OLD FLR(M) waiting times Thread

[Dsin]

Thought I'd add our timeline to the mix. From reading through this forum it seems like we have a long wait ahead of us really great to have support from others who understand how the wait feels!

FLR(M) submitted online: 10/06/12
Payment taken from credit card: 10/06/12
Documents sent: 11/06/12
Documents rec'd: 12/06/12
Acknowledgement letter: 22/06/12 (dated 20/06)
Biometrics letter:
Biometrics given:
Documents returned:
Biometric card:

[mrsclc78]

However, we received a letter confirming that our application on form FLR (M) is not considered a settlement visa and therefore, they aim to decide 95% of applications within 6 months and not 12 weeks. Therefore, they would aim to decide my wife's application toward the end of September.

This has been quite a blow to us as there is nowhere on the UKBA website, or in any correspondence from the UKBA, that gives you a timeline that states 6 months waiting time.

Hi Welshy, sorry to hear about this. Reading these forums is so frustrating, especially regarding the people whose applications are straightforward.

I don't understand this part, however. I'm guessing your wife is applying for FLR as a spouse, moving from another category? If the UKBA has said your visa is NOT considered settlement, why are they saying it's part of the 95% processed within 6 months, if website (http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ing-times/) says this:

"We have service standards for processing UK visa applications. Our standards say that we will process:

90 per cent of non-settlement applications within 3 weeks, 98 per cent within 6 weeks and 100 per cent within 12 weeks of the application date"

If her visa app is for NON-settlement, this says 90% in 3 weeks, 98% in 6, and 100% within 12 weeks. This is assuming that someone applying to move into the FLR as a family member, from another category, is non-settlement. This is what's confusing me - why all the people applying for this are taking over 12 weeks. Where does it say 98% will take 6 months? I apologise if I'm missing something...have read this three times now.

Best of luck and I hope it arrives very soon! For you and for everyone on here.

Mrs C

[sam2106]

I don't think there is such rule like 'after at least 3 months after submission, that a spouse can only request his or her passport back'.

A spouse can ask his passport even after 1 week. Once your case been assigned to a case worker all that would need would be a copy of the spouse ILR visa or british passport ID page.

My Timeline for my wifes FLRM VISA

FLRM applied On 25th February
Acknowledgement letter received 27th February
Biometric letter: 19th March
Biometric completed in post office Holborn: 29th March
Document return: still waiting
Biometric card: still waiting

Now heres an interesting thing!
I needed to go urgently to Barcelona on June 1st. I as the sponsor am a British passport holder.

I requested through my MP if i could get my passport returned as the sponsor and NOT my wifes and it NOT affecting our application. Also do it it via your MP so their is a clear audit trail and someone else can verify the UKBA'S answer.

I got my passport along with a letter from UKBA saying a copy has been retained with the initial application and you are not required to return it to the UKBA unless requested to do so by a case worker.

So there is hope if you need your passport urgently but only as the sponsor without affecting the process and after at least 3 months from initial submission

The key was i didn't pressure them as I said i know it may take longer but only want my (the sponsors) passport returned.

The fact is it could take up to six months for the visa to come through so there is no point worrying about it. After 6 months you have every right to chase the UKBA.

[rwatanabe]

Date applied/docs sent: 21/06/2012
Date application received by UKBA: 22/06/2012
Date payment taken: 28/06/2012
Date received ack. letter: 29/06/2012 Dated 27/06/2012
Date biometrics booking letter arrived:
Date biometrics appointment Post Office:
Date Passport/Docs received from HO:
Biometric Card Received:
Visa Type : FLR(M) Spouse
Visa From: PSW

[waitwaitwait]

As we havent been seeing lot of replies or new updates on this forum , does that mean nobody has been receiving Visas?
Because the last updates were from our friends on this blog who applied around 21-25 jan and they received it.
Any news since then?

