Fiancee visa now entering week 15

[Monty1978]

Hi guys,

My fiancee (Philippines) applied nearly 15 weeks ago now. I have phone up on the first day of week 13 to ask why but still 10 working days later have no reply. I've contacted my MP today to ask for help as I was advised to do so.

My questions are really;

For what reason might a visa take so long with no updates whatsoever?
We have no huge complications regarding our visa so I'm thinking if they were going to decline it, surely they could have done so a long time before now.

My main concern is this. I'm self employed and I earn a lot more than the threshold for the purposes of the visa but after applying I spent a lot of money on my business and accumulated business debt in order to increase future profit. If we have to reapply I will not officially be earning enough. I earn 50k plus but as I say I just reinvested all of this and more into my business so it will be a long while before my average profit puts me above their 18k or so threshold. I'm really worried.

Thanks

[Edwardo]

They should only base this application on the documents you sent them.

I believe the applications regarding Filipinos are rarely settled in less than 90 working days - you can check online on the gov.uk site.

The 60 day target is just an average of averages and well, just a target.


*Indeed, just checked and the Home Office says 'most applications are processed in 90 working days' (through Manila)

[Monty1978]

Yeah but I wasn't expecting to fail. Now I'm worried that we "may" have to reapply and that is no longer an option due to expending profit on business capital purchases.

Hmm, really want her here for Xmas. My dad is beginning radiotherapy also in January and I hope we have many more years but I want her to get to know him as soon as possible if you know what I mean.

[Londoner007]

Still 2 months to Xmas period. All you can do wait and hope for the best. Think positive, and am sure your application will be approved provided all the requirements have been met.

At this time of year Home Office is very busy with all sorts of visas. All the best and I hope your father feels better soon.

[Monty1978]

Thanks

[Monty1978]

So I go to contact my local MP and would you believe that my twat of an MP is the only one out of 650 MP's that wont accept email due to "security"?

Security my mule. Guy is blatantly lazy and being disingenuous.

[Edwardo]

Try this site as it may have an email line to his secretary and if so, the secretary may well offer to write for an update for you to save time waiting for the MP to get around to your email.

https://www.writetothem.com/

[Monty1978]

Thanks very much Edwardo.

This is pissing me off. Approaching 3 weeks since I phoned up the paid number to chase them up. I know in my bones they wont get back to me by their stated 15 working days reply time.

It really does that everything government does, it does appallingly. If I ran my business in such a manner I'd be bankrupt.

Thanks again Edwardo.

[Blighty]

Thanks very much Edwardo.

This is pissing me off. Approaching 3 weeks since I phoned up the paid number to chase them up. I know in my bones they wont get back to me by their stated 15 working days reply time.

It really does that everything government does, it does appallingly. If I ran my business in such a manner I'd be bankrupt.

Thanks again Edwardo.

The UKVI statistics in August for Manila at https://visa-processingtimes.homeoffice ... -visas/all show that the process can take over 24 weeks.

My wife applied in Kiev, Ukraine nearly 22 weeks ago and she is still waiting for her spouse visa. Their slowness is political and we have decided to be patient for another few weeks.

[Monty1978]

Oh wow, gah!!

Does it make a difference that the sheffield decision making centre received application. Not sure if that means that they deal with it as opposed to embassy in Manilla or what?

Damn I knew we would miss Xmas. I just knew it. She's going to get it in the neck now for that quick holiday in Dubai she wanted to go on lol...

[Monty1978]

If they take 24 weeks to decline this application words can't describe how pissed I'm going to be...

[Blighty]

Oh wow, gah!!

Does it make a difference that the sheffield decision making centre received application. Not sure if that means that they deal with it as opposed to embassy in Manilla or what?

Damn I knew we would miss Xmas. I just knew it. She's going to get it in the neck now for that quick holiday in Dubai she wanted to go on lol...

Means biometrics in Manila and the Sheffield team dealing with applications from the Philippines.

Appreciate your feelings as my wife was looking forward to enjoying her first Xmas in England. The UKVI Xmas party season probably starts mid-December, and so guess that their decision-making slows down from then until 2019!

[Londoner007]

Sheffield now deal with all applications. MP wont be able to influence much rather than find out status of application and like everyone else you will have to wait.

Some people are waiting 9 months for a decision. You will just have to wait.

Was there any element of your application that wasn't straightforward like previous marriage, children, more than 1 job?

[Monty1978]

Yes I run my own business and I work for a company abroad whilst in the UK but I deal with a respectable accounting firm and everything is accounted for and all boxes ticked.

[Londoner007]

Self-employment route get scrutinised a lot as there are so many docs to verify. You will just have to wait and see

[THO]

Hi Monty,

I feel for you, I've had so many issues with getting firstly a holiday visa for my now fiancé and more recently a marriage visitor visa from Vietnam. The HO turned us down on really stupid reasons for the holiday visa, (the pictures of us together in different parts of the World were not date stamped!!) but of course my passport is. The marriage visitor visa was turned down for two things we most certainly had proven with the documentation in our application, it was just ignored.

