Visit visa for UK

[monsieurhappy]

We are hoping to go to UK this year! My wife applied for visa and was interviewed on May 5th.

Back then it was taking between 3 and 6 weeks to get visa,

After 5 weeks we received email from UKVI Deli to say the visa applications were taking longer because of the Ukraine refugee situation and were now taking 9 to 10 weeks.

It is now 11 weeks since her interview and planes are filling up and prices are going through the roof!

Is there any way we can find out if my wifes visa will come through soon or can throw any light on this situation?

Thanks!

[jimn]

As you said its taking longer and longer. They are quoting over 9 weeks now but many applications are taking longer. We were lucky my wifes 10 year visa was back in her hands in under 3 weeks in April.

Just a small correction to your post. There is no such thing as an interview when your wife visited VFS to submit the application. VFS are simply a post box to submit the application, they do not do interviews, they just forward the documents to VKV1 and report back on the decision.

[Jaxxper]

My wife applied first week of June for a standard visitor visa. She asked how long the lead time was and VFS told her, “expect 12 weeks”

[metisdead]

A post using ALL CAPS has been removed, please turn off your Caps Lock when posting. 

[alanrchase]

How soon before travel can you apply? If it is taking a long time can you apply 6 months before? Is a flight booking necessary for an application?

[brewsterbudgen]

1 hour ago, alanrchase said:

How soon before travel can you apply? If it is taking a long time can you apply 6 months before? Is a flight booking necessary for an application?

It's a mess as you can only apply 3 months in advance.  UKVI advise NOT to make a flight booking as the visa may be denied, although many people do it, with a refundable booking.

[monsieurhappy]

I think you can now apply 240 days before you need visa but I didn't know that at the time as before it was 3 months!

[SidJames]

When we applied the time limit before you could apply was 12 weeks but we are now into our 13th week & it's not practical to fly nor is it now affordable.

Is there a way of getting a refund that anyone can advise on?

Next time I will get the lad to apply for a French visa then get a rubber boat over to Dover.

[monsieurhappy]

I am in the same boat as you! Thursday will be 12 weeks since my wife had her interview. I am booked with KLM and although I am not 100% sure, when speaking to someone at the Bangkok office there was a glimmer of hope that I might get a cash refund minus I suppose a hefty service charge!

I have also found this site See How To Request a KLM Refund [Hot Tips & Tricks] on the web which I'll try if I have no joy with a refund!

I think it's down to whoever you might have booked a ticket with. I think they mostly offer travel vouchers but then you are committed to paying whatever they are charging and seeing as how much the fares have increased it might be cheaper to forfeit your tickets!

I would appreciate any advise from readers but please do not pick me up on my post as I know at the moment nothing is 100% !!

[theoldgit]

3 hours ago, SidJames said:

Is there a way of getting a refund that anyone can advise on?

 

https://www.gov.uk/cancel-visa

 

https://visa.vfsglobal.com/jam/en/gbr/request-a-refund

[monsieurhappy]

9 hours ago, theoldgit said:

 

https://www.gov.uk/cancel-visa

 

https://visa.vfsglobal.com/jam/en/gbr/request-a-refund

This seemed like a good idea at first until you try to use their service!!

Then it seems they send you around in circles and only telling you you cannot claim a refund if this or if that!

Why don't they just say "You're not getting your money back even though it's not your fault you have lost it!!"

I'm getting too old to work through all these pages to tell you this!!

[monsieurhappy]

This morning I sent an email to the address on the British Embassey site about the time it was taking to get a ruling on my wifes visa. This is their reply:-

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Regarding your question, the normal visa process take at least 3 months after you go for fingerprint.

 

Therefore, you have to wait a little bit more.

 

If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me back.

 

Have a nice day

 

So what happened to the 100% visa clearance in 12 weeks?

It just stinks!!

[theoldgit]

@monsieurhappyThat’s not an accurate, or even well worded, response and, given that the British Embassy play no part in the Visa process whatsoever, I suspect the reply didn’t come from them. I suspect the response came from the staff at VFS, who also play no direct part in the decision making process.

 

The UKVI Standards dictate that 90% of non-settlement applications are processed within 3 weeks, 98% within 6 weeks and 100% within 12 weeks of the application date, of course they’re no where achieving their Customer Service Standard, blaming the influx of applications from Ukraine.

 

I read that they’re now claiming an average of six weeks, but don’t disclose that the average includes those paying for the priority service, pushing the rest of us further and further down the queue.

 

The cynical amongst could think it’s a ploy to encourage more of us to pay for quicker processing.

 

 

[youreavinalaff]

On 7/26/2022 at 12:30 AM, SidJames said:

When we applied the time limit before you could apply was 12 weeks but we are now into our 13th week & it's not practical to fly nor is it now affordable.

Is there a way of getting a refund that anyone can advise on?

Next time I will get the lad to apply for a French visa then get a rubber boat over to Dover.

Excellent. Then he can spend his holiday in detention. Great idea.

[hotandsticky]

4 hours ago, monsieurhappy said:

This morning I sent an email to the address on the British Embassey site about the time it was taking to get a ruling on my wifes visa. This is their reply:-

 

Thank you for your email.

 

Regarding your question, the normal visa process take at least 3 months after you go for fingerprint.

 

Therefore, you have to wait a little bit more.

 

If you have any question please do not hesitate to contact me back.

 

Have a nice day

 

So what happened to the 100% visa clearance in 12 weeks?

