waiting 4 months already for further leave to remain uk

[karen960]

Hi is anyone else waiting for a further leave to remain in the uk? its been four months since we made the application, 2 months earlier we completed biometrics and have not heard anything since. I have rang the home office who advised to write to them asking why the delay. I did  this last and still not had a reply. i,m unsure on what to do next. I also move house next week and scared to tell them incase it delays the process any further. The home office can only tell me if the application is complete or not, is there anyone else i can ring who can give me more advise on the application. Thankyou

[rasg]

Amazing isn't it that UKVI in Bangkok can turn visas around in a couple of weeks and as soon as the UK government takes over we have to wait forever. We applied for FLR last week and the money for the visa disappeared from my account very quickly...

 

It looks like we will be waiting a long time too.

[bobrussell]

The Home Office seem to treat FLR and ILR and Naturalisation applications with a degree of contempt. They seem to be considered very low priority, constantly being placed at the back of the queue.

Generally they will all be granted if the applicant ticks all the right boxes. The Home Office ticks the right boxes if they are decided within six months!

The time almost certainly means nothing other than the application is sitting in a big pile as student visa applications take priority!

Little respect for the fact that someone's life is to some degree on hold!

[karen960]

Thanks bob its totally unfair. I.m now going to have to change address. My husband has a job but wont be able to start until his visa is granted. We cant join new doctors as we.ve no I.D etc etc... proper pissed off. And i.ve no one to tell me if the visa is ok or if theres a problem....

[bobrussell]

These visas are very rarely refused unless someone has been very careless or has declared war crimes (and not necessarily rejected then!).

Doctors should accept you as patients as you should have paid the NHS surcharge if required. Talk to the practice manager and explain the situation.

Existing leave to remain continues to be valid until the new application has been processed so it should be possible to start work. The employer should be able to contact the Home Office for confirmation of the right to work.

The employer can go to: https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work 

[rasg]

Before we applied for FLR we had no problem registering with a doctor. We even used a letter supplied by the same doctor that cost a tenner to use as part of our evidence for FLR...

[wooloomooloo]

Quote

The home office can only tell me if the application is complete or not, is there anyone else i can ring who can give me more advise on the application.

 

Not really, unfortunately.  You'll spend a fortune on phone calls, all to no avail and merely add to an already stressful situation.

 

I can only suggest to those that can stretch to the premium is to visit the PSC.  Did it for my wife's ILR four years ago.  It wasn't the most exciting day that we've ever had but mission accomplished.  My eyes still smart at the expense of it all - taxis to Croydon, hotel stay for early appointment, food, drink and 1400 quid of the hard earned for the visa.  Oh well, we've all been there.

 

Anyway, surely your husband has some ID to register with a GP.  Does he have his biometric card available?

[SteveB2]

For those who consider a 2 month delay prior to issuance of British ILR excessive, one might want to consider the delays and uncertainties experienced by a foreigner applying for the equivalent Permanent Resident Permit in Thailand 

 

The time period to issue the Thai Residence Permit after the application has been approved and accepted by Thai Immigration HQ in Bangers is literally 'not specified' and can take typically 5 years without 'express processing payments  '... sometimes longer if an anti-foreigner government is in power - in which case, issuance of Residence Permits halts completely for a few years.

 

...and then there are the numbers of RP's actually issued here in LOS. In the UK, hundreds of thousands of people permanently move to the UK every year, and are eventually granted ILR or even UK citizenship. In Thailand, although in theory a hundred or so RP's can be issued per nationality, only around 70 are issued per year - representing only 1 foreigner PR issuance per 1 million of the Thai population annually.

 

In comparison, the UK immigration services are working at lightening speed, and their efforts should be applauded  

[bark]

Please see all the details to me. I will get this thing sorted right away.

I am not busy right now.

Signed ex UK Prime Minister

[rasg]

I can only suggest to those that can stretch to the premium is to visit the PSC.  Did it for my wife's ILR four years ago.  It wasn't the most exciting day that we've ever had but mission accomplished.  My eyes still smart at the expense of it all - taxis to Croydon, hotel stay for early appointment, food, drink and 1400 quid of the hard earned for the visa.  Oh well, we've all been there. All I used was our marriage certificate and our passports.

 

It's a lot more than that now. £811 for FLR. £500 BHS surcharge. The extra fee for the premium one day service is £600...

[karen960]

Hi all. I wish i would of visited the PSC, however i went with the online guidance of 8 weeks thinking we.d be ok. I appreciate immigration are working hard, its just frustrating not noing and not being able to move forward. I have sent a letter asking them to inform me of the delay so i guess i.ll just have to sit and wait. 

[rct99q]

Right now my wifes trv extension request is sitting at 141 days to process. That time line grows and grows every week. They do not have 5he resources to handle all of the requests. Canada.

So i wish good luck.

