom). A huge number of applicants received the same message you did; however, it seems to have been sent to people almost at random, as there are many people who received decisions shortly after receiving the message. It's not necessarily an indication that your application WILL take longer than the standard maximum, it's basically just UKVI absolving themselves of having to meet their own standards. 

An unmarried partner visa IS a settlement visa - It's exactly the same visa as a spouse or civil partnership visa. A 30-day estimate is a tight timeframe to expect a decision, and since you have a refusal in your immigration history, you need to allow more time to process than usual.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration/about-our-services


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

giorgob said:


> I'm not.
> 
> We tried that route first, because it was easy and free. But the Home Office said they don't recognize italian marriages for gay couples.
> 
> ...


Then not at all sure what it is you have applied for. If your partner is NOT a British citizen *(and you say he is not)* then you cannot have applied for an unmarried partner visa under UK immigration rules.

... and you say you have already been refused an EU Family permit........


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## giorgob (Oct 19, 2020)

I applied for an Unmarried partner VISA. 

The sponsor doesn't need to be a British Citizen: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...s-set05/unmarried-and-same-sex-partners-set05.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

giorgob said:


> I applied for an Unmarried partner VISA.
> 
> The sponsor doesn't need to be a British Citizen: https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...s-set05/unmarried-and-same-sex-partners-set05.


Incorrect: to apply for an _unmarried partner visa_ for a non EU citizen to enter and live in the UK, the sponsor HAS to be a British citizen.

A non British citizen CAN sponsor a non EU partner, but the sponsor has to be an EU citizen and then apply for the _Family permit._

You say you have already been refused a Family permit, and the sponsor is not a British citizen. (What nationalities are you?)

So, personally, I don't know what other visa you could apply for.


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## Bohnanza (Sep 6, 2016)

I received an email to say: “Although we would normally decide your application within eight weeks from the date it was submitted, unfortunately this may not be possible in your case.“

This is for a FLR spouse visa. 

I haven’t lied on my application and am over the income threshold so not overly concerned. No idea why my visa should be longer than others.


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

Crawford said:


> the sponsor HAS to be a British citizen.


Or settled (via permanent residence or ILR) in the UK. But I don't think that's the case here.

giorgob: It sounds like you are confused about what you applied for. In one post, you say you re-applied for an unmarried partner visa after an EUSS Family Permit refusal. In another post, you claim that you applied for an unmarried partner visa under the EU Settlement Scheme. I'm also totally confused about what I'm replying to now.

If you applied for anything under the EU Settlement Scheme then you did NOT apply for a 'visa'. You don't get a visa under EU rules, there is no such thing as a 'visa' under the EU Settlement Scheme because visas are issued under UK (not EU) immigration law. Furthermore, unless you are settled (permanently) in the UK, you are not actually eligible to sponsor a visa.

There are three means by which an EU national can bring an unmarried partner to the UK from another country:
1. EEA Family Permit: "Old" permit issued under EU free movement rules. Soon to be defunct but still exists
2. EUSS Family Permit: Slightly different from the EEA FP, this one is newer and specifically falls under the EU Settlement Scheme
3. Unmarried partner visa: This is under UK immigration rules and has nothing to do with EU regulations. It is expensive, requires you to meet a financial requirement, and incurs an immigration health surcharge as well. You are only eligible if one of you is 'settled' in the UK (with permanent residence, ILR, or British citizenship)

So which is it that you actually applied for?


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