It just stinks!!

 

 

That is a made up email. I call BS.

 

 

As said by OG, the British embassy are not involved in the process, I doubt that the poster paid to send an email to UKVI.

 

This is what is normally sent out by UKVI:_

 

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. THIS MAILBOX IS NOT MONITORED.

Your UK visa application is currently under consideration.

UKVI is prioritising applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine. This is in addition to significant levels of demand across all visa routes globally, following the easing of travel restrictions into the UK and standard visitor visa applications are currently taking between 9-10 weeks on average to process. We are sending you this email to acknowledge that your visa application will take longer than 6 weeks to process.

We recognise that facing delays is difficult and want to take this time to assure you that we are working to process all applications as soon as possible. We urge you not to make any bookings linked to your travel until you have received your visa.

You will be contacted by the Visa Application Centre (VAC) when your passport is ready for collection. VFS do offer an optional paid for service which permits customers to retrieve your passport whilst we continue to consider your visa application, please use the link below for more information:
https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/gbr/premium-services

We are unable to offer updates on individual cases. In cases of emergency, please contact – https://gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk for help. Please note that this is a chargeable service.

Thank you for your patience.

UKVI

 

 

[SidJames]

I called the visa office in the UK on 0300 790 6268 & explained the situation.

The lady on the phone was very understanding & said that she was going to immediately arrange for the application to be cancelled, the passport of my lad returned & for a full refund.

She did say that there was absolutely no reason why this has overun but that it wasn't the only one & she had been made aware of a number of applications that were made between late April & early May that seemed to have fallen through the cracks & hadn't been dealt with.

Whilest not best pleased with the service that we received, I am happy with the way it has handled at the end & will report back when the passport & the refund are both sorted.

 

[SidJames]

Passport delivered on Wednesday.

That's nearly 16 weeks since the application & exactly 14 weeks since the biometrics, we couldn't get an earlier date without paying for the 'premium' service.

I'll report back when(if) the refund arrives.

[jcowle]

We applied for a five year visit visa (UK) for my partner on the 25th July received the visa back on the 12th August. Very pleased with the service.

 

John

[freedomnow]

Interested to know what premium service costs is ?

Not that I'd be using it right now...a Plan B for family emergencies in UK etc in future.

[Crill]

19 hours ago, jcowle said:

We applied for a five year visit visa (UK) for my partner on the 25th July received the visa back on the 12th August. Very pleased with the service.

 

John

 Did you use the premium fast track service? 

[theoldgit]

19 hours ago, freedomnow said:

Interested to know what premium service costs is ?

Not that I'd be using it right now...a Plan B for family emergencies in UK etc in future.

 

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

 

https://visa.vfsglobal.com/tha/en/gbr/news/important-changes-to-priority-visa-services-offered-by-ukvi

[jcowle]

On 8/17/2022 at 10:07 AM, Crill said:

 Did you use the premium fast track service? 

No

[Crill]

18 hours ago, jcowle said:

No

Thanks for getting back to me. We applied on the 29th of July so hoping that we get an answer next week.

[jcowle]

5 hours ago, Crill said:

Thanks for getting back to me. We applied on the 29th of July so hoping that we get an answer next week.

Good luck hope all goes well for you.

 

John

[Crill]

On 8/19/2022 at 2:22 PM, jcowle said:

Good luck hope all goes well for you.

 

John

Thanks a lot. Have a great trip back.

All the best.

[theoldgit]

Argumentative posts removed.

[Crill]

My wife just received her visit visa. We applied on the 29th of July and received an update email to say that it had arrived and would be couriered. Although very glad to have received it so quickly (20 working days in total) I still feel a little aggrieved by the strong arm tactic by those in the VFS in regards to telling everyone it would take 9 to 11 weeks to receive unless we changed our application to a priority visa. This was my wife's 9th application so I am not sure if that sped things up a little but it seems that they are clearly trying to get the new applications done in a timely manner to help with appearances.

Best of luck to anyone applying or waiting to hear back.

[theoldgit]

4 hours ago, Crill said:

Although very glad to have received it so quickly (20 working days in total) I still feel a little aggrieved by the strong arm tactic by those in the VFS in regards to telling everyone it would take 9 to 11 weeks to receive unless we changed our application to a priority visa.

 

I'm glad to learn that the visa has been issued.

 

Whilst I'm certainly not a fan of VFS, I think you'll find that they were doing no more than relaying the advice from the UKVI about processing times, it's they that pocket the Priority fees for the application to be fast tracked, not VFS.

 

Though VFS do pocket the fees for their premium time slots to drop off passports and have the bio details captured. 

[Peter pop]

My wife has just received her UK visit visa , 14 weeks since the application.  This is the kind of service that is now expected from a failed state.  UK Citizen, 80 years old , 15 years in Thailand and nothing but failure and disappointment from the UK Government in my lifetime.  

[hotandsticky]

1 hour ago, Peter pop said:

My wife has just received her UK visit visa , 14 weeks since the application.  This is the kind of service that is now expected from a failed state.  UK Citizen, 80 years old , 15 years in Thailand and nothing but failure and disappointment from the UK Government in my lifetime.  

Given your negative opinion of the UK I am surprised that you are dragging your wife to this failed state.

 

PS, got mine in 19 days earlier this year ....that was before the published priority being given to Ukrainian refugees.

Edited August 26, 2022 by hotandsticky