Sheffield Visa Section - EEA FAMILY PERMIT

[Rick67]

Hi there where over 5000 emails sent out saying not straight forward. They where automated emails. The reason for the delays is the court enquiry in feb when all visas where put on hold. Because of that they are way behind. Im not just guessing that its a fact confirmed by an email from my MP. Plus i was told the same by a retired immigration judge. Just had mine escalated its been 90 plus days. What a joke.

[dokie]

Hey guys,
This forum has been helpful in so many ways. I really appreciate everyone on here.
I submitted my application (standard) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Here's my timeline so far;
July 18 : Biometrics
July 29 : app acknowledged by Sheffield
Aug 4 : not-straightforward email from Sheffield
Aug 24 : Escalated
I'm impatiently waiting and praying for a good outcome, today makes it 34 working days.
Please, is the processing time different from one country to another cuz I've seen different processing times from 15-120 working days?
I pray we all have our FP granted at the end of it all. Bless!

Hi Dokie,

Yes, processing time vary depending on the country.

When you escalated, did you get a reply from the DMC within 2 working days?

No, I didn't. I called a week after and I was told it's been escalated but no email to that effect yet (6days counting). What do you think about this?

[dokie]

Hey guys,
This forum has been helpful in so many ways. I really appreciate everyone on here.
I submitted my application (standard) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Here's my timeline so far;
July 18 : Biometrics
July 29 : app acknowledged by Sheffield
Aug 4 : not-straightforward email from Sheffield
Aug 24 : Escalated
I'm impatiently waiting and praying for a good outcome, today makes it 34 working days.
Please, is the processing time different from one country to another cuz I've seen different processing times from 15-120 working days?
I pray we all have our FP granted at the end of it all. Bless!

My husband apply from nigeria lagos
Appointment 19 July
Sheffield receive the documents
They send me not Straightforward
Today I call them to escalate am waiting for the email
I don't why is taking time

A very similar timeline I guess. Well, I didn't get an email after escalating on the 24th of Aug. Called to confirm it was escalated on the 31st,they said "yes" but no email confirming that yet.
I think not until one's escalation has been acknowledged... absolutely nothing changes about the application.
I know we'll all have our testimonies when the wait is finally over.

[Enka2018]

Hi there.

This immigration and their system is worst the world. Why they can't process application in every country and why only one application centre. They promising none of eu citizen will loose rights who's already in uk but they already started to slow down the applications and a lot of refusals. Surprisingly they don't care about how many times we complain they will keep saying it's not straight forward and can take longer. Solvit,mp, home office complain and escalation didn't work for me now 110 working days. Waiting time is more than the visa validity this is the only country who does it.

[Alexkowalski87]

Apparently, if you don't have a valid reason to speed up the processing time, it is pointless to escalate etc.. Let's pray for UK to have a mercy on us

[Alexkowalski87]

Hey guys,
This forum has been helpful in so many ways. I really appreciate everyone on here.
I submitted my application (standard) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Here's my timeline so far;
July 18 : Biometrics
July 29 : app acknowledged by Sheffield
Aug 4 : not-straightforward email from Sheffield
Aug 24 : Escalated
I'm impatiently waiting and praying for a good outcome, today makes it 34 working days.
Please, is the processing time different from one country to another cuz I've seen different processing times from 15-120 working days?
I pray we all have our FP granted at the end of it all. Bless!

Hi Dokie,

Yes, processing time vary depending on the country.

When you escalated, did you get a reply from the DMC within 2 working days?

No, I didn't. I called a week after and I was told it's been escalated but no email to that effect yet (6days counting). What do you think about this?

Too bad( I was thinking of escalating my case but after reading these useless experience, decided not to. I applied on the 3rd of July.
Dokie, please just update us on the processing of your application! Good luck

[Alexkowalski87]

I made my application on 24th of April.Still waiting.....90 working days past and nothing....

Oh my Mihai, you tried to escalate the case?

[byronwilliams1185]

Hello,

Friends before thinking of Escalation, please check the processing time for your country and place from where you applied. If your working days are coming close to the mentioned processing time then you can call/ email to escalate (your wait period should be more than the mentioned processing time). If you had applied and in one month time you think of escalation then they will not entertain and you will waste your money.

If after escalation they have given you 15 days period then please contact after 15 days are over if you did not get any decision.

