Settlement Visa from India : Timeline

[GeetL]

Hi Geetl/HeyHeyHeyguys

Any updates on your visas???

Hey Sid,

Still waiting for a decision on my side. It's been over a week since the interview now so just trying to be patient. How about you?

Hey3guys - congrats, you must be happy

[miss_uk98]

35 working days no news!!!

[sid939245]

Hey Sid,

Still waiting for a decision on my side. It's been over a week since the interview now so just trying to be patient. How about you?

Hey3guys - congrats, you must be happy

Hi GeetL,

I sent them another email asking about the issue they escalated and got a reply saying "We have escalated your case to relevant department again today. You will be contacted and informed further." Apart from this nothing new... just the painful waiting continues.

How many days did it take for you when you called them up and escalated the issue?

[Singh64]

Hi,

My wife applied for spouse visa in Mumbai on 11th June and we are still waiting.

IS there any email address or phone number or website where I can track the application.

We were expecting it in 30 days but as it already 5 days over it, I am getting a bit nervous.

Your help will be very much appreciated.

I am working as a consultant through my own company - not sure if that makes any difference.

Also we have opted for collect service and not courier.

Singh

[sid939245]

Hi Singh,

https://ukvi-international.faq-help.com/

You have to send an email and they come back in a day. The kind of replies they give maynot be that helpful. I would email them rather than a phone call.

For more info please go through the previous posts and you will get an idea of what everyone has been going through and all the info you need.

[jonz]

Hi All,

I have been following this boards for a while now, initially for my ILR then my citizenship and now for the settlement visa for my Wife. So I thought rather than just keep watching and monitoring the board, I would participate and add my experience and that might help someone else.

Date of Application in VFS Center: 28th May 2015
VFS Center: Chennai
Received at High Commission on: 29th May 2015
Visa Category: Settlement(Wife)
Any interview date: Not so far
Sent to blue dart/ VFS center:
Visa Approval Status:

As of today its been 35 Working Days (49 Calendar Days), and we are still waiting for the Visa.

Based on me monitoring the VFS timelines they publish weekly, a settlement visa usually takes between 38 - 42 Working days as of last week. So am hoping and praying to hear something back from them next week.

I have never used their email service to track the application but i have called the £1.35 / Min line a number of times basically every Friday until 2 Weeks ago when I started calling them Mondays. Its always has been the same response every single week (No Update) till last Monday (this time they said Case Worker has reviewed and cleared it and is now waiting for ECO). Oh by the way one week they said they could not find my wife's application on the system and the person I spoke to was less than helpful, and like any call center wanted to get me off the phone and email the email team to escalate (Somehow i managed to bite my tongue and kept quite, called a few days later and they said no update)

Thank you all for the updates so far and hoping and praying for people like me still waiting for the visa for our loved ones...

And finally a big Congrats to those who received their visas and have been reunited with their loved ones

Cheers,
Jon

[jonz]

Hi,

My wife applied for spouse visa in Mumbai on 11th June and we are still waiting.

IS there any email address or phone number or website where I can track the application.

We were expecting it in 30 days but as it already 5 days over it, I am getting a bit nervous.

Your help will be very much appreciated.

I am working as a consultant through my own company - not sure if that makes any difference.

Also we have opted for collect service and not courier.

Singh

Mr. Singh,

To be honest I am not sure where you got your 30 days number from. If you applied for settlement its 60 Working Days
https://visa-processingtimes.homeoffice ... settlement
Now if you applied for a Dependent Visa and not settlement visa you are on the wrong board / post, And yes then it would be much much less than 30 days

Current performance against our standards

The Chennai/ Mumbai / Delhi visa team aims to provide services within our established standards for quality and timeliness:
Visa processing (non - settlement) 15 working days
Visa processing (settlement) 60 working days

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Jonz

[GeetL]

Hi Sid,

I called them on the premium rate number in the morning and by the end of the day around 4:30pm we had an email back stating the application was in progress. We have since had a decision made and my husband has been granted his visa which I am over the moon about. I am going to post all the details below but you'll see our application took 57 days!

