I (non-EEA citizen) applied for presettlement on Saturday on the basis of living here with my EU spouse, who already received presettled status during the test phase. I arrived in the UK a couple of weeks ago, so I don't have a Biometric Residence Card.
In the application portal, I selected document verification via post (given that scanning with an app wasn't an option with my US passport). After uploading my supporting documents, I was instructed to schedule a biometrics appointment. I paid the £100 for a same day appointment at a Sopra Steria center and had my biometrics taken and my passport verified that afternoon. The process took about an hour with most of that time spent waiting. The staff at the center seemed confused about the process and said that they weren't expecting the scheme to be open until Monday 1 April. They told me that they weren't sure if they were meant to verify my passport in addition to taking the biometrics, but were doing it anyway just in case.
However, even after completing the biometrics enrollment, my application in the Home Office portal still says that I need to schedule a biometrics appointment before the approval process can begin. I called the helpline about this and they said that they can see the biometrics already. They said that my application will be transferred to a caseworker and I should expect a decision or follow up via email in 1-2 weeks.
I asked if I would still need to post my passport for verification (as the Home Office instructions indicated before I applied), but they told me it may not be necessary after all. I guess we'll see what happens.
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