SET(M) 5 years ONLINE application - takes longer?

[nick0811]

Acknowledgement emails are sent every month and I found both of my emails in my Junk Mail. They come from 'UK Visa & Immigration' and are sent at 11.04am. All they say is we are considering your application

Sent SET(M) application on 20th Aug and received emails 6th September and 5th October. Still waiting for decision

HI S3TM,

We still wait and submitted 5 days before you - I will for sure message you the day we receive the approval!

[S3TM]

Acknowledgement emails are sent every month and I found both of my emails in my Junk Mail. They come from 'UK Visa & Immigration' and are sent at 11.04am. All they say is we are considering your application

Sent SET(M) application on 20th Aug and received emails 6th September and 5th October. Still waiting for decision

HI S3TM,

We still wait and submitted 5 days before you - I will for sure message you the day we receive the approval!

Good luck Nick and all that are waiting!

Now that new premium service is in place and no more postal applications, I hope they start working through our applications!! I hope just don't nit pick my application and delay the process even more

Also, I think the postal premium upgrade service is on hold. Been sending them emails every morning, but its just a waste of time

[Naveedhussain786]

Take to long why the home office delaying reply

[nick0811]

Acknowledgement emails are sent every month and I found both of my emails in my Junk Mail. They come from 'UK Visa & Immigration' and are sent at 11.04am. All they say is we are considering your application

Sent SET(M) application on 20th Aug and received emails 6th September and 5th October. Still waiting for decision

HI S3TM,

We still wait and submitted 5 days before you - I will for sure message you the day we receive the approval!

Just to update ( and keep this thread fresh!), yesterday marked 12 weeks since our application was received which according to the Home Office Guidelines is the maximum period in which they would normally question any flaws or request additional documents which they have not done.

Apart from the request to enrol biometrics, we have not received any regular updates and we have checked my wife's junk mail.

Worrying that our application may have been lost or is gathering dust somewhere, I have explained the situation to my MP and asked her to simply check that the application is still "live"

I get the hints that simple student visas at £300-400 a time keep them busy in August/ September but my guess is that the new system and the outsourcing to a third party has resulted in a focus on training rather than action, major staff cuts and the result is chaos.

Fingers crossed for now

[NomiKaay]

It is worrying that for a few days now, no forum member has actually claimed on the timelines sticky that their application has been processed.

I don't think any immigration department is as inept, ill-equipped as UK's.

I am just dreading not applying for same day service.

[priccl]

Same here, really should have done Premium, we couldn't have known. As an update on mine, I applied online on July 18th and have not heard anything since either. I know they have my application because they confirmed to my employer my right to work. Guess we just have to keep waiting. Can't believe I thought it would take 6 weeks tops and it's almost 4 months now.

I do love this thread where we can all just get it if off our chests how ridiculous this wait is and that we're not alone.

[NomiKaay]

I actually applied in mid-Sept so not that long ago but I am agitated because all my previous visas have been within 5-6 weeks max.

Similarly, HO just provided my employer with an Employer Checking certificate so that's all good, don't know whats taking them long this time.

[S3TM]

Looking at the Timeline threads, someone posted their SET(M) application via post on 28th August 2018 and received approval on 30/10/2018.

I posted it 8 days before him and still waiting. Some are still waiting from July. Just a joke the way HO process these applications. The approval should literally take 1 hour or so for the case worker if the case is straightforward

[nick0811]

Indeed there are one or two approvals trickling through but it is at least good that this forum allows us to realise that we are not alone and our three month submission anniversary is tomorrow! What is really irritating is why they need to keep my British passport as well as my wife's No response to my submission to my MP although she is very active in criticising the draft Brexit deal!

[priccl]

It was my 4 month anniversary yesterday. Really hope I get before Xmas!

[nick0811]

It was my 4 month anniversary yesterday. Really hope I get before Xmas!

Response from my MP ( after two weeks and one phone reminder)

"Thanks for your email. As you point out, normally you'd only hear from the Home Office if something is wrong or they need to clarify something, but given what has happened in the past, I've contacted the Home Office to ask for an update on the application's progress. They usually take 20 working days to respond, and I'll be in touch as soon as I hear back."

Having spent most of my career working in Asia, it is quite illuminating to see that normal response periods in this country are effectively one month! We live in hope!

[S3TM]

Hi nick0811

Mine has finally been approved. Received BRP on Tuesday! Sent application on 20th Aug via Postal.

I think yours should hopefully be processed very soon, as you sent it before me. It's been a long wait for all of us

Now waiting for my docs to be returned. Hope they haven't lost them

[priccl]

It was my 4 month anniversary yesterday. Really hope I get before Xmas!

Response from my MP ( after two weeks and one phone reminder)

"Thanks for your email. As you point out, normally you'd only hear from the Home Office if something is wrong or they need to clarify something, but given what has happened in the past, I've contacted the Home Office to ask for an update on the application's progress. They usually take 20 working days to respond, and I'll be in touch as soon as I hear back."

Having spent most of my career working in Asia, it is quite illuminating to see that normal response periods in this country are effectively one month! We live in hope!

Hey Nick, what has happened in the past? Wondering if I should get in touch with my MP as well, but if they are not over the 6 months timeline, what should be the message?
Thanks!

And S3TM, happy for you, what a relief. Hope your docs get back to you safe and sound.

[nick0811]

Hi nick0811

Mine has finally been approved. Received BRP on Tuesday! Sent application on 20th Aug via Postal.

I think yours should hopefully be processed very soon, as you sent it before me. It's been a long wait for all of us

Now waiting for my docs to be returned. Hope they haven't lost them

Hi S3TM,

Congratulations, even though there is a tinge of envy, there is more reassurance that the system has not ground to a standstill!

[nick0811]

It was my 4 month anniversary yesterday. Really hope I get before Xmas!

Response from my MP ( after two weeks and one phone reminder)

"Thanks for your email. As you point out, normally you'd only hear from the Home Office if something is wrong or they need to clarify something, but given what has happened in the past, I've contacted the Home Office to ask for an update on the application's progress. They usually take 20 working days to respond, and I'll be in touch as soon as I hear back."

Having spent most of my career working in Asia, it is quite illuminating to see that normal response periods in this country are effectively one month! We live in hope!

Hey Nick, what has happened in the past? Wondering if I should get in touch with my MP as well, but if they are not over the 6 months timeline, what should be the message?
Thanks!

And S3TM, happy for you, what a relief. Hope your docs get back to you safe and sound.

Hi priccl,

The comment referred to the fact that they seemed to lose our FLR extension application for a couple of months and only after reminders did it resurface. We swore then to go the premium route for ILR but as many people have noted, we could not get an appointment in Croydon, not even in Belfast which is my home town and which I would gladly have visited. I would write to your MP - that's what immigration lawyers recommend but you seem to be getting acknowledgements which we have never received. I guess you could quote the various applications from the timeline thread that have been approved and were submitted after yours.

[priccl]

Ok, thanks for the advice! I'll do that.

[priccl]

I wrote to my MP yesterday and today I got the approval letter! Woohoo!! 4 months and 6 days. Good luck those still waiting, hope it doesn't take much longer for you.