Success - Fiance Visa

[Casa]

I've found the following on the VFS Global site, which I assume applies to New York.

Please Note: The Premium Application Centres do not accept Standard or Priority Visa applicants. The Premium Service Packages listed below are the only services offered at our Centres. Additionally, we do not accept drop-offs or biometric-only appointments. Also please note that Settlement, and Overseas Territory Applicants are not applicable to use Premium Application Centre Services.

Wait for comments from others and in the meantime I'll look into it.

[FXR_1340]

Thank you.

Something just came to mind........does my wife to be require a return flight ticket when we get a Fiancee Visa?

The plan is to apply for Leave to Remain within a few weeks of our wedding.

[Casa]

Thank you.

Something just came to mind........does my wife to be require a return flight ticket when we get a Fiancee Visa?

The plan is to apply for Leave to Remain within a few weeks of our wedding.

No, she doesn't.

[FXR_1340]

An update.

We have gathered together a considerable number of papers (1 set of originals and 1 set of copies) and my partner has completed the online application and now has an interview date set for end of March.

As far as I know, after the interview the papers are sent off to Sheffield in England. Do I get my original papers back? If so, how?

I understand the process takes 12 weeks. The question is when does the 12 Week clock start ticking?

Grateful for any help.

[CR001]

Sheffield will send you the originals back. You can include a pre-paid special delivery envelope for them to be returned.

[FXR_1340]

Sheffield will send you the originals back. You can include a pre-paid special delivery envelope for them to be returned.

Once again, thank you very much for your guidance and advice.

If an envelope is not included will the documents still be returned to me by the Immigration Service?

I suppose it will be prudent to include a return envelope just to be sure.

Thank you.

[CR001]

Yes, they will be returned to you by standard second class post. UKVI have no reason to keep or retain your documents.

[FXR_1340]

Yes, they will be returned to you by standard second class post. UKVI have no reason to keep or retain your documents.

Thank you.

I understand this visa process can take 12 weeks.

When does the 12 weeks start, at the first interview or when the application with supporting papers are received in Sheffield?

[FXR_1340]

I understand this visa process can take 12 weeks.

When does the 12 weeks start, at the first interview or when the application with supporting papers are received in Sheffield?

Grateful for any help.

[FXR_1340]

My fiancée has her Visa interview in New Jersey tomorrow. Whilst we do not forsee any problems it is a very worrying time.

Of course, to make matters worse, we now need to wait until we get a response (and hopefully visa received) before the pressure is off and we can get on with our lives.

Fingers crossed........

[Casa]

My fiancée has her Visa interview in New Jersey tomorrow. Whilst we do not forsee any problems it is a very worrying time.

Of course, to make matters worse, we now need to wait until we get a response (and hopefully visa received) before the pressure is off and we can get on with our lives.

Fingers crossed........

Please keep us updated....

[FXR_1340]

My fiancée has her Visa interview in New Jersey tomorrow. Whilst we do not forsee any problems it is a very worrying time.

Of course, to make matters worse, we now need to wait until we get a response (and hopefully visa received) before the pressure is off and we can get on with our lives.

Fingers crossed........

Please keep us updated....

UPDATE.

My partner attended the interview yesterday and she needs to attend again next month. She said it was a 2 Part interview.

The reason for having to re attend was due to her Panamanian passport. Not sure if the issue was due to that passort having expired.

She was born in Panama and lived there until 8 years old before moving to USA. She was last in Panama 10 years ago. She has US citizenship for 45+ years. She has been told to get a certificate of good standing from the Panama Embassy. It all seems a bit OTT but no point in dwelling on it. She was also requested to get a certified copy of her birth certificage from the PE too.

The interviewer was happy with all the other supporting documents.

Hugely disappointed about this. She returns on April 28.

For my information, when is the decision to grant the fiance visa actually made? Is it at this 2 part interview which took place in New Jersey or is that decision made by Sheffield once the papers are received there?

[FXR_1340]

Good morning.

A few weeks have passed since my last post and I thought I would give a further update.

My future wife attended her interview on May 16 2017 and the interviewer was content to pass the paperwork which supported the application. My partner was given the papers and told to wait 20 Federal Days (week days and not including holidays - Memorial Day, Monday May 29 doesnt count). If she has not heard from the Authorities in that 20 day period she is to forward the papers to Sheffield.

Its now a waiting game.

I presume from all this that the 20 days is when the background checks etc are made. Is this a reasonable presumption? That being the case I again presume that once the papers are received in Sheffield it is only then an administration process to issue the visa. Correct?

