OLD FLR(M) waiting times Thread

[Asainwife]

Sort of clear now why the processing times have collapsed...

http://www.channel4.com/news/uk-border- ... many-staff

UKBA cuts too many staff.......

[Still.Waiting]

Hi all,

I have done my biometric on 18 April, 2012. Till date I didn't hear from them. Now thinking of sending a letter to them.

Pls help me.. to whom and which address should I use to send the letter?

thanks in advance for ur reply

To the address on your acknowledgement letter.

[aditipritam]

Sort of clear now why the processing times have collapsed...

http://www.channel4.com/news/uk-border- ... many-staff

UKBA cuts too many staff.......

looks like there a lot of backlog because of this crash..

http://www.channel4.com/news/further-cr ... em-crashes[/url]

[newtothegame]

Hi Everyone,

I joined this forum a while back when i first sent away my application, I just wantted to let everyone know what a help it has been.

I recived by docutments back yeaturday so wanted to add my timeline. hopefully giving you all a bit of hope:

Docs sent: 03/05/12
Ack. Letter: 16/05/12
Biometrics letter: 25/05/12
Biometrics taken-london post office: 06/06/12
Docs arrived: 17/07/12
Biometric Card: Still waitning
Visa Type : FLR(M) for spouse
Visa From: Youth Mobility

Interesting fact: My empolyer enqiured to the UKBA in May about my abitlity to work (as my visa expired in June), they heard back one week before i reviced my documents back. I guessing they got a reply when my appication reached a case worker, and so my approval was just affter or it could have been a coincidence, but thought i would mention it.

Hang in there everyone, there is light at the end of a very long tunnel!

[Still.Waiting]

Hi Everyone,

I joined this forum a while back when i first sent away my application, I just wantted to let everyone know what a help it has been.

I recived by docutments back yeaturday so wanted to add my timeline. hopefully giving you all a bit of hope:

Docs sent: 03/05/12
Ack. Letter: 16/05/12
Biometrics letter: 25/05/12
Biometrics taken-london post office: 06/06/12
Docs arrived: 17/07/12
Biometric Card: Still waitning
Visa Type : FLR(M) for spouse
Visa From: Youth Mobility

Interesting fact: My empolyer enqiured to the UKBA in May about my abitlity to work (as my visa expired in June), they heard back one week before i reviced my documents back. I guessing they got a reply when my appication reached a case worker, and so my approval was just affter or it could have been a coincidence, but thought i would mention it.

Hang in there everyone, there is light at the end of a very long tunnel!

Congrates and thanks for sharing. I wonder if it had anything to do with your employer contacting them because 2 and half months are fairly quick for UKBA

[waitwaitwait]

Hi Everyone,

I joined this forum a while back when i first sent away my application, I just wantted to let everyone know what a help it has been.

I recived by docutments back yeaturday so wanted to add my timeline. hopefully giving you all a bit of hope:

Docs sent: 03/05/12
Ack. Letter: 16/05/12
Biometrics letter: 25/05/12
Biometrics taken-london post office: 06/06/12
Docs arrived: 17/07/12
Biometric Card: Still waitning
Visa Type : FLR(M) for spouse
Visa From: Youth Mobility

Interesting fact: My empolyer enqiured to the UKBA in May about my abitlity to work (as my visa expired in June), they heard back one week before i reviced my documents back. I guessing they got a reply when my appication reached a case worker, and so my approval was just affter or it could have been a coincidence, but thought i would mention it.

Hang in there everyone, there is light at the end of a very long tunnel!

Congratulations on the good news. You are lucky your wait is over in two and a half months. Some of us like me me are waiting for 5 and a half months as i applied on 08/02/12.
I hope we all start getting the news soon as we been waiting for so long.
Congratulations and enjoy the monent with your partner

[Zaaazou]

Application sent: 06/07/2012 (next day delivery)
Payment taken: 17/07/2012
Acknowledgement letter:20/07/2012 dated 16/07/2012
Biometric letter:I didn't get one
Biometric Letter Reminder: 29/10/2012 dated 25/10/2012
Biometric done:30/10/2010
Doc received:...
Biometric card received:...

From Tier 1 visa to FLR(M) Spouse visa

[nholler]

To add insult to injury, it seems the staff at the home office are going on strike.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18889900

[volverine]

hi everyone


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

we called home office for the status and they tell us that it is still pending and nothing else.

even sent a letter to home office nearly 2 months ago, no reply.....

wrote a letter to the local mp three weeks ago and the only thing they told me is that UKBA is still considering our case, and tells me wait till end of October if no reply from them i will rise this problem with UKBA... is this supposed to be how they work??? i want to write to people who is above them anyone know who i should be writing to as i am unsure please let me know ?

i am so stressed out from this.... i finished college need to be going uni and i cant even apply as i do not have my documents. i really don't know what to do, its just too much for me....


any one is in same position?

