For others still waiting the wait time has gone down dramatically

I hope so, we submitted ours a week ago and were advised *up to 15 weeks* - 8-10 weeks would be ideal for us

Good luck. When you take out Easter and Songran holiday ours was only 7 weeks!

I was terrified reading the stories here of people waiting 13/14/15 weeks as it would really has messed with my plans.

Good luck. When you take out Easter and Songran holiday ours was only 7 weeks!

I was terrified reading the stories here of people waiting 13/14/15 weeks as it would really has messed with my plans.

If it goes the full 15 weeks it wont disrupt our plans at all, we figured Mid-late august. If we can get it sooner then we can get back to the UK and enjoy some of the summer months and get our plans rolling that little bit quicker... Do you think that a more solid application would be processed quicker than a more dubious one, or doesn't it matter? Just curious.

Good luck. When you take out Easter and Songran holiday ours was only 7 weeks!

I was terrified reading the stories here of people waiting 13/14/15 weeks as it would really has messed with my plans.

If it goes the full 15 weeks it wont disrupt our plans at all, we figured Mid-late august. If we can get it sooner then we can get back to the UK and enjoy some of the summer months and get our plans rolling that little bit quicker... Do you think that a more solid application would be processed quicker than a more dubious one, or doesn't it matter? Just curious.

I think the difference is minimal. Only requests for extra documents missing would make a difference IMHO.

We had previous visitors visas and did it the same way, just adding financial and housing info as I knew that would be the only real area he would study in big detail. (we incuded less than 10 pictures, I saw someone telling you to send 70!)

I think alot of people over estimate how much time ECOs spend on these! They get seen in the order they are received and a decision probably becomes clear to him after minutes rather than hours.

I think the difference is minimal. Only requests for extra documents missing would make a difference IMHO.

We had previous visitors visas and did it the same way, just adding financial and housing info as I knew that would be the only real area he would study in big detail. (we incuded less than 10 pictures, I saw someone telling you to send 70!)

I think alot of people over estimate how much time ECOs spend on these! They get seen in the order they are received and a decision probably becomes clear to him after minutes rather than hours.

We ended up with about 30 photos in the end, improved the quality of the financial data (e-statements issued/printed by the bank with bank certification stamp and signature on all pages - front and back) along with some additional information. I think my application is quite strong and was hoping that it would improve the processing time... either way i just gotta sit and wait for notification anyway... just relax and enjoy the sun for the time being

Good luck to everyone waiting, I remember starting this thread in February 2012. It's a long wait and the hard works get harder when your both in the UK.

My wife's application was handed in on the 2nd April and we received an email on the 14th May stating a decision had been made.

Her passport arrived via the Thai post service yesterday with the visa inside!

I actually used a visa company myself and it only took 2 weeks notification by phone text from the British embassy, but this was 4 yrs ago so I expect visa regs have changed a lot since then

Processing times depend mainly on how busy they are.

Unless there are urgent compassionate grounds for jumping the queue, applications are processed in the order they are received; although some may take longer than others if the ECO needs to check something.

Apply at a quiet period and the processing time will be short (I know of some settlement applications which took less than a week); apply at a busy period and it's going to take longer.

Employing an agent will have absolutely no effect on this. Agents cannot speed up the process nor have they any influence whatsoever upon the ECOs. Any agent who says that they can or that they have is lying!

Yes, the rules for family settlement changed considerably last July. What effect these changes will have on overall processing times is too early to say for sure.

Congratulations and best wishes to those who have been successful; good luck to those still waiting.

Edited May 19, 201313 yr by 7by7

Not strictly on topic, but maybe of interest. UKBA have now introduced, in India only at the moment, a Super Priority Service for visit visas. It's a same day service, and it only costs 600 GBP ( not including the visa fee!).

I can't believe that UKBA will have taken on extra staff to provide this service, and I think other services will have to suffer if applicant's use the service. It is not yet introduced worldwide, but it may be coming to an application centre near you soon !

@TVE

I thought the £600 figure you quoted might have been a typo, but it wasn't, what a bargain!

@TVE

I thought the £600 figure you quoted might have been a typo, but it wasn't, what a bargain!

It is obviously aimed at business types. Not for the hoi-polloi like us. But it does show how quick they could work, if pushed ( or given an incentive).