Once the Authorities are done with the papers they will then send them to me at my home in Scotland. As my partners passport will be included in the documents sent to Sheffield and subsequently forwarded to me in Scotland, once the visa is issued I will then need to send her passport back the the US to allow her to travel.........they dont make it easy, do they?

I understand the visa process takes around 12 weeks. When does the 12 weeks begin? From the date of the interview (in this case May 16) or from the date the papers are received in Sheffield?

Grateful for some thoughts and guidance on the 12 week timings.

I will update further as things unfold.

Thank you very much for all the help and guidance povided thus far.

[FXR_1340]

Good morning.

A few weeks have passed since my last post and I thought I would give a further update.

My future wife attended her interview on May 16 2017 and the interviewer was content to pass the paperwork which supported the application. My partner was given the papers and told to wait 20 Federal Days (week days and not including holidays - Memorial Day, Monday May 29 doesnt count). If she has not heard from the Authorities in that 20 day period she is to forward the papers to Sheffield.

Its now a waiting game.

I presume from all this that the 20 days is when the background checks etc are made. Is this a reasonable presumption? That being the case I again presume that once the papers are received in Sheffield it is only then an administration process to issue the visa. Correct?

Once the Authorities are done with the papers they will then send them to me at my home in Scotland. As my partners passport will be included in the documents sent to Sheffield and subsequently forwarded to me in Scotland, once the visa is issued I will then need to send her passport back the the US to allow her to travel.........they dont make it easy, do they?

I understand the visa process takes around 12 weeks. When does the 12 weeks begin? From the date of the interview (in this case May 16) or from the date the papers are received in Sheffield?

Grateful for some thoughts and guidance on the 12 week timings.

I will update further as things unfold.

Thank you very much for all the help and guidance povided thus far.

Can anyone offer a view on when the 12 Weeks begin?

[FXR_1340]

After waiting the stipulated 20 working days and not receving contact from the visa people, our papers were sent from New Jersey to Sheffield on June 14. A confirmation of receipt from the courier that the papers had arrived at Sheffield was received a couple of days after posting.

I guess now Sheffield will do background checks on me to confirm my employment status, income etc.

The waiting game continues........

[FXR_1340]

Just checked the Govt website and it shows

"Decided" and "the decision has been posted to you. You should receive this within 10 working days"

We hope its sooner than 10 days.

Its a relief that at least we will know one way or the other.

[FXR_1340]

I read somewhere that entering the UK on a fiance, getting married and then going on a honeymoon outside UK will cause problems when the new non-UKC spouse tries to re-enter the UK. This is because the visa issued (fiance) was no longer valid as the recipient of the visa is now married. Is this true?

This being the case then the solution is not to leave UK until FLR(M) is granted.

When can the FLR(M) papers be lodged after the wedding? The first working day after the marriage ceremony? Or is there a requirement to wait a certain period before submitying FLR(M),papers?

[Casa]

I read somewhere that entering the UK on a fiance, getting married and then going on a honeymoon outside UK will cause problems when the new non-UKC spouse tries to re-enter the UK. This is because the visa issued (fiance) was no longer valid as the recipient of the visa is now married. Is this true? Correct

This being the case then the solution is not to leave UK until FLR(M) is granted. Correct

When can the FLR(M) papers be lodged after the wedding? The first working day after the marriage ceremony? Or is there a requirement to wait a certain period before submitying FLR(M),papers? As soon as you are married.

[FXR_1340]

I read somewhere that entering the UK on a fiance, getting married and then going on a honeymoon outside UK will cause problems when the new non-UKC spouse tries to re-enter the UK. This is because the visa issued (fiance) was no longer valid as the recipient of the visa is now married. Is this true? Correct

This being the case then the solution is not to leave UK until FLR(M) is granted. Correct

When can the FLR(M) papers be lodged after the wedding? The first working day after the marriage ceremony? Or is there a requirement to wait a certain period before submitying FLR(M),papers? As soon as you are married.

Thank you for your response and confirmation.

The first point in my post I thought was particularly important hence starting a new thread. I guess the Mod felt it is more appropriate to have threads started by the same author all in one place. I didnt know.

Thanks again for your clarification.

[FXR_1340]

After 5 months of waiting my wife to be received her Marriage Visa yesterday. It came to her home in the USA, 19 days after the Govt website said a DECISION had been made.

Its been a real tough 5 months.

