It's almost 8 weeks and haven't received biometric letter

[LEH21]

Hi,

Application sent: Feb 26
Acknowledgement letter received: Mar 05 (dated Mar 01)
Money debited: Mar 04

It's almost 8 weeks now and I still haven't received any biometrics letter. I have to take a very important annual exam in early June which requires my passport ID.

I have tried dialing the general number provided on the acknowledgement letter, which unsurprisingly led to automated information and nothing more.

On Apr 8, I sent the UKBA a letter with home office reference number to ask them to kindly speed up review of my application, citing the importance and urgency of my exam requirement and the published standard processing time on UKBA.

On Apr 15, I sent the UKBA a second letter, citing an important conference abroad which I am expected to attend.

To date, I have received no reply at all, whether it be biometric enrollment letter or acknowledgement of my 2 aforementioned letters.

I am really worried if I can get my passport/visa back by end of May..

Anybody in the same boat?
Any suggestions of what I can do?

If I miss the exam in early June (by then it would have been a total of 14 weeks(!), I have to wait another year to take it. How depressing that would be!

[safatafa]

Hi there
I know it's very frustrating that u didnt Recieve you biometric do u remember what address u used as correspondence ? If its the home address I would ring the customer service and let them know or ask them to raise it with the case worker , not aware y there is a delay but I know how u feel

[LEH21]

Hi,

I used my work address as correspondence address. They did post the acknowledgement letter to my work address (preferred correspondence address).

I moved to a difference address after I sent off my application, although my correspondence address remains my work address. Do you think I should notify them of my change of home address too? I did in my first follow-up letter to them dated April 8th raise my concern that the biometrics letter may have been lost en route if they have indeed sent it...


very frustrating indeed..

[safatafa]

If u can go and check at ur old address if they had any post, u might get lucky .
Mistakes do happen might be its sent to ur old address worth a try ..

[vc555]

Hi,

Application sent: April 4
Acknowledgement letter received: April 12 (dated April 08 )
Money debited: Not yet, Due to some problem in payment
still waiting for ukba

[nisarmalik]

hi leh21
If money is deducted from ur account,
Send the email to the following email id with ur detail saying that u have not recieved biometric

AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

[LEH21]

hi leh21
If money is deducted from ur account,
Send the email to the following email id with ur detail saying that u have not recieved biometric

AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Thanks a lot! I emailed them today with scanned copies of UKBA's acknowledgement letter (of my application) and also scanned copies of the aforementioned 2 letters that I sent to UKBA. I haven't heard back yet...

How long do you think before I hear back from them?
It's 8 full weeks now since they debited the money, and entering the 10th almost since i posted my application really depressing.
I'm losing the will to prepare for the exam for which I need the passport as ID.
And the holidays that I've booked for mid-July...

Just one question: my colleague raised the issue today as to which address I sent those two inquiry letters to. I sent it to the Tier 2 visa at Durham address (the first address for all tier 2 applications...)
Should I have sent them to the Sheffield address (the one for Change of Circumstances)?

[LEH21]

Hi,

Application sent: April 4
Acknowledgement letter received: April 12 (dated April 08 )
Money debited: Not yet, Due to some problem in payment
still waiting for ukba

hmf, is the issue to do with UKBA's system or your bank's?
Would be interesting to find out when they debit it and when you get the Biometric Enrolment Letter.

[rubyni]

hi leh21
If money is deducted from ur account,
Send the email to the following email id with ur detail saying that u have not recieved biometric

AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Thanks a lot! I emailed them today with scanned copies of UKBA's acknowledgement letter (of my application) and also scanned copies of the aforementioned 2 letters that I sent to UKBA. I haven't heard back yet...

How long do you think before I hear back from them?
It's 8 full weeks now since they debited the money, and entering the 10th almost since i posted my application really depressing.
I'm losing the will to prepare for the exam for which I need the passport as ID.
And the holidays that I've booked for mid-July...

Just one question: my colleague raised the issue today as to which address I sent those two inquiry letters to. I sent it to the Tier 2 visa at Durham address (the first address for all tier 2 applications...)
Should I have sent them to the Sheffield address (the one for Change of Circumstances)?

I think you should it to Sheffield - Tier 2 application gets processed at Sheffield. Or you could also fax it to them.