please any advice is very helpful if anyone knows who i can write to, please let me know.

thanks

[neveragain]

Wolverine...... I sympathise. We've been waiting since 14 January. 3 attempts via our MP to get some updates, 2 telephone calls to UKBA direct, but no information coming back over and above the mantra " it's in a queue". It's actually impossible to know if a file has even been started, which must be unacceptable by any standard. I must admit to being completely puzzled as to how some applications are processed in a short timescale while others take many months. There are many questions for UKBA to answer and some have started to appear via freedom of information requests now showing up on whatdotheyknow.com. These requests need some fine tuning to directly target the reasons behind the anomalies and I guess also that everyone who waits such a long time should write to Keith Vaz in his post as Home Affairs Select Committee Chair. Other than that I'm starting to think in terms of pursuing legal action against UKBA. Maybe there should be a campaign to share legal advice costs amongst a number of similarly affected applicants?

[Xcape_24]

Hi everyone, have been following everyone's post since April,which was when I submitted my application for a spousal visa,I would put my timescale up soon. I have renewed my visas twice in the past and the last one was in 2009 which took 4 weeks,what am trying to pin point is I think the current government has majority of the blame,we never had this problem with the labour party,all this problems is due to job been caught by the current government.

[mrsclc78]

It's actually impossible to know if a file has even been started, which must be unacceptable by any standard.

I'm not sure about this. I called the number on the acknowledgement letter the other day and pressed 3 to enquire about the status of my biometrics notification letter, as I'm approaching the 4-week mark without having received it. The woman who answered asked for my reference number, was able to tell that my biometrics letter hadn't yet been sent, and that, obviously, my file hadn't yet been to a caseworker. I got the impression she'd have told me if my file had been started, but if it had, that'd be about all she could say.

While that information was hardly useful, she did tell me, and I quote, "Biometric letters take between 4-5 weeks to arrive," and when I asked her what the current wait time is, feeding her dates like 4 weeks to 9 months, she said, "Application times are between 4 and 14 weeks from date of biometrics."

Clearly that's not the case for anyone who's coming to post on these forums. I would try calling that number again until you get someone willing to take your reference number and see if your case has been assigned yet. There must be a few people working the phones that are willing to tell you that much.

[holderp177]

Hi everyone, have been following everyone's post since April,which was when I submitted my application for a spousal visa,I would put my timescale up soon. I have renewed my visas twice in the past and the last one was in 2009 which took 4 weeks,what am trying to pin point is I think the current government has majority of the blame,we never had this problem with the labour party,all this problems is due to job been caught by the current government.

I totally agree with you, I have renewed my visa(s) previously and it has never taken this long, an average of five weeks waiting time. But now it more like 6 months.

[neveragain]

mrsclc78.............. you're quite right about the biometrics stage. I should perhaps have been more specific.... Once biometrics have been taken the file goes to a casework team. The delay seems to begin there and what happens after that seems to be a mystery! I have never managed to get information beyond this stage. In fact the telephone officers I've spoken to both suggested writing a letter. Anyway I decided to ask for my passport back. As a sponsor myself I should be able to receive it without affecting my wife's application. I guess I'm hoping it will at least cause someone to pick up the file and look at it!! Incidentally it's interesting to note the information you were given about clearance times from biometric dates. They're supposed to process applications in order of original date received if previous posts on this site are any guide. Good luck with your application anyway.

[mrsclc78]

Ah, I see, neveragain. My mistake. Good luck to you in receiving your passport back - it does sound like this shouldn't negatively affect your wife's application. My MP's secretary told me last week that if I asked to have my husband's passport back as he needs to travel for work, it was likely my application would then be placed "at the back of the queue" and she advised me against doing this. Really frustrating because I don't know what to believe anymore.

It's confusing to me where people are getting the info that processing times are from the original date the application was received, because like the woman told me on the phone, the UKBA website says this:

"The processing time begins when the UK Border Agency or one of our commercial partners (VFS Global and WorldBridge), has received your completed application form, with your passport and supporting documents, your biometrics registration and the relevant application fee."

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas ... ing-times/

But then, it's all speculation at this point! Seems like the UKBA is one giant every-man-for-himself operation

Good luck with your wife's application!

[Still.Waiting]

While that information was hardly useful, she did tell me, and I quote, "Biometric letters take between 4-5 weeks to arrive," and when I asked her what the current wait time is, feeding her dates like 4 weeks to 9 months, she said, "Application times are between 4 and 14 weeks from date of biometrics."

Each time i have called them they have told me it takes anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months from the date the application was received. What i see here from other people who have called UKBA they give us all a different waiting time!

