**** COVID19 and UKVCAS Appointments **** (ONLY discuss here)

[Desiro]

@Cullinan thank you. I will try to follow it up tomorrow but I think the deadline includes the 7th too so they may tell me to wait until Tuesday to raise it. I've given up hope now.

You are not alone! June 16 here. I’m completely hopeless today. I really want to DM and email today but it’s fruitless - they will tell me to wait. First thing Tuesday though those correspondence are going out.

I think there must now be an issue with some June/July applicants, at least it's moved along from April/May I've actually made my first social media account today on Twitter following @cullinan advice. All these years avoiding it but now I'm ready to send my first DM! Good luck, I hope all the waiting pays off.

I think it is safe to say that the 7th sep deadline has now passed yet still no sign of the promised idv invite for me. I sent a DM on ukvcas twitter earlier, they said they would get back to me in 1 working day. I rang UKVI, they took down details to investigate. I rang UKVCAS. They said I should wait until the end of the day as it's still the 7th. If there is no invite by today then the HO would be in touch with hopefully by Thursday but couldn't be sure?? So all we can do is wait again. I'm so very frustrated and drained being let down every day by this promised invite. I'm wondering if any others are still waiting?

I am june applicant and only got invite 20 min ago, you will very likely get yours until midnight. Fingers crossed!

[Desiro]

@Cullinan thank you. I will try to follow it up tomorrow but I think the deadline includes the 7th too so they may tell me to wait until Tuesday to raise it. I've given up hope now.

You are not alone! June 16 here. I’m completely hopeless today. I really want to DM and email today but it’s fruitless - they will tell me to wait. First thing Tuesday though those correspondence are going out.

I think there must now be an issue with some June/July applicants, at least it's moved along from April/May I've actually made my first social media account today on Twitter following @cullinan advice. All these years avoiding it but now I'm ready to send my first DM! Good luck, I hope all the waiting pays off.

I think it is safe to say that the 7th sep deadline has now passed yet still no sign of the promised idv invite for me. I sent a DM on ukvcas twitter earlier, they said they would get back to me in 1 working day. I rang UKVI, they took down details to investigate. I rang UKVCAS. They said I should wait until the end of the day as it's still the 7th. If there is no invite by today then the HO would be in touch with hopefully by Thursday but couldn't be sure?? So all we can do is wait again. I'm so very frustrated and drained being let down every day by this promised invite. I'm wondering if any others are still waiting?

I am june applicant and only got invite 20 min ago, you will very likely get yours until midnight. Fingers crossed!

[ANS1]

You are not alone! June 16 here. I’m completely hopeless today. I really want to DM and email today but it’s fruitless - they will tell me to wait. First thing Tuesday though those correspondence are going out.

I think there must now be an issue with some June/July applicants, at least it's moved along from April/May I've actually made my first social media account today on Twitter following @cullinan advice. All these years avoiding it but now I'm ready to send my first DM! Good luck, I hope all the waiting pays off.

I think it is safe to say that the 7th sep deadline has now passed yet still no sign of the promised idv invite for me. I sent a DM on ukvcas twitter earlier, they said they would get back to me in 1 working day. I rang UKVI, they took down details to investigate. I rang UKVCAS. They said I should wait until the end of the day as it's still the 7th. If there is no invite by today then the HO would be in touch with hopefully by Thursday but couldn't be sure?? So all we can do is wait again. I'm so very frustrated and drained being let down every day by this promised invite. I'm wondering if any others are still waiting?

I am june applicant and only got invite 20 min ago, you will very likely get yours until midnight. Fingers crossed!

Thank you for the reply @Desiro, I'm very happy for you, you must be so relieved. Fingers crossed for a quick decision- that's the least they can do after the painful wait! I have the email prepared for UKVACS and will press send as soon as it hits midnight if it doesn't arrive. Best of luck for your approval!

[iamawonder]

Just heard from a T2G ILR Set O applicant I know:
Biometric submitted instead of IDV app 3/9
Decision 7/9

[daenyt]

Hi All. I applied for my ILR on 01st April and submitted the documents/photo via IDV app on 21st August.

I still have not received any response and I'm getting very stressed out. It's been 5 months and 7 days of waiting...

I really don't know what to do!

