UK Sett visa - 143 days waiting - no end in sight

[BEDBANDIT]

just thought id share my experience upto now with my Wifes UK settlement 

we submitted the visa 05/05/17
arrived in sheffied         08/05/17

i received an email form UK visa on 27/07/17 asking for my year 16/17 accounts . i had submitted my 15/16 year accounts as it was all i had because i had been in Thailand since January .
My accountant quickly prepared my Accounts completed my Tax return and sent it of... ( im sole trader)
so 3 days later i sent the documents required back to sheefeid via Email / scanned docs , which was hard to do because of the size off the scanned documents 
my Accounts and Accantants details 
my bank statements for year 16/17
my Completed Tax return
and they also wanted mortgage statements for a property i rent out  .
i had to break down the email into 3 emails as every-time i tried to send just the 1 email it was returned due to its large size .
i tried to get confirmation that UK visa had received the emails i had sent but got no response , i used the pay service which charges  over £5 pound to send them an email and i used the £1.37 . still no luck in finding out weather they received the 3 emails i sent .
so 3 weeks after i sent the emails i contacted my MP . i was told it could take upto six weeks for MP to look into my case . i told my MP that if she didnt find out weather or not UK visa had received the emails within 7 days , expect me to be at her office everyday until she dose .
on the 4 September ...10 days after i spoke to the Mp she wrote back, she had spoke to UK visa , they had received my emails and should make a decision within the next 4-6 weeks.
today i got  a new email from UK visa  which is below ... looks very generic to me . like its been sent out on mass.
so its now the busiest time off year ...cant see why , all the student visa should be completed buy now .... they really deserve that 3% payrise there going to get .....
hacked off something rotten 
bedbandit 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Thank you for applying for a UK visa.

 

Due to it being our busiest period, I am afraid we are unable to make a decision on your application within our usual timescale. We aim to make a decision on your application before 31 October. If for any reason we are unable to do so, we will write to you to update.

 

Staff at the visa application centres or contact centres have no influence on cases and cannot provide any further advice so we recommend you do not attend or call the contact centre. Please do not go to the Visa Application Centre until you have received written confirmation that a decision has been made on your application and that your passport is ready to be collected.

 

We understand this will be frustrating to you and regret any inconvenience caused.

 

We will contact you shortly to update you on what is happening

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 

Kind Regards,

 

UK Decision Making Centre

 

[Lickey]

At least you got a reply not a refusal,and to get  mail from them asking for an update is something,and yes,its an automated reply,I didnt even get that last year...

[BEDBANDIT]

yes  i agree . 
i was happy when i got the 1st email asking for my accounts , my thinking was if thats the only sticking point , not to bad as i can prove i more than meet the financial requirements.
but its really dragging on now .
 

[Cello]

Hi BB,

 

So you submitted the application from Thailand and remain in Thailand now, waiting to return with your Thai wife? 

 

The reason I ask is that I am about to apply with Thai wife and am trying to balance everything so we can all return to the UK together in December.

[brewsterbudgen]

6 hours ago, BEDBANDIT said:

just thought id share my experience upto now with my Wifes UK settlement 

we submitted the visa 05/05/17
arrived in sheffied         08/05/17

i received an email form UK visa on 27/07/17 asking for my year 16/17 accounts . i had submitted my 15/16 year accounts as it was all i had because i had been in Thailand since January .
My accountant quickly prepared my Accounts completed my Tax return and sent it of... ( im sole trader)
so 3 days later i sent the documents required back to sheefeid via Email / scanned docs , which was hard to do because of the size off the scanned documents 
my Accounts and Accantants details 
my bank statements for year 16/17
my Completed Tax return
and they also wanted mortgage statements for a property i rent out  .
i had to break down the email into 3 emails as every-time i tried to send just the 1 email it was returned due to its large size .
i tried to get confirmation that UK visa had received the emails i had sent but got no response , i used the pay service which charges  over £5 pound to send them an email and i used the £1.37 . still no luck in finding out weather they received the 3 emails i sent .
so 3 weeks after i sent the emails i contacted my MP . i was told it could take upto six weeks for MP to look into my case . i told my MP that if she didnt find out weather or not UK visa had received the emails within 7 days , expect me to be at her office everyday until she dose .
on the 4 September ...10 days after i spoke to the Mp she wrote back, she had spoke to UK visa , they had received my emails and should make a decision within the next 4-6 weeks.
today i got  a new email from UK visa  which is below ... looks very generic to me . like its been sent out on mass.
so its now the busiest time off year ...cant see why , all the student visa should be completed buy now .... they really deserve that 3% payrise there going to get .....
hacked off something rotten 
bedbandit 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 

Dear Sir/Madam,

 

Thank you for applying for a UK visa.

 

Due to it being our busiest period, I am afraid we are unable to make a decision on your application within our usual timescale. We aim to make a decision on your application before 31 October. If for any reason we are unable to do so, we will write to you to update.

