UK Visit Visa Wait Times

[Captain Jack]

How long is an application for a UK visitors visa for a Thai national taking these days?

 

It's August 2021. VFS has just opened up its doors and appointments are available but scarce. They don't handle the actual visa approval of course, that's done in the UK and not affected by local COVID restrictions (although maybe slowed down in the UK?) VFS just send them the paperwork. They offer their priority (rip-off) service where for an extra 10,000 baht they'll 'very seriously try' to get you a response within a week (hell 40,000 gets you a response the next day!), but I can't find any info on how how long to expect the process to take without paying them an open bribe.

 

I seem to remember getting an answer in something like 10 days 10 years ago but what are people experiencing now? The visa starts counting down from the day it's issued so it sure would be nice to know when to expect that to happen.

[DaLa]

Last 15 visitors visas for my wife have all been around 14-21 days. Due to C-19 restrictions she hasn't applied recently. In some respects it should be quicker as they have less applications , although it may just mean they spend more time scrutinising the application.

 

Your point about the visa counting down, you can have the visa start at a future date. Thus if the date you choose is the date you will fly then you will get the full 6 months.

[hotandsticky]

15 working days.

 

That is the standard processing time as advised by VfS.

 

It usually takes a little less than that.

 

You can apply up to 3 months before the intended date of travel - and that will be the visa start date. That then becomes the earliest date on which the applicant can arrive in the UK. Although validity will be for 6 calendar months, the maximum period of stay is 180 days.

[theoldgit]

2 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

You can apply up to 3 months before the intended date of travel - and that will be the visa start date. That then becomes the earliest date on which the applicant can arrive in the UK. 

 

For the last year or so the UKVI have been dating the visa from the intended date of travel in the application though the maximum three months in advance rule still applies, it initially caught a few people out, I don't know if it's still policy. 

[hotandsticky]

3 hours ago, theoldgit said:

 

For the last year or so the UKVI have been dating the visa from the intended date of travel in the application though the maximum three months in advance rule still applies, it initially caught a few people out, I don't know if it's still policy. 

 

I am not sure if the old application forms had this much detail for arrival and departure dates. Makes sense to start the visa from the intended arrival date. Only on one occasion in the past did the ECO overlook my wife's request for post-dating the start date.

 

Your planned travel information

Date you plan to arrive in the UK

12 July 2021

Date you plan to leave the UK

10 January 2022

[Captain Jack]

Ahh. Thanks guys. Expect to wait 3 weeks for an answer and the start date can be specified up to 3 months after the application. That's easy to understand.

[Mike Teavee]

It might take a lot longer now as Thailand is on the UK's Red List so only UK Citizens can enter the UK from here... 

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england

Red list rules

What you must do if you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

You must follow these rules even if you have been fully vaccinated.

If you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish National, or you have residence rights in the UK.

 

 

Might be possible to use an interim country (Say Dubai) to get around the 10 day rule.

 

[Pmbkk]

 

Thailand is on the UK red list so you'll need to quarantine - costs below:

 

How much you’ll need to pay

	Rate
1 adult in 1 room for 10 days (11 nights)	£2,285
Additional rate for 1 adult (or child over 11)	£1,430
Additional rate for a child aged 5 to 11	£325

 

 

Unless you're desperate to get back I'd leave it a month or so and it may move back to amber list if the vaccination program in Thailand ramps up.

 

When filling in the form put extra emphasis on the reason why your partner will return to Thailand. They are very, very focused on this - Letter from employer saying they have x holiday and are expected back on y date, family, house deeds etc ?

 

When we did it years ago a few times, I think it was about 2/3 weeks - and we specified the date we were flying out and that was the start date on the visa, so not the date we received the visa from VFS.