My father is also suffering from cancer and so we wanted the visa back in March this year, but finally after I contested the decision (based on it being negligently made, and therefore I would take them to court if they did not justify their decision) and won, and she arrives now mid Nov, although we have lost 1.5 months of time here due to them issuing it immediately. It takes a long time to get anything done and there is no one to speak on the phone, so don't waste your time trying that route.

Anyway, what you have not said in your case is what you have provided as evidence of your time together, and therefore if you have proven a real relationship. They look for any reason to say no, even make them up. So for both your sakes I hope you provided many pictures, with date stamps, chat history, her financial status, letter from your father stating he was unable to travel to Philippines to witness your marriage etc etc. I really hope you get it, as it is hard on the relationship to have some idiot (in our case based in Dehli of all places) who has never met either of you, make a decision that changes your whole life.

If you are unlucky, I'd be happy to explain to you how I made a complaint and got them to listen. It might help you.

Tho.

[Monty1978]

THO and others, thanks for feedback. And THO I may take you up on your offer. I get no luck. I kinda expect this to be crapped all over for some tenuous reason.

[Monty1978]

Received this email today.

Thank you for your enquiry

UKVI aim to make a decision on settlement applications within 60 working days of the date of Biometrics, when we are unable to meet our service standard our Visa Section will write to notify the applicant.

Prior to making a decision on an Entry Clearance application, a number of mandatory checks need to be completed in both the applicant’s home country and the UK. Although we aim to decide all applications within our published service standards, this is not always possible as the length of time taken to complete these checks is dependent on the individual circumstances of each case.

Once these mandatory checks have been completed the results of these checks may mean that further extended checks need to be carried out, this was the case with this application.

We cannot give a time scale for when a decision will be made, however please be assured that we are continuing to work on the application and will make a decision as soon as we are able to.

Whilst I appreciate the delays are frustrating , UKVI policy and procedures must remain intact.

[Monty1978]

THO sorry yeah we sent images of our holiday together last year and they might have auto date stamp on them via the smart phone, not sure but they have 10s of thousands of messages and video call records. Not sure what else they could require in that regard.

[Monty1978]

If we fail this application due to complicating income scenario then that is it. She wont get a visa for at least 3 years cos I can't change anything about my income and outgoings.

What options are there to get her into the country other than the spouse route?

She is a fully qualified pharmacist but would need to do a year conversion to qualify in this country. Might that be a possible route?

Ta

[CR001]

If we fail this application due to complicating income scenario then that is it. She wont get a visa for at least 3 years cos I can't change anything about my income and outgoings.

What options are there to get her into the country other than the spouse route?

She is a fully qualified pharmacist but would need to do a year conversion to qualify in this country. Might that be a possible route?

Ta

Tier 2 General work visa for which she will need a sponsoring employer on the HO approved list or a student visa.

[Monty1978]

If we fail this application due to complicating income scenario then that is it. She wont get a visa for at least 3 years cos I can't change anything about my income and outgoings.

What options are there to get her into the country other than the spouse route?

She is a fully qualified pharmacist but would need to do a year conversion to qualify in this country. Might that be a possible route?

Ta

Tier 2 General work visa for which she will need a sponsoring employer on the HO approved list or a student visa.

Thanks. Just wondering whether HO might frown upon an immediate application for a student visa after applying for a fiancée visa.

I can't believe how damn difficult this is for us when so many people are just walking across European borders without passports even and getting into this country with zero skill set. Here we have a small but successful business owner trying to marry his highly educated professional wife and we've got endless crap to deal with.

[CR001]

Thanks. Just wondering whether HO might frown upon an immediate application for a student visa after applying for a fiancée visa.

They are completely different rules and requirements. Tier 2 and Tier 4 you have to meet the points and have a sponsor.

[Monty1978]

Thanks. At least we have another option. Surely we'll be declined in time to apply for the course and the visa early next year, if that happens.

Nearest uni that does the conversion is about 60 miles away mind you but hey ho....

[THO]

Hi Again Monty,
Yes it peed me off too, that my Fiance is also very well educated has a good job in an international company in Vietnam that would gladly employ her in the UK (in-fact we tried for Tier 2 just at the time the RCOS score required went from 21 points to 55 and stayed there for months) and we got turned down. It's amazing how close our stories seem to be.

Obviously one of the main reasons for the HO's reluctance to issue visa's is the number of people who really do just want to pay to get into the country and then have no intention of returning. There are overstayers on this board trying to find ways to change their illegal status to legal. Find backdoors, and that annoys me, as it messes things up for the rest of us legit people.

But, reading the email you received from the HO, I think looks quite promising. I think they have almost decided "yes", but need to check a few things out first before issuing it, i.e. her claims are true and when they are proven to be, it's a goer. I don't think they almost decide "no" and then take time to check they are right, any doubt and the visa is declined. Just my reading of it. Also, I think I am right in saying that the Fiance visa unlike others, will allow you to submit further information they say is missing, if the answer is initially negative. So you probably won't have to re-apply completely, just add some further info they need to have to confirm things are legit. But please don't take that as gospel as I am no expert.

Also, don't re-apply if there is nothing more you can give them. This is the time to make an official complaint.

Keep us informed.