OLD FLR(M) waiting times Thread

[luckyjinx]

Next week is 8 months' wait for me. Like Xiaozhu, I started complaining before I reached 6 months, and while it hasn't gotten my visa processed faster it has certainly helped to draw attention to our plight (via The Guardian) and has helped me keep my sanity. Every one of the 3 previous UK visas I applied for took no more than 4 weeks to process, so the thought of waiting until you reach 6 effing months to complain is just ridiculous.

From what I was told, the reason the FLR M visas take so long is that the requirements are very wishy-washy. The points based visas are very straight forward, either you meet it or you don't, whereas the FLR M visas have very few areas that are simple Yes/No, there's always at least one but...

The BA needs to be extra careful with FLR M from both an EU/UK Human rights perspective and also from an abuse of the law perspective.

I can understand it, but that doesn't mean I like or appreciate the possibility of my life being tied up and unable to do things like get a different job until the results come back. Or, because of the wishy-washiness of the requirements, being possibly faced with a rejection letter (even though we've been living together in the UK as a couple for 4 years and meet the financial requirement)

Understood - but at the beginning of 2012 FLR(M)s were being processed in 8 weeks, and in the years preceding the average was a steady 14-16 weeks from submission to receiving docs back. I have found statements from people who applied in 2011 where the Immigrations Enquiry Bureau staff told applicants that 1) it should not take longer than 4 weeks for a biometrics letter to be issued; if it does the applicant should call, and 2) the standard waiting time is 14 weeks.

I get that there were probably a lot of iffy applications made in the week prior to July 9 that are taking them ages to get through, but with people with January bios being approved in the same weeks as people with October bios, and both of those ahead of August/September bios, then clearly there is more going on than simply iffy applications and waffling case workers - even if the more that's going on is just that they are in a complete shambles!

We are certainly all in this together. But the UKBA need to get their act in order.

[girlface]

hi all,

my documents finally came through the post last friday! i am so excited and relieved i don't even know what to do with myself!

i just wanted to provide an update as i did request my passport back - i imagine this prompted someone at the ukba to process my application as i received my documents very soon after this. i had a job offer a few weeks ago for a position starting in march and i am required to bring proof of my current and valid permission to work in the uk. my PSW visa expired in january and after hearing the horrors of employers being unable to reach the ukba i was nervous about my ability to demonstrate my right to work. i have read on the board about people in similar situations who have been able to request their documents for identity purposes and decided my best bet would be to request my passport - worst case scenario i would have my passport with an expired visa rather than a copy and best case i could ask for proof of my right to work to be sent with the passport. (i called the ukba to confirm my ability to request my documents without cancelling my application and spoke to a lady who said that it would be fine for me to do this on the basis of proving my identity and right to work, although she did have to put me on hold to confirm this with a colleague.) when i filled out the form to request my passport i wrote in the notes that as my PSW visa had expired i would be very grateful if the ukba would provide a letter stating that my current permissions were extended until a decision on my flrm had been made. i also included a copy of my job offer. and i wrote 'please do not cancel my application' about a million times!

i submitted my request on 14 february and my documents and passport were delivered on 22 february with a note to say that brp is on the way.

i will still be lurking the board if anyone has any queries. i hope that everyone else has receives a decision soon!

my final timeline is as follows:

Date of FLR(M) Sent: 6th July 2012
Acknowledgement letter received: 17th July 2012
Bio metrics letter received: 12th October 2012
Bio metrics given: 15th October 2012
Applicant passport requested: 14th February 2013
Documents received: 22nd February 2013
Bio-metrics card received: waiting

[kings76]

@ xiaohzu your right to make the fuss so far you have done your part and paid your hard earned money you have every right to shout for the world to hear you whether it is right or wrong,@ innocent devil your wrong on such comment remember an injury to one is an injury to all ,united we stand in this forum ,no matter how small or bad it might look it really help people who is reading this forum cos you don't no their mental abilities why reading this ,my dear xioahzu your right to shout and cry as long it helps you and others we learn everyday

