Spouse visa Applications and Priority Service Upgrades
Do you have a pending spouse visa or family visa application awaiting a decision from the Home Office? Have you been waiting months for a decision? Are you anxious to reunite with your family? If so, you may be willing to consider paying the Home Office an extra fee to expedite your application through what is termed a ‘priority service upgrade’.
Our immigration solicitors explain what the option of a Home Office ‘priority service upgrade’ may mean for you and your family.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Lawyers and Spouse Visa Solicitors
For advice on spouse visa applications call the expert London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Spouse visa applications and Home Office delays
Many spouse visa applicants have had to wait a long time for a family or spouse visa decision. The Home Office has explained that the delays as down to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to give priority to applications made under the Ukraine refugee and family schemes. That has led to some family visa applicants waiting months overseas for their spouse visa applications to be decided, adding to the stress and expense of making an application.
The Home Office has recently announced the latest visa waiting times as guidance for visa applicants. For settlement visa applications submitted from outside the UK, the Home Office says over 98% of applications will be decided within 12 weeks of the application date and all applications are determined within 24 weeks of the application date. The Home Office counts one week as 5 working days.
Pending spouse visa applications and priority service upgrades
If you have a pending spouse visa or partner visa or family visa application the Home Office has announced that you can pay an extra fee to have your application ‘upgraded’. In other words, if you pay an additional fee, you can get your application put near the top of the queue for a decision.
Spouse Visa Solicitors emphasise that paying for a Home Office priority upgrade does not improve your chances of obtaining a spouse visa. That’s because Home Office officials use the same eligibility criteria to assess your application whether or not you pay for their priority service. All the priority service upgrade means is that you should get a quicker decision. However, you will only get a faster decision if you submitted all the relevant information and paperwork in support of your application.
The upgrade on offer from the Home Office is a decision on your spouse visa application within 3 weeks. However, to qualify for the priority service upgrade you must have a pending application and pay the extra Home Office fee. This additional fee is set at £573.00.
Spouse Visa Solicitors understand the frustrations of applicants invited to pay for a quick decision when they have already paid a visa application fee to the Home Office and in circumstances where those most desperate to reunite their children with a parent in the UK may be unable to afford to pay an extra £573.00 in visa process fees.
For some, the introduction of the priority service upgrade by the Home Office on 9 January 2023 is a welcome step whilst others will be fed up that some applications are being prioritised on the ability to pay extra Home Office fees rather than based on individual family circumstances or the length of wait.
Spouse visa priority services
The Home Office super priority and priority visa service have still not resumed operation for spouse visa applications submitted from outside the UK. You can therefore only apply for the priority service upgrade if you have a pending application rather than being able to request priority or super-priority service at the time of submission of your application.
The Home Office has said it hopes to re-introduce the priority and super priority services for family visa applicants making an application from overseas in early 2023.
Do you need help with a spouse visa application?
However long the wait for the Home Office to determine your family application it is crucial that your visa application is not rejected by Home Office officials because you either did not provide the necessary information or documents or did not provide a full explanation of your personal or financial circumstances.
You may think that it is obvious that you are in a genuine and subsisting relationship with your sponsoring partner or that it is clear that a sponsoring partner meets the spouse visa financial requirement. However, Spouse Visa Solicitors warn that what is obvious to you isn’t always as straightforward for a Home Office official. That’s why your Spouse Visa Solicitors will recommend what information and paperwork should be submitted with your application to give it the best chance of a successful outcome.
As well as advising you on your spouse visa application our Spouse Visa Solicitors can also help you with:
- Spouse visa extension applications
- Spouse visa switch applications
- Dependant visa applications
- Spouse visa refusals
- Applying for indefinite leave to remain after entering the UK on a family or spouse visa
- Applying for indefinite leave to remain if your relationship has ended because of the death of your sponsoring partner
- Applying for indefinite leave to remain because your relationship has ended due to domestic violence
- British nationality applications for yourself or your children
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Lawyers and Spouse Visa Solicitors
For advice on spouse visa applications call the expert London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
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