**** COVID19 and UKVCAS Appointments **** (ONLY discuss here)

[iamawonder]

Not sure if they have sent IDV invitation to a select few (say 10-20 people) to do a trial before they begin inviting people en-masse. Just a speculation ofcourse.
Anyway, they are going to invite in phases, so it could even be 2 weeks from now that I get an invite as I am a July applicant

[ROHITSHAH4]

Nowhere did they mention sending invites on 17th August, they were clear enough in saying week commencing 17th August. So they have until the evening of Sunday the 23rd of August before the crucifixion can begin.

I said 17th August "onwards" not on 17th itself and this week ends on Saturdarday 22nd August.

[pbpk123]

Hi
I have applied for tier 2 General (switching employer) visa yesterday. Is there anyone with same timeline? Please update when you get email from ukvcas. Thanks

[Coco321]

I went to the fingerprint appointment today and absolutely a joke !!!
Can you imagine after submitting the fingerprint and take photo and everything is done the system crash

The lady had to call someone his name was xxxxx and asked him saying im in the location xxxxx and the system keep crashing im in the second appointment today and in the first appointment i had to do all the steps many times till the system accept and submit the fingerprint

Absolutely rubbish company and in the end was ok but as i said the system keep crashing and dropping proof the point how poor this company is !!!

[CR001]

Hi
I have applied for tier 2 General (switching employer) visa yesterday. Is there anyone with same timeline? Please update when you get email from ukvcas. Thanks

Minimal people in this topic as this thread is in the ILR sub forum. There is a similar topic in the tier 2 sub forum, link below.

https://www.immigrationboards.com/uk-ti ... l#p1920310

[Sez30]

Is there a timeline for spouse FLR(M) applicants?

[jamd12]

Hi everyone,

Applied 29th of July ILR (LR)
Haven't managed to book an appointment yet, or anything!
I've seen people with ILR (LR) who applied 3rd of July only managed to book an appointment 13th of August, which made me calm down a bit!
So following this trend, I'm assuming I will be able to book an appointment by 7th of Sept?

Anyone else in July, with no appointment booked?!
Please let me know would be good to feel that I am not alone on this journey!!

[CR001]

Is there a timeline for spouse FLR(M) applicants?

Yes, in the family immigration sub forum for a spouse visa extension.

https://www.immigrationboards.com/immig ... l#p1925351

And the link below for ilr applicant.

https://www.immigrationboards.com/indef ... l#p1925638

[moonpie77]

Hi All,
I applied on June 15th and managed to get Biometrics enrolled only on August 15th. In between there were list of confusing things that happened, so here is a timeline:

1. Application Submitted June 15 (Tier 2 General + 2 dependents, Set (0)
2. Uploaded all documents to UKVACS over the next few days (at the time there was no "Submit" button or atleast they didn't show me one.
3. On June 21 I received and email requesting for documents to be sent via email. The email also says if you are unable to send documents via email it won't affect your application.
4. Tried to send documents but email got rejected due to attachment size. Tried twice and failed.
5. On June 23rd, I received another email saying my application processing may take more than 6 months (the same format as others have posted here). I panicked and thought this is because I hadn't sent documents via email. So I wrote back to them saying I am sorry but I can't send the documents because I don't know what attachment size is acceptable.
6. Soon after on the same day I broke my documents down to sizes of about 5Mb zip files each and send all the documents they had asked for. Also ensured all of those were uploaded in UKVCAS as well.
7. On June 24th I received a response to the email sent in step 5 saying it's is okay, it was a generic email and that attachment size should be 10Mb.
8. I received no further communication from the email address where I had sent the documents. No acknowledgement, nothing.
9. July 14th, I logged back into UKVACS portal and found that a "Submit" button and checkbox had appeared. So I did a recheck of documents and hit submit.
10. July 20th, I received email to Book an appointment. Frustratingly the link they provided would not show my anything, it would take me to login, then I would log in and it would land on a dumb "Loading..." page. After spending a couple of frustrating days trying to look for Appointment slots (everything seemed filled at the time but could be I didn't go back far enough on every center), I called them. Eventually after 40 minutes of call waiting I was told I could book in Birmingham starting August 11th. I booked for August 15th (110 GBP per person).
11. Early August I again called them to see if I could move the appointment to Swindon because Swindon center was open by then, but the lady on phone said I would have to cancel my appointment first for her to do anything, even to tell me if there was a Swindon appointment available I had to cancel first. I gave up.
12. Finally did Biometrics enrollment on August 15 in Birmingham and now waiting anxiously for any further response.
(A colleague of mine applied for ILR Set(M) and got approval email the very next day after Biometrics, but Set(M)s generally get approved quicker...)

I didn't post this in timeline because I wanted to add the additional bits of details, hopefully it will help someone. I'll post final updates in the Timeline discussion.