I am waiting for 115 days now and 15 days escaltion period will be over on 8th. I will send them an email first and then call them.

I pray for you all they you will get your visa soon. Please keep me too in your prayers.

All the best.

Regards,
Byron

[Alexkowalski87]

Hello,

Friends before thinking of Escalation, please check the processing time for your country and place from where you applied. If your working days are coming close to the mentioned processing time then you can call/ email to escalate (your wait period should be more than the mentioned processing time). If you had applied and in one month time you think of escalation then they will not entertain and you will waste your money.

If after escalation they have given you 15 days period then please contact after 15 days are over if you did not get any decision.

I am waiting for 115 days now and 15 days escaltion period will be over on 8th. I will send them an email first and then call them.

I pray for you all they you will get your visa soon. Please keep me too in your prayers.

All the best.

Regards,
Byron

Hi Byron, you escalated your case via email? when you did escalate it, did they acknowledge it withing 2 days?
Now, when you email them again if the wont get back to you regarding the decision, are you going to spend another 5 pounds?

[dokie]

Hey guys,
This forum has been helpful in so many ways. I really appreciate everyone on here.
I submitted my application (standard) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Here's my timeline so far;
July 18 : Biometrics
July 29 : app acknowledged by Sheffield
Aug 4 : not-straightforward email from Sheffield
Aug 24 : Escalated
I'm impatiently waiting and praying for a good outcome, today makes it 34 working days.
Please, is the processing time different from one country to another cuz I've seen different processing times from 15-120 working days?
I pray we all have our FP granted at the end of it all. Bless!

Hi Dokie,

Yes, processing time vary depending on the country.

When you escalated, did you get a reply from the DMC within 2 working days?

No, I didn't. I called a week after and I was told it's been escalated but no email to that effect yet (6days counting). What do you think about this?

Too bad( I was thinking of escalating my case but after reading these useless experience, decided not to. I applied on the 3rd of July.
Dokie, please just update us on the processing of your application! Good luck

Sure, I will. Do you have any idea the processing time from lagos-Nigeria or you've got a link so I check it up myself?

[dokie]

Hey guys,
Does anyone know the "new" processing time for Nigeria so I don't waste my money escalating again?
The wait will end it praise...

[drasl123]

Hey Guys,
I've been also following this thread and it's really informative as I was not sure previously that how long 'HO' can take to decide the application.
Anyhow I'm also in the same quagmire as my other fellow members are.
It's been now 115 working days since I'm waiting for my decision and it's almost 3 month since they're telling me that your application is 'Awaiting a Decision'. Don't know why are they taking so long.
Any how best of luck to all of you for your application and thanks for updating.
God bless you guys

[Edwinlobo2907]

Dear all ,
My wife applied from Kuala Lumpur -Malaysia. ..The following is my time line.
Applied /Biometric : 7th June
Not straight forward email : 26th June
1st Escalation call : 19th July
2nd Escalation call : 9th August
Email from CRM ADMIN - VFS GLOBAL : 6th Sept

My wife will be going tomorrow to collect her passport. Praying that her visa is granted.
Overall it's been 12 working weeks. The processing time for Malaysia EEA FP is 15 working days.

Hopefully by God's grace I can share the good news to you all tomorrow.

[Polly0621]

Hi TalitaZ,

I applied for EEA FP in VFS Manila last August 10. I received the 'not straightforward' email last August 30. I noticed that you escalated your application 4 days after the 'not straightforward email'. How do I "escalate"?

TIA

Hi all,

I wanted to share my good news, my husband received his EEA FP last Thursday!
It took around 7 weeks, so I can't even imagine what it must feel like at 60-90 days!
I am Dutch, he is Indian and we applied from Dusseldorf, this is our timeline:

June 27 - applied in Dusseldorf
July 14 - 'not straightforward' email
July 18 - case escalated
August 14 - received email from Decision Making office in reply to escalation
August 15 - decision made email
August 17 - passport returned with EEA FP

We contacted UKVI every few days and escalated our case several times as my husband's Schengen Visa expired on August 1st so he was stuck in Netherlands illegally. My MP and Solvit also contacted them and on August 14 I finally received an email with regards to the escalation, basically saying they could not give us a timeframe but they would forward the info to the clearance officer team. Apparently that did help as the decision was made the same day. I think we were 'lucky' that his current Visa had expired to speed things up.
He now has a 17 day overstay on his Schengen Visa but the immigration officer at Amsterdam airport was very nice and did not put it in the computer system and he was not fined.

