question about application date, appointment, super priority service

[magictao]

After working with T2 general visa for almost 5 years, I am applying for ILR now.

I will really appreciate it if someone could help answer my questions.

1.
My temporary entrance visa is valid from March 28th and I entered UK on March 28th. After arriving at UK, I got my BRP card which is valid from March 14th.
Question: From which date in 2021, I am going to be eligible for 5 years? Is it “March 14th - 28 days” OR “March 28th - 28 days” ?

2.
In terms of the procedure, as I know, I need to fill an online application form, make a payment, make an appointment for fingerprint.
Question: Which date is my application date? Is it the date I finished online application OR the date of my appointment? Can I make the online application before being eligible for 5 years and make sure the appointment date is eligible for 5 years?

3.
If I submit online application today, when is usually the earliest appointment I can book? UKVCAS website mentioned about “next day appointment”, https://www.ukvcas.co.uk/additional-services, anyone has used it?

4.
If I choose the super priority service, is the procedure the same as the normal procedure. Is the only difference that I only wait one day to get the decision after the appointment?


Thanks!

[zimba]

1. The initial visa issue date
2. The application date is the day you submit it online however you can apply early as long as you are eligible on the date of your ILR decision
3. Appointment availability depends on your location and the centre you want to visit. This is handled by the 3rd party UKVCAS.
4. Super priority simply expedites the decision making but there is no guarantee

[magictao]

Hi Zimba,

Thanks a lot for your reply!

For 1. What is visa issue date? Is it the first valid date of the visa OR the day I received email that my visa is approved?

For 2. How could I know when is the date of my ILR decision? Is it always after my appointment?


Thanks again. Really appreciate your help.

[CULLINAN]

1) Date of issue. Date on the approval letter/email.

2)

Steps to follow after completing the form online:

Step 1: Pay and submit application via UKVI.

Tip: Date of application is the date you pay and submit online, biometrics date is irrelevant.

Step 2: After payment, you will reach “further actions page.” If you click on “book an appointment,” system will reroute you to create an account on UKVCAS where you can upload your documents and book an appointment.

Tip: You are sent an access code to set up an account on UKVCAS which usually lands up in Junk folder.

Step 3: Booking an appointment

You must book an appointment now. IDV is the past except T4.

Tip: You are given a deadline to submit your biometrics on the further actions page. Since the backlog for biometrics has subsided, you should meet the deadline.

Step 4: Now you can submit your documents to UKVI via UKVCAS portal even before your biometrics. The option usually appears when you have uploaded all your documents, sign out and sign in again. The option can be found on the “document upload page” right at the bottom.

Note: Self-submission is OPTIONAL. If you want to benefit from the new feature, you must upload and self-submit up to 48hrs before the appointment. If you do NOT want to self-submit, you can upload ANYTIME before the appointment date and submit at the appointment itself. Self-submission is recommended as you may save some processing time - your documents are sent to UKVI even before biometrics in this case. You can self-submit only ONCE. But if you forget to upload any documents, you can always upload later on (after self-submission) and submit at the appointment then (you will not be able to self-submit again but can submit at appointment).

Read “self-submit” “submit” “upload”

Tip: The best approach would be to benefit from the new self-submit feature.

Step 5: Once the process as stated above is completed, you should wait for a decision.

Step 6: If you applied using Super priority it will be counted after the date of biometrics. Super priority is not a guarantee though.

https://www.gov.uk/faster-decision-visa-settlement

Tip: Keep a check on your email/junk folder.