24hr Super Priority service not within service standard
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:30 am
Hi all, my wife has applied for SET(M) ILR based on her spouse visa, and we paid for the Super Priority 24 hr processing service. We attended the biometrics appointment at Reading Central Library on 28 February 2019 (which was very stressful - 2.5 hour delay, but that's another story).
The Home Office's own service standard clearly states that under the Super Priority scheme a decision should be made within 24 hours and if there is a problem with the application they will contact the applicant within the service standard (i.e. within 24 hrs). It is now 3 working days since she attended the biometrics appointment and we haven't received a decision yet, or heard that there is a problem. My wife phoned the Home Office and they said that we should call back if we haven't heard anything after 5 working days.
Has anyone had any luck getting a refund of the Super Priority fee if their application hasn't been decided within 24 hrs?
I also don't understand why they explicitly advertise the Super Priority service as being a 24 hour service when it clearly often isn't. I have seen some people on other threads saying that it is 24 working hours (i.e. 3 days), but I don't think this is correct. I have copied some relevant bits from the service standard below, and it's pretty clear (e.g. from the bits about if your appointment is on a weekend) that it means 1 day. I am thoroughly sick of the whole visa process, can't wait for my wife to get citizenship so we don't have to worry about it any more.
For 24 hour super priority service the service standard will start when you submit your biometrics. The service standard will end when we send our decision to you. The times include registering your biometric information, if needed, at a participating Post Office.
Super priority 24 hour service
For added value appointments at our commercial partner attended on a Saturday or Sunday, the appointment will be deemed as attended on the next working day. In most cases this will be a Monday but where there is a bank holiday it will be Tuesday. For example, a Saturday 11:30 appointment (30 minute appointment) will be deemed as attended on Monday at 11:30 and the decision completed and despatched within 24 hours.
The Home Office's own service standard clearly states that under the Super Priority scheme a decision should be made within 24 hours and if there is a problem with the application they will contact the applicant within the service standard (i.e. within 24 hrs). It is now 3 working days since she attended the biometrics appointment and we haven't received a decision yet, or heard that there is a problem. My wife phoned the Home Office and they said that we should call back if we haven't heard anything after 5 working days.
Has anyone had any luck getting a refund of the Super Priority fee if their application hasn't been decided within 24 hrs?
I also don't understand why they explicitly advertise the Super Priority service as being a 24 hour service when it clearly often isn't. I have seen some people on other threads saying that it is 24 working hours (i.e. 3 days), but I don't think this is correct. I have copied some relevant bits from the service standard below, and it's pretty clear (e.g. from the bits about if your appointment is on a weekend) that it means 1 day. I am thoroughly sick of the whole visa process, can't wait for my wife to get citizenship so we don't have to worry about it any more.
For 24 hour super priority service the service standard will start when you submit your biometrics. The service standard will end when we send our decision to you. The times include registering your biometric information, if needed, at a participating Post Office.
Super priority 24 hour service
For added value appointments at our commercial partner attended on a Saturday or Sunday, the appointment will be deemed as attended on the next working day. In most cases this will be a Monday but where there is a bank holiday it will be Tuesday. For example, a Saturday 11:30 appointment (30 minute appointment) will be deemed as attended on Monday at 11:30 and the decision completed and despatched within 24 hours.