I hope you all get good news soon. You are in my thoughts!
Talita

[Tinek]

My wife (resident of China) applied in Chongqing in April. About 2 weeks later she received refusal because she forgot to add all the photos (so they claimed there's not enough proof that we're a family). Fine! So she re-applied immediately with all the documents in tact this time. That was beginning of May. Since then, the only email we've got from them was information about delay after 2 weeks time. Nothing since that time and we have September now!

So I've tried to contact Sheffield, but of course could reach only that 3rd party company they have as a front. They're really not helpful! Last month gave them all the details, escalated the case, which I received in email confirmation. It stated up to 15 days for more info. Of course, 15 work days passed, nothing from their side.

Emailed them again, asking some additional questions regarding getting passport back, since we decided that we don't really need EEA for her to come here and apply for RC (she already has tourist visa). All of my questions were ignored (twice!) and they only told me that this case is still in the process and they'll do a second escalation. In that email they addressed it to a completely different person, though. Clearly just copy&paste without even checking anymore!

Now, the fun fact - average processing time in Chongqing, when my wife applied for EEA FP, was only 3 work days, with 15 days for 100% of applications to be processed. But till now it's been way above 15 work days and of course they stopped updating processing time on their website since Jun... Asking MP for help, trying to contact that HO front company or visa center brought absolutely no effect. So far we can't even stop the process to get passport back! It's getting more and more ridiculous and it's not even brexit time yet...

[byronwilliams1185]

Hello,

Friends before thinking of Escalation, please check the processing time for your country and place from where you applied. If your working days are coming close to the mentioned processing time then you can call/ email to escalate (your wait period should be more than the mentioned processing time). If you had applied and in one month time you think of escalation then they will not entertain and you will waste your money.

If after escalation they have given you 15 days period then please contact after 15 days are over if you did not get any decision.

I am waiting for 115 days now and 15 days escaltion period will be over on 8th. I will send them an email first and then call them.

I pray for you all they you will get your visa soon. Please keep me too in your prayers.

All the best.

Regards,
Byron

Hi Byron, you escalated your case via email? when you did escalate it, did they acknowledge it withing 2 days?
Now, when you email them again if the wont get back to you regarding the decision, are you going to spend another 5 pounds?

Hi Alexkowalski87,

First I send them a general mail after my 90 days waiting period was over. I paid 5.48 pounds to know the status of my application. After they replied I again sent them another mail to escalate. They replied back by sending me a format to fill all the details and reason for escalation.

After I replied with details, they sent me an auto mail that within 2 working days I should get a reply or else call them. Since after 2 working days I did not get any reply, I called them and asked them to escalate. And the staff member said that she has escalated my application and I asked her to send a confirmation mail, which she did.

For sending the charge is only one time. You can send replies to the same mail thread without extra cost.

Hope this help. All the best to you.

Regards,
Byron

[byronwilliams1185]

Hello,

I contacted UKVI via the e-mail service and received an answer 2-3 days afterwards, stating what's below:

Thank you for contacting UK Visas and Immigration International enquiry service.
In regards to your query about the status of your application, unfortunately, from the information provided, we are unable forward a escalation in order to find out what is happening with your application please provide us with the information that is listed below. Once we forward this escalation it can take up to 15 working days to get a response and it will be this relevant source that will get back to you regard your case.

Please respond with more information such as:
Full Name
Date of Birth
GWF number
Immigration Health Surcharge number
Passport number
Place of submission
Type of Visa applied for
Date of biometrics
Nationality
Applicants e-mail

Brief reason for escalation:

I answered to the mail with the requested information, but I didn't receive a reply after that. Has anyone experienced the same issue ? Did they reply to you ? And most importantly did they escalate like they said ?

What's worrying me, is that I received on the same day an e-mail to fill-in a survey for the experience with UKVI contact center. And the title was UK Visas and Immigration: enquiry resolved.