The question now is when will the Visa Centre at Sheffield return the supporting documents we submitted? Had expected the docs to be sent along with the passport and visa to USA or at least have my own docs sent to my home by now. I did include a Parcel Force label but it seems I made a mistake with it and the package would not have been collected. I used Parcels2Go to secure the label.

Anyway, at least we have the visa at hand. However we need the supporting documents to accompany the marriage papers we now want to submit.

What is the proceedure for documents to be returned?

Grateful for any thoughts.

Over the years I have moved house about 9 times. This visa process is by far more stressful than buying/selling property.

Best of luck to all who continue waiting. We both hope it goes your way.

[denghao3]

Hi,
congratulation first.
think you need call ukvi try to resend your documents.
by the way, can you tell me when you apply and did u receive any hold or not straight forward email?
same here, fiance visa applied 30th march, still awaiting a decision now. get not straight forward email end of june.
thanks

[FXR_1340]

Hi,
congratulation first.
think you need call ukvi try to resend your documents.
by the way, can you tell me when you apply and did u receive any hold or not straight forward email?
same here, fiance visa applied 30th march, still awaiting a decision now. get not straight forward email end of june.
thanks

Thank you for your congratulations.

My partner was born in Panama and is now a US citizen. Has lived in USA for 50 years.

The visa interview took place in Elizabeth New Jersey on 16 March 2017 however due to a mix up with a supporting document a second interview was scheduled and convened on 16 May 2017. My partner was advised to wait 20 working days before sending the package given to her by the Elizabeth office, to Sheffield. It later transpired that the waiting period should have been 5 days and not 20.

No further contact was made by Sheffield. No hole email. No "not straight forward" email. Nothing.

On 03 August I checked the website to see if there was a status indication. It said a decision had been made on 02 August. The decison would be mailed to my partner. Having read on this website that someties this decision date could change, every day I took a screen shot of that page to have an audit trail should the date change. Thankfully it didnt change.

On 06 August we received an email frm Sheffield advising there was no return label included in the package. After some confusion a UPS label was emailed to Sheffiled. The next few days meant me constantly checking the UPS Tracker page to see what progress was being made. This was a blessing and a curse. Its good to see the package progress thru UPS system however when it then headed east to Cologne and sat there for 24-36 hours, that was frustrating.

The delivery date on UPS Tracker was 21 August 2017. On 20 August 2017 my partner advised that her birth certificate was in Spanish! That set me into a tailspin and I got it into my head that the visa application was being rejected. Thankfully there wasnt an issue and the passport and visa arrived 11:30pm UK Time/18:30 US ET.

Now my thoughts turn to getting our documents back and lodging the papes for our wedding.

It was stressful however thinking the process over again there was little stress brought on by the process itself. There were no hold or not straight forward emails and the stress was brought on by my thinking the worst.

Thats our story....so far.

Good luck.

[FXR_1340]

As stated previously, our fiance visa was issued in August 2017 with an expiry date of Februrary 2018. My partners personal papers were not sent to her at home in the US. She had to make arrangements to attend, in person, at the local govt visa centre in Elizabeth New Jersey to collect them. The problem was the date given for the "appointment," which was 1 November 2017.....3 months after the issue of the original visa and half way through its validity period! We needed the papers to book a marriage ceremony in UK.

She has now collected the papers and scanned and emailed them to me here in the UK. We have now lodged the papers (the grooms are original, brides are copies) and originals must be presented before the marriage ceremony.

Given the time delay in the return of my partners papers we are now a wee bit concerned about whether there is enough time to complete the process through to FLR (M) completion.

Our ceremony is scheduled for early December 2017. Once we are married we will immediately get online and book a Premium Centre Appointment to attend in person. This is where the concern arises.

As we cannot apply for an "in person" appointment (or any other appointment of this type) until after our marriage ceremony we are concerned that we may not get a date within the 6 weeks (which includes the Festive period) remaining on the Fiance visa. This is causing us lots of worry.

The question we have therefore is there any way to extend our Fiance visa issued for 6 months in August 2017? Given the delay in returning personal papers to my partner, is this a mitigating circumstance which would permit visa extension? Is this something UK Visa Authorities will entertain? If so, how do we go about applying for an extension?

Grateful for any thoughts on this.

Thanks

[Casa]

If you are unable to book a date for a PSC appointment before the visa expires, submit a postal application.

[FXR_1340]

If you are unable to book a date for a PSC appointment before the visa expires, submit a postal application.

Thanks Casa.

Does submitting a postal application permit remaining in UK after the Fiance Visa has expired?