My wait still continues-

Date Docs sent: 08/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 20/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 20/03/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled (at Holborn post office): 22/03/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4

[mrsclc78]

Date applied/docs sent: 22/06/2012
Date application received by UKBA: 25/06/2012
Date payment taken: 22/06/2012 (online)
Date received ack. letter: 2/07/2012 Dated: 28/06/2012
Date biometrics booking letter arrived:
Date biometrics appointment Post Office:
Date Passport/Docs received from HO:
Biometric Card Received:
Visa Type : FLR(M) Spouse
Visa From: PSW

[volverine]

sent off the application FLR M on 2nd December

done biometric beginning of January

still waiting...... its has been 7 months since the biometric enrolment has been done

even sent a letter to home office last month, no reply.....
wrote a letter to the local mp last week they told me that they will look into it for us.

we called home office for the status and they tell us that it is still pending and nothing else.... the application is straightforward all documents where sent i am from EU and have indefinite live to remain in UK have been here for more than 10 years and my husband was here for 6 years on student visa has never overstayed his visa .... we got married on 12/10/2011 come on....

please help, does anyone have any advice for us we really don't know what to do... we want to go on our honeymoon, see our family as they are abroad and i want to change my surname and i cant....... we would really appreciate any advice thanks

[mattp]

Volverine,
I would suggest keeping on at your own MP. I was in the same position as you, a few months ago. Only through the involvement of my MP did we finally get the application processed.
Perhaps follow up your letter with an email. Some MPs need more encouragement than others, but there is a clear procedure for the MP's staff to follow in order to help you.
Best wishes.
mattp

[volverine]

Volverine,
I would suggest keeping on at your own MP. I was in the same position as you, a few months ago. Only through the involvement of my MP did we finally get the application processed.
Perhaps follow up your letter with an email. Some MPs need more encouragement than others, but there is a clear procedure for the MP's staff to follow in order to help you.
Best wishes.
mattp

well a this point it seems as that all we can do..... if you don't mind me asking how long did it take your MP to contact Home Office

[mattp]

He replied to my initial letter immediately, asking me to confirm that I live in his constituency. Once I had confirmed by email, it took perhaps a week or two to get the application successfully concluded.

UKBA admitted to me that it was only when the MP contacted them that they actually assigned the case to a caseworker. It had apparently sat doing nothing for the best part of 7 months.

It seems to me that, without the intervention of my MP, we could still be waiting!

[volverine]

He replied to my initial letter immediately, asking me to confirm that I live in his constituency. Once I had confirmed by email, it took perhaps a week or two to get the application successfully concluded.

UKBA admitted to me that it was only when the MP contacted them that they actually assigned the case to a caseworker. It had apparently sat doing nothing for the best part of 7 months.

It seems to me that, without the intervention of my MP, we could still be waiting!

thank you very much, for your help it really gives us some hopes and a time line.

[Meche83]

I have ask myself the same question, does it mean that none of the feb applicant have received their visas? It is very frustrating, my advice to does who just applied is to be patient and some people are just inpatient on this forum, slow down guys

My wait still continues as well but hoping it will be over soon.

Date Docs sent: 09/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 13/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 17/03/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled at post office): 20/03/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4


From - Tier 4[/quote]

[bobobo]

Yes Feb applicants havent heard anything back, maybe by mid July we should start getting responses from the Home Office, but in all honesty cant blame people here, HO has time and again proved how useless they really are, instead of processing applications they stack them on shelves and forget about them and people end up running like headless chicken from pillar to post trying to get things moving.

I have ask myself the same question, does it mean that none of the feb applicant have received their visas? It is very frustrating, my advice to does who just applied is to be patient and some people are just inpatient on this forum, slow down guys

My wait still continues as well but hoping it will be over soon.

Date Docs sent: 09/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 13/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 17/03/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled at post office): 20/03/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4


From - Tier 4

[/quote]

[indespair]

Date Docs sent: 14/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 17/03/12
Date biometrics enrolled at post office): some day mid March (after having request a new letter because the initial one's bar code didn't scan at PO)
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Fiancée


OK, I've really had enough of it. If my MP didn't know I existed, he would now!!! I am defo filing a complaint now in order (I hope) to get things moving. I firmly believe that injustice is being done towards all the applicants waiting for so long. To get a fiancée visa was quite a mission for me back in my country (took me over a year after the refusal for them to look into my case and have their initial decision overturned) and now all this never-ending game of wait again. Kids will be on holidays soon but we can't plan anything without having our passports. Have to stay in the UK because of UKBA's delays and inability to provide any timescale. They also fail to deal properly with ANY correspondence with them. Me sitting at home, not being able to work (or even volunteer) and contribute into family budget doesn't do me any good either. All this situation is causing nothing but frustration, distress and anxiety...The UKBA's maladministration has led me to a huge inconvenience and increased the sense of hopelessness while dealing with them.

