Guest MXP78 Posted June 24, 2010 Share Posted June 24, 2010 Hi, Is anyone out there currently waiting for a Spouse/Settlement visa from the British High Commission in Canberra? If so, or if you've been through the process, how long did it take? I'm currently at week 7 of what is apparently a 4 - 12 week process. My husband is British and I'm a Kiwi and we're planning on moving to the UK. We've been together for 5.5 years and married for 1.5 of those. I would have thought our application was pretty straight forward so not sure why it's taking so long :unsure:. If you've been through the process would appreciate a quick overview of your experience. Cheers, Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michael29 Posted June 25, 2010 Share Posted June 25, 2010 Hi there, I am also in the same situation with you. We applied for the settlement visa 6 weeks ago and still haven't heard anything. I am quite suprised that it has taken this long I was expecting it to be around 4 weeks. If you get any response please let me know and I will do the same for you as well. Let's hope we can have some good news soon. Thanks Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted June 27, 2010 Share Posted June 27, 2010 Hi Michael, Thanks for the response. I've been keeping an eye on the processing statistics on the UK Visas website. In April Canberra processed 84% of settlement visas in 30 working days (6 weeks). They've recently put up statistics for May's processing times and it's gone down to 51% of settlement visas in 30 working days. We must have hit a busy patch! This Tuesday we'll be up to 8 weeks. Will let you know as soon as I hear. Cheers, Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest iwazawhingingpom Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 This is the visa's busiest time.. so up to 12 weeks i read ! Also may i ask, when filling in for the visa did you put that you are staying with family short term and did you get a letter of invitation from them? or do you have somewhere all ready lined up yourself? just wondering best thing to do for ourselves! Hope all goes well : D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted June 28, 2010 Share Posted June 28, 2010 We are staying with my husband's parents when we first arrived and included a letter from them in our application. In the letter they confirmed we would be staying with them and it also attached proof of their address and that they own their house. As part of the application questions we also had to state how many rooms and occupants are currently in the house. Not 100% sure if we needed the letter but we went with the school of thought that it was best to include too much information than not enough. Let me know if you need any other info on the application. Hopefully I'll have an approved visa soon (fingers crossed!) so will let you know what other evidence we included in our application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michael29 Posted July 1, 2010 Share Posted July 1, 2010 Thanks for the info:) let's hope we hear something soon! keep me updated cheers Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Up to week 9 today and still counting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michael29 Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 Are you counting the working days since you sent off your application? or when you recieved the confirmation email? it seems to be taking forever:( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 I'm counting from the day we received the confirmation email. Even though I know they received my application 3 days before they sent the email (I checked the Aus post site to see when they signed for my package!) 9 weeks is including weekends. It's been 45 working days since the email. On the website it says it will take between 4 - 12 weeks, doesn't mention working days. However when they put their processing stats up, they count it in working days. 100% had been processed in 60 working days which is equivalent to 12 weeks. So makes sense. Can't wait 'till I post saying I've got it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest christopherm Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Same boat. 20 working days since we submitted my wife's settlement visa application in Canberra. I still don't understand what the differentiators are between applications processed in a couple of days and others that take months. Very frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 I know! Who are the people that got theirs in 2 working days?! Maybe they used an immigration lawyer and they can fast track the process? I assumed the applications that took months must be for more difficult cases. Maybe those that haven't been together that long or don't have a lot of supporting evidence. However we don't fit into that category and we're nearly at the full 12 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest christopherm Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 That was my thinking too. What's more, i can't find ANY information on it - apart from the processing times in the consulate website. I asked when i called the 10 dollar line if there was anything I could do to expedite a decision i.e. prepare my application in a certain way, include additional info etc etc. I was pretty much stonewalled 'just put all the stuff in an envelope'. As it was it was in a ring binder, sorted and indexed. I don't mind the wait, it's the lack of visibility of the process and status that is frustrating. There also seems to be conflicting information on calling/not calling for an update on progress. The ukvisas website says you can call your nearest consulate for a status update, but the email we got confirming the receipt of our application says don't call as this will hold up processing. Has anyone tried calling for an update? