Spouse Visa Priority Services - just a quick one

[b1234567]

Hello,

I'm looking to complete and submit the online application for a spouse visa for my wife to settle with me in the U.K. I'm interested in the priority service in the hope it may speed things up.

My wife is from Pakistan, so am I right in saying that i use the VFS Pakistan website to pay for the priority service?

Also,

When do I take this step? Before submitting the application and paying for it or after submitting the online application and paying for it?

Looking to submit this tonight so some guidance would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

[pixelrage09]

You would need to do it while paying for your settlement application and Health surcharge fee. It could be different at your VFS, but the center my husband applied in, he didn't have a choice to pay it at the VFS center and they said we should have done it online while paying for the application.

I hope this helps.

[SimonS]

Not sure about the system in Pakistan but when we applied for my wife in Russia we did it wrong and spent quite a time the next day sorting it out! We basically set up the account first and in the wrong jurisdiction. Should have waited!

As you go through the payment process on the online system you will see more and more new options appear. Finally, once you pay for the Visa, book the appintment for biometrics and pay the IHS charge you will be invited to create an account on the partner VFS website. In Russia it was TLS and it worked as follows........

Once you have created the partner account you will be given the option to pay for priority processing. Do that here and they electronically link this to your GWF number and send you a confirmation email. Make sure you submit this with all your documents to Sheffield. I put 3 copies in, 1 on top of everything, 1 on top of original document pile and 1 on top of copy document pile.

As to is it worth it. Well, we paid priority, did biometrics on 19th April and submitted documents to Sheffield on 5th May. Still waiting for the documents to be returned and have not received any decision. Worse, update this week told it has not even been looked at by ECO yet - 6 weeks. They count biometrics as day 1.

15 working days is BS. Do not expect decision in this time and you will not be disappointed.

However, non-priority applications if you look a the timeline threads here are 12 to 24 weeks before decision. Priority seem to be about 6-8 weeks.

In my opinion, they are currently up to processing non-priority aplications from February at the moment and priority applications from week 1 or 2 of April.

Hope this helps you to make your decision, my feeling, still glad I paid priorirty but ask me again in 6 weeks!!!

Good luck
Simon

[pixelrage09]

@SimonS

Are you sure they count biometrics as Day 1 or the day they receive your documents in Sheffield as Day 1?

Also, a lot of people have also been complaining after having paid for priority and still not having their file looked at.

Did you get any email from Sheffield saying, "You file has now been assigned to an ECO for processing"? Perhaps you might have to check your spam mailbox as well since that seems to happen a lot.

[b1234567]

@SimonS @pixelrage09

Thankyou both so much for your help. So just to confirm, I continue as normal with the application on visa4uk, pay the fees and book the appointments and everything then it'll prompt me to sign up with VFS where I can then purchase the priority service and pay for it separately?

Thanks!

[pixelrage09]

@SimonS @pixelrage09

Thankyou both so much for your help. So just to confirm, I continue as normal with the application on visa4uk, pay the fees and book the appointments and everything then it'll prompt me to sign up with VFS where I can then purchase the priority service and pay for it separately?

Thanks!

When we did it back in January, visa4UK asked for the payment for priority along with the application fee. From what I remember, it was like a drop-down menu where you choose between Priority/non-Priority.

Hope this helps.

[SimonS]

@SimonS

Are you sure they count biometrics as Day 1 or the day they receive your documents in Sheffield as Day 1?

Also, a lot of people have also been complaining after having paid for priority and still not having their file looked at.

Did you get any email from Sheffield saying, "You file has now been assigned to an ECO for processing"? Perhaps you might have to check your spam mailbox as well since that seems to happen a lot.

Hi pixel,

Good question, but answer is Yes. Check my thread for email update received yesterday after status check email form enquiry submitted on 30th May

immigration-for-family-members/spouse-v ... 26338.html

"We have service level standards for processing UK visa applications. We
will process 90% of non-settlement applications within 3 weeks, 98% within
6 weeks and 100% within 12 weeks of the application (biometric taken) date;
and 95% of settlement applications within 12 weeks of the biometric taken
date and 100% within 24 weeks of the application (biometric taken) date.
Please note that we define 1 week as 5 working days."

Straight form the horses mouth lol

Kind regards
Simon

[SimonS]

@SimonS @pixelrage09

Thankyou both so much for your help. So just to confirm, I continue as normal with the application on visa4uk, pay the fees and book the appointments and everything then it'll prompt me to sign up with VFS where I can then purchase the priority service and pay for it separately?

Thanks!

When we did it back in January, visa4UK asked for the payment for priority along with the application fee. From what I remember, it was like a drop-down menu where you choose between Priority/non-Priority.

Hope this helps.

From my point of view, yes. However, the comment of Pixel may still be true for application in Pakistan. The system did change though for many jurisdictions in April and I understand that what I oultined is now the new system and applicable in many global application centres. Just bear in mind both and I'm sure you will be fine.

Good luck
Simon

[b1234567]

Great,

Once again, thankyou both soo much for your help, fingers crossed this hard work pays off and I'll be reunited with my wife!

Kind Regards,