Spousal VISA priority guidance

[AS701]

Evening all,

First post here but I've found some very helpful posts before now, so I'm hoping someone can help with my queries now. I've been researching everything I can find on the below but I haven't come across a definitive answer.

For context, my wife and I married late last year in the USA. We are in the process of putting together her application for a spousal visa to move to the UK. While we legally married just by ourselves and without a big ceremony, our families are hosting a 'second ceremony' in late-June so that we can celebrate our marriage with family/friends.

At present we meet all of the requirements, except the accommodation one. We were hoping to send off the application next week once her new passport was issued, but having realised we do not meet this requirement, we are now looking at a delay.

I currently live in a HMO/shared house with my brother and another flat-mate, and we are likely to be moving out in early April (will know for definite in the next 10 days). As such, I don't believe we can apply with my current address (I highly doubt the landlord will provide a letter of no opposition this late in the tenancy, and I presume we need to list where my wife will actually live). We're still waiting for final confirmation, but it seems like the most likely course is that I will be moving out of my current shared house in early April, planning to move into a one-bed flat that my wife will then join me in once her application is (hopefully) approved. Unfortunately, I believe this means we have to wait to apply until I am in the new residence and can provide evidence of this (tenancy agreement, letter from landlord, photos etc). Please correct me if this is not the case.

We are very keen for my wife to join me as soon as possible, and had been planning on sending the application soon, with the hope she would get approval in May and move here shortly afterwards. We are still keen to aim for this timeframe and so we are discussing going for the priority route. However, I have not been able to find confirmation of the exact order we do things in this scenario, and what the requirements are.

My wife lives in Colorado and as such is not near one of the VFS premium centres; the nearest is in Chicago. While I am aware that you need to go to one of these if you are looking for the 24 hours or 5 days turn-around, can you pay for the priority 30 day turnaround and use the normal ASC centres? There is one in Denver, which is less than an hour away, and would also be significantly cheaper (finances are a factor, unfortunately). The gov.uk website says: You cannot purchase the priority service at the ASC. However, the VFS site seems to suggest that you can.

If anyone has any experience with the priority service, then we'd hugely appreciate any guidance on the exact process and timings. Key questions are:

-Is the 30 day turnaround from applying or from the biometric scan? For example, could we start the gov.uk part of the application now and book an appointment for mid-April, submitting the documents (inc. the accommodation proof) then?

-Do we pay/apply for the priority service when creating the application on gov.uk, or through the VFS site?

-Would we need to send the documents to the VFS office in New York, or to a location in the UK? I've seen both suggested on multiple threads. Either way, do all documents (from both applicant and sponsor) need to go together to the same place?

-Do we send the documentation before the biometric appointment, during it, or after?

-There is the additional £550-odd cost for this, but are there any other fees we're likely to incur?

-If we applied for everything in April, how certain is it that, pending no skeletons in the closet, my wife's visa would be issued in time for her to be over here in late June?

I'm sure I'll have more follow-ups, so apologies if any of my questions are glaringly stupid; I've just spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to ascertain the exact process. As I said, if anyone can outline the key steps, we would both massively appreciate it.

Thanks!

[Amber]

See the webpage (click).

[AS701]

Hi, thanks for responding. Unfortunately, that link only seems to discuss the 24 hour and 5 day options. As mentioned, due to my wife's location, we were hoping to do the priority 30 day route, if shes able to use the ASC centre in Denver rather than flying to Chicago/Houston. That link also doesn't clearly outline the exact process, and seems to conflict with the links for the visa application from the US https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... in-the-usa.

I appreciate I've asked a lot of questions; if it's helpful, I can boil these down to a few more crucial points, but we genuinely can't work out whether the above is even an option, when we can start the process, and in what order these go. Apologies for such a long initial post, but if anyone has gone this route before and can offer some advice, we'd both hugely appreciate it.

[AS701]

Ok, I'll post the most crucial question I have, and see if anyone is able to help with that.

Can we do the priority service (30 days) with the biometric appointment at one of the ACS centres, rather than the VFS premium?

[Amber]

You cannot purchase the priority service at the ASC you have to do to prior via the VFS user pay services pay. However, you can use the priority service at the ASC.

[AS701]

Thank you, that's really helpful to know (and saves us a fair bit of time, effort and money!)

Am I right in thinking that we submit the documents after the biometric? If so, can we start the application in the next week and schedule the biometric for March/April, when I should be able to provide proof of the new accommodation (I may not have moved in then, but I should be able to show intent to- signed tenancy agreement, landlord letter).

It looks like the ASC requires us to do document scanning at the centre, but we then have to send it off to New York. Will we need to submit both applicant and sponsor documents at the same time.

Thanks again!