[kings76]

@ cuylyk they ask me to send my psw visa to them which I sent on Friday last week through my solicitor on record delivery and I have called my lawyer and he said he posted it on Friday,and that is the only thing ukba ask me to provide again,do you think I may get it this week With a good news,@xiohazu if I pronounce your name correct I think you don't need to loose Hope am of the view yours is on the way coming,sometimes I become afraid if ukba staff posed as undercover to read on these post and get our reactions,I ask my MP and lawyer to write them to speed up my application because of my dad health they replied by asking me if I wanted to withdraw my application which I never replied back before they ask for my psw visa , can they withdraw my application without my consent and if yes why will they ask for my psw visa ,or can they must have sent my application to my lawyer and he us waiting for my brp please can someone tell me what I need to do or think

[Xiaozhu]

Thanks for your support, and I know what @innocentdevil means but I just cannot sit by and do nothing.

@kings76 - no they cannot withdraw your application without your consent.

[kings76]

@ xiaohzu now they ask of my psw visa back what do you think will it likely to be and do you think I can get it this week or do you think based on I didn't submit the withdrawal form they will just dump it again it is exactly 8 months this week

[Xiaozhu]

I'm really not sure, but I would guess it is because they need to cancel your old visa so they can issue the new one.

[innocentdevil]

Xiaozhu: to be honest, though you have tried everything in your right to get them to make the application process but as per guidelines they have 6 months anyway and like you said they have completed today so I do not know what is the fuss. Though they should have completed within 6 months but now you can complain as it is outside the time frame while previously it was within 6 months period.





having said that, UKBA is a cobbing runts and should pull finger outta their arses and sort it out. and now they are putting up the fees yet again. wtf

The 'fuss' is that they did not tell us it would take this long, in fact they repeatedly told us it would take 3 months and that the 6 months was more a 'worst case scenario' for more complex applications. They failed to disclose that they were experiencing such severe delays, they have lied to us about how long it would be before my husband can work and travel, they have not responded punctually or even remotely clearly to any of our communications. They have taken our money and as far as I can see p*ssed it up the proverbial wall. Had they told us clearly from the beginning that the whole thing would be such a fiasco then we never would have made a postal application - and if we had then of course we wouldn't be complaining until the 6 months was up. Not that it should ever take 6 months anyway. The 'fuss' is that we have all been MISLED, taken for a ride. I don't know what your situation is but my husband and I are going through hell. I have a right to make a fuss - why the heck should we just sit back and let them do this to us?

In fact, comments like that are quite unhelpful and discouraging to me, especially when we have been working as hard as we can to raise awareness of this issue on behalf of everyone in this situation. Even if the fuss I have made has not helped I have at least tried, and perhaps saved others from making the same mistakes.

Also, I started fussing the minute I found out about the delays, which was about 3 months ago when our BRM letter had still not been sent. I did not want to be in the situation where we were still wondering and waiting 10 months after we applied. I wanted to do everything possible to kick the UKBA into action before it got to the 6 month stage in the hope that they would have responded by then. Besides, I am not the kind of person who can sit back and let the government treat me and my husband (or anyone else) like vermin without saying anything. In a way all the complaining and letter writing I've been has been cathartic, it's the only way I can cope.

By the way, I have asked my MP to press on with the complaint to the Ombudsman. It's probably a bit late now as I expect our docs to come back very soon but I refuse to accept this situation both for me and for the many thousands of other couples who are having their mental health, careers and marriages ruined because of this scandal. I will keep you updated.

(PS: Our application is not completed, they have merely made a 'decision in principle' which has to be approved or whatever before they can send our docs).

the acknowledgement letter you receive from them when you send an application via post clearly states, "6 months" in it so there is no point asking them to hurry up when they say they can take up to 6 months, so they told you that it can take up to 6 months

You are not special case, there are millions of others in the same boat and yes my wife is one of them but I am holding my breath for 6 months as there's no point in me hassling them which is exactly what you did and then you documents are now scattered over in croydon, sheffield and may be liverpool.

