How To Apply For A UK Fiance(e) Visa

These call lines are not run by UKVI themselves that’s why you find that they are useless when it comes to giving update to your visa applications, they are run by third party company that’s why it’s best not to call them at all, waste of time and money. Anyway, sorry to hear about your experience. Hope you hear the good news eventually.

That's the reason the guy can't even speak in English...
We were just hoping to hear some updates since the first agent we spoke to seems like she knows what she's talking about and she told us to call back with confidence. But yeah after what experienced today, we are never calling again. It's just sad that we have to pay that amount and all we get from them is a horrible service.

I'm really hoping for a new update anytime soon. I just feel so anxious now.

Thanks Brom. I really hope it's a good news.

How do you know they are not run/staffed by UKVI? That sure explains a lot!
Personally, I refuse to make telephone contact with them as you will have no proof or record of anything they say... They may not tell you anything useful by email either, but at least I have 'concrete' evidence of my contacting them, and their responses when it comes to making a complaint in the future!

Now on day 126.
I had a very frustrating call today with my MPs team. I'm dealing with a bitch, shes very rude, and out right said there is nothing else they can do. There is, but she wasn't hearing any of it. I hear stories of really helpful MPs, but my MP team is very incompetent.

Yes the UKVI premium line is a third party operated by Sitel (https://www.sitel.com/news_item/sit...ational-domestic-customer-service-operations/)

Ive escalated 5-6 times, I know its all a scam, but for the tiny % that the escalation is real, im willing to pay for it!! My total escalation bill stands at £52.

I think the trick is to call mid UK work hours, you will then get a British worker on the line. (so you dont have to deal with other accents!) The line is 24 hours. So out of UK hours they will route the calls abroad. I once called before 9am UK time, and for a thick Indian accent. Every second counts on this premium line.
As soon as you connect, just say you have a ref number for them. Keep you conversation short, cos they dont have any more information about the case, aside from the STATUS. (e.g Still awaiting decision, decision made etc)
And they have a way of 'escalating'.

I will need to postpone my registry, it was booked for Sep.

I haven't seen any evidence of 'escalation' from my email contact with UKVI/'Them', despite being told such - just a 5-day wait for a reply from someone else, telling us... absolutely nothing!

Likewise. Although - as I've mentioned before - I was unsuccessful in getting any kind of 'provisional' agreement with my local RO, I did pay a deposit on a venue for an after-party in September (hoping it would be evidence of genuine intention to marry), based on the assumption that an application in mid-February would yield a result by mid/late May! Silly me...
Will probably now be looking at a wedding in January 2019, IF we get a (positive) result in August!
Day 118 for us.

Next time, please don't book venues, will save you ££££. I submitted email convo with the Registrar to prove genuine intention to marry here. We also explained in our cover letter our intention to marry and how we would do it. They accepted it as enough proof.

Outsourced to Sitel UK since May 2017, they take your money and pay some to the UK Gov and some for themselves!

Not worried about the cost as it was only a deposit and we should be able to transfer to another date without a problem...
I'm more annoyed that I went to the trouble of visiting the RO in person (rightly or wrongly, my personal choice to have a face-to-face meeting with a real person!) picking an approximate date for a wedding/after-party etc - 7 MONTHS from our application date!! - and here we are now, just 1 month from our intended wedding day, still without a decision... makes a complete mockery of providing proof of intention to marry!

Oopps! Did you call them already? You still need to give notice of marriage - 28 days. And she is only allowed to do that after staying here for 7-8 days.

you have to give notice at a DESIGNATED register office---and it may well NOT be your local one.

https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/foreign-national

I think you misunderstand what I was saying @menchu_edge...

I have not been able to make ANY plans for the wedding ceremony, just a provisional booking for an after-party venue.

Once my fiancée (hopefully) gets here, we will start making actual wedding plans - RO booking, etc - but as UKVI have prevented us from spending an extended period of time living together as a couple (her Visit Visa was turned down in 2017) we are not rushing into getting married as soon as possible when she arrives - hence why I estimated a January 2019 wedding if she gets here in August or September.

Yep - I know @bigmac...

Wedding/RO arrangements are the least of my worries at this time - just want to get my fiancée HERE first, as we near the 120 working days mark!
Still no 'stats' from UKVI for June 2018, I see!

Just checked here -

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-register-offices-in-england-and-wales -

and my local RO is 'designated', so no worries there when the time comes...

i really feel your pain mate.

Yeah...

The danger is, when we do finally get a (hopefully positive) decision, UKVI will have sucked any joy out of the situation and all I will feel is numb!
I know that feeling will pass, but the joy should be felt the moment you get the decision, not a delayed reaction because of a flawed system...

I emailed UKVI again and they replied back just apologising still no updates.


"Your patience it highly appreciated. "

Day 36 for priority processing.

I've seen in a fb group, she got the result on the 38th working day (priority). It's quite disappointing for priority service though coz I got my fiance visa after 25 working days (standard).

Hope you get it soon. Goodluck!

Awww. Is He/she a June applicant? I guess I will have to wait 15 more working days. Everytime we email or call them all they say is that they referred it to another team.

I feel so nervous now.

I think it was a month or two ago.

You can't do anything but to wait and also push/remind your MP.

Although UKVI haven't published any stats since May - and they don't differentiate between Standard and Priority applications - I have seen some Priority applications waiting until much closer to the 60-day timescale!