Expediting and MP intervention helps

Hi all, I'm very happy to say my SET(O) application (no dependents, HSMP 2 years + Tier 1 3 years) has been approved.

Posted application: 28 April
Received application: 30 April
Fees debited (credit card): 9 May
Acknowledgment received: 14 May, dated 9th
Biometrics invite received: 4 July, dated 25th or 28th, can't remember
Biometrics submitted at a post office: 4 July
BRP received: 27 July, dated 25 July
Passport and other documents received: 30 July from Liverpool

If you look at my other posts in these forums you can see that I only found out a few days before my PEO appointment that I wasn't actually eligible for PEO as my visa expired 3 days before my 5 years minus 28 days. So, I did everything I could possibly think of to expedite the process as I had lots of travel booked.

At the beginning of June I emailed my MP, who replied via post saying they'd look into my application if I sent my reference number. I did, but didn't hear back again for weeks despite me emailing a few times.

On 6th July I faxed 01512132910 reiterating what I had put in my cover letter when I applied, that I had lots of travel booked for work and personal reasons. I included all of my bookings (flights, hotel, conference passes etc). No response.

On 17th July I had my manager sign a letter again reiterating that I needed to travel for work in August. I faxed that. No response.

I then also emailed the BBC after seeing this article someone posted.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18888210 No response.

I emailed the Ombudsman http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/ No response.

I submitted an FOI request asking about processing times as well as why people are receiving their documents back weeks after the BRP date. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/f ... formation/ No response, but I will post here when they do reply as it hasn't been the 30 days yet.

I submitted an email to the UKBA complaints email http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/about ... o-complain No response.

I emailed the general UKBA settlement email multiple times. No response.

Finally, on Friday (27th) I got an email from my MP's office saying that a decision had been made on the 25th, and my documents were in the "secure holding area" before being sent out. I thought this was interesting as it officially indicates that your documents don't go straight in the post after the decision.

On Friday my BRP turned up via some sort of courier (it was to my work, and my receptionist said 2 people were together delivering it). Today my passport and other documents arrived in the recorded delivery envelope I included with my application.

I don't know if it was the fax from my boss or my MP's involvement, but one of them if not both did the trick. I strongly urge everyone to contact their MP to look into their case, as from other parts of this forum it appears to really work (and of course fax a letter and proof if you do have a real travel reason). To the people who said it's "wrong" to try to expedite, you are not helping the situation at all. The more people who put up a fuss, contact their MPs, and draw attention to how ridiculously long the UKBA takes for these approvals, the better chance that they change how they do things and hire more people to speed things up.

Someone posted an FOI request in here earlier, the results saying that about 1,500 or so applications are received each week. With the minimum fee just under £1k, I did the math and that's £78 MILLION IN REVENUE that UKBA is making annually off these fees. There is NO excuse for earning that much money and not hiring enough caseworkers to let people get their approvals in a reasonable amount of time. I included this fact to UKBA and my MP on my more recent emails.

Again, please contact your MP if you are waiting. I think it's your best shot.

Good luck everyone!

Oops, I meant to post this in the waiting time thread. But, doesn't hurt for everyone to see it!

good read that and well done.

I am generally peed off at their service. they charge a whopping 1400 and cannot decide the case.

and still if they do within an hour, thats 1400/hour.

Congrats mate! at last your effort has brought results!

I was just wondering about the fax number? Is that the fax number for SET (O) applications as they normally go to Durham office?

I quickly searched for UKBA fax number and found this link which shows a different fax number?

http://www.insidetime.org/info-address- ... der_agency

Can someone please confirm what is the fax number for UKBA? I am thinking about faxing them once I do my Biometrics.

Thanks

The fax number in my post is the one I used. UKBA gave it to me when I called to ask if my biometrics letter had been sent out (I forgot to post that in my timeline. I called to ask about my letter and they said it had just been sent out, and I could fax that number to expedite). I think it's for the Liverpool office.

melimango wrote:Hi all, I'm very happy to say my SET(O) application (no dependents, HSMP 2 years + Tier 1 3 years) has been approved.

Posted application: 28 April
Received application: 30 April
Fees debited (credit card): 9 May
Acknowledgment received: 14 May, dated 9th
Biometrics invite received: 4 July, dated 25th or 28th, can't remember
Biometrics submitted at a post office: 4 July
BRP received: 27 July, dated 25 July
Passport and other documents received: 30 July from Liverpool

If you look at my other posts in these forums you can see that I only found out a few days before my PEO appointment that I wasn't actually eligible for PEO as my visa expired 3 days before my 5 years minus 28 days. So, I did everything I could possibly think of to expedite the process as I had lots of travel booked.

At the beginning of June I emailed my MP, who replied via post saying they'd look into my application if I sent my reference number. I did, but didn't hear back again for weeks despite me emailing a few times.

On 6th July I faxed 01512132910 reiterating what I had put in my cover letter when I applied, that I had lots of travel booked for work and personal reasons. I included all of my bookings (flights, hotel, conference passes etc). No response.

On 17th July I had my manager sign a letter again reiterating that I needed to travel for work in August. I faxed that. No response.

I then also emailed the BBC after seeing this article someone posted.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18888210 No response.

I emailed the Ombudsman http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/ No response.

I submitted an FOI request asking about processing times as well as why people are receiving their documents back weeks after the BRP date. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/f ... formation/ No response, but I will post here when they do reply as it hasn't been the 30 days yet.

I submitted an email to the UKBA complaints email http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/about ... o-complain No response.

I emailed the general UKBA settlement email multiple times. No response.

Finally, on Friday (27th) I got an email from my MP's office saying that a decision had been made on the 25th, and my documents were in the "secure holding area" before being sent out. I thought this was interesting as it officially indicates that your documents don't go straight in the post after the decision.

On Friday my BRP turned up via some sort of courier (it was to my work, and my receptionist said 2 people were together delivering it). Today my passport and other documents arrived in the recorded delivery envelope I included with my application.

I don't know if it was the fax from my boss or my MP's involvement, but one of them if not both did the trick. I strongly urge everyone to contact their MP to look into their case, as from other parts of this forum it appears to really work (and of course fax a letter and proof if you do have a real travel reason). To the people who said it's "wrong" to try to expedite, you are not helping the situation at all. The more people who put up a fuss, contact their MPs, and draw attention to how ridiculously long the UKBA takes for these approvals, the better chance that they change how they do things and hire more people to speed things up.

Someone posted an FOI request in here earlier, the results saying that about 1,500 or so applications are received each week. With the minimum fee just under £1k, I did the math and that's £78 MILLION IN REVENUE that UKBA is making annually off these fees. There is NO excuse for earning that much money and not hiring enough caseworkers to let people get their approvals in a reasonable amount of time. I included this fact to UKBA and my MP on my more recent emails.

Again, please contact your MP if you are waiting. I think it's your best shot.

Good luck everyone!

did you or any one knows what is 'secure holding area' why documents kept there ?