Though I know their service is shite, you are only adding to their workload. I am being upfront, whether you like it or not is your choice.

what is the point of shouting on here. I would wait until you get your docs back and then take them to the court. Even better, if you paid by credit card, why not speak to your CC company and ask them to challenge it on your behalf.

They are absolute morons and I do hope they change their stance

[Xiaozhu]

When exactly did I say we were a special case? The reason I am making a fuss is not simply because our application is taking so long, but because there are so many people in the same situation and it is totally unfair for the government to treat us like this. Perhaps making a fuss has led to our application taking longer, or then again (as we know next to nothing about the inner workings of the UKBA, 'guru' status or not) perhaps not. But that's not the point. I have done my very best in my own small way to raise awareness of this horrible situation, to get the attention of MPs and the press because it is all so unfair that just because we or our spouses are migrants we should be treated like this. And yet you criticise me for 'shouting about it' on this forum?! If you don't like people 'shouting' about this ridiculous situation then why are you even on here?

To be honest, if that is the kind of comment I get from other people in the same situation then I don't know why I bother. So far I have found everyone here to be supportive and helpful. The last thing any of us needs is someone telling us to sit down and shut up. Yes, individually shouting about it and making a fuss doesn't make a difference but if everyone makes a noise then the UKBA will sit up and listen eventually.

[luckyjinx]

Xiaozhu: to be honest, though you have tried everything in your right to get them to make the application process but as per guidelines they have 6 months anyway and like you said they have completed today so I do not know what is the fuss. Though they should have completed within 6 months but now you can complain as it is outside the time frame while previously it was within 6 months period.





having said that, UKBA is a cobbing runts and should pull finger outta their arses and sort it out. and now they are putting up the fees yet again. wtf

The 'fuss' is that they did not tell us it would take this long, in fact they repeatedly told us it would take 3 months and that the 6 months was more a 'worst case scenario' for more complex applications. They failed to disclose that they were experiencing such severe delays, they have lied to us about how long it would be before my husband can work and travel, they have not responded punctually or even remotely clearly to any of our communications. They have taken our money and as far as I can see p*ssed it up the proverbial wall. Had they told us clearly from the beginning that the whole thing would be such a fiasco then we never would have made a postal application - and if we had then of course we wouldn't be complaining until the 6 months was up. Not that it should ever take 6 months anyway. The 'fuss' is that we have all been MISLED, taken for a ride. I don't know what your situation is but my husband and I are going through hell. I have a right to make a fuss - why the heck should we just sit back and let them do this to us?

In fact, comments like that are quite unhelpful and discouraging to me, especially when we have been working as hard as we can to raise awareness of this issue on behalf of everyone in this situation. Even if the fuss I have made has not helped I have at least tried, and perhaps saved others from making the same mistakes.

Also, I started fussing the minute I found out about the delays, which was about 3 months ago when our BRM letter had still not been sent. I did not want to be in the situation where we were still wondering and waiting 10 months after we applied. I wanted to do everything possible to kick the UKBA into action before it got to the 6 month stage in the hope that they would have responded by then. Besides, I am not the kind of person who can sit back and let the government treat me and my husband (or anyone else) like vermin without saying anything. In a way all the complaining and letter writing I've been has been cathartic, it's the only way I can cope.

By the way, I have asked my MP to press on with the complaint to the Ombudsman. It's probably a bit late now as I expect our docs to come back very soon but I refuse to accept this situation both for me and for the many thousands of other couples who are having their mental health, careers and marriages ruined because of this scandal. I will keep you updated.

(PS: Our application is not completed, they have merely made a 'decision in principle' which has to be approved or whatever before they can send our docs).

the acknowledgement letter you receive from them when you send an application via post clearly states, "6 months" in it so there is no point asking them to hurry up when they say they can take up to 6 months, so they told you that it can take up to 6 months

You are not special case, there are millions of others in the same boat and yes my wife is one of them but I am holding my breath for 6 months as there's no point in me hassling them which is exactly what you did and then you documents are now scattered over in croydon, sheffield and may be liverpool.

