UK Visa Timelines Please Add Yours Here

[Fish Head Soup]

Please add your current applications here. That way people can get a good idea of what is going on with regard to the application and processing times.

 

I hope this is allowed. Thanks.

 

Visa Type: Settlement (Wife)

Application Type: Non priority

VFS Office: Bangkok

Online Application: 22-12-2017

Biometrics taken: 04-01-2018

Documents sent to Sheffield: 15-01-2018

Documents returned from Sheffield: 26-01-2018

Decision Made: N/A

Email to collect passport/telling passport returned: N/A

Visa Approved?: N/A

 

 

[Creweser]

Visa Type: Settlement (Partner) - having previously received 6 visitor visas.

Application Type: Non priority

VFS Office: Bangkok

Online Application: 30-11-2017

Biometrics taken: 08-12-2017

Documents scanned to Sheffield by VFS: 08-12-2017 (I assume)

Confirmation email received from Sheffield: 13-12-2017

Decision Made: N/A

Email to collect passport/telling passport returned: N/A

Visa Approved?: N/A

 

I can check processing times on the UK Gov website, but it does not state when the clock starts ticking - can anybody advise please ??

[Fish Head Soup]

8 hours ago, Creweser said:

I can check processing times on the UK Gov website, but it does not state when the clock starts ticking - can anybody advise please ??

From the date of biometrics being taken.

[Creweser]

Many thanks.

[Cyclone88]

15th November. 

Not heard a thing yet.

[Fish Head Soup]

On 2/17/2018 at 12:04 AM, Cyclone88 said:

15th November. 

Not heard a thing yet.

A little more info might be helpful Cyclone

[Creweser]

Still no word on our application - according to the latest Gov.UK processing times, 86% of applications are processed within 60 working days (previously 100% I think ?). I reckon 60 days are up for us tomorrow & our planned travel date is only 3 weeks away, so I'm going to try their email enquiry service - has anybody tried this service ??

 

https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk/y/outside-the-uk/english

[Creweser]

I don't know if anybody is following this thread but I sent my enquiry today & within hours received a response that a decision on our application had been made - coincidence or what ??  We've paid for the courier service to return my partner's passport - so fingers crossed !

[Fish Head Soup]

3 hours ago, Creweser said:

I don't know if anybody is following this thread but I sent my enquiry today & within hours received a response that a decision on our application had been made - coincidence or what ??  We've paid for the courier service to return my partner's passport - so fingers crossed !

I have read on an immigration forum that many people get this response to the initial inquiry e-mail and than later find that the application has not even yet been processed. I'm certainly not saying this is the case for you but...

[Creweser]

Oh bugger, that's a worry - how could they do that to people.

I certainly can't see our EMS tracking number on the system yet !

What action did people take after this happened to them - did it say on the other forum ?

[Creweser]

Whey hey, things are looking up  - EMS tracking number is on the system at last.

Just need a positive outcome now !

[Fish Head Soup]

12 hours ago, Creweser said:

Whey hey, things are looking up  - EMS tracking number is on the system at last.

Just need a positive outcome now !

Good luck, I'm sure it will be a positive outcome. We are 4 weeks behind you with our application. So hopefully will hear something first couple of weeks in April.

 

Let us know the result!

[Creweser]

Yes, success - cheers mate, best of luck with yours. I wonder if it may be worth you making an enquiry sooner rather than later - it still seems a heck of a coincidence that I was informed that a decision had been made within hours of me emailing them !!

Good luck also to anybody else who may be reading this & going through the same torturous process !

[virtualm]

First post, lurker on here. But wanted to share this. Thai UK tourist visa 6 months approved for Thai girlfriend:-

 

Visa Type: Tourist (Thai gf)

Application Type: Non priority

VFS Office: Bangkok

Online Application: 16-02-2018

Biometrics taken: 27-02-2018

Documents sent to Sheffield: 27-02-2018 (not sure if Sheffield?)

Documents returned from Sheffield: 9-03-2018 (I think they were sent from BK?)

Decision Made: Yes

Email to collect passport/telling passport returned:  5-3-18

Visa Approved?: Yes (9-03-2018)

 

 

We did it ourselves as well, we did not use an agent and saved 25,000baht. Really recommend guys do the application themselves, and be 100% honest. As long as you've got a solid relationship, some money in the bank, you should be OK. It took us 10 hours to do the VFS application and then prepare my sponsor pack.

 

I am so chuffed about this especially as we did it all ourselves.

 

[Fish Head Soup]

12 hours ago, virtualm said:

As long as you've got a solid relationship, some money in the bank, you should be OK.