I applied on 28 March and submitted my biometrics with the app on 19 August. I have just received my approval email! Hang in there, it is coming.

To everyone else who has used the app - it seems decisions are finally being made! Thanks for all the support!

Congrats! Did you have to escalate your application?

[daenyt]

In this case physical appointment is not necessary. You can just upload onto UKVCAS web portal on your computer, upload the missing docs, logout and log back in, and then click on a newly appeared "submit" button on the web portal.

In fact, I did exactly that. After my messed-up photo submission in IDV app, I went online on my computer to upload a doc that I had totally forgotten about (my stage 1 letter of endorsement). I could easily do that, logged out and just signed-in again and submitted. Then I scurried to book an appointment at Croydon for the next day to make amends for the selfie mess-up.

I am trying to do this but the submit button does not seem to appear.

[CULLINAN]

@daenyt

Upload all documents first. Sign out and sign in again. Submit button should appear then.
Check the end of the “document upload” page.

[Shaaz2029]

Just heard from a T2G ILR Set O applicant I know:
Biometric submitted instead of IDV app 3/9
Decision 7/9

Submitted my biometrics in person on 2nd September for tier 1 entrepreneur ILR. I’ll update here as soon as I hear from HO.

[AnILRApplicant]

Is anyone on this forum for Set(O) tier 2 ILR who has submitted their biometrics more than 2 weeks ago still waiting?

[daenyt]

@daenyt

Upload all documents first. Sign out and sign in again. Submit button should appear then.
Check the end of the “document upload” page.

Are you sure this works even after I have submitted everything through the IDV app?

[CULLINAN]

@daenyt

Upload all documents first. Sign out and sign in again. Submit button should appear then.
Check the end of the “document upload” page.

Are you sure this works even after I have submitted everything through the IDV app?

You can NOT submit anything after you already have submitted your application via IDV app. This only works before submission.

[V1234v]

Got a decision from UKVI just a few minutes back (Sep 7, 2020 14:24 BST).

My application for Global Talent visa has been successful. BRP is on the way and should be delivered within 7 working days.

My timeline:
Online application submitted (& IHS fee paid): July 01, 2020
Biometrics done through IDV app: August 28, 2020
Duplicate biometrics submitted in-person appointment at Croydon due to me messing up IDV photo: August 29, 2020.

I don't know if it was the physical biometrics appointment that relatively sped up things (or it can be taken as a sign that IDV applicants are getting decisions).

Anyway, thanks a lot to all the people in this forum. It has been tremendously helpful to be in this journey together. Apologies to cullinan and iamawonder for any consternation I have caused to them in the past.

I suppose it depends on which photo is on your BRP to which biometrics they used?

Yes. Good thinking. Once I get the BRP, I shall confirm here it is the app selfie or the Croydon photo.

The IDV app selfie is against a dark background (actually a very busy background, with portions of pictures on the wall and cloth hangers etc on a bedroom door appearing on it).

The Croydon photo is against a light background, and is really professional. (On my request, the staff had turned their monitor around to see all the supporting docs including photo).

Congrats! So some hope that people using IDV app will receive the decision soon! Maybe one way of checking the photo can be checking your permission to work in the UK online, and to see if your photo and status is changed! not sure about this, just and idea!

I have taken the photo with things in the background too. Do you know that this won’t be accepted?

[JS123]

Hi All. I applied for my ILR on 01st April and submitted the documents/photo via IDV app on 21st August.

I still have not received any response and I'm getting very stressed out. It's been 5 months and 7 days of waiting...

I really don't know what to do!

I applied on 28 March and submitted my biometrics with the app on 19 August. I have just received my approval email! Hang in there, it is coming.

To everyone else who has used the app - it seems decisions are finally being made! Thanks for all the support!

Congrats! Did you have to escalate your application?

I phoned a number Friday afternoon, they said they will raise a query. I don't know if it made any difference or if I was just next in line. I have a feeling it was just my turn.

[krishnakumarg]

I have taken the photo with things in the background too. Do you know that this won’t be accepted?