Though I know their service is shite, you are only adding to their workload. I am being upfront, whether you like it or not is your choice.

what is the point of shouting on here. I would wait until you get your docs back and then take them to the court. Even better, if you paid by credit card, why not speak to your CC company and ask them to challenge it on your behalf.

They are absolute morons and I do hope they change their stance

As I've said, their normal processing time is 14 weeks start to finish and the 6 months (used to be) an outlier for complex cases. So there is legitimate reason to be upset. Nobody here thinks they are special. I've been waiting 8 months and I'm glad that Xiaozhu has done so much to make a ruckus because there are so many of us in this situation. Who cares if she has been waiting less time than me? It can only be of benefit to all of us.

Also you appear to be making the assumption that the same case workers who evaluate the applications are also checking the complaints, answering the phones at the IEB, etc, and this is simply not the case. It is not complaints that make the process take longer, it is too many applications for the understaffed case work team to handle and general incompetence at the UKBA. By complaining about it MAYBE we can try to get enough people to notice that they decide to finally give the UKBA the budget and staff it needs to do their job right.

Xiaozhu, I'm behind you 100%. I'm sorry not everyone else is.

[October2012applicant]

Hi All,

Just want to say that I received my documents, passport and BRP today. The approval letter was dated 20 February 2013! I am so happy that the wait is finally OVER!

Here is my timeline:

Visa type: FLR (M)
Switch from: PSW Tier 1
Application posted: 2 October 2012
Payment taken: Unknown (I submitted a bank draft)
Ack letter: Dated 21 Oct 2012 (received 25 October 2012)
Requested for Sponsor's (husband's) passport by submitting ROD form (specified that it is NOT a withdrawl of application): 24 December 2012
Biometric letter: 3 January 2013 (dated 28 December 2012)
Biometric enrolled: 4 January 2013
Sponsor's passport received: 8 January 2013
Documents received: 25 February 2013 (letter dated 20 February 2013)
BRP received: 25 February 2013

I wish those who are still waiting all the very best! I am sure you will get your visa soon!

October2012Applicant

[shendean]

Hi All,

Just want to say that I received my documents, passport and BRP today. The approval letter was dated 20 February 2013! I am so happy that the wait is finally OVER!

Here is my timeline:

Visa type: FLR (M)
Switch from: PSW Tier 1
Application posted: 2 October 2012
Payment taken: Unknown (I submitted a bank draft)
Ack letter: Dated 21 Oct 2012 (received 25 October 2012)
Requested for Sponsor's (husband's) passport by submitting ROD form (specified that it is NOT a withdrawl of application): 24 December 2012
Biometric letter: 3 January 2013 (dated 28 December 2012)
Biometric enrolled: 4 January 2013
Sponsor's passport received: 8 January 2013
Documents received: 25 February 2013 (letter dated 20 February 2013)
BRP received: 25 February 2013

I wish those who are still waiting all the very best! I am sure you will get your visa soon!


Congrats october2012!! Ur wait is over!!

October2012Applicant

[xsm0keyx]

I have been watching the thread for a while and wanted to let people know that our visa and documents arrived today.

Here is our timeline. Good luck to everyone still waiting. I hope the time passes quickly.

Application Sent - 25th October
Biometrics - 15th January
Visa and Documents - 25th Febuary.

As a PS anyone who has received their visa does it have 24 months or 30 months. As mine has only 24 months and the letter says in 2 years we can apply for the ILR.

Thanks

[kings76]

@ xiaohzu and innocentdevil,both of you threading blames and counterblames and defence of ukba is not acceptable,it wont look like both of you are chasing a ghost and one of you now turn back and said to the other person your smearing like the ghost,there is no need threading words and proving who is right and wrong,we all have seen some people getting their own before the 6 months and even less than 4 months so whoever feel he/she want to chase them has the full right to do so,so why siding ukba when they are busy hanging peoples mind up,causing a lot of depression to people and above all neglecting peoples rights after collecting money meant for the purpose months before now,how are you sure if the matter goes to court how do you think they will win the case,or is it because most of us are afraid to do that,the honest truth is everybody has right to voice his anger,frustration and whatever he /she feels

[luckyjinx]

I have been watching the thread for a while and wanted to let people know that our visa and documents arrived today.