[Xcape_24]

Morning all, please just a question myself and my wife was wondering to ring the HO and ask for a passport (British passport as a sponsor) hoping that might bring my file to the top or something, I know it might sound stupid am just so frustrated cos we planned on going holiday end of August . Any advice pls

[paz]

Hi

Applied in 13 th Feb 2012

Payment taken 15th Feb (MAY B they should take the money after they have done their work )

Biometric letter dated 19th March

WAITING

WAITING

Now they going on stike, many people are off work and willing to work, if you think the pay is not good or job is not for you, LEAVE I...... and make place for others, go and queue in front of job centres to claim benefits, thats still my tax money

Agree with people, we need to take legal actions for stress and considering how much we pay for this service.

Also, is there anyone or any particular groups we can complain about this service that we are paying for.

[paz]

Do they not work on Fridays? Or they having fun sitting down and getting paid??

I hope that they choke and their food and their family as well as they are being fed with my money

Called at 13.11 on phone til 13. 38 and no answer

What are they up to??

[kuzey50]

Hi everyone,

I do agree with writing to Keith Vaz.

We should speak up and let them know that our patience is wearing!

Waiting 6 months or more is unacceptable and looks like there are going to be thousands of us waiting for more than 6 months with the strike they are planning.

Maybe someone in this forum could write a generic letter which we can use + a letter explaining each individual circumstances and problems we face within this 6 month waiting time!

They state that it takes 6 months to make a decision, but if it takes even 1 day more than that, ut should give us the right to take legal action!

Sent docs: 03/03/2012
HO received them on 06/03/2012
Biometrics done on 28/03/2012

STILL WAITING.

this is the 20th week since they received my wifes documents.

My grandad is about to die, with my mother on his bedside but i cannot go to support her because i cannot leave my wife alone at home (we live in a dangerous area) + we had to postpone our wedding party + cannot get the loan i was promissed by my bank to open up my own business + have been working on 2 dufferent jobs since we applied + missing the chance to rent the vacant shops in good locations etc. The list is endless abd we both have given up hoping that it will arrive soon!

Really dont know what to do!

Thanks everyone and goodluck to us all!

[bobobo]

I understand your frustration mate, we are all in the same boat. But honestly its not all their fault. This govt has gone crazy firing people and sc*****g us over.

I spoke to HO a couple of times and got through to one decent man, who actually told me that some depts have had 80% of the staff cut down. so if a team had 15 people they now have 3 people doing the job. If this is the case then we will expect delays, things were much better last year.

I hate the con-lib govt, bunch of pr***s who are making life hell for everyone

Do they not work on Fridays? Or they having fun sitting down and getting paid??

I hope that they choke and their food and their family as well as they are being fed with my money

Called at 13.11 on phone til 13. 38 and no answer

What are they up to??

[nholler]

I agree, the government have well and truly made a stupid decision in cutting jobs especially in the Olympic year when they knew applications would no doubt increase and pressure would be on at the airports. The con/libs will definitely not be getting my vote at the next election.

Not only is the wait unbearable, my wife and I have to endure neighbours from hell on top of this. It's not like we can go and rent somewhere else as we don't have our documents!

So frustrating, I just wish we would all hear soon as the waiting is like groundhog day.

[badger111]

Application sent: 5.3.2012.
Biometrics taken: 30.3.2012.
Documents: still waiting
BRP: still waiting

I do support strict immigration control, but they have made it way to difficult for genuine people!
I can understand they lack staff, but I cannot justify waiting for 6 months or more, because for cca. 1400 £ they do it on the same day. They don't lack staff when you pay extra!!!

The only problem my partner and I have is that we had nobody to tell us to pay extra money, and get everything done in a matter of days. It wasn't about the extra money, but we weren't in a hurry, and we though why give more money for something that will take couple of weeks to 2 months max. Boy were we wrong!!!

And of course, we are not going to change our minds because that would mean a loss of almost 1000 £!

I have missed my sister's wedding, my graduation ceremony...if only I was allowed to volunteer, but I cannot even do that. They have waisted months and months of our lives. And for what? How hard can it be to deal with one application? If I was civil servant dealing with applications I would do 10 a day myself!!!

And I do not believe that they are dealing with more and more applications. How can that be when at the same time rules and laws are getting more strict???

[tommyc]

Similar timeline to you Badger111, applied 3rd March, Biometrics 31st march.

Supposed to be flying to spain on friday, but guess that won't be happening
Contacted my MP over a month ago, and got a letter back yesterday saying he's contacted them to complain, but I don't expect it to do much. I just hope that when they are 'working to rule' after their full strike on friday that they will still be processing visas, otherwise we all have at least another month to wait....

[badger111]

Similar timeline to you Badger111, applied 3rd March, Biometrics 31st march.

Supposed to be flying to spain on friday, but guess that won't be happening
Contacted my MP over a month ago, and got a letter back yesterday saying he's contacted them to complain, but I don't expect it to do much. I just hope that when they are 'working to rule' after their full strike on friday that they will still be processing visas, otherwise we all have at least another month to wait....

I honestly hope that this strike won't affect us. I can show some understanding towards immigration officers, but it is about time for them to show some respect to us and our money! And visas are not cheap!