Hey Sid,

Still waiting for a decision on my side. It's been over a week since the interview now so just trying to be patient. How about you?

Hey3guys - congrats, you must be happy

Hi GeetL,

I sent them another email asking about the issue they escalated and got a reply saying "We have escalated your case to relevant department again today. You will be contacted and informed further." Apart from this nothing new... just the painful waiting continues.

How many days did it take for you when you called them up and escalated the issue?

[GeetL]

Visa Category: Settlement (spouse visa)

23/04/2015 - Online form submitted with payment and IHS payment
27/04/2015 - Date of Application at Jalandhar VFS Centre
27/04/2015 - Received at New Delhi High Commission
05/06/2015 – First email contact; email received stating no current updates
10/06/2015 – Second email contact; email received stating no current updates
19/06/2015 – Third email contact; email received stating no current updates
19/06/2015 – Called the premium rate number; spoke to someone on a very awful line who emailed me to ask for additional details which I provided to escalate.
19/06/2015 – Email response received to above phone contact and email stating application is currently in progress
30/06/2015 – Emailed them again; email received stating application is currently in progress
02/07/2015 – Husband received a phone call to invite him for an interview
07/07/2015 – Interview attended (60 minutes with about 30-40 questions asked, 80% were related to our relationship and 20% were a mixture of others). I have shared the questions list we used to prepare for the interview. Surprisingly a lot of these were asked!
11/07/2015 - Email received confirming decision has been made from a .gov.uk email address
14/07/2015 – Email from VFS Global received stating the visa application was received at the UK Visa Application Centre (my assumption is this was Jalandhar)
15/07/2015 - Passport collected from Blue Dart office as courier was taking over three days to be delivered
Decision: Visa granted
'Valid from' date 08/07/2015 on stamped visa for one month, the rest of the visa will be added to the BRP card upon arrival.

As you can see this has been a very long process from April to July. My suggestions/feedback to those who are going to apply or are waiting for a decision:

We didn’t submit my husband’s application via a solicitor but we did ask someone to check through the documents we gathered and review our letters that we submitted.

Don’t bother including photocopies of your original file, we did and they have returned them back to us so it’s a waste of money.

Aim to provide originals of everything including bank statements and payslips; I have everything online so I contacted my employer and bank to provide me signed and stamped print outs which were accepted.

Be patient but if you get a no current updates email several times after waiting at least 30 days then it would be worth calling them to ensure the application is being reviewed.

Our hearts were set on the fact that VFS Jalandhar said the turnaround is 26-30 days – don’t believe a word of that; it’s heart breaking when you get to 30 days and haven’t had a response! Their timelines on their website are for guidance but again don’t apply to most applications.

I would always aim to follow with the official guidelines which state 60 days – we got the passport and documents back on day 57 even though the decision was made on day 53. The worst bit of this 60 days is that weekends and bank holidays don’t count so that always upset me every Friday when we hadn’t heard anything knowing that nothing would move forward until Monday again!

Try and remain positive – it’s a time of test of your relationship and patience and some days are so difficult to get through. I am thankful to the Almighty for helping us get through it and I really hope from the bottom of my heart that all of you that are waiting or applying get positive results. A massive thank you to those who have contributed to this board and shared their experience, some days, it was comments on here that kept us going.

If you would like to ask any questions about our experience, please feel free to do so.

[GeetL]

Hi,

My wife applied for spouse visa in Mumbai on 11th June and we are still waiting.

IS there any email address or phone number or website where I can track the application.

We were expecting it in 30 days but as it already 5 days over it, I am getting a bit nervous.

Your help will be very much appreciated.

I am working as a consultant through my own company - not sure if that makes any difference.

Also we have opted for collect service and not courier.

Singh

Hi Singh,

I think it's best to assume it will take approximately 60 working days rather than figures on the VFS website or anywhere else; we applied from Jalandhar and the staff there told my husband that usually people get a response in 26-30 days but the decision wasn't made until 53 days and we didn't get our documentation back until day 57.

You may want to email or call them for an update though just to track the progress of your application.