Here is our timeline. Good luck to everyone still waiting. I hope the time passes quickly.

Application Sent - 25th October
Biometrics - 15th January
Visa and Documents - 25th Febuary.

As a PS anyone who has received their visa does it have 24 months or 30 months. As mine has only 24 months and the letter says in 2 years we can apply for the ILR.

Thanks

Were you in the UK under old rules previously, like a fiance visa was approved before July 9, 2012? In that case, it's right - your path to settlement via marriage starts with the fiance visa if you have one.

[mrsabih]

Hi All,

Just want to say that I received my documents, passport and BRP today. The approval letter was dated 20 February 2013! I am so happy that the wait is finally OVER!

Here is my timeline:

Visa type: FLR (M)
Switch from: PSW Tier 1
Application posted: 2 October 2012
Payment taken: Unknown (I submitted a bank draft)
Ack letter: Dated 21 Oct 2012 (received 25 October 2012)
Requested for Sponsor's (husband's) passport by submitting ROD form (specified that it is NOT a withdrawl of application): 24 December 2012
Biometric letter: 3 January 2013 (dated 28 December 2012)
Biometric enrolled: 4 January 2013
Sponsor's passport received: 8 January 2013
Documents received: 25 February 2013 (letter dated 20 February 2013)
BRP received: 25 February 2013

I wish those who are still waiting all the very best! I am sure you will get your visa soon!

October2012Applicant

congrats
i receive today letter from ukba they need additional docs from me
they demand last 6 months bank statement from me and my wife and also letter from employer i order bank statement today and also called my hr they will send letter tomorrow mentioning my salary and hours and length of employement plz pray for me i dont know what happend next is any one who got same situation why they need all this i already submit 10 months pay slips now they need my bank statement anyway

i applied 19october 2012
so i wish i will submit this soon so i will get my approval cheers

[longwaytogo]

When exactly did I say we were a special case? The reason I am making a fuss is not simply because our application is taking so long, but because there are so many people in the same situation and it is totally unfair for the government to treat us like this. Perhaps making a fuss has led to our application taking longer, or then again (as we know next to nothing about the inner workings of the UKBA, 'guru' status or not) perhaps not. But that's not the point. I have done my very best in my own small way to raise awareness of this horrible situation, to get the attention of MPs and the press because it is all so unfair that just because we or our spouses are migrants we should be treated like this. And yet you criticise me for 'shouting about it' on this forum?! If you don't like people 'shouting' about this ridiculous situation then why are you even on here?

To be honest, if that is the kind of comment I get from other people in the same situation then I don't know why I bother. So far I have found everyone here to be supportive and helpful. The last thing any of us needs is someone telling us to sit down and shut up. Yes, individually shouting about it and making a fuss doesn't make a difference but if everyone makes a noise then the UKBA will sit up and listen eventually.

looks we are in the worst situation then you Xiaozhu, and we can deffenetly understand what you on about:
I've been refused my visa in tier 4 in november 2009
-23.03.2010 documents for FLR(M) and COA been accepted by UKBA
-31.03.2010 Biometric done
-12.05.2010 I been granted for Certificate of Approval for marriage
-20.06.2010 Marriage Certificate been sent to UKBA
-25.09.2010 my husband passport been sent back from UKBA
-16.08.2011 we had a letter:" UKBA are currently experiencing delays inprocessing due to high volume of request"
after that is all gone quite
We rung to UKBA 08706067766 last week and the answer was that they sent a letter 16.08 2011 yes but now is 2013 so that's just been a joke , we e mail to our MP 2 weeks ago , still waiting for updates .
And the situation distroying not just our family life and our teenager son because he is my miner and he cant leave his life full, wery dissapointing situation

[xsm0keyx]

I have been watching the thread for a while and wanted to let people know that our visa and documents arrived today.

