Obviously with covid 19 things are delayed and I thought I would I form anyone wondering if things had returned to normal processing times that they have not yet. We are currently in 13th week almost 14th of a spouse visa application and so far we haven't even been contacted if we need to attend a service center. Apparently a visa should be processed within 8 weeks of attending a service centre so that could take us to 22 weeks. We have phoned them to chase it up, but they can't tell us anything.
Not wishing to 'burst your bubble', but there seems to be no rhyme or reason to wait times - regardless of Visa type - so Covid-19 is just another excuse that UKVI can add to their script for enquiries about delays, etc... Rewind to 2018 - pre Covid-19 - and my (then) fiancee and I waited 6 months (to the day!) for her Fiancee Visa to be approved. The only 'complication' in our situation was that I was (and still am ) disabled, so I was exempt from the FR! Neither of us have kids or a previous marriage, so you would have thought it was simple for UKVI to ask for proof of my disability benefits entitlement from the DWP... apparently not!
You make a valid point. That must have been frustrating waiting 6 months when you may have not been in the country. So what I can take from this is that if you have some excemption from the financial requirements such as UKDJ and myself they will keep you waiting six months in the hope that something happens such as a break up or leaving the country to invalid your visa application. At least this time my wife is in the country with me and its not a problem to wait six months.
Its always awful waiting but dont forget it may not be the UKVI that is holding up the process it maybe the third party they the UKVI have requested information from ie( the request is sat on some jobsworths desk) that hasn't responded.
You could be tight Mattycube. Prehaps that third party is some sasquatch working from home who can't get a signal from deep in the woods lol
So one week short of four months we have had an email. It says "you can now email supporting documents to us. The documents we need in support of your application can be found on the evidence checklist which you received when you made your application. Your facial image is also required as part of your application. What we are looking for is what is commonly known as a ‘selfie’ that meets the guidance below. " I am reserving judgment about what this means. However, my thoughts are that since we couldn't upload the supporting documents beacuse the service centers were shut, we got moved to the bottom of the waiting list and now after almost four months someone is now looking at our application. I am also guessing we won't Need to have the biometrics done again.
