Uk Settlement Visa Processing Times Update

[ThaiVisaExpress]

I received this this morning from the UK/BA.

Dear Paul

Thanks for your email dated 14^th February. We are currently not meeting the 12 week turnaround times for settlement applications. A message will be posted on the UK Border Agency in Thailand website over the next few days to advise applicants of this. We are expecting more resources over the next few weeks to help us bring these turnaround times down.

[durhamboy]

If the UKBA were a commercial company they would have gone bust years ago!

We pay about 900 quid for a visa application and they can't make a decision within 3 months! Unbelievable!

Part of the problem is that legally they owe no "duty of care" to either the applicant or the sponsor. So who are they really accountable to? Only an Inspectors' Audit and I believe that is internal.

The new rules should have made it easier for ECOs to make a decision as it really has just become a tick box exercise and I think a lot of applications can be assessed in an hour (and I think that's being generous).

I really wonder how they organise themselves. For example they should look at applications on a First In First Out basis but you can tell from their published figures that they dont.

Another thing is that the TB certificate is only valid for 6 months and applicants are supposed to have 3 months in order to arrange their affairs before going to the UK. As the TB cert must be gotten before the application then there is a danger that it may have to be retaken and paid again.

Bottom line is that UKBA dont really care and it is yet another example of their disdain for applicants. They wont even discuss their problems by having meetings with the visa companies whereas I believe their counterparts at the Australian Embassy do have such meetings.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

The Australian Embassy take up to 12 months on settlement applications.

[Phillsb]

Even though its 4 times longer austrailians spouse visas have more flexablitiy..... And the uk visa is annonumus and there should be more interaction and knowledge of the process.... Ive been waiting for 13 weeks with still no word apart from a inpersonal memo on the ukba website that they can take upto 15 weeks.... And in this time i have renewed my rental agreement and my mrs tb test is nearly out of date.... And theres TB rife in the UK now from Indian And Sri Lankan students..... Which is fact.... The systems a joke

[Somtamme]

I totally agree that the charges have no bearing to the complexity or time taken to process the application. We decided premium service at c.£1380 and got the decision within 2 hrs. All this gets you is the processing of your application. I totally agree that the standard of service is poor, but when this Gov't have made severe cut-backs its not surprising. But, all I would hope is the fee goes to the ECO, maintenance of their website and a much better customer service when phoning, but not towards any review into LIfe in UK test and definintely not to support Teresa May or her civil servant advisors.