Post your UK visa timeline here!

[B.C. Love]

Hot damn... I actually put that last post cause I seen others that did the same and recieved thier email later that day....Well the Karma worked...Email just recieved...now awaiting the answer!!!!

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Originally Posted by B.C. Love

Hot damn... I actually put that last post cause I seen others that did the same and recieved thier email later that day....Well the Karma worked...Email just recieved...now awaiting the answer!!!!

Good to hear it-I think it works along the same lines as washing the car or hanging out washing to guarantee rain

[sherson]

Country applying from: Australia
Type of visa applied for: Fiance
Date application submitted (online or in person): online Tue 29th May 2012
Date biometrics taken: Thursday 31st May 2012 in Melbourne
Office location processing your visa: Manila
Email received advising visa being dispatched: Friday 15th June 2012
Date Visa returned to Fiance in Melbourne: Tuesday 19th June 2012
Date Flight booked: Tuesday 19th June 2012
Arrival date for UK: Thursday 12th July

Yay 3 weeks on Thursday and we will be together, so so happy!!! Thanks to all you wonderful people on here for advice and reassurance and good luck to everyone who is in the process still

[loserbuttercup]

Hi

Country applying from: South Africa
Type of visa applied for: UK Settlement wife
Date application submitted: in person on May 15
Date biometrics taken: May 15
Date documentation was received by UK Border Agency office: May 16
Office location processing your visa: Pretoria
Projected timeline given: 10 days - 80 days
Date your visa was received: still waiting

I've been lurking on this message board reading what other people have to say for the past month but I only signed up today. I'm worried sick. My husband is British, we were married January 20th but we only met early September, when I was visiting the UK. He flew over to South Africa in early November, proposed upon returning home, and flew back over for our wedding and honeymoon in January. I then applied for and was granted a 6 month family visitor's visa in February and flew over to stay with him on March 1st. We were at that point unsure of whether we would be living in SA or UK, as we love both countries. Whilst I was there we decided on the UK, so I resigned from my job of 3 years and gave up my lease and extended my visit by a month. I flew back to South Africa on April 16th to stay with my mother, write IELTS and take advantage of a temporary employment opportunity from April 20th to June 1st.

It seems to be taking a really long time and I'm beside myself with worry. It was a whirlwind romance and I'm afraid that this may be grounds for them to refuse us. I supplied them with an abridged certificate (as home affairs has not yet issued the unabridged we applied for), copy of marriage register, printout of home affairs website with my ID number and marital status on it, as well as the receipt I got when I applied for the unabridged certificate. I supplied them with so much information that I can't see why it's taking so long.

I miss my husband so much. All we want is to be together. We're still newlyweds. This is killing us both

[AnAmericanInScotland]

Originally Posted by loserbuttercup

Hi

Country applying from: South Africa
Type of visa applied for: UK Settlement wife
Date application submitted: in person on May 15
Date biometrics taken: May 15
Date documentation was received by UK Border Agency office: May 16
Office location processing your visa: Pretoria
Projected timeline given: 10 days - 80 days
Date your visa was received: still waiting

Your timeline is 10-80 days. They've had your application and supporting documents since 15 May. Try to remember that those 10-80 days are business days-you have to discount weekends and holidays (including some UK bank holidays in addition to SA ones), and figure timeline from there.

The easiest way to cope with the wait is to take a calendar and count off the business days. I actually wrote in on the calendar "BD1" "BD2" "BD3" (Business Day1,etc) and so on. And I put a big red slash across each passed day.

Meanwhile, keep yourself busy during the wait-spend your time:

**Reviewing the application and supporting documents compared to the UKBA Guidance Notes for your visa-you probably have a very good app set and re-reading those UKBA publications will help you feel better. Of course, then again, maybe not-so bring those worries to the forum for 'virtual support'. You'll find comfort from the number of us who will post back 'Oh yeah, we did that too!'

**Visiting places you will likely not see again anytime soon if your application is successful-take pictures especially of childhood places, sentimental places and other things you'll miss when you are in the UK.