 

Staff at the visa application centres or contact centres have no influence on cases and cannot provide any further advice so we recommend you do not attend or call the contact centre. Please do not go to the Visa Application Centre until you have received written confirmation that a decision has been made on your application and that your passport is ready to be collected.

 

We understand this will be frustrating to you and regret any inconvenience caused.

 

We will contact you shortly to update you on what is happening

 

Thank you for your understanding.

 

Kind Regards,

 

UK Decision Making Centre

 

That email seems to have been sent to everyone!  Looks like there is chaos in Sheffield.  

[bobrussell]

Unlikely to be chaos (or any more chaotic than normal) in Sheffield but this is the peak time for student visa applications and they seem to clog up the system.

Absolutely not fair or acceptable but there is often a delay at this time of year.

I suspect the added complexity of self-employed status may mean they are processed by more senior staff and leads to even longer delays.

It was not that long ago that this length of delay was the norm!

[BEDBANDIT]

13 hours ago, Cello said:

Hi BB,

 

So you submitted the application from Thailand and remain in Thailand now, waiting to return with your Thai wife? 

 

The reason I ask is that I am about to apply with Thai wife and am trying to balance everything so we can all return to the UK together in December.

hi 

no,  i have been back in the UK since the end may . left my wife and son in Thailand thinking they would be joining me approximately 2 months later ..... fool me  
 

[nontabury]

On September 26, 2017 at 9:12 AM, Cello said:

Hi BB,

 

So you submitted the application from Thailand and remain in Thailand now, waiting to return with your Thai wife? 

 

The reason I ask is that I am about to apply with Thai wife and am trying to balance everything so we can all return to the UK together in December.

Do you have a date when your wife will take the application form to the visa center? I ask this because we are trying to work to the same time frame as yourself. My wife will be taking her completed application forms in this week.

I will keep your details and let you know as soon as we hear from them,perhaps you could do the same.

[7by7]

UKVI used to advise allowing three months for a settlement visa to be processed; although many posts, including Bangkok, were usually well within this time frame.

 

I cannot find any advice on this since all applications were sent to Sheffield, nor any figures on their performance.

 

Obviously, for various reasons, some applications will take longer than the norm; such as UKVI having to request additional documents which should have been, but were not, submitted with the application.

 

Something, by the way, they are not obliged to do as the onus is upon the applicant (with the sponsor's help if necessary) to ensure the application is full and complete with all the required documents supplied.

 

From the financial requirement guidance

Quote

3.4.1. Under Appendix FM-SE there is discretion for decision-makers to defer an application pending submission of missing evidence or the correct version of it, within a reasonable deadline set for this. Decision-makers will not have to defer where they do not think that correcting the error or omission will lead to a grant

 

[Cello]

On 9/30/2017 at 5:04 PM, nontabury said:

Do you have a date when your wife will take the application form to the visa center? I ask this because we are trying to work to the same time frame as yourself. My wife will be taking her completed application forms in this week.

I will keep your details and let you know as soon as we hear from them,perhaps you could do the same.

 Hi Nontabury,

 

Sorry for the late reply, been a frantic few weeks. My wife still hasn't set a date for the via office visit yet, but we are expecting to push it all through next week and hope for Monday 6th. We are hoping for her visa to be granted granted within a month. I know it's hopeful... how have you guys done with it so far?

 

Cheers,

Tom

[nontabury]

9 minutes ago, Cello said:

 Hi Nontabury,

 

Sorry for the late reply, been a frantic few weeks. My wife still hasn't set a date for the via office visit yet, but we are expecting to push it all through next week and hope for Monday 6th. We are hoping for her visa to be granted granted within a month. I know it's hopeful... how have you guys done with it so far?

 

Cheers,

Tom

I think your being rather optimistic. Unless your prepared to pay the extra £’s for the premium service, which does not automatically guarantee you a successful conclusion.

I was under the illusion that the process takes approximately two months ( for about 90% of applicants ) now after reading, again through the web site, I see that the estimated time is 60 WORKING days. So what we’re looking at is approximately 3 months. What I don’t know, is when this time frame starts. Is it when The application is submitted in BKK, or does it start from when the documentation arrives in Sheffield. 

[rasg]

On 9/26/2017 at 4:58 PM, BEDBANDIT said:

no,  i have been back in the UK since the end may . left my wife and son in Thailand thinking they would be joining me approximately 2 months later ..... fool me  

Two months was a bit optimistic in the first place, bearing in mind, you didn't supply a set of up to date accounts. It's fortunate that they actually gave you the time to put that right. Most of the Settlement visas seem to be taking much, much longer since they moved the decision making process to Sheffield and that includes those where they pay for the premium service. I hope they stick to the time they have now told you. Did you supply an SA302?