[Neha_sodhi]

HI

I have applied for a settlement visa on 4 June 2015 from vfs office New Delhi. When I sent email to Ukvi on 3 july they reply that your application has not been accessed by ECO. After that for every email they are replying with No current update as either your application is too recent or details provide incorrect. I have provided exact details then that of previous emails. This is totally frustrating. Is there anyone aware about this status. Also anyone applied from New Delhi in this timeline.
Please help

[Neha_sodhi]

Hi

What is the premium contact no for ukvi as I have tried one given on website I.e 00080..... It is always saying no. Switched off.

Thanks in advance for help.

[prasanthece]

Hi

What is the premium contact no for ukvi as I have tried one given on website I.e 00080..... It is always saying no. Switched off.

Thanks in advance for help.

Contact UK Visas and Immigration from outside the UK

India Telephone

Opening times: 8:30am - 4:30pm (India time)

You can call us on:

0008 00100 8785

If you would prefer to dial a UK number direct please call:

00 44 1243 218 117

This is a paid service and there is a cost of £1.37 UK Sterling per minute in addition to your standard network charges. Please have a valid credit or debit card ready to process your payment. We can accept MasterCard credit and debit cards, and Visa credit and debit cards. You will not be charged until you are connected to an adviser. Calls may be recorded for training purposes. We are able to handle your calls in English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Urdu , Sinhalese or Gujarati.

[miss_uk98]

HI

I have applied for a settlement visa on 4 June 2015 from vfs office New Delhi. When I sent email to Ukvi on 3 july they reply that your application has not been accessed by ECO. After that for every email they are replying with No current update as either your application is too recent or details provide incorrect. I have provided exact details then that of previous emails. This is totally frustrating. Is there anyone aware about this status. Also anyone applied from New Delhi in this timeline.
Please help

hey neha iv applied on 27th may still no news. previously i was refused i did a fresh application after painful 6 months. i got married all the way in 2013 so u can imagen my fustration! But be patient what iv learnt dont waste ur time and energy on these emails and calls they dont help at all. if they want extra documents they call or email and get in touch with you. i was put on hold last year for over 7 months they didnt respond to a single email not even my local MP in uk. just be patient n pray hopefully u will hear soon. they wont take more than 60 days so just follow that and wait. goodluck every time someone on this forum gets visa just imagen ur case getting closer to a decision. alot of people apply from delhi so we delhi applicants have to patient. goodluck whenever u get visa do share with us. congrats to geetl so happy for u!

[Ramanbalsingh]

Just wanted to share my Wife's Settlement Visa Timeline, It was Cat A straight forward case

Date of Application in VFS Center:05/06/2015
VFS Center: 09/06/2015
Received at High Commission on: 09/06/2015 New Delhi
Under Processing Start Date on: not known
Visa Category: Settlement(Wife)
Any interview date: n/a
Sent to blue dart/ VFS center: 17/07/2015
Visa Approval Status: Approved
Timeline:28 Working days

I was very scared looking at timelines from few posts here, but thanks God for us it was within 30 days. Good luck to people who are still waiting for theirs as I can understand stress you go through with visa process.

[Neha_sodhi]

Just wanted to share my Wife's Settlement Visa Timeline, It was Cat A straight forward case

Date of Application in VFS Center:05/06/2015
VFS Center: 09/06/2015
Received at High Commission on: 09/06/2015 New Delhi
Under Processing Start Date on: not known
Visa Category: Settlement(Wife)
Any interview date: n/a
Sent to blue dart/ VFS center: 17/07/2015
Visa Approval Status: Approved
Timeline:28 Working days

I was very scared looking at timelines from few posts here, but thanks God for us it was within 30 days. Good luck to people who are still waiting for theirs as I can understand stress you go through with visa process.

Hi Raman

Thanks for info as it is giving some hope.

Congrats for the approval of ur case.

[sid939245]

Hi All

Firstly Congrats GeetL and Heyheyheyguys, have a nice time.

I have got my wife's visa as well over the weekend and very happy that the painful wait is over finally.