[LEH21]

hi leh21
If money is deducted from ur account,
Send the email to the following email id with ur detail saying that u have not recieved biometric

AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

I got an email reply from them today, saying:

(quote)
Good morning.

Your request has been sent to the relevant team who will provide a new biometric letter at their earliest opportunity.

Kind regards
Appointment Exceptions
(unquote)

Now i hope their earliest opportunity is soon...very soon...

[LEH21]

I think you should it to Sheffield - Tier 2 application gets processed at Sheffield. Or you could also fax it to them.

I see...Do you happen to have their fax number?

[rubyni]

I think you should it to Sheffield - Tier 2 application gets processed at Sheffield. Or you could also fax it to them.

I see...Do you happen to have their fax number?

I should have given you the number when I suggested it.
Will pm you on Monday!

Rubyni

[LEH21]

I think you should it to Sheffield - Tier 2 application gets processed at Sheffield. Or you could also fax it to them.

I see...Do you happen to have their fax number?

I should have given you the number when I suggested it.
Will pm you on Monday!

Rubyni

Oh thanks a lot, you are a star!

[rubyni]

the fax number :01162494192

good luck!

Rubyni

[LEH21]

I still haven't received any biometrics enrollment letter...
I have emailed AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov
They replied on 26 April (13 days ago) and said they had requested the relevant dept to send me another enrollment letter (presumably the previous one was lost, although I haven't spotted any, and my correspondence address has always been my work address).

However, since then I still haven't seen anything!
I think Im going completely nuts and I cannot even describe the level of frustration and anxiety something like that can possibly incur on a normal human being.

Seems all my hard work for the exam in early June would to be no avail.
One year of hard work. Nothing. Not to mention the hundreds of pounds that went into registering and preparing for the exam.

Im even starting to worry if I can make my annual leave in mid-July. By then it would have been 5 months already.

ARGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Anyone any help? ideas? sigh......................

[rubyni]

I still haven't received any biometrics enrollment letter...
I have emailed AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov
They replied on 26 April (13 days ago) and said they had requested the relevant dept to send me another enrollment letter (presumably the previous one was lost, although I haven't spotted any, and my correspondence address has always been my work address).

However, since then I still haven't seen anything!
I think Im going completely nuts and I cannot even describe the level of frustration and anxiety something like that can possibly incur on a normal human being.

Seems all my hard work for the exam in early June would to be no avail.
One year of hard work. Nothing. Not to mention the hundreds of pounds that went into registering and preparing for the exam.

Im even starting to worry if I can make my annual leave in mid-July. By then it would have been 5 months already.

ARGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Anyone any help? ideas? sigh......................

So sorry to hear that! Have you tried calling them recently, because they are actually nicer on the phone.

Apprently, they can start speaking to you - due to their new guidance.

Rubyni

[safatafa]

Hi
If I were you I would call them with the reference numbers and ask regarding biometric its very unlikely that ur application is not yet processed..

[LEH21]

I still haven't received any biometrics enrollment letter...
I have emailed AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov
They replied on 26 April (13 days ago) and said they had requested the relevant dept to send me another enrollment letter (presumably the previous one was lost, although I haven't spotted any, and my correspondence address has always been my work address).

However, since then I still haven't seen anything!
I think Im going completely nuts and I cannot even describe the level of frustration and anxiety something like that can possibly incur on a normal human being.

Seems all my hard work for the exam in early June would to be no avail.
One year of hard work. Nothing. Not to mention the hundreds of pounds that went into registering and preparing for the exam.

Im even starting to worry if I can make my annual leave in mid-July. By then it would have been 5 months already.

ARGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Anyone any help? ideas? sigh......................

So sorry to hear that! Have you tried calling them recently, because they are actually nicer on the phone.

Apprently, they can start speaking to you - due to their new guidance.

Rubyni

I called them immediately after I saw your reply. And it GOT THROUGH!!
Can't tell how much I rejoiced at hearing a real human voice on the long end of the line!
The lady officer confirmed on the phone that 1 letter was sent on 19 April and another one--after I emailed BiometricsAppointmentExceptions--was sent on 3 May. But both of them were NOT sent to the correspondence address I provided in my visa application (which is my work address), but to my old home address at the time of application.