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michael29 Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 over 40 working days now still nothing!! update me if you hear anything Cheers Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawoodley Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Hi all. I'm new to this forum but came here in search of answers. Sadly, it looks like a few of us are in the same boat. We have had our visa applications in for a bit over 5 weeks. When I called to ask a "generic" question last Friday, the nice lady informed me that most settlement visas are taking between 10 and 12 weeks. After 14 years of marriage I figured our relationship would be pretty obviously genuine and those permanent jobs in the UK enough evidence that we will support ourselves, pay our taxes etc etc. Hubby is now leaving at the end of July without us (me and two kids). Super frustrating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest necole Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Hi all. I'm new to this forum but came here in search of answers. Sadly, it looks like a few of us are in the same boat. We have had our visa applications in for a bit over 5 weeks. When I called to ask a "generic" question last Friday, the nice lady informed me that most settlement visas are taking between 10 and 12 weeks. After 14 years of marriage I figured our relationship would be pretty obviously genuine and those permanent jobs in the UK enough evidence that we will support ourselves, pay our taxes etc etc. Hubby is now leaving at the end of July without us (me and two kids). Super frustrating. Hi there, I was searching the web looking for a little reassurance but now with my application only having been in a week I'm wondering how I'm going to cope for the additional 11 or so! I work as a project manager and thus not being able to plan anything is incredibly frustrating! We delayed our application till after our wedding in May (been defacto for 8 years) so that I didn't have to go through the process of getting visa transferred and now thinking that this was a bad idea... Our house is sold and we've moved out, finishing work on the 13 August... thought we have a few weeks to wait but now worried that we might have to go and live with the folks if it's going to be any longer than this... I look forward to hearing some positive news from those on the long waits! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 I was very reluctant to call for an update as when we received the email that said 'don't call to check on the status or it will just delay your application', I read that to mean 'if you call, we will put your application to the bottom of the pile'. However, our situation slightly changed since submitting our application in that my husband received a firm job offer through from a company in the UK. He received this early June but we didn't think the visa would take that much longer having been in for over 4 weeks. However last week we thought it may help expediate our visa so my husband phoned the $10 line. He was told that we can fax in his job offer and it "might" help speed up the processing but no guarantee. Apparently they then went on to say they may not even be able to match up the fax to our application! She then suggested he could leave without me... We're very fortunate that the company who offered my husband a job are very understanding and have said they will keep the job open for him until my visa arrives. I'm also very lucky with my company here as they're letting me go week by week now until my visa arrives. However, my husband finished work 6 weeks ago as we had anticipated a 6 week wait for the visa. Christopherm - agree, it's the lack of visability that is hard. If I could at least see that it was moving through some sort of process or onto a next stage it would help. 10 WEEKS TODAY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tryingtogettotheUK Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Hello, It is so nice to hear (and I am sorry to say) that there are people in the same boat as me. I have been getting increasingly frustrated with this process and I have not had any correspondence except from my email saying my documents had arrived. I sent my documents 2 months ago and considering everything is in order I thought it would be quite a straight forward process and certainly not take the anywhere near the maximum 12 weeks. I have not wanted to contact the British High Commission as not to delay the process any further but it is a very trying time. My partner has returned to the UK and I am now here waiting in limbo for my visa to arrive. He is British and I am Australian and when we came out here on a Defacto visa it only took 4 weeks and a case officer had contacted us within 3 days of applying. This is a remarkably different process. It is interesting that so many of us have been waiting such a considerable time? I wonder what the waiting times for June will indicate? Do you think that this is being delayed by the recent Government changes and announcements to further restrictions on other UK visa's? Please post if you get your visa I would be very keen to know how long I have left to wait. Thanks and Goodluck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawoodley Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Uh oh! I sent two packets of documents and so now I'm worried that we'll get to the end of 12 weeks only to find that they didn't match them up. blurgh. I suspect that the change of government does have something to do with it as there were some changes in the numbers of Tier visas being granted. 5% cut before April 2011, although this wasn't for settlement visas I guess there was added time for meetings etc. I have my last day at work on the 23rd, no house from the 18th August. Can't live with my Mum cos she's not speaking to me (not happy that we're moving to the UK). Despite this I figure that this short term pain will all seem a distant memory when I throw my first snowball on Christmas day...! Good luck all, and do post your success stories before you zip up the suitcases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Uh oh! I sent two packets of documents and so now I'm worried that we'll get to the end of 12 weeks only to find that they didn't match them up. blurgh. Don't worry, it will definitely be possible to match the 2 packets you've sent to the same application. I suspect it's more a case of not actively trying to do it to speed up an application! My husband's parents have said there has been a lot about immigration in the news in the UK recently. They have apparently bought in, or are bringing in an English test for settlement visas. While it won't/doesn't affect us being from a country where English is the national language, I'm wondering if they've put extra checks in place in general. But, I have also been told that June/July is the busiest time for the consulate so it could also just simply be down to workload. I'm just hoping we get there in time for at least a bit of the summer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midget Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 From memory my partner's application for an Unmarried Partner Visa took around 45 working days, and this was over the Christmas / New Year period. It is hard to wait without seeing any progress, but I think they make it pretty clear that most applications will be processed closer to the 12 weeks period than earlier, so you shouldn't really expect it faster - if it happens that's a bonus. I suspect the ones with the smaller processing times (within days) are obvious rejections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 While