[laislica]

21 hours ago, wooloomooloo said:

 

Not really, unfortunately.  You'll spend a fortune on phone calls, all to no avail and merely add to an already stressful situation.

 

I can only suggest to those that can stretch to the premium is to visit the PSC.  Did it for my wife's ILR four years ago.  It wasn't the most exciting day that we've ever had but mission accomplished.  My eyes still smart at the expense of it all - taxis to Croydon, hotel stay for early appointment, food, drink and 1400 quid of the hard earned for the visa.  Oh well, we've all been there.

 

Anyway, surely your husband has some ID to register with a GP.  Does he have his biometric card available?

 

 

Your info is four years old so probably not useful.

 

The rules change very often and the only valid info is from the Horses Mouth - Immigration.

It is particularly sad when a British Citizen thinks they have a right to return to the country of their birth and bring their legally married partner with them.

We have no such right if our married partner is from an unscheduled territory!

In thinking that a general visitor visa for my wife to accompany me on a 2-3 week holiday was a formality caused her application to be rejected - On the balance of probabilities and that visa has no recourse for an appeal.

Whatever visa you apply for it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that no doubts are raised in the Imm Officers mind.

Sickening I know, but there it is.

 

Good luck

 

 

 

[wooloomooloo]

I haven't got the faintest what you're going on about, laislica.  

 

 

Edited September 15, 2016 by wooloomooloo

[7by7]

Comparing a LTR application with a visit visa one is pointless; the two are in no way similar.

 

Even though four years old, the advice that the way to get a quick turn around on any LTR application is to apply at a PSC is still sound.

 

The only thing which has changed in this regard in the last four years is the premium charge for so doing; it's now 500 quid!

 

That's on top of the actual application fee and, if an FLR application, the 500 quid NHS surcharge.

 

There is one other difference between now and four years ago; the Super Premium Service; but as that's an extra 8,750 quid I can't see why any one would use it instead of visiting a PSC!

 

[7by7]

Karen, I can only suggest that you contact UKVI again, and point out to them what it says on their own website

Quote

How long it will take

A decision will be made:

• within 8 weeks for postal applications
• usually on the same day if you use the premium service

You’ll be contacted if your application is complex and will take longer, for example:

• if your supporting documents need to be verified
• if you need to attend an interview
• because of your personal circumstances, for example, if you have a criminal conviction

and insist that they tell you there and then what is going on.

 

You've probably seen, and used, their contact details, but just in case

UK Visas and Immigration contact centre
Telephone: 0300 123 2241
Textphone: 0800 389 8289
Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4:45pm
Friday, 9am to 4:30pm
Find out about call charges

[rasg]

We chose to go with the postal service. 500 quid was simply too much on principle. It was £1311 for the visa and NHS surcharge but when you add the cost of translations and the other associated costs it is crazy. That is without the Settlement (M) visa and the cost of the wedding too. I escaped very lightly on the cost of the wedding.

 

We submitted the visa via courier over a week ago now and still haven't had an acknowlegement.

 

What I am trying to find out and nobody has been able to confirm is when my wife will be able to work. Presumably she has to wait until she has her BRP?

[rasg]

Comparing a LTR application with a visit visa one is pointless; the two are in no way similar.

 

Thanks for the contact centre info. Very useful and they actually answer the phone!

 

Just been informed that they no longer send acknowledgements that they have even received your application. 6 weeks to receive the BRP letter.

 

I am pretty convinced  that they deliberately drag their feet on applications to push people into going to the Premium Service centres.

[karen960]

7 by 7 i have been ringing that number every week lol. I have sent a letter recorded delivery. I have demanded, used the softly/sorry for me approach but they always reply you.ll have to wait. So wait it will have to be. Just hope husband dosent loose his new job cause of waiting. 

[bobrussell]

I am amazed to see the claim on the UKVI website that a decision will be made within eight weeks for postal applications. That is the first time that figure seems to have appeared. It has always been within six months of the application date!

Unless I am misreading the situation this may well be a mistake on their site - or wishful thinking!

[rasg]

I do hope it's not six months! I called the Home Office the other day to ask why I hadn't received a confirmation and the woman I spoke to told me we would have the BRP letter within six weeks.

[bobrussell]

I have not been involved in any FLR applications but every other postal visa application right up to and including naturalisation for my sister in law last year, has taken pretty much six months each time.

It may be that FLR applications are considered more straight forward hence the stated 8 weeks on the website.

It is very difficult to find the statistics for processing times as it gets placed on spreadsheets rather than easy access. Someone else may be able to find times in clear English, I cannot!

Processing time for many applications is minutes, getting to the application takes weeks.

 

Edit: Just checked another forum and many do seem to be processed within a couple of months but it is not that uncommon for them to take longer. UKVI citing more complex cases even if there does not appear to be any complexity involved!