[Whizart]

The invites were supposed to be sent from 17th Aug onwards, we are already mid-week and so far there is no communicated update either via emails or as a service status update on UKVCAS site.

Has anyone received the email to use the UKVAS IDV app yet?

Opt-Outers started receiving emails from Thursday evening to book their appointments.
Hopefully we start receiving IDV invites from tomorrow if not today. Fingers crossed.

[iamawonder]

Question for people who applied for ILR through a solicitor and got a decision.
Does the decision email go to the solicitor or the email that was used to register with UKVCAS?
And what about BRPs? Do they arrive first at solicitor's address or to your address directly?

[CULLINAN]

Moderators,

As requested by some other members is it possible to open a new thread for IDV app ? We can see this thread being used for discussing every other email exchange with UKVI/UKVCAS.

Hello all,

I understand this is a fast paced moving topic as new developments appear every other day.

However, we have to consider that all moderators, Respected Gurus, Diamond/Senior members devote their time and energy to help out without being paid.

Especially, the moderators have the tedious task of monitoring every single post for abusive language/spam etc for the smooth running of the board.

Therefore, having another topic would just increase the moderators load of monitoring another thread which is unnecessary.

I would urge you all to please stick to biometrics/IDV related questions in this group ONLY.

In my personal opinion copy pasting CW email communications/generic emails etc should be banned in this group. This topic should be specifically to discuss biometrics and IDV app issues as thats related to biometrics.

Any other personal visa specific questions/issues should be discussed in your own topics so this thread could be easier to monitor and helpful at the same time for all.

In the end we should give respect to anyone contributing to this forum especially the moderators who do a tedious task of keeping the forum moving voluntarily without being paid!

Thank you.

[atto123]

Update

I am May applicant via a very reputed solicitor

she is saying that all 50 applications she had applied for since Apr , no one, no one got their bio-metrics scheduled.

There was a technical issue linking the application from UKVI to sopra steria. They have acknowledged it and now they are "linking" it. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean.

now she is saying, we should all get the appointments on september first week..!!!!!!

This is awful to the core...is anyone in the same boat ? I bet no one in this forum.....

[atto123]

one thing , even the solicitors etc are really stressed out with this crappy sopra sterai guys....

they are working hard to push these applications through the finish line.

[mesn]

Update

I am May applicant via a very reputed solicitor

she is saying that all 50 applications she had applied for since Apr , no one, no one got their bio-metrics scheduled.

There was a technical issue linking the application from UKVI to sopra steria. They have acknowledged it and now they are "linking" it. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean.

now she is saying, we should all get the appointments on september first week..!!!!!!

This is awful to the core...is anyone in the same boat ? I bet no one in this forum.....

Same from my solicitor. She has suggested me to wait for Priority service, whenever that opens and says she has applicants waiting from Feb onward. 100+ of them. No one has received a decision yet. Bit surprising to me, especially looking at the ILR timelines thread. Is there a pattern? Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

[CR001]

Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

Using a solicitor, though it really isn't necessary and only makes the applicant poorer, has absolutely no effect, positive or negative, on your application.

Hopefully the solicitor checks the junk mail folder or the server doesn't block the emails as spam

[atto123]

Update

I am May applicant via a very reputed solicitor

she is saying that all 50 applications she had applied for since Apr , no one, no one got their bio-metrics scheduled.

There was a technical issue linking the application from UKVI to sopra steria. They have acknowledged it and now they are "linking" it. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean.

now she is saying, we should all get the appointments on september first week..!!!!!!

This is awful to the core...is anyone in the same boat ? I bet no one in this forum.....

Same from my solicitor. She has suggested me to wait for Priority service, whenever that opens and says she has applicants waiting from Feb onward. 100+ of them. No one has received a decision yet. Bit surprising to me, especially looking at the ILR timelines thread. Is there a pattern? Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

From feb is a joke...coz in feb there were priority and super priority appointments...

issue started from april...

[mesn]

Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

Using a solicitor, though it really isn't necessary and only makes the applicant poorer, has absolutely no effect, positive or negative, on your application.

Hopefully the solicitor checks the junk mail folder or the server doesn't block the emails as spam

Yes but some companies like mine use their service and cover the cost. I think my solicitor does check her eMails but that may explain 1 or 2 cases but these many open cases might mean there could be some issue at UKVI handling Solicitor based cases.

[mesn]

Update

I am May applicant via a very reputed solicitor

she is saying that all 50 applications she had applied for since Apr , no one, no one got their bio-metrics scheduled.

There was a technical issue linking the application from UKVI to sopra steria. They have acknowledged it and now they are "linking" it. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean.

now she is saying, we should all get the appointments on september first week..!!!!!!

This is awful to the core...is anyone in the same boat ? I bet no one in this forum.....

