herrrr wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:49 pm
Luluu wrote: ↑Thu Feb 25, 2021 4:16 pm
herrrr wrote: ↑Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:39 pm
Does this mean the documents will be checked at the backstage and still get submitted before my appointment- the thing is, now I can’t tell if they are submitted or not. Don’t think the staff will let me know before my appointment.
@CULLINAN suggested patience at this stage - obviously patience didn’t last very long in me!
@herrrr or anyone else - Did you ever find out the answer to this?
I am booked for an enhanced service.
a) I have uploaded all of my documents but am not sure whether to press Submit now
or wait for the docs to be checked and have the service provider do this.
b) My visa expires the day before my appointment. It's not clear whether submitting the documents now will have any bearing on whether my application will move any faster, e.g. will my application will be reviewed in the backend now or will it only be reviewed once biometrics and documents are submitted?
a) My experience is they check these documents quite late, almost near towards the appointment time. I still don’t know when they check it and submit it. The thing is if you want to make use of the document checking service you have to upload your documents at least 48 hours before your appointment day. I don’t think pressing submit button yourself in this scenario makes much difference. Unless you have something that you want to remove once submitted - I don’t think you can remove anything.
b) your application date is your application form submission date - assume your have already submitted your application form, you’re fine.
This is my personal experience with UKVCAS and the biometrics appointment. I did not get answers to a few questions until after actually attending the appointment/completing the application process; therefore I hope the following information is of use.
Note - my appointment was at an
enhanced service point (Mark Lane)
Document submission:
I did
not self-submit my documents prior to the appointment. I uploaded all of my documents 3 weeks prior to my appointment. At the appointment, the staff member scrolled through my documents on their screen and confirmed to me that my documents had already been checked, i.e. checked in the backend. The staff member asked me
at the appointment whether I was happy to submit, which I confirmed yes. As I had purchased the SMS Service, I received the following SMS message on the evening of my appointment day, "We can confirm that UKVI have received your information".
Two days prior to my appointment, the Submit button was actually no longer available for me. Just be aware of this in case you really wanted to self-submit for any reason.
If you are still missing required documents when you attend the service point, you can choose to add these to your application by uploading them to your account on the UKVCAS website before 22:00 on the same day, after which point your application will be sent to UKVI as is. Ref:
https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/help-support/o ... rvicePoint
I uploaded my own Document Summary document. This was a direct copy of the UKVI Document Checklist which is provided once an Application is submitted. Next to each item I wrote where the document was uploaded, e.g. "document is uploaded to [name of section]". I don't care whether they want this or not. I've paid enough money and know I have done everything right so if they cannot find something, they have a summary to refer to. My visa was granted 4 working days after my appointment. Whether this summary helped, who knows.
Attending the appointment
Appointment confirmation/QR Code: I strongly recommend that applicants print this rather than rely on it being on your phone as you will need to hand it over to at least 2 people to scan.
I purchased the SMS Service as an add-on. One of the SMS messages advised to "arrive 15 minutes early". The email prior to the appointment states, "Arrive at your appointment on time. Do not arrive early as you cannot wait inside due to COVID restrictions". I arrived 20 minutes early and was let in. There were no issues with my documents, the total time for the appointment was approximately 10-15 minutes.
Upon arrival, I was asked for the appointment QR code which was scanned and I was then asked to sanitise my hands. I was led into the office which was very spacious if anyone has social distancing concerns. There was only one other person waiting. A staff member called for me and we went into a smaller office space. The staff member scrolled through my uploaded documents, scanned every page of my original passport and scanned my original BRP. I do not recall any instructions to specifically bring my BRP so it was lucky that I had it with me but I believe UKVCAS refer to it as ‘travel document’. My fingerprints were taken on their scanner, I signed my electronic signature and my photo was taken. FYI there is no mirror to check yourself so I’d suggest, if you wish, taking your own mirror and checking yourself while you are in the waiting area. It is unclear whether the scanner or stylus is wiped down between appointments however, I was asked to sanitise my hands with the provided sanitiser after touching the equipment. At the end of the appointment, you will leave through a different door than the one you entered due to COVID measures.
Original supporting documents: There are conflicting instructions on the UKVCAS website and the appointment emails about needing to bring in original documents. I did not take any original supporting documents with me (except passport and BRP) as I know I had uploaded everything already. I did not require documents to be scanned.
Booking an appointment
I was initially only able to see weekend appointments at my preferred location but these were approximately £130+. I refreshed the appointment slots at midnight (new dates 28 days in advance). Victoria core centre cheapest appointment ~£60+, Mark Lane £70+. I saw no free appointments. (The limited appointment times and prices charged are a joke. But I wasn’t going to delay booking an appointment. During such uncertain times, I personally wouldn’t want to be without a BRP for a lengthy amount of time in case urgent travel was required, most of us are immigrants away from ‘home’ after all and we are in a pandemic). I did not utilise their scanning services and uploaded everything myself so actually paid for an extra service that I did not need.
My documents were a mix of hard copies (photo taken with my phone, you do not need an actual scanner) and online statements (without a verification letter from the bank; going to the bank for a verification letter does not constitute essential travel IMO).
SMS Service
I purchased the SMS Service add-on for £2. The messages I received were:
- 20 minutes after appointment booking: “Your UKVCAS appointment for [no. of people] is on [date and time]: [address]
- 6 hours after appointment booking: “UKVCAS next step essentials: Prepare your documents for digitisation. Bring your passport/travel document and QR code to your appointment. Arrive 15 mins early.
- 2 days prior to appointment: “Your UKVCAS appointment for [no. of people] is on [date and time]: [address]
- Evening of appointment: “We can confirm that UKVI have received your information. Please contact UKVI direct on 0300 790 6268 if you have any queries. Thank you for using UKVCAS.”
UKVCAS Password
I strongly advise against changing your password if you can avoid it. I was stuck in an error loop when I attempted to change my password and was not given a reason as to what the problem was, the generic message just said something like ‘error on page’ and it would send me in a continuous loop to retype my new password again and again. Another sign of the UKVCAS being an inferior product.
Visa granted/provision of new BRP
These are uncertain times (isolating, moving, hospitals, etc) so we may need to be away from home for various reasons. There was no guarantee that we would be at our home address to receive the BRP so I provided a trusted, postal address for the card to be sent to. This is to confirm that your BRP will be sent to the
postal address in your application and it will be via
courier. Home Office will confirm when the BRP is on its way via email with a tracking number. The email states,
“please ensure you or someone who lives at your property is present to take delivery of your biometric card, it will NOT be posted through a letter box. The delivery driver will knock at your door or ring your door bell and will only deliver to the recipient or someone who can confirm the recipient resides at the address. Photographic ID such as passport, ID card or driving licence may be required… the driver will request the name of the person taking delivery and will take a photograph of the front door for tracking purposes”.
The BRP arrived the day after the email. It was delivered via courier and posted through the letterbox. The courier took a photo of the front door and left. Unsure whether the ‘drop and run’ service is due to special COVID measures.