Edited September 21, 2016 by bobrussell
updated information

[charlieboy1]

hi me and my partner have done the FLR twice and both time,s you won,t believe me it took way over a year the second one took 18 months to get the visa. and try and give them a call see if you can get through to them its a fxxxxxg joke. my partner works in a local school and ask to see her visa now and again although she is still legally in the uk while the visa process is going on trying to explain to her employers why we still have not got a visa to show them after a year of waiting gets hard even with showing them the letter from the ukba stating that she is still ok to work and live in the uk while the visa is processed. we are putting in for ILR in October as the 5 years are up I will see how long that takes. good luck with yours

[charlieboy1]

6 minutes ago, charlieboy1 said:

hi me and my partner have done the FLR twice and both time,s you won,t believe me it took way over a year the second one took 18 months to get the visa. and try and give them a call see if you can get through to them its a fxxxxxg joke. my partner works in a local school and ask to see her visa now and again although she is still legally in the uk while the visa process is going on trying to explain to her employers why we still have not got a visa to show them after a year of waiting gets hard even with showing them the letter from the ukba stating that she is still ok to work and live in the uk while the visa is processed. we are putting in for ILR in October as the 5 years are up I will see how long that takes. good luck with yours. And don't laugh my daughter in law who lives next door to me works for the ukba but mums the word with her she signed the secrets act

I think the ukba are overloaded with all the people coming over in boats

Edited September 26, 2016 by charlieboy1

[7by7]

Charlieboy1, from what little you have told us in another topic, your partner's situation is far from normal. For a start, she did not enter the UK with a spouse/partner visa and as you have said she is using form SET(O) to apply for ILR she presumably used FLR(O) for her FLR applications.

 

Therefore she is not following the normal partner route and so, with respect, her experiences are extremely unlikely to be relevant to those, such as karen90's and rasg's partners, who are.

 

9 hours ago, charlieboy1 said:

I think the ukba are overloaded with all the people coming over in boats

 

Doubtful; UKVI do not handle asylum applications for the Greek and Italian governments!

[charlieboy1]

I know what your saying in our case but the ukvi still give you a rough set turn around time of I think 12 weeks and yes ours is a bit more involved but way over a year for the first one and then almost 18 months for the second one nothing had change with us from the first visa granted. well I will be interested to know how long karen90 takes she as been waiting 4 months already and yet I have local friends that have done the normal partner route and had a visa back in two months. I know how karen90 feels when you have to put your life on hold for people that you don't know or can not even speak to them. I called ukvi help number twice last week and both times it rang for an hour at my cost and never got to talk to anyone.

[bobrussell]

In theory the delay should not be a problem because the applicant maintains his or her existing immigration status until a decision is made.

In the real world people feel in limbo. Employers are concerned that they may be fined, potential new employers take on other people instead. Also it is not possible for people to travel easily because key documents are sitting in a pile waiting to receive attention.

It is pointless phoning because these applications are sitting in a pile until such time as someone gets round to them. No action, nothing to report or log on the computer system.

There is the faintest chance that contacting your MP might concentrate the minds of UKVI staff but don't count on it! They get fobbed off too!

The UKVI helpline seems to work moderately well for EU applications but I have found the premium rate non-EU 'helpline' particularly unhelpful if they bother answering at all.

[rasg]

The UKVI helpline seems to work moderately well for EU applications but I have found the premium rate non-EU 'helpline' particularly unhelpful if they bother answering at all.

 

The premium rate non EU number was answered very quickly indeed for me when I had a query last year. They wanted my CC number also very quickly and the cost went whizzing up just as quickly. Shame the woman on the other end had no clue what she was on about and my question went unanswered.

 

If you are applying for FLR after a Fiancée visa your life is on hold. My wife cannot work until her BRP arrives and because the Home Office has our passports we can’t travel even if we want to or apply for simple things like an NI number. (As far as I can see any way).

 

In many ways I wish we had gone for the Premium Service but I know when I am being ripped off and decided enough had been spent.

 

No problem getting through to the Home Office by phone last week and the woman last week told me we could expect to wait six weeks for the BRP letter.

[maxtwo]

When we went though it it appeared that they work on a case once a month on the date they received the application.Hit a holiday lose a month.

[TCA]

I truly sympathise with Karen's position. It really is unacceptable. As linked by 7by7, the government website still says decisions on postal applications will be made within 8 weeks and they will contact you if your application is taking longer for whatever reason. For neither to have happened it's pretty disgraceful.

 

I don't know what current FLR waiting times are (other than the supposed maximum 8 weeks), but my wife made her FLR application on 12th December 2015 and the decision letter was dated 4th January 2016. So that's just over 3 weeks, which even includes Xmas and New Year. Something is definitely amiss in Karen's case and it's pathetic that you can't get someone on the phone to tell you exactly what's happened. Hope it gets sorted Karen, and soon.