Visa Type: Wife(Settlement)
Visa Applied On: 18/05/2015 @ Vfs Hyderabad
Visa Received at embassy On: 25/05/2015
Visa confirmation received: 16/07/2015 (43 Business Days)
Courier received: 18/07/2015

Visa validity 15/07/2015 to 15/08/2015

Have been in contact every Monday through emails but have received mixed responses. And after a lot of seeing the same "No Current Updates" mail for weeks sent an email to escalate the issue on July 8th where they did not give any other information apart from saying "We have escalated the issue to relevant dept". And finally got the mail on 16/07 to confirm that the visa has been dispatched.

I know different people has different time scales and the wait is very difficult, but please be patient and it should be with you within the 60 working days time period. There are ways to contact them through phone as well but I wouldn't find that much useful as it's just a waste of money. The information they provide is same by mail or phone.

As far as my understanding there are different messages from the customer care
1. Application received at relevant embassy.
2. Your application hasn't been assessed by an ECO
3. No Current Updates (Where the application is being assessed but there is nothing much to tell u about it)
4. Further verification's. (Only if they need any additional documents)

Thanks a lot to all the guys in this board. The information you all have shared has been really valuable and it helps all the people who are going to apply for visa's. And one personal suggestion I would like to say is please make sure you apply with all the documents correctly as the chances of getting rejected for missing documents is higher. I have done the same mistake and had to wait 2 months to know the visa is rejected and have to apply again and wait for another 2 months. So even if it takes a bit of time wait to ensure u have all docs and then apply.

Good Luck everyone.......

[HarryC]

Why is the visa valid for a month?
I thought spouse Visa was issued for 27 months and the applicant has to travel within 3 months??
If your visa is valid from 15/07 till 14/08 does the applicant has to travel within the period?

[GeetL]

Many congrats Sid! Very happy for you and some very sound advice there. Just want everyone to see that three of us have had different timelines and applied through different vfs offices but the patience has paid off. Get ready to go! I'm counting down days until my husband arrives!!

Hi All

Firstly Congrats GeetL and Heyheyheyguys, have a nice time.

I have got my wife's visa as well over the weekend and very happy that the painful wait is over finally.

Visa Type: Wife(Settlement)
Visa Applied On: 18/05/2015 @ Vfs Hyderabad
Visa Received at embassy On: 25/05/2015
Visa confirmation received: 16/07/2015 (43 Business Days)
Courier received: 18/07/2015

Visa validity 15/07/2015 to 15/08/2015

Have been in contact every Monday through emails but have received mixed responses. And after a lot of seeing the same "No Current Updates" mail for weeks sent an email to escalate the issue on July 8th where they did not give any other information apart from saying "We have escalated the issue to relevant dept". And finally got the mail on 16/07 to confirm that the visa has been dispatched.

I know different people has different time scales and the wait is very difficult, but please be patient and it should be with you within the 60 working days time period. There are ways to contact them through phone as well but I wouldn't find that much useful as it's just a waste of money. The information they provide is same by mail or phone.

As far as my understanding there are different messages from the customer care
1. Application received at relevant embassy.
2. Your application hasn't been assessed by an ECO
3. No Current Updates (Where the application is being assessed but there is nothing much to tell u about it)
4. Further verification's. (Only if they need any additional documents)

Thanks a lot to all the guys in this board. The information you all have shared has been really valuable and it helps all the people who are going to apply for visa's. And one personal suggestion I would like to say is please make sure you apply with all the documents correctly as the chances of getting rejected for missing documents is higher. I have done the same mistake and had to wait 2 months to know the visa is rejected and have to apply again and wait for another 2 months. So even if it takes a bit of time wait to ensure u have all docs and then apply.

Good Luck everyone.......

[HarryC]

Hi Geet or anyone

can you or others tell me why the visa is stamped for 1 month? and does the applicant is suppose to travel within this 1 month period which is very different to 3 months earlier?

[jonz]

Hi Geet or anyone

can you or others tell me why the visa is stamped for 1 month? and does the applicant is suppose to travel within this 1 month period which is very different to 3 months earlier?

Hi HarryC,

Please refer to

http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/india/pdf/Bi ... 030415.pdf

From 15 April 2015, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) for non-EEA nationals travelling to the
UK for more than six months will begin to be issued to visa applicants in India.

