General Visit Visa processing delays...

[pauldm21]

Hi all,

my girlfriend from Peru applied for a UK General Visit Visa on 14/03/11. She applied in person at the British Embassy in Lima.

We were planning on her coming here for 6 months, which I know will raise suspicions as she will not be working or studying at any stage. Due to working ridiculous hours and having to care for a relative at the time, I decided to pay an immigration specialist to help put the application and in theory, ensure we got the visa.

The company I used are obviously saying not to worry... the delay could be for numerous reasons, sometimes it takes longer, it was a complicated application etc etc. I am obviously becoming increasingly concerned at it taking over 2 weeks for an answer however!

Can anyone advise if is this normal, is there anything I can do to find out when we will get a decision? Also, would the embassy communicate with me or only directly with the applicant?

thanks in advance for any advice!

[MPH80]

is that 2 elapsed weeks or 14 working days?

My wife's family applied at Lima back in Feb - it took 2 elapsed weeks to hear from them and they were a relatively straightforward case.

Remember - everything goes off to New York for processing from there - and we know from the emails we got that it took about a week before New York acknowledged receipt of the applications.

M.

[pauldm21]

Hi MPH,

it is now almost 3 elapsed weeks, since her application was submitted.

They sent her an email last week saying her passport would be ready for collection on 28/03/11. So she went there on monday, only to be told there was a mistake and that she had to return the following day. Sje returned on tuesday and was told the same again. She has now spent 5 nights in lima waiting on her passport to be returned with or without a visa. I find this very strange. For the last 2 days they have advised here their computers are down so cannot even check if the visa has been approved or not.

Does anyone know of anyway I can contact the embassy (without paying the ridiculous $13 worldbridge charge or sending an email and getting a standard reply)?

We are due to fly out to mexico, from the Uk next saturday to attend a close friends wedding. I stated clearly in the application the time constaints I had which appear to have been ignored.

[MPH80]

I hate to say it - but allowing just 4 weeks before a visa is required is cutting it very fine indeed. UKBA work to their own timescales - not yours. They do make the statement:

We strongly recommend that you do not buy a non-refundable, non-flexible ticket to the UK, until your visa application has been approved and you have received your visa. We do not accept responsibility for any financial loss and we do not fast-track applications solely due to planned date of travel.

My (then) GF was unable to attend a wedding in the UK due to UKBA being slower than expected about 5 years ago.

On another note - your girlfriend does also have the necessary visa for Mexico right?

http://www.inm.gob.mx/index.php/page/In ... ca/en.html

As for contacting them - well - I'm not aware of another way of contacting the New York people. I'm aware the people in Lima tend to be less than helpful though - which is a complete contradiction to how it was 6 years ago.

But - I can tell you what our 'success' emails looked like - they read like this:

Your UK visa has been issued.
We encourage you to give feedback on the UK visa application process at: <home office url>

Delivery times:

Within the USA: Next business day
Outside the USA: 2-5 days

Your passport will be dispatched from the New York office and will be delivered by UPS <ref no was here>

Package tracking status on ups.com will appear as 'Billing Information Received' before UPS pick up your package from our office and up to 24 hours afterward while they update their system.

So we had our own UPS tracking number to check on. The passports took 2 days after the date of that mail.

Patience is the name of the game with all this.

M.

[pauldm21]

Thanks MPH.

I realise I should have allowed more time for the application. But at the time, I was acting on the advice of an immigration specialist. Before booking the holiday to Mexico, I sought assurances that 6-7 weeks was enough time to get an appointment at the embassy, submit the application, and then wait while a decision was made. They assured me it was and even sent me a link to the worldbridge website where it states 90% of applications are processed within 3 days and 100% are processed within 5 days! Even allowing for this being working days, our application has now taken more than double the amount of time that 100% of application are supposedly processed in?!

I don't mean to rant..... its just extremely frustrating when there is a lot at stake.

[malsukdest]

Hi pauldm21,

Did you get the visa stamped. I have applied visa for my family on 23rd March from VFS Cochin and status remains same. Their expected travel date is 15th April which is day after tomorrow. 15 working days elapsed today.

Thanks a lot for any information.

[malsukdest]

Is someone else facing the issue with delay in processing time. I have done visiting visas couple of times before. but never faced this problem. We have applied on 23rd of MArch from VFS Cochin India. But status remains the same - 'Under Process'. Anyone applied and got it approved recently? Can you post the timeline please. Thanks.