Cheers,

Hi,

They will entertain an escalation only if your application has crossed the 90 days waiting period.
Even I contacted them by email after 90 days were over and I too got the same mail. After replying with details they do not send any mail so I contacted them by phone (there is a link below the mail saying that if they do not answer within 2 working days to contact them by phone) and gave my mail reference no. The staff mentioned to me that my application is escalated from that day and that I have to wait for 15 working days to get a decision made.

So I request you to call them and escalate your case. After escalation of case on phone you will get a mail that escalation is done.

Regards,
Byron

Thanks for your answer. Did you pay when you called ? Or it's free for those who escalated via e-mail (with a reference number) ?

Cheers

Hi Hachel,

You will get such reply after you send the details for escalation- We've received your message.

We'll look at the information you gave us and will be in touch within 2 working days.

If you haven't heard from us after 2 working days, you can call us, quoting your reference number.

UKVI Contact Centre

I did not get a reply so I clicked the call us link which take you to a page with number to contact them.

When I called them they did ask for my debit card details which I provided. When I was speaking to the staff member I gave the mail reference number and mentioned that I did not get any reply for the last mail. We spoke for 7 mins and she mentioned that my application has been escalated. I asked her to send a confirmation mail, which she sent.

After I cut the call I was not charged anything. I guess because I gave the reference number and mentioned that I did not get a reply.

You try calling them. All the best.

Regards,
Byron

[Alexkowalski87]

Hello,

Friends before thinking of Escalation, please check the processing time for your country and place from where you applied. If your working days are coming close to the mentioned processing time then you can call/ email to escalate (your wait period should be more than the mentioned processing time). If you had applied and in one month time you think of escalation then they will not entertain and you will waste your money.

If after escalation they have given you 15 days period then please contact after 15 days are over if you did not get any decision.

I am waiting for 115 days now and 15 days escaltion period will be over on 8th. I will send them an email first and then call them.

I pray for you all they you will get your visa soon. Please keep me too in your prayers.

All the best.

Regards,
Byron

Hi Byron, you escalated your case via email? when you did escalate it, did they acknowledge it withing 2 days?
Now, when you email them again if the wont get back to you regarding the decision, are you going to spend another 5 pounds?

Hi Alexkowalski87,

First I send them a general mail after my 90 days waiting period was over. I paid 5.48 pounds to know the status of my application. After they replied I again sent them another mail to escalate. They replied back by sending me a format to fill all the details and reason for escalation.

After I replied with details, they sent me an auto mail that within 2 working days I should get a reply or else call them. Since after 2 working days I did not get any reply, I called them and asked them to escalate. And the staff member said that she has escalated my application and I asked her to send a confirmation mail, which she did.

For sending the charge is only one time. You can send replies to the same mail thread without extra cost.

Hope this help. All the best to you.

Regards,
Byron

Much appreciated!

[Alexkowalski87]

Hi Dokie,

Yes, processing time vary depending on the country.

When you escalated, did you get a reply from the DMC within 2 working days?

No, I didn't. I called a week after and I was told it's been escalated but no email to that effect yet (6days counting). What do you think about this?

Too bad( I was thinking of escalating my case but after reading these useless experience, decided not to. I applied on the 3rd of July.
Dokie, please just update us on the processing of your application! Good luck

Sure, I will. Do you have any idea the processing time from lagos-Nigeria or you've got a link so I check it up myself?

Just follow the instructions on this link: https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times

[degtom]

Hi edwinlobo,

All the best! Hope you can come back to the thread to update your result.
My timeline and location are similar to yours, with my application a month later than yours.

Also, wondering for your escalation, did you give any specific time-sensitive reasons aside from being apart from your spouse?
Even though my application is a month behind yours, we have escalated twice as well and are planning to do so every 15 days. I noticed you didn't do so after your 2nd escalation though?

Best wishes, hope your wife gets her permit and look forward to your update.

Dear all ,
My wife applied from Kuala Lumpur -Malaysia. ..The following is my time line.
Applied /Biometric : 7th June
Not straight forward email : 26th June
1st Escalation call : 19th July
2nd Escalation call : 9th August
Email from CRM ADMIN - VFS GLOBAL : 6th Sept

My wife will be going tomorrow to collect her passport. Praying that her visa is granted.
Overall it's been 12 working weeks. The processing time for Malaysia EEA FP is 15 working days.

Hopefully by God's grace I can share the good news to you all tomorrow.