My wife's application was handed in on the 2nd April and we received an email on the 14th May stating a decision had been made.

Her passport arrived via the Thai post service yesterday with the visa inside!

Now that is quick. 6 weeks. Even faster than the times reported last week. With Songkran in the middle too. I won't read too much into it though, because I guess if they get a run of complicated applications then it must slow them down. Encouraging though.

Congratulations by the way!

We submitted on the 10th of April so im thinking we should hear something soon , only thing is that my wife will have to travel to Bangkok to pick up her passport and docs as they said it was too heavy to send by courier

@TVE

I thought the £600 figure you quoted might have been a typo, but it wasn't, what a bargain!

It is obviously aimed at business types. Not for the hoi-polloi like us. But it does show how quick they could work, if pushed ( or given an incentive).

Yeh, Cameron went over not too long ago trying to build on business links, he also said he wanted visas to be easier for indian business applicants, personally i don't see this fast track option going global, would sure settle a lot of peoples nerves though

Just to let everyone know , that we recieved notification that a decision has been made on our application, we must now wait 2 working days before my wife can collect the documents so it will be Thurs or Fri before we find out.

My wife never had any calls from the embassy or any requests for more papers ? Is this normal because i thought there was usually a phone interview ?

Thanks

Submitted 5-4-2013 Back today visa issued.

My wife never had any calls from the embassy or any requests for more papers ? Is this normal because i thought there was usually a phone interview ?

Only if the ECO needed clarification on any point, they will try make a decision on the evidence submitted.

Fingers crossed, let us know the result.

Girl Friend called today to tell me she has had a text message from VFS,.... application has been processed and is ready for collection 11th April date of application no interview fingers crossed she has a 5am bus journey from Korat to BKK....could be here with me UK for the summer..I hope so...so much.

We received an email today from the British embassy saying a decision has been made.

We applied for a settlement visa on the 30th April, that makes it 18 working days!

That is super quick.

Also has applied more pressure of worry.

Should I?

Can't collect until a week today as our son is having a minor op.

Why did you not pay the courier fees.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Why did you not pay the courier fees.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I have always collected the passport personally on all visas my wife has had processed.

The only one I haven't which an agent did for me was refused.

More of superstition than anything!

Submitted yesterday may 27

I have always collected the passport personally on all visas my wife has had processed.

The only one I haven't which an agent did for me was refused.

More of superstition than anything!

Without meaning to pry - was your result positive or negative?

I have always collected the passport personally on all visas my wife has had processed.

The only one I haven't which an agent did for me was refused.

More of superstition than anything!

Without meaning to pry - was your result positive or negative?

Can't collect until a week today as our son is having a minor op.

You're asking too early Munter

Ahh well - i missed that bit

Anyhow - we just (10mins ago) got the email informing us that our decision has been made (we submitted the app on 10th May) - give that's real 18days - i'm quite nervous...

I will let you guys know around lunchtime Thursday on the result... if i don't reply by Friday then its a refusal and I'm still sobbing into a vodka bottle somewhere on lower sukhumvit

Anyhow - we just (10mins ago) got the email informing us that our decision has been made (we submitted the app on 10th May) - give that's real 18days - i'm quite nervous....

And now you've made me nervous - we submitted on 10th May too! Just over 2 working weeks ago. Good luck!

And now you've made me nervous - we submitted on 10th May too! Just over 2 working weeks ago. Good luck!

Did you apply in the morning, Lunchtime or afternoon? - if morning and/or lunchtime we probably were there together - My wife was the lady with the bandaged ankle whom i pretty much had to carry into VFS

And now you've made me nervous - we submitted on 10th May too! Just over 2 working weeks ago. Good luck!

Did you apply in the morning, Lunchtime or afternoon? - if morning and/or lunchtime we probably were there together

I wasn't there, just the wife. But would have been around the same time. Just checked email and nothing in. Yet .......

Submission May 3 returned today visa issued.

Submission May 3 returned today visa issued.

This is getting silly! Ha ha. So submitted on 3rd May and received in the post on 28th May. Lightning fast.

Good. Both myself and Mrs Munter are cr@ping ourselves here thinking the quick decision is due to a failure... seeing your post calms us both a little