Just a quick heads up on my experience at Croydon earlier in the week.
I had an appointment at 8am to extend my Tier 1, so turned up at 7:15am hoping to be first in line. To my dismay there was already 10 or so people in the line. However, the security guard came out 10 mins later and split us up into 2 lines - those with appointments and those without. I ended up being the first in the appointment line which was a relief.
They opened the doors at about 7:35am, for us to start moving through security, no real problems there but obviously the less metal you wear the quicker it will be for you. Then passed through into the main reception by 7:40am. I didn't have my appointment booking printed out, but had the reference number and this was fine. Was only here for a moment, then given a ticket number and told to go upstairs to the 1st floor to pay for my application. I recommend keeping your ticket number close at all times as you will have to show it 5 or 10 times during the day.
Was the first person in this line as well, and paid using my debit card without any problems, and told to go to the second floor to await my appointment. All of this was done by 7:45am.
Got to the 2nd floor, and just had to sit it out waiting for my appointment time. At about 8:05am, I was called through to register my application. Not much goes on at this point, the guy just checks my payment receipt, and puts the application in the computer and registers me for biometrics. 5 mins and then told to sit down again, only to be called for biometrics immediately.
Went into the other room, signed the declaration and had my fingerprints and photos taken and out again by 8:15am.
This is about the point where the process slows down.
I come back out into the main waiting room to find the ticketing system has crashed already. There is a staff member taking ticket numbers manually, and all we can do it sit and wait. There are only about 2 case workers serving customers, the rest of the staff are walking around in the back, telling stories and a few jokes.
After 5 mins, the ticketing system comes back online, but my number has disappeared from the board, with no indication of where or why. I wait 30 mins then go and check at the Customer Services desk as to where its gone. "Don't worry, the ticketing system has crashed but we still have your ticket number and know where you are in the process" I get told, but I'm not convinced. Its 8:45am and the back office is filling up with staff, none of whom seem in a particular rush to get started, meanwhile the waiting room is slowly filling up with people going through the first 2 parts of the process (registration and biometrics).
By 9am, a lot of the staff start opening up their booths and things start to move a bit quicker. I end up being called at about 9:15am to see the caseworker. He takes all of my paperwork and am told to sit down again. To me, he seems to be going through the application bit by bit, checking my letters, bank statements and other supporting evidence, and looks finished by about 9:45. I see a few other of the early applicants finish with their case workers and leave so I get a bit hopeful. My case worker gets up and leaves his booth for a few minutes, maybe to make a phone call? He returns and looks mostly finished with my application, but every few minutes seems to tap at the computer and sit waiting for results. He looks very bored. He goes through this process for another 45 mins, typing into the computer, waiting for something, looking bored, typing into the computer, waiting for the results, looking bored. Finally, I get called at 10:30am.
"Unfortunately sir, you won't be able to complete you application today".
Not what I wanted to hear. I ask why.
"We need to send your application to Sheffield to perform further enquiries".
I asked if it was a matter of more evidence, as I had brought more along with me. I get told that the application is fine, but there is 1 more security check that needs to be performed, and only the team in Sheffield can do it. I tell him this is not great for me as I need to leave the country within the week, and get told that there is nothing he can do, and it could take up to "a few weeks". "Definitely less than a few months" he tells me. I tell him again I need to leave the country next week for work and he seems genuinely apologetic about it, but tells me again that there is nothing he can do. So I ask if I can have my passport back while they do the checks. "I'm sorry sir, that's the most important part of the security check".
There is nothing I can do really, so I take his letter with a reference number and leave... done by 10:40am, but with no visa and no passport.
So I'm not particularly sure what this extra security check could be? Cross-referencing my biometrics? Or police checks? Anyway I'm not particularly happy. I've paid a £300 premium for a same day decision and not got it. My case is about as straight forward as it gets (no dependants, no Ltd Company, no criminal history, no previous passports etc) and I've been screwed over by what looks to be a computer system that won't return the results that the case worker needs to make the decision.
So that's my experience report, two Tier 1 applications now, and both times bureaucracy has gotten the better of me. The worst part is that there is very little recourse. To anyone else planning the Same Day service, I recommend getting the first booking of the day. I can imagine by 2 or 3pm that things would pretty well much have ground to a halt.
So, anyone else had stuff sent to Sheffield for "security checks"? What kind of waiting times can I expect?
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