Same from my solicitor. She has suggested me to wait for Priority service, whenever that opens and says she has applicants waiting from Feb onward. 100+ of them. No one has received a decision yet. Bit surprising to me, especially looking at the ILR timelines thread. Is there a pattern? Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

From feb is a joke...coz in feb there were priority and super priority appointments...

issue started from april...

Feb/Mar ones might be normal route. Anyways, I was backing OP's update as the stories matched. Remember few others as well having issues with the Bio appointment who had applied via a Solicitor.

[n8net]

any1 who opted-out managed to get a FREE appointment ?

or is evert single one is priced - mix I take is £69 pp?

[atto123]

Update

I am May applicant via a very reputed solicitor

she is saying that all 50 applications she had applied for since Apr , no one, no one got their bio-metrics scheduled.

There was a technical issue linking the application from UKVI to sopra steria. They have acknowledged it and now they are "linking" it. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean.

now she is saying, we should all get the appointments on september first week..!!!!!!

This is awful to the core...is anyone in the same boat ? I bet no one in this forum.....

Same from my solicitor. She has suggested me to wait for Priority service, whenever that opens and says she has applicants waiting from Feb onward. 100+ of them. No one has received a decision yet. Bit surprising to me, especially looking at the ILR timelines thread. Is there a pattern? Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

all the applications went from solicitors had been somehow de-linked to sopra steria site. I mean the communication between sopra-steria and UKVI caused some issues i guess....majority of them who applied via solicitors are facing this issue...in my opinion issue is with sopra-steria not UKVI...

[mesn]

Update

I am May applicant via a very reputed solicitor

she is saying that all 50 applications she had applied for since Apr , no one, no one got their bio-metrics scheduled.

There was a technical issue linking the application from UKVI to sopra steria. They have acknowledged it and now they are "linking" it. I am not sure what it is supposed to mean.

now she is saying, we should all get the appointments on september first week..!!!!!!

This is awful to the core...is anyone in the same boat ? I bet no one in this forum.....

Same from my solicitor. She has suggested me to wait for Priority service, whenever that opens and says she has applicants waiting from Feb onward. 100+ of them. No one has received a decision yet. Bit surprising to me, especially looking at the ILR timelines thread. Is there a pattern? Are applications routed via solicitors getting deprioritized?

all the applications went from solicitors had been somehow de-linked to sopra steria site. I mean the communication between sopra-steria and UKVI caused some issues i guess....majority of them who applied via solicitors are facing this issue...in my opinion issue is with sopra-steria not UKVI...

I shared this update with my solicitor and she wasn't aware of this. She couldn't book any appointments for any of her clients yet and Sopra have not been useful. So, I suspect it's a common issue for many Solicitors and hopefully will be resolved soon.

[jameswilliamson6544]

It is very disappointing and unfortunate that UKVCAS gives broad timeline for IDV App.

In the updated FAQ from 14th Aug, they mentioned week commencing 17th Aug, while they would have already known that nothing will be available till mid-day Thursday. They could have given a timeline of 20th August onwards.

Also the two messages on top of the UKVCAS website is not getting updated as frequently as one would like. There is no update to the message posted on 8th August - really shameful and shows how inconsiderate UKVCAS is!

[iamawonder]

It is very disappointing and unfortunate that UKVCAS gives broad timeline for IDV App.

In the updated FAQ from 14th Aug, they mentioned week commencing 17th Aug, while they would have already known that nothing will be available till mid-day Thursday. They could have given a timeline of 20th August onwards.

Also the two messages on top of the UKVCAS website is not getting updated as frequently as one would like. There is no update to the message posted on 8th August - really shameful and shows how inconsiderate UKVCAS is!

Totally agree, updating the status on the website is least they can do every couple of days!!
They should even be publishing number of applications waiting for biometrics and IDV app for better transparency!

[fx125]

I did my biometrics last Friday 14th (after submitting application on July 27th) but just now I received an email UKVI saying "Although we would normally decide your application within six months from the date it was submitted, unfortunately this is not going to be possible in your case."

Can someone please confirm if this is just a standard email? Very strange I should receive this after submitting my biometrics, and also it says "This is not going to be possible" in a definitive tone, which seems different from the responses that the others got.

Has anyone else who applied in July got a similar email?

That's new - do you have a complicated immigration history? Which immigration route are you? SET(O) Tier 2?

not at all. Worked in the UK for the same employer 5 years straight. Studied in the UK prior to that. Set (O) tier 2.

Just ignore it. I got my Biometrics done in early August and got decision 2 weeks ago. My BRP arrived last Friday. And still I got this email about potential delay yesterday, after my process had been complete and BRP delivered. It seems their automated emails are a mess.

Hi @dantorrez, can I please ask which route did you apply to and you share a timeline? Is you case very straightforward?