 

Not necessarily, my wife and I have been married for 8 years and together over a decade, we showed available funds of over 100K sterling held in UK bank and she had a visit visa refused. The reason being that they thought she may not return to Thailand after the visa expires which I kind of understand as we had been living together all that time in Thailand, I'm working in a good job in the UK now, own property here, she has no children in Thailand, yes why would she return other than for the somtam?

 

We are now waiting the result on a settlement visa.

[Here It Is]

9 minutes ago, Fish Head Soup said:

We are now waiting the result on a settlement visa.

Totally different set of criteria from a visit visa.  We skipped that crap and went straight to settlement.  Wife's a dutiful British citizen now.  

[Fish Head Soup]

1 minute ago, Here It Is said:

Totally different set of criteria from a visit visa.  We skipped that crap and went straight to settlement.  Wife's a dutiful British citizen now.  

Indeed, her visit visa was refused and now her settlement visa application is being processed. The given reason for refusal of the visit visa is actually of benefit in the application of the settlement visa.

 

We should hear back soon enough.

[virtualm]

32 minutes ago, Fish Head Soup said:

Not necessarily, my wife and I have been married for 8 years and together over a decade, we showed available funds of over 100K sterling held in UK bank and she had a visit visa refused. The reason being that they thought she may not return to Thailand after the visa expires which I kind of understand as we had been living together all that time in Thailand, I'm working in a good job in the UK now, own property here, she has no children in Thailand, yes why would she return other than for the somtam?

 

We are now waiting the result on a settlement visa.

 Yeah I see your point, seems really unfair. Maybe I should add my Thai gf has a house & land in her hometown. Maybe that swung it?  Did you work in Thailand as well as I was able to show my expired work permit. And we lived together for about a year, It took my ages to get the sponsor pack together, the pack was about 30 pages long. But it worked for us. 

 

Out of interest has she been to the UK before?

[Fish Head Soup]

2 minutes ago, virtualm said:

 Yeah I see your point, seems really unfair. Maybe I should add my Thai gf has a house & land in her hometown. Maybe that swung it?  Did you work in Thailand as well as I was able to show my expired work permit. And we lived together for about a year, It took my ages to get the sponsor pack together, the pack was about 30 pages long. But it worked for us. 

 

Out of interest has she been to the UK before?

I worked in Thailand for 9 years and then in Singapore commuting from Bangkok early on a Monday morning and returning to Bangkok Thursday lunchtime, I did that for nearly 5 years.

 

My wife owns a house and land in her hometown and also a condo in Bangkok, ownership of property and/or land is irrelevant to a visa application for the UK. The fact is the ECO knew that I was re-settled in the UK and that obviously she would be looking to follow suit due to us being together for over a decade, the funny thing is that at that time we had no intention for her to settle in the UK, and I was already looking to transfer back to SE Asia.

 

Now if she gets her settlement visa we will get her British citizenship in 5 years and then move back.

[Here It Is]

1 minute ago, Fish Head Soup said:

Now if she gets her settlement visa we will get her British citizenship in 5 years and then move back.

It's a long road.  Good luck.

[Fish Head Soup]

36 minutes ago, virtualm said:

Out of interest has she been to the UK before?

Yes we have traveled to the UK together 4 times in the past 10 years, each time was while I was working in SE Asia and it was quite obvious that we would be returning. I was quite shocked when her visa was refused the last time, but after looking further research it was quite obvious.

 

We live and learn. I hope your girlfriend enjoys her holiday.

[virtualm]

12 hours ago, Fish Head Soup said:

Yes we have traveled to the UK together 4 times in the past 10 years, each time was while I was working in SE Asia and it was quite obvious that we would be returning. I was quite shocked when her visa was refused the last time, but after looking further research it was quite obvious.

 

We live and learn. I hope your girlfriend enjoys her holiday.

Good luck, sounds a right PITA.

[Guemlum]

Whey hey, things are looking up  - EMS tracking number is on the system at last.

Just need a positive outcome now !

 

Do you have the link to the EMS tracking that you talk about?

 

Regards

 

Guemlum

Edited March 18, 2018 by Guemlum
forgot to include "quote"

[Fish Head Soup]

1 hour ago, Guemlum said:

Do you have the link to the EMS tracking that you talk about?

 

Regards

 

Guemlum

Have you received a decision made email from them?

[Guemlum]

No.

 

Sorry, but perhaps I've misread this. I thought this may have been a number my wife would have been given at the time of submitting her paperwork in Bangkok, which could then be used to track its progress. Obviously, I'm wrong. Where does the EMS tracking number come from?