This is really stupid. When I emailed BiometricsAppointmentExceptions, I specifically asked them to make sure that the letter was/is/would be sent to the correct correspondence address, spelling the full address out again and highlighted in bold red for them. The officer did reply and said "another biometrics letter has been sent to the address you provided." I then took it that it was sent to the correspondence address. God knows, they should have sent it to the same WRONG address twice, blatantly not reading my email at all!

Problem is, I moved in mid March (which was why I used work address instead of home address as correspondence address) to a new flat. Yesterday after work I rushed back to my old flat to try my luck. Somebody was in but unfortunately they had thrown away those letters and in fact one did arrive on Weds, but he returned it to RoyalMail!

Crazy how they have correctly sent the acknowledgement letter to the correct correspondence address, but the biometrics dept sent it to my home address. No wonder I have been waiting and waiting until I got through the line yesterday and someone, some human voice, finally told me about what's happening.


The lady on the helpline also told me to send in a change of circumstances form to change my home address AND also specify once more my correspondence address, since she couldn't change it for me, except for the biometrics special request (a one-off change).

So I did that, together with a cover letter describing my griefs and anxiety, hoping they would speed it up and return the whole thing with visa granted before my exam day.

I reckon the fastest the biometrics letter will arrive mid-week the next. I wonder if UKBA can process the whole thing in 2 weeks.

I shall report in due course....

[rubyni]

I still haven't received any biometrics enrollment letter...
I have emailed AppointmentExceptions@homeoffice.gsi.gov
They replied on 26 April (13 days ago) and said they had requested the relevant dept to send me another enrollment letter (presumably the previous one was lost, although I haven't spotted any, and my correspondence address has always been my work address).

However, since then I still haven't seen anything!
I think Im going completely nuts and I cannot even describe the level of frustration and anxiety something like that can possibly incur on a normal human being.

Seems all my hard work for the exam in early June would to be no avail.
One year of hard work. Nothing. Not to mention the hundreds of pounds that went into registering and preparing for the exam.

Im even starting to worry if I can make my annual leave in mid-July. By then it would have been 5 months already.

ARGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Anyone any help? ideas? sigh......................

So sorry to hear that! Have you tried calling them recently, because they are actually nicer on the phone.

Apprently, they can start speaking to you - due to their new guidance.

Rubyni

I called them immediately after I saw your reply. And it GOT THROUGH!!
Can't tell how much I rejoiced at hearing a real human voice on the long end of the line!
The lady officer confirmed on the phone that 1 letter was sent on 19 April and another one--after I emailed BiometricsAppointmentExceptions--was sent on 3 May. But both of them were NOT sent to the correspondence address I provided in my visa application (which is my work address), but to my old home address at the time of application.

This is really stupid. When I emailed BiometricsAppointmentExceptions, I specifically asked them to make sure that the letter was/is/would be sent to the correct correspondence address, spelling the full address out again and highlighted in bold red for them. The officer did reply and said "another biometrics letter has been sent to the address you provided." I then took it that it was sent to the correspondence address. God knows, they should have sent it to the same WRONG address twice, blatantly not reading my email at all!

Problem is, I moved in mid March (which was why I used work address instead of home address as correspondence address) to a new flat. Yesterday after work I rushed back to my old flat to try my luck. Somebody was in but unfortunately they had thrown away those letters and in fact one did arrive on Weds, but he returned it to RoyalMail!

Crazy how they have correctly sent the acknowledgement letter to the correct correspondence address, but the biometrics dept sent it to my home address. No wonder I have been waiting and waiting until I got through the line yesterday and someone, some human voice, finally told me about what's happening.


The lady on the helpline also told me to send in a change of circumstances form to change my home address AND also specify once more my correspondence address, since she couldn't change it for me, except for the biometrics special request (a one-off change).

So I did that, together with a cover letter describing my griefs and anxiety, hoping they would speed it up and return the whole thing with visa granted before my exam day.

I reckon the fastest the biometrics letter will arrive mid-week the next. I wonder if UKBA can process the whole thing in 2 weeks.

I shall report in due course....

Happy to hear that!! Hopeful you get one soon! But follow up with them on Tuesday to make sure! Update us when you get it!!

[LEH21]

Will do, thanks!!

[LEH21]

On 16 May I got 2 Biometric letters dated respectively on 10 and 14th of May! Finally! Got that done straight away during lunch time and now just awaiting their visa decision and the return of my docs!

Thank you all for your advice