[cityboy25]

my timeline

Date Docs sent: 07/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 24/04/12 (after writing them a letter)
Date biometrics booking letter received: 04/05/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled post office 11/05/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4

[bake1979]

March application here and still no word and no chance of booking any kind of summer holiday

Date applied/docs sent: 28/03/2012
Date application received by UKBA: 29/04/2012
Date payment taken: 04/04/2012
Date received ack. letter: 05/04/2012 Dated 05/04/2012
Date biometrics booking letter arrived: April
Date biometrics appointment Post Office: April (York)
Date Passport/Docs received from HO: WAITING
Biometric Card Received: WAITING

Visa Type : FLR(M) Unmarried Partner

Starting to worry...

[bake1979]

And cant get through to anyone on the HO helpline, just times out and no ones answers

[fedupwaitingtoo]

As we havent been seeing lot of replies or new updates on this forum , does that mean nobody has been receiving Visas?
Because the last updates were from our friends on this blog who applied around 21-25 jan and they received it.
Any news since then?

My wait still continues-

Date Docs sent: 08/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 20/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 20/03/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled (at Holborn post office): 22/03/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4

Our biometric card arrive today after long frustrating wait.
We started application by UKBA 27th January 2012
Recieved card today 4th July 2012.

This has been 5 months. For the next stage we will make application same day.
Keep trying your MP and the home office email addresses.
My MP James Clappisson is on the select committee for issues with UK Border.

Good luck to all.[/quote]

[waitwaitwait]

As we havent been seeing lot of replies or new updates on this forum , does that mean nobody has been receiving Visas?
Because the last updates were from our friends on this blog who applied around 21-25 jan and they received it.
Any news since then?

My wait still continues-

Date Docs sent: 08/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 20/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 20/03/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled (at Holborn post office): 22/03/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4

Our biometric card arrive today after long frustrating wait.
We started application by UKBA 27th January 2012
Recieved card today 4th July 2012.

This has been 5 months. For the next stage we will make application same day.
Keep trying your MP and the home office email addresses.
My MP James Clappisson is on the select committee for issues with UK Border.

Good luck to all.

[/quote]


Congratulations
That means we are moving forward from 25jan now.
Hope to see mine soon and i hope everyone here receives it soon

[cityboy25]

Congrats on ur good news

As we havent been seeing lot of replies or new updates on this forum , does that mean nobody has been receiving Visas?
Because the last updates were from our friends on this blog who applied around 21-25 jan and they received it.
Any news since then?

My wait still continues-

Date Docs sent: 08/02/12
Date Ack. Letter received: 20/02/12
Date biometrics booking letter received: 20/03/12 (dated 16/03/12)
Date biometrics enrolled (at Holborn post office): 22/03/12
Date BRP received: waiting
Date Docs received: waiting

Visa type: FLR(M)
From - Tier 4

Our biometric card arrive today after long frustrating wait.
We started application by UKBA 27th January 2012
Recieved card today 4th July 2012.

This has been 5 months. For the next stage we will make application same day.
Keep trying your MP and the home office email addresses.
My MP James Clappisson is on the select committee for issues with UK Border.

Good luck to all.

[/quote]

[Still.Waiting]

Each time i call UKBA they tell me 65% of the applications are decided within 4 weeks and the rest (35%) within 6 months. Now from what i see here it seems like 100% of the applications are decided within 6 months.

I really wonder if theres anyone out there gotta a decision within 4 weeks???

[2222]

My time line:

FLR M applied 0n 27th February
Biometric letter: 16th March
Biometric completed in Glasgow: 28th March
Document return: still waiting
Biometric card: still waiting

4 months and 9 days and I am still waiting!!!!!!!!!

[kiwi87]

Submitted application on 6th March. Enrolled Biometrics on 26th March....still waiting.

Anyone who did their biometrics in March heard anything yet?

The average time between biometrics and decision seems to be 15 weeks. We should be hearing something anytime from next week.......we hope!!!!!!

[mrsclc78]

I think the misleading thing about this is that surely most of the posters on here are people who have been waiting... The thousands of people applying and getting their visas back promptly most likely aren't bothering to post online, so I've no doubt that loads of people every month are getting their visas back. We just don't know about it.

[philwafc]

My wife's spouse ended Dec 2011, she was going to apply for ILR but failed her KOL test so applied for a FLR(O) visa.

She applied end Dec 2011 and got acknowledgement letter 3 Jan.
Still not heard anything, but would like to ask what these biometric letters are as she was never asked for any biometric information when she applied.