Withdraw or continue waiting?

[DMITRY-213]

Hi All,

On 17 December 2018, I applied (provides docs and biometrics) for Tier2 (General) alongside my wife and son for Tier2 (Dependent) visas in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

We also paid for Priority services for all 3 application and our expectations were to receive our visas in the next 5 working days at best and 15 working days at very worst.

I had 5 successful applications for the uk travel visas previously (including the last one for 5 years duration in August 2018) and my wife had 3 previous UK travel visas. Never experience any delays for more than 1-2 days. We travelled a lot across the world before and also lived and worked in the Netherlands (EU) for last 3 years.

Now we are waiting already for 23 working days or more than 1 calendar month since biometrics. We escalated the case through email to ukvi on 11 January (right after 15 working days have passed) and then re-escalated on 21 Jan again to foster the process. I'm calling ukvi paid inquiry line every single day but they always say that the decision hasn't been taken yet and that it has been properly escalated to the relevant department. And that we need just to wait.

In relation to this I have the following questions:

1. Does anyone experience similar delays at the moment with Tier2 visas? If yes then for how many days have you been waiting already? Any final success or failure results after 20+ working days delay on priority application?

2. Is it helpful to continue calling ukvi inquiries line every day or not at all?

3. Would it make sense to drop them another email now? Or should we wait?

4. Is this escalation thing helpful at all? Is it really true that re-escalation will put our inquiry back to 15 days waiting time for response or would they consider our initial escalation instead?

I'm already loosing my patience as I have already resigned from my previous work, we need to pay for a flat for one more month, all our plans have been shifted and the worst thing is that my UK employer is getting nervous and may cancel my contract due to this visa delay in case it takes several more weeks instead of originally planned 5-15 working days....

Thanks a lot for your answers and inputs!

[neilin]

Hi there, have you used the new Sopra Steria service(UKVCAS). I am also in similar situation of slight delay compare to my previous visa applications duration (although not exactly 8 weeks passed so far)

[DMITRY-213]

Hi Neilin,

I applied in the TLS visa application center in Amsterdam and provided them copies of all documents, which have been immediately scanned by the TLS worker and put into the system. I've also received a confirmation that UKVI has received our application documentation packages. I'm not sure whether it was Sopra or not. At least I haven't used it directly in my application.

8 weeks sounds like a complete disaster to me. In my case it is already 6 weeks and I have no idea whether my employer will wait for 2-4 weeks more or just give up on me. I highly hope to get at least some clarity before the end of January.

Did you opt for the priority application option? or the regular one?

[DMITRY-213]

And how much time did it take you the last time?

[neilin]

Sorry to hear about your situation.

I should have mentioned in my previous reply that currently I have used the standard service of Sopra Steria which can take utpo 8 weeks to decide.
From my biometric date in DEC 2018, currently I am in 5th week with no update.

Regarding my previous application which I have done within UK in 2017, have used standard postal service (in which we were sending passport and other documents by post). That took nearly 5-6 weeks to get the new brp. Almost similar timeline when applied from India Earlier also.

Hope you might decision soon if you have opted priority service

[amiedcca]

Please keep us posted on your journey! I applied for a priority 5 day Tier 2 General dependent visa on 10th January and have heard absolutely nothing from UKVI or VFS. I've had to chase to see if my documents were even received at the New York scanning hub. Not sure what I paid the extra money for, seems like a rip off.

[DMITRY-213]

Hi there,

It is already 25 working days of wait time in my case and no actual response on Priority services.
We applied in Amsterdam from TLS visa center. It is our first time Tier 2 application.

We tried to escalate on 11 Jan (after 15 working days since biometrics) and received only a formal email that they have noted our escalation and "should be able to reply in the next 15 working days"...

Since this time I've called them every single day and the only thing they can tell is that "decision hasn't been taken yet". Already 10 working days have passed after the initial escalation. They have registered 2 more follow-ups on 14 Jan and 21 Jan via my phone calls however never contacted me either by email or by phone since this time...

One strange thing they also told me on the phone was that they may reply now in 15 working days from my last escalation (21 Jan) and not from the initial one (11 Jan) however my immigration legal counsel said it is complete nonsense. Does anyone know whether it is true or not?

We plan to wait for 30 days since biometrics (15 days since initial escalation and afterwards file a complain in case of no response... I'm also wondering how helpful could be this complain? Did it help someone in their process?

Are there any other measures we can take to finally get ukvi decision?

[DMITRY-213]

Hi All,

I'm waiting already for 25 working days for Priority service Tier 2 visa outside of the UK with no decision being taken by ukvi.

Does it make sense to continue waiting longer or is it better to withdraw the application and reapply?

If we need to wait than for how long? 30 working days? 45 working days? More?

Has anyone tried to withdraw and reapply? Did you manage to get your visa sorted quickly the second time or not?

Thanks a lot in advance for your answers!

[DMITRY-213]

All who are still waiting for more than 15 working days outside of the uk please post your time line and views here. Highly appreciated.

[DMITRY-213]

Does anyone else has delays of more than 15 working days? I already have more than 25....

[consev]

Does anyone else has delays of more than 15 working days? I already have more than 25....

Today is the 15th day for me for in-country tier 2 extension. No response from UKVI yet. Called once on 11th day and got a mail saying "application is not yet completed".

Have you guys got a decision yet?

[CR001]

Does anyone else has delays of more than 15 working days? I already have more than 25....

Today is the 15th day for me for in-country tier 2 extension. No response from UKVI yet. Called once on 11th day and got a mail saying "application is not yet completed".

Have you guys got a decision yet?

1. Please can you refrain from digging up topics and tagging on.

2. Update below!!

1. Category applying under - Tier 2 General + Tier 2 Dependent for 2 family members, Priority for all 3
2. Country of application - Netherlands
3. City of Visa Application Centre - Amsterdam
4. Date of application - 13 DEC 2018
5. Date of submission of documents and biometric at TLS - 17 DEC 2018
6. Your online application has been received at the UK Decision Making Centre mail : 18 DEC 2018
7. Initial escalation date - 11 JAN 2019 with follow-ups on 14 JAN and 21 JAN
8. Date Entry Clearance valid from - 12 FEB 2019
9. Got SMS of application processed - Not Opted
10. Duration for Entry Clearance - 30 days
11. Date passport received - 18 FEB 2019

FINALLY!!!! After 2 months.....just need to believe and never give up!!!