 

We have received an email stating "Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer", but that's about it.

 

Regards

 

Guemlum

[brewsterbudgen]

First post, lurker on here. But wanted to share this. Thai UK tourist visa 6 months approved for Thai girlfriend:-

 

Visa Type: Tourist (Thai gf)

Application Type: Non priority

VFS Office: Bangkok

Online Application: 16-02-2018

Biometrics taken: 27-02-2018

Documents sent to Sheffield: 27-02-2018 (not sure if Sheffield?)

Documents returned from Sheffield: 9-03-2018 (I think they were sent from BK?)

Decision Made: Yes

Email to collect passport/telling passport returned:  5-3-18

Visa Approved?: Yes (9-03-2018)

 

 

We did it ourselves as well, we did not use an agent and saved 25,000baht. Really recommend guys do the application themselves, and be 100% honest. As long as you've got a solid relationship, some money in the bank, you should be OK. It took us 10 hours to do the VFS application and then prepare my sponsor pack.

 

I am so chuffed about this especially as we did it all ourselves.

 

Visitor visas are still dealt with in Bangkok, although this will be changing soon. Turn-round is usually within 10 days.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Creweser]

4 hours ago, Guemlum said:

No.

 

Sorry, but perhaps I've misread this. I thought this may have been a number my wife would have been given at the time of submitting her paperwork in Bangkok, which could then be used to track its progress. Obviously, I'm wrong. Where does the EMS tracking number come from?

 

We have received an email stating "Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer", but that's about it.

 

Regards

 

Guemlum

Yes, the number is given when submitting paperwork / biometrics in Bangkok - if you choose the option to have your passport mailed back to you that is (cost about 250 baht I think).   

http://track.thailandpost.com/tracking/default.aspx

[Fish Head Soup]

6 hours ago, Guemlum said:

No.

 

Sorry, but perhaps I've misread this. I thought this may have been a number my wife would have been given at the time of submitting her paperwork in Bangkok, which could then be used to track its progress. Obviously, I'm wrong. Where does the EMS tracking number come from?

 

We have received an email stating "Your application is currently being prepared for consideration by an Entry Clearance Officer", but that's about it.

 

Regards

 

Guemlum

What date did you apply?

 

Online application date?

Biometrics taken date?

Documents submitted date?

[SantiSuk]

2-day service start to finish

 

Visa Type: Short visit 6 months for de facto adopted Thai daughter* 

Application Type: Priority Service - together with walk-in-unannounced appointment and premium lounge services

VFS Office: Bangkok

Online Application: Completed early March 2018 with standard appointment booked on 22 March. Then decided had to act much faster as Schengen country visa applications for the continental bits of a European tour of sights and family risked running out of time, given long processing times quoted by France (or Germany); plus impact of Easter/Songkran thereon 

Biometrics taken: must have been done on previous visits

Appointment and submission of application: 13th March 2018 16:40pm. Walked in unannounced and ushered in straight away to dedicated facilities; allowed me 30 minutes to collect thoughts, assemble papers and do a bit of last minute copying before chatting to application handling clerk. Very informal no problem with me doing the presenting. My 21 yo daughter was asked no questions, but clerk had already read sponsor letter and must have formed view that this was a no-brainer.

Notification of process completion: 27 hours later on 14th March (no indication as per usual, but obviously not a refusal!)

Receipt of passport + visa 15th March 15:30pm, by collection at Trendy (47 hours after submission - promised service delivery is max 5 working days). They did make us wait nearly an hour to hand the passports back along with very few others waiting to collect - for no apparent reason; VFS punishment for not paying for passport return premium fee courier service???

 

Money talks if you are in a hurry (or applying for business etc visas)! The service mix I quote above cost 11,800 baht in additional fees to the US$ 128 standard fee. The element within that quoted for a walk-in-appointment (around 1,500 baht) was so much less than the alternative of booking a priority time appointment within the next day or so (US $110) that the illogicality of it spooked me and I therefore paid another GBP10 in a UK VI call center phone call to confirm these VFS guys were for real. UKVI merely confirmed what I had read and commented that it must be so (and it was).

 

Premium fees for premium service highly recommended. Next time I'll plan ahead a lot better!

 

 

* No papers or any documented custody status by either my Thai wife or I. But it's a 7 year adoption and this will be fourth time our family group has visited the UK. Application needed lots of supporting docs but was otherwise very straightforward for them to give a yes, based on prior history (ie low risk of disappearance of applicant into the UK netherworld!)

[Guemlum]

Thanks Creweser.