UK Spouse Visa - Applying From Hong Kong

[Happy Guy]

Check to see if your Spouse visa is not waiting to be collected but no one has notified you!

[dipali26]

I found out the application countdown begins from the Biometrics date.
My husband should've received a response last Friday 27 July.
I called immigration on 31 July and only because I called they escalated the case.
I also emailed and was given the same answer, continue to wait and the case has been escalated.
We should here from them within the next 15 working days, thats another 3 weeks.
Unbelievable, especially as paying for priority service.
We are still waiting, day 35.

[donotdisturb]

Hi dipali26,
Did you specify a departure date to leave HK ?

[dipali26]

No, we left the date open - but did mention hope to travel early August in our cover letter

[donotdisturb]

Maybe that’s the case. I heard that if you state a date to travel, then they have an urgency to get your application done. But you never know with the uk government.

[manyee.fung]

Country applying from: Hong Kong
Type of visa applied for: Settlement/Spouse
Priority/Non-Priority: Priority (30 working days)
Date application submitted: Online 17 May 2018
Date biometrics taken at VFS Global: 25 May 2018
Still waiting.......... UNBELIEVABLE!!

We stated that we wanted to travel on 12 July...

[hqian]

Don't hold your breath guys! Took 7 months for my husband's spouse visa to be processed.

[donotdisturb]

Wow that's the longest I've heard....was it because there were some information that needed to be re-submitted ?

[hqian]

Wow that's the longest I've heard....was it because there were some information that needed to be re-submitted ?

No, it was a very straightforward application and we'd submitted everything they needed. It was back in 2013, mind, and the application was submitted in the UK - at the time there was a big backlog of applications due to the hostile environment policy (not sure if this still the case but looks like it probably is given the whole Windrush thing).

But they have no obligation to do anything with your application until 6 months is up. 4 to 12 weeks might be the 'average' processing time but it's not the guaranteed processing time.

Don't make plans until your application is granted, and don't expect any information or sympathy.

[donotdisturb]

I've got the feeling that if something was wrong with the application, then they won't be bothered asking you to re-submit information. So basically, once you have submitted an application then it's either a "good-to-go" or a "no-go".