Uk Settlement Visa - Sms Updates

[coltc]

Hi all. First post here. My wife and I applied for settlement visa to the UK on 7 November.

When we submitted the visa, we also paid for the "SMS update" service (75 baht).

We had one email from them saying the application had been forwarded to UKBA on 7 November, and since then just silence.

Can anyone please tell me:

1. What SMS updates should we receive? I thought they'd tell us that, for example, a case officer had been appointed etc... Curious to know the sequence of updates we should expect

2. Assuming they will tell us that an officer has been assigned, what's the average time from then until a visa decision? I ask because we're getting in the danger zone for having to move flights.

Anyone else here applied around the same time?!

Any help appreciated!

[Steve77r]

If you lucky you will get an SMS telling you that a decision has been made and its ready for collection. They dont give any notification about processing at the embassy.

[Kiggs]

We didn't even get a mail or SMS saying it had been sent to the embassy.

As for the time frame... we applied on the 19th October and steve on the 14(ish) and we are both still waiting!!!

Don't make plans as they will get shit on!

Edited January 11, 2013 by Kiggs

[coltc]

Ha, thanks guys. Just saw both your posts on a 40+ page thread along these lines

So I think you four are ahead of me (7th Nov) in the Q:

Wilbs - 10 Oct, decided 21 Dec

Steve77r - 14 Oct, still waiting

Kiggs - 19 Oct, still waiting

Dan1 - 26 Oct, assume still waiting(?)

Hm, guess I'm killing time in BK for a while longer. Anyone else here applied for settlement visas in Oct-Nov time?

Cheers

[Kiggs]

Ye spoke to Dan the other night he's still waiting.

I think that's about everyone.

[durhamboy]

I'm still waiting. Applied 19 October - same day as Kiggs

[coltc]

Next week's the week for you fellas, I reckon

[durhamboy]

Isnt it disgusting that we get charged c.900 quid for a visa and VFS want to charge us an extra 75 baht for a couple of 2 baht SMS texts! I believe you just get 2 text messages - one when it goes to the embassy and one when the decision has been made.

Also their "Tracking" system is a joke - only 2 messages and the same as the SMS - one tells you it has gone to the embassy and + 3months later it might tell you it has come back when you would have had an SMS and email to tell you this anyway. So what purpose does it serve?

[coltc]

Haha, I know right! It would be like FedEx charging you extra for tracking and then only telling you when you've received it - totally pointless

I'd love to know whether UKBA actually turns a profit in its visa processing; or whether we have to pay once for the visa and then a second time as taxpayers.