we're on the topic of settlement visas, does anyone understand how the Indefinite Leave to Enter thing works? When I was reading all the background info on settlement visas it seemed I would be eiligible to receive this as we have been living together for more than four years. I assumed this meant my visa would be granted for a longer period than two years which is what you get if you have been together for less than 4 years. I was hoping this would save me having to get an extension on my visa in two years time when we're still in the UK. I then read that to receive this Indefinite Leave to Enter, you need to have shown you have the necessary level of knowledge of like in the UK. To do this you need to take a 'life in the UK' test but you can only take this test if you are in the UK! However you need to apply for the visa outside of the UK. I'm figuring I'm surely reading something incorrectly as this seems impossible.... Can anyone shed any light? The actual info from the visa site below in case you're interested. "If you and your husband, wife or civil partner have been living together outside the UK for four years or more, and you meet all the necessary requirements to stay permanently in the UK, you may be granted indefinite leave to enter. These requirements include showing that you have the necessary level of knowledge of the English language and life in the UK (see relevant section of this guidance for more information)." "How do I show that I have the necessary knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom?Anyone applying to stay permanently in the United Kingdom after 2 April 2007 is required to show that they have the necessary level of knowledge of the English language and life in the United Kingdom. You can do this by: going on an approved English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course which includes a citizenship section, or passing the 'Life in the UK' test. You can only take the ESOL course and the 'Life in the UK' test in the United Kingdom." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest christopherm Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I suspect the ones with the smaller processing times (within days) are obvious rejections. I think this is a good point. It certainly has some logic to it, in addition to making me feel a bit better. I'm leaving for the UK in 3 weeks, my wife will have to stay here until her visa comes through. It will have been 35 business days since we handed it in when I depart. She's looking at five weeks here before we can book a flight if it takes the full 12 weeks. I have to say that the process for my Australian prospective marriage and then marriage visa was far quicker and easier - despite me having to go to Auckland for six weeks to apply for the prospective marriage part. A case officer was assigned quickly and the communication coming out of the Australian Consulate was much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest necole Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 While we're on the topic of settlement visas, does anyone understand how the Indefinite Leave to Enter thing works? When I was reading all the background info on settlement visas it seemed I would be eiligible to receive this as we have been living together for more than four years. I assumed this meant my visa would be granted for a longer period than two years which is what you get if you have been together for less than 4 years. I was hoping this would save me having to get an extension on my visa in two years time when we're still in the UK. I then read that to receive this Indefinite Leave to Enter, you need to have shown you have the necessary level of knowledge of like in the UK. To do this you need to take a 'life in the UK' test but you can only take this test if you are in the UK! However you need to apply for the visa outside of the UK. I'm figuring I'm surely reading something incorrectly as this seems impossible.... Can anyone shed any light? The actual info from the visa site below in case you're interested. "If you and your husband, wife or civil partner have been living together outside the UK for four years or more, and you meet all the necessary requirements to stay permanently in the UK, you may be granted indefinite leave to enter. These requirements include showing that you have the necessary level of knowledge of the English language and life in the UK (see relevant section of this guidance for more information)." "How do I show that I have the necessary knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom?Anyone applying to stay permanently in the United Kingdom after 2 April 2007 is required to show that they have the necessary level of knowledge of the English language and life in the United Kingdom. You can do this by: going on an approved English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course which includes a citizenship section, or passing the 'Life in the UK' test. You can only take the ESOL course and the 'Life in the UK' test in the United Kingdom." HI MXP78, My understanding is that you will get ILE and then as soon as you get to the UK you can do the "Life in UK" test and then you can apply for ILR. I'm in the same boat having been defacto for 8 years but only married for 6 weeks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MXP78 Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Thanks necole. So really, the only advantage is that you can apply for ILR straight away as opposed to having to wait 2 years? But you still need to go through another application process as soon as you get there? I just checked the website and applying for ILR costs 840 pounds by post or 1,095 pounds if you go in person. Bonus of going in person is they can turn your application around in 24 hours. By post, and they aim to have it processed within 6 months! Suddenly 12 weeks isn't looking so bad :laugh:. Although not looking forward to paying out another hefty fee. Maybe we'll wait the 2 years before applying anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawoodley Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Hi all, given how long this is taking perhaps we can help each other 'track' the High Comm in Canberra by posting our details here and updating? A group did this here for Oz visas. Looking around at other forums it seems the High Comm treats things day by day, so theoretically all we need to list is the date we received the email to indicate docs were received. How about this format? Name/initials AW Date of email confirming receipt 1st June 2010 Intended date of travel listed 29th July 2010 Visa granted not yet let's see whether we can't make sense of the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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