We are now (just) beyond the 60 days quoted by UKVI and have had no communication whatsoever, unlike many I have read on here... I could email/call them, but what is some anonymous advisor - who has no connection with our application - going to tell us... nothing useful, I suspect, going on previous experience! Of those on here who have applied for a fiance(e) Visa - and have received an email after 60 days, or so - has anyone subsequently received their result? How long beyond the 60 days is it taking, on average? Just trying to get some idea how much longer we are going to have to suffer this intolerable situation! The next 'yard-stick' quoted by UKVI is 90 days - I sure hope we won't be waiting another 6 WEEKS for a decision! These people really should be able to be held to account for their systematic failing to reach targets - but I doubt that will ever happen!
My personal opinion is that it takes nowhere near 30 days or even a week to go through a spouse or fiancé visa application. I would wager that it probably takes those that have their eye in and know what they are looking for about 15 to 30 minutes to read through, picking out the salient points. If we assume a couple of emails need to be sent or phone calls made as cross checks, then that might string things out a bit. Providing the case is a good’un then it would not take very long at all. So why does it and why does it vary? My opinion is that there is queuing involved and other visa types that need processing. So any one application goes into a waiting “pile”, unless it is a priority application. So why the variance in processing time? One would like to think that the applications would be processed on a first in first out basis but maybe this is not the case. It appears to be reasonably well established that the duration time of processing has a degree of randomness about it.
I was told by my original visa agency that they tend to go through the ones that are better presented first - eg with an index and with the sections properly labelled and clipped together in seperate sections. I don't know if it's true, but I followed their advice and usually had a pretty reasonable response speed-wise.
I think you are 'bang-on' with many of your points @Sanders... From other Posts I have seen, there is a great deal of 'cherry-picking' goes on, beyond the level of Priority/non-Priority application status! Presumably this is purely to keep their 'stats' up - so that isn't working, given that the percentage of applications decided went down from 70% to 60% between February and March 2018 (still waiting for them to release stats for April 2018, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it drop to 50% or less)! I'm just a tad miffed that they can't even be consistent about sending out what are presumably 'automated' email excuses...
You're probably right @Maharg, but given the lack of any specific instructions from UKVI on exactly how to present your evidence, that is a poor excuse for not dealing with applications in a chronological manner...
We were advised same as Maharg. I imagine if the material is orderly presented it might help, especially if the order of submitted material follows a tick list of their specific criteria. But I have read a lot of theories on this and I am not certain the best presented are the earliest processed. Ours followed a prescribed and orderly submission but the visa was awarded at some median point compared to others who submitted at the same time. Having said that @UKDJ , you will almost certainly hear soon, you just have to grin and bear it in the interim.
Agreed. So near, and yet (it seems) so far... That's why - from my original question - I was trying to get an idea how long others had waited beyond the 60 days, but as you say one person's experience is no reliable indication of what anyone else should expect. Like so many things, it is a lottery!
Yeah, in terms of elapsed time there is an amount of randomness. It isn’t like taking a ticket at Clark’s shoe shop, or perhaps it is but with ear defenders and a blindfold on.
Just a quick update... Having emailed UKVI last week - Day 64 - and seemingly got no sensible answers before they 'cut off' communication, today we received an email saying our application has been escalated and we should hear within a further 15 days... Maybe there is light at the end of the very long, silent tunnel after all!
Good luck, I'm on day 75 now, we emailed last week, and received the 'escalation' email on day 69, and oddly again on day 73.
You can just imagine it. Ring ring. Ring ring. Hi UKDJ, this is the UKVI here. Just getting back to you on your email last week. Awfully sorry but we have been at it hammer and tongs on your visa application for the last 60 days or so. We are a bit behind schedule right now but we hope to have it nailed in about 2 weeks from now. Thankyou for your patience lovey. Traaa now, Chuck.
Good to know, @Crafty - This seems to be the MO of UKVI now, if you email them after the 60-day point. I guess the 'proof of the pudding' will be if they actually stick to their word (did your 'escalation' email say they would be in contact within 15 days? I hope 'be in contact' means they will have a result and not just another hollow promise...!)
The Family Member Residence Card is stuck at 180 days right now and thats only because thats a maximum time allowed what it says in the rules is that it should be a priority and have an accelerated process lol
