need advise related to UK Settlement visa / awaiting passport post submission for visa

[ajr86]

Dear Users,

I/we had applied for my UK settlement visa online and submitted at VFS south Mumbai - India office back in July 2017 and my initial application was rejected.
So, we filed for an appeal and after battling with the UK home office, we won the appeal in July 2018 but since then it has been a real drag in the process of actually getting the visa.

timeline of the case -

initial application - July 2017
rejected - oct 2017
appealed and won - july 2018
In Sept 2018, we got an email from UK home office Sheffield center that " initial decision from the Home Office is overturned and your UK visa is granted" please pay the IHS surcharge and then hand in your passport to VFS south Mumbai.

Eventually after calling the UK paid customer support line for more than 10 occasions, finally they send the IHS payment link and We do the payment and submit my passport at the VFS south Mumbai office for it to be stamped from the British high commission - Mumbai.

It has been over 8 days since I/we had submitted the passport to the VFS center at south Mumbai to process & stamp the visa/30 day visa sticker on my passport but still no update.
Does anybody know how long it actually takes? the reason why I am asking this is that I feel the whole system is messed up.
when you search online, it says 3-5 working days; some show 10-15 days and today I came to know from Sheffield office that there is no definite period to when we are supposed to get our passport back post stamping, maybe a month or even 6 weeks or even more. Even the 10 working days thing was actually mentioned by the UK Sheffield office and today the representative to whom I spoke over the phone said that is not correct.

I have worked in similar profiles and have traveled to other countries but to stamp a visa or a sticker onto the passport does not take even a week. I am really shocked and confused, I feel we are being tortured in the name of a system.

According to the UK Sheffield office, if we win the case through appeal and our visa is granted then the process is lengthier and can be delayed ? is that true, especially after you have an email from UK Sheffield office wherein it states that your visa is granted; make the IHS payment and submit your passport?

After calling again & again and speaking to several UK Sheffield team members, apparently, the case is now escalated and is passed to the post-decision team who are currently working with your application " what does it mean?

I think since this visa process thing has started I think the Sheffield team must have made over 200 pounds just on calls from my family enquiring about the status of the application.

Can anybody advise us on whether or not; we are actually going to get our passport back within a reasonable time frame or has anyone faced the similar scenario and can share their experiences.

Regards,
Arun

[Londoner007]

You waited 1 year for a appeal and now you are going crazy over 8 days. Just wait a little longer they will probably take 2-3 weeks to process the vignette sticker in total/

[ajr86]

You waited 1 year for an appeal and now you are going crazy over 8 days. Just wait a little longer they will probably take 2-3 weeks to process the vignette sticker in total/

hi londoner007,

thanks for your response.
the only reason to why I am worried now is that my wife is due a surgery in 3 weeks time and I have got a 7-month-old daughter to look after as well and all this would only be possible; if I reach to the UK before the due surgery date.
As our case was considered earlier on compassionate grounds, the Home Office Sheffield center is not able to provide with a time frame; so accordingly we can manage this entire scenario. hence, I wasn't sure about how things would work out. It becomes harder when you don't get much of the support from your in-laws as well.

I will keep you posted if I hear anything back from UK home office Sheffield.

thanks,
Arun