[ushank]

Hi malsukdest,
Did you get the visa for your family...I am facing the same problem.I applied for my mother on 30th March from VFS Chennai.The status remains the same -'Still Under process'

Thank you

[malsukdest]

My family received visa on 14th April. They had given the travel date as 15th April. It took exactly 15 working days for them. They travelled yesterday. I heard there is a delay in processing time. If there is a backlog I suspect whether priority will be given based on travel date..??..Not Sure though. Keep refreshing the status for the doughnuts at the end:-)

[apriya]

Hi Ushank,

Did u get any reply?. I am also waiting for my mom's visa from April 15th. She has travelled previously to UK and got the visa in 3 days. Now the status is still under process.

[Kamayanighatak]

hi
I applied for a UK tourist visa on 5th april, 2011 at VFS hyderabad. I was told the processing time was one to four weeks. I am yet to recieve any update.
Is there a delay in processing?

Pls advise

[Mayurc]

Hi there,

My parents have applied visitor visa on 8th april from ahmedabad and said it wil take 25 days. But its now getting into 6 weeks from it. and same message appearing on web your application has been forwarded to British High commission. No updates even why is the delay.

Can any one help me out?

Mayur

[mesweety14]

i had applied for tourist visa on 12th april and mentioned the travel date as 16th aprl but till date the status is under process dont know whats the reason is anyone else undergoing the same situation

[mesweety14]

finally got the visa stamped after a long time
coa i had applied on 12th apr at mumbai north

[custodian]

My family applied for a short visit visa on the 20th of April 2011.

The status on the website still says "Visa application is under process at the British High Commission"

It has completed more than 15 'working days' already. As per UKBA processing times 99% of the applications should have had a response within 15 days. I find it rare that the application would fall under the exceptional 1% that take 60 days to decide.

Something is definitely going on at the UKBA of which applicants are not informed about. The application centre in this case is Mumbai - South.

It is good to see that mesweety14 has finally got the visa stamped. This means I should expect my visa in the next 5 to 6 days....

[mesweety14]

ya even i was waiting for my visa since long
but finally i got that stamped
good luck to all who have applied for the same
coz many such cases are there who have applied long back but still have'nt recd

[satvinder]

Hi, i have applied for the visitor for my wife on 5th may in Mumbai North VFS and still the status is under process, it already 15days and as per the processing guidelines 99% of the visa get process in 15day, can anyone advice regarding the delay and any point of contact to get an update.


thanks

[mesweety14]

hello there
even when i had applied on 12th april i got my visa on 20th may
coz if the backlog its taking very long to process
so definitely u will also have to wait for a couple of days ...and as such this beinga long weekend so probably 3 days more delay is going to b there
so nothing can b done rather than waiting
coz i had also applied at mumbai north only and one more personi know who applied on 14th apr at mumbai north and they got their visa on 24th may

[satvinder]

yeah, it nearly more then one month waiting period !!!

Not good

[custodian]

I applied (for family visit visa) on the 20th of April 2011

My status says "Processed application delivered to Blue Dart on 26 May 2011"

This means, I should have my passport with me tommorrow.

[satvinder]

that means , the average processing time is not 3 weeks now and it have extended to approx 5 weeks. but altogether the process is frustating and 0% transparent. people cannot plan in advance leading to a end time rush.

[custodian]

that means , the average processing time is not 3 weeks now and it have extended to approx 5 weeks. but altogether the process is frustating and 0% transparent. people cannot plan in advance leading to a end time rush.

100% Agree with you.

[satvinder]

Is there any one who got the visitor visa recently , plz share the processing time ..
thanks

[custodian]

Can people please share visit visa processing times? Many thanks.

[BrianHarper1701]

Hello to everyone,

I too like a lot of you are very frustrated as to visit someone for 6 months to forge a relationship and plan together you have to be together. But when you apply for a Visa you are immediately treated as if you have done something out of what normal human beings do prior to a trip or vacation. I really am not bothered by the delay as much as the lack of information that flows from the UKBA. I, like some of you, applied and paid an immigration solicitor so there would not be anything left to chance. I submitted 3lbs of paperwork all certified and original.. and all checked. I to planned to be in the UK on 20 Aug and was informed over a week after I submitted my application that it would be 15 (WORKING) days. This means I won't be over to see my Girlfriend till after September..again this is not the problem. What chaps me is that I applied for a Visa that went from 20 Aug till 20 Feb. Now when I get approved are they still going to make me leave on 20 Feb or will I get a chance to get back my lost time with my Girlfriend of over 8 months.