**Planning what you want to take to the UK with you. Start packing now-if you are granted your visa, having packed the things you want to ship already will make it a lot easier for you in the excitement of making flight arrangements, etc.

**Selling or giving away the things you don't want to take with you. That way you don't have that 'clutter' to clear up if you get your visa. Set things aside if you are reluctant to get rid of anything without a definite visa, that way you can move quickly if you do get the visa.

**Packing your suitcases for the trip-sounds silly but several of us have done that and it's amazing how it helps! What will fit in the suitcase, what has priority, is this all you are taking with you to the UK (shipping is hideously expensive and a lot of people have come over on a couple of suitcases and perhaps as few as 2-4 shipped boxes), what can you absolutely not live without in your new life...considerations like those can productively use up a lot of your waiting time

**Visiting with friends and family you won't see for a long time once you move countries.

**Exercising-I used racquetball when I was especially stressed, lol, looooooooved smacking that poor little ball against the wall Walks, a few laps across the pool, whatever works for you to reduce stress even for a little while is a tremendous help.

This waiting is one of the hardest things you'll do in life, ranks right up there with waiting for a new baby! It will seem endless, and the stress will wear you out.

All things pass, even this wait. Hard to believe right now, but true

[Stressed1111]

thanks to an americaninscotland for a very heartfelt post

your words ring very true... the stress of this is really wearing me down too

to loserbuttercup, processing times in the US/canada and Oz seem to be quicker , they also have a priority service which isnt available in other places. To me that seems unfair but thats how it is I suppose

I keep going over and over the guidelines trying to reassure myself.

Hubby submitted his app on 30/5/12, 14 working days now............feels like a lifetime....

i just cant understand whats going on because where he applied it says in april 86% where completed withing 5 days. We are not complicated so I am worried too why we have not heard

it doesnt help the the UKBA website havent updated their figures for May --- poor really!!

[2farapart]

Originally Posted by Stressed1111

i just cant understand whats going on because where he applied it says in april 86% where completed withing 5 days. We are not complicated so I am worried too why we have not heard

it doesnt help the the UKBA website havent updated their figures for May --- poor really!!

When you applied, the changes that were announced recently hadn't been widely publicised beyond a leaked letter in March so there is a big difference between 'then and now'.

They won't have received your paperwork until the first week of June I'm assuming, and almost immediately after they received it, those colossal changes are announced, alarming many who were only thinking about plans into making those plans into concrete applications real fast in order to beat the critical 9th July deadline - and that's going to hold all applications up for much longer than usual, I imagine.

Try to hang in there. If your application is straight-forward it's just going to be caught in a mighty back-log.

[Jess.L]

Country applying from: USA
Type of visa applied for: EEA FP
Date application submitted: June 2, 2012
Date biometrics taken: June 5, 2012
Date documentation was received by UK Border Agency office: June 7, 2012
Office location processing your visa: New York City
Projected timeline given: 3-12 weeks
Date your visa was received: June 20, 2012 (got the email today that the visa was issued!)

Cue the sigh of relief!

[B.C. Love]

Congrats Jess! Hope I hear something soon as well to share the joy =]

[JHoward]

Ahhh just received my "your UK visa has been issued" email!! What a relief! Hubby and I were a bit stressed as neither of us have employment lined up as we are both in US working until we leave for UK in August. And I forgot to send in CV's, job postings we may qualify for, university degrees, and travel itinerary! So over the moon that we can finally be together in the UK where we are both happiest!!

Here's my timeline:
Country applying from: US
Type of visa applied for: Settlement/spouse
Date application submitted (online or in person): online May 25th
Date biometrics taken: Thursday May 31st
Date documentation was received by UK Border Agency office: June 6th via UPS tracker, First email received 13th June that package opened. Second email received 15th June acknowledging upgrade to priority service.
Office location processing your visa: NY
Projected timeline given: 15 working days
Date Visa was moved to ECO: None given
Date Visa Issued: TODAY Thursday June 21st
Date your visa was received: Hopefully tomorrow!!!!