This is the screenshot from the in-app FAQ #20

https://imgur.com/OEKOloW

It says (among other things):

• Use a plain, light-coloured background and be in clear contrast to the background

• No shadows on face or in background

[krishnakumarg]

I was wondering if people might find the UKVI's detailed official guidance on biometrics reuse titled "COVID-19: Biometric enrolment, reuse and evidencing status" published on Aug 27, 2020 and updated on Sep 3, 2020 helpful.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 1.0ext.pdf

This guidance tells caseworkers the approach to handling application case types, made on or before1 August 2020. It covers circumstances which cannot wait for a resumption to full capacity of biometric enrolment services, following the reduction of normal services at UK visa and citizenship application services (UKVCAS) and service support centres (SSC) in accordance with COVID-19 measures to protect the health and safety of staff and applicants.

Covers the following application types:
Citizenship
Marriage
Family
Tier 1
Tier 2
Settlement
Windrush
Other non-Points-Based System(PBS)(define)
Transfer of Conditions
European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
Turkish European Communities Association Agreement (ECAA)
Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)Replacement
Family Human Rights
Change of Circumstances

[CULLINAN]

Thanks for sharing @krishnakumarg.

[krishnakumarg]

Thanks for sharing @krishnakumarg.

No worries. I am just reading it now myself. There are some important information about how biometrics reuse policy is applied, who are prioritised etc. (pages 7 & 8 mainly).

[CULLINAN]

Useful:

Reuse
The general approach for reuse:
• biometrics must have been enrolled post July 2015 or the applicant must already hold a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)
• the new grant of leave must not exceed a period beyond 5 years from when the fingerprints were last enrolled – we do not want to delete fingerprints before the person is either required to apply for further leave or leave the UK
• facial image must not be over 5 years old for persons aged over 16 and must not be over 2 years old for persons aged under 16

[LRZhang12]

Hi all,

For people who have attended biometrics appointment, what would your account be like in UKVCAS website/app? I can still upload document, see my two liveliness test in the app and wonder if this is normal?

Sorry for being paranoid....UKVI messed up my biometrics appointment two years ago when I have my Tier 2 extension application and ask me to re-attend a biometric appointment so just want to make sure this does not happen again....

Thanks!

[CULLINAN]

For people who have attended biometrics appointment, what would your account be like in UKVCAS website/app? I can still upload document, see my two liveliness test in the app and wonder if this is normal?

You have to take:
1) Your selfie
2) Liveliness check
3) Take photo of your passport

[LRZhang12]

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[LRZhang12]

For people who have attended biometrics appointment, what would your account be like in UKVCAS website/app? I can still upload document, see my two liveliness test in the app and wonder if this is normal?

You have to take:
1) Your selfie
2) Liveliness check
3) Take photo of your passport

Hi CULLINAN,

Thanks! I have already enrolled my biometrics at a service point today, but can still see the selfie/liveliness test available in my app and wondering if this is normal?

[CULLINAN]

For people who have attended biometrics appointment, what would your account be like in UKVCAS website/app? I can still upload document, see my two liveliness test in the app and wonder if this is normal?

You have to take:
1) Your selfie
2) Liveliness check
3) Take photo of your passport

Hi CULLINAN,

Thanks! I have already enrolled my biometrics at a service point today, but can still see the selfie/liveliness test available in my app and wondering if this is normal?

You do not have to do anything if you already have submitted biometrics via UKVCAS. After you submit biometrics the accounts stay active but you can not submit again. Ignore it and do not play with it.

[SUHE]

Hi, Kindly need an advise. I have a biometric appointment scheduled for tomorrow. I have already uploaded all the documents through UKVCAS. But email says to bring all the documents. Some documents are already exist as soft copies for an example pay slips. Do I have to print them and bring with me for the appointment?
Thanks.

No need. Only carry the “ORIGINALS”. It is only recommended in case there is a poor scan that needs to be redone etc. Only your passport and appointment confirmation print is mandatory.

Thank you very much

[Toxic]

Hi,

I don't understand the following from their latest guidance
"the new grant of leave must not exceed a period beyond 5 years from when
the fingerprints were last enrolled – we do not want to delete fingerprints before
the person is either required to apply for further leave or leave the UK"

I got my brp in December 2017; so now am waiting for a decision on my application. The above would mean that there is a chance that I might get the new grant which would be less than 2.5 years?

Am I misunderstanding this?