The changes will affect those applying to join family in the UK, as well as students and workers applying for a
longer stay visa.

From 15 April 2015, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) for non-EEA nationals travelling to the UK for more than six months will begin to be issued to visa applicants from India. The changes will affect those applying for a Tier 4 student visa, employment visas and those applying to join family.

From this date, applicants will receive a 30 day sticker in their passport instead of a ‘vignette’ with the full grant of leave. Applicants will be required to collect their BRP from a post office within ten days of arrival in the UK. The BRP card can then be used as proof of the right to work, study and access public services in the UK.

Applicants will receive a letter which provides detailed information about how to collect their BRP on arrival.
Further information for overseas visa applicants is at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nformation
and full guidance is at
https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits

Hope this Helps

Cheers
Jon

[HarryC]

Hi Geet or anyone

can you or others tell me why the visa is stamped for 1 month? and does the applicant is suppose to travel within this 1 month period which is very different to 3 months earlier?

Hi HarryC,

Please refer to

http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/india/pdf/Bi ... 030415.pdf

From 15 April 2015, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) for non-EEA nationals travelling to the
UK for more than six months will begin to be issued to visa applicants in India.

The changes will affect those applying to join family in the UK, as well as students and workers applying for a
longer stay visa.

From 15 April 2015, Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) for non-EEA nationals travelling to the UK for more than six months will begin to be issued to visa applicants from India. The changes will affect those applying for a Tier 4 student visa, employment visas and those applying to join family.

From this date, applicants will receive a 30 day sticker in their passport instead of a ‘vignette’ with the full grant of leave. Applicants will be required to collect their BRP from a post office within ten days of arrival in the UK. The BRP card can then be used as proof of the right to work, study and access public services in the UK.

Applicants will receive a letter which provides detailed information about how to collect their BRP on arrival.
Further information for overseas visa applicants is at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nformation
and full guidance is at
https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits

Hope this Helps

Cheers
Jon

Thanks Jon.
It says if the applicant decides to travel later after the 30 days stamp, then one can apply for replacement
Does anyone know the process and cost? Do we need to reapply for her visa and pay full cost again?

What happens if I decide to change my travel date after I receive my 30 day passport sticker?
If the short term vignette has expired or will expire before you travel then they will need to apply for a new short term vignette.

[Ramanbalsingh]

Just wanted to share my Wife's Settlement Visa Timeline, It was Cat A straight forward case

Date of Application in VFS Center:05/06/2015
VFS Center: 09/06/2015
Received at High Commission on: 09/06/2015 New Delhi
Under Processing Start Date on: not known
Visa Category: Settlement(Wife)
Any interview date: n/a
Sent to blue dart/ VFS center: 17/07/2015
Visa Approval Status: Approved
Timeline:28 Working days

I was very scared looking at timelines from few posts here, but thanks God for us it was within 30 days. Good luck to people who are still waiting for theirs as I can understand stress you go through with visa process.

Hi Raman

Thanks for info as it is giving some hope.

Congrats for the approval of ur case.

Thanks Neha.I am sure decision of yours will be soon if you have applied at same time , Finger crossed

[GeetL]

Hi Harry, as per jonz response, it's a change in the rules. I won't repeat the same information as the link contains a lot of the information you need. If you can't travel within the given time then I think you can apply to extend it but I'm unsure of the full process. I think there is an email address in that link that you can contact to arrange this. You may need to pay for it but it's wise to contact them before the 30 days expire to be on the safe side.

Hi Geet or anyone

can you or others tell me why the visa is stamped for 1 month? and does the applicant is suppose to travel within this 1 month period which is very different to 3 months earlier?

[K_Singh]

Hi all,

Sorry i have been off this site for a while.

Please see below my indian visa timeline.



28th May 2015: Visa application+all documents sent in person at VFS Centre New Delhi
29th May 2015: Health Surcharge payment made and confirmation sent via the email that they provided. (this health surcharge thing was a bit of a surprise!)
26th June 2015: Email received stating decision has been made.
29th June 2015: Visa collected from Delhi, Visa approved

Total of 21 working days.