Here is our timeline. Good luck to everyone still waiting. I hope the time passes quickly.

Application Sent - 25th October
Biometrics - 15th January
Visa and Documents - 25th Febuary.

As a PS anyone who has received their visa does it have 24 months or 30 months. As mine has only 24 months and the letter says in 2 years we can apply for the ILR.

Thanks

Were you in the UK under old rules previously, like a fiance visa was approved before July 9, 2012? In that case, it's right - your path to settlement via marriage starts with the fiance visa if you have one.

Yes i was and i know that you have to wait 2 years before applying again. I just thought that the visa expiration date would be 30 months from now not 24. Because that means we cant apply for the next visa until the day that the current one runs out.

[mrsabih]

I have been watching the thread for a while and wanted to let people know that our visa and documents arrived today.

Here is our timeline. Good luck to everyone still waiting. I hope the time passes quickly.

Application Sent - 25th October
Biometrics - 15th January
Visa and Documents - 25th Febuary.

As a PS anyone who has received their visa does it have 24 months or 30 months. As mine has only 24 months and the letter says in 2 years we can apply for the ILR.

Thanks

Were you in the UK under old rules previously, like a fiance visa was approved before July 9, 2012? In that case, it's right - your path to settlement via marriage starts with the fiance visa if you have one.

Yes i was and i know that you have to wait 2 years before applying again. I just thought that the visa expiration date would be 30 months from now not 24. Because that means we cant apply for the next visa until the day that the current one runs out.

from which visa you switch your visa to flrm
how come you got approval with old rules thanx if you explain

[ID29]

how come you got approval with old rules thanx if you explain

This is misunderstood by many people.

As you know, the rules changed on the 9th July 2012. But that doesn't automatically mean all FLR applications made after that date will be decided under the new rules...

The important date is the date you first applied to settle in the UK. So for example; you applied for a fiancée visa on the 1st July 2012, came to the UK, married and then applied for Further Leave to Remain on 1st October 2012... your application would then fall under the old rules. More importantly, applications made in the future will continue to be decided under the old rules (provided your current resident status remains unchanged) and with the lesser qualifying periods too (2 years to ILR instead of 5 years etc).

So to recap: The date YOU set out on 'the path to settlement' is the date used to decide whether you are new rules (on/after 9th July) or old rules (before 9th July 2012). Bear in mind that if you were already in the UK for another reason (study or work for example) then the deciding date is the date you switched visas not the original date of your non-settlement visa.

[vinny]

See also Changes to the family immigration rules: Who they affect.

[luckyjinx]

[quote="xsm0keyx]

Yes i was and i know that you have to wait 2 years before applying again. I just thought that the visa expiration date would be 30 months from now not 24. Because that means we cant apply for the next visa until the day that the current one runs out.[/quote]

Actually you can apply at any point in the last 28 days before expiry. Not more than 28 days before, and not past, and I think you need to check the rules for the amount of time you were in the UK in the preceding year, but you don't have to wait til the very last day of validity.

[Jaymac]

My wife (September applicant) got her docs back a couple of weeks ago. The application was decided under the new rules which we are pretty sure is wrong due to the fact that she entered the UK from Canada on a fiancée visa in April 2012.

At this stage we're thinking of just sucking it up and dealing with it given the shambolic situation at the UKBA but it means we'll be out of pocket for another FLR visa in 2 years.

Has anyone else been considered under the wrong rules and done anything about it?

Might just go back to Ireland and walk into the garda station to pick up a visa on the spot for her - sick of the UKBA's contempt for human beings.

[shendean]

It looks like September an October applicant getting their visa now..

[melbgirl]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... tingtimes/

Has anyone else noticed they have changed the waiting times page recently? Didn't this use to be a table with the different visas and the estimated time? Or am I looking in the wrong place?