[Alexkowalski87]

Dear all ,
My wife applied from Kuala Lumpur -Malaysia. ..The following is my time line.
Applied /Biometric : 7th June
Not straight forward email : 26th June
1st Escalation call : 19th July
2nd Escalation call : 9th August
Email from CRM ADMIN - VFS GLOBAL : 6th Sept

My wife will be going tomorrow to collect her passport. Praying that her visa is granted.
Overall it's been 12 working weeks. The processing time for Malaysia EEA FP is 15 working days.

Hopefully by God's grace I can share the good news to you all tomorrow.

hi Edwin,

Does it worth it to wait 12 working weeks?

[observer_haters]

My processing time:

June 26 - Applied in Bangkok.
July 06 - Application has been received in Sheffield.
Juli 13 - "Not straightforward' email.
July 21 - Case escalated & complaints.
Juli 28 - Requested passport back.
August 02 - Passport received.
August 03 - Status "Decided" Please wait for ten business days.
August 15 - "Please wait for another ten business days."

August 23 - Entering the UK with EEA "dependent ink stamp."
Information from Border officer, the application has been refused !!!
Unfortunately, I don't know the reason. .

August 24 - Request for application status:
"Please wait for ten working days."
September 06 - Request for application status:
"Please wait for fifteen business days."

Thank you UKVI !

[Edwinlobo2907]

Dear all ,

FINALLY. ..The agonising wait is over !!!
My wife got the EEA FP today
Relief !!!
We never ģot any email from UKVI that the application has been processed and a decision has been made. Instead Iit was a standard email from VFS Global.
Furthermore. ..We never attached any photos nor our call / chat history. Just the basic documents and our wedding registration from UK.

My friend who works in the Home office ( Projects ) had clearly indicated that it is due to the political climate that the applications are slowly processed and that is their way of slowing down the entry of immigrants.

For example : the processing times for Malaysia are a mere 15 days but they made it 60 working days ( 12 weeks ) hence they were successful in literally denying 3 more applications during the same time frame.
It's a horrible journey with frustrating times and with agonising emotional trauma but there is NOTHING one can do to speed up an application.
I wish you all good luck with your applications and keep the faith.

[Edwinlobo2907]

@ Alexkowalski 87
It is definitely worth the wait. There is nothing you can do since you have already invested your time and emotions.
Just remember to act really traumatic when you call to escalate.
All the best

@ Degtom

There was a lot of drama involved with my escalation calls.
When I first called on 19th July to escalate - the girl send a "refund " email to my wife !!!
I called back immediately and corrected that.
The girl I spoke to apologised and took the details from me over the phone.
Since I didn't get any email I called again on 9th August - only to be consoled !
I called again in desperation on 16th August to realise that they had messed with my wife's email address.
I told them that my wife is in hospital due to blood pressure issues and that it's taking a toll on my professional life as I can't concentrate and risk losing my job. ..I was stern and literally acted as if I was slurring in my speech !
She just apologised and said she would escalate it.
The next day my wife got an email from Sheffield stating that the email address was wrong and that the application was not straight forward but hey assured " please be assured that we are working on your application and will make application decision as soon as we are able to "

Have patience and faith in God. Best of luck !

[Alexkowalski87]

@ Alexkowalski 87
It is definitely worth the wait. There is nothing you can do since you have already invested your time and emotions.
Just remember to act really traumatic when you call to escalate.
All the best

@ Degtom

There was a lot of drama involved with my escalation calls.
When I first called on 19th July to escalate - the girl send a "refund " email to my wife !!!
I called back immediately and corrected that.
The girl I spoke to apologised and took the details from me over the phone.
Since I didn't get any email I called again on 9th August - only to be consoled !
I called again in desperation on 16th August to realise that they had messed with my wife's email address.
I told them that my wife is in hospital due to blood pressure issues and that it's taking a toll on my professional life as I can't concentrate and risk losing my job. ..I was stern and literally acted as if I was slurring in my speech !
She just apologised and said she would escalate it.
The next day my wife got an email from Sheffield stating that the email address was wrong and that the application was not straight forward but hey assured " please be assured that we are working on your application and will make application decision as soon as we are able to "

Have patience and faith in God. Best of luck !

haha, I dont think i can be that dramatic but thank you indeed for the hint!