I'm the American spouse of a British citizen and have just completed my second FLR(M) extension, which will get me to my 5-year mark. I received confirmation that my application was successful on October 8. I applied using super-priority service in part because we're moving house soon and I wanted a decision and my BRP over with before then (hazard of moving in together around when we got married is that our lease ending roughly aligned with my visa renewal).
Today, October 13, I received an email from BRP Collection informing me that I "may" not receive my BRP within 10 working days owing to a backlog at its production facility. I've gone ahead and sent the Home Office a change-of-circumstances form with our new address, since it now looks like the BRP may be delayed until after our move. (If the BRP had come in the usual 7-to-10-day span, I'd've had it before we relocated.) This way, I figure that if it does end up being quite delayed, by the time I'd need to tell the courier about a change of address, the update will have gone through the HO's system and they can verify it. I'm not too concerned about that.
What does concern me is that I'm due to travel for work in a Schengen country in a couple of weeks and there's a very good chance I won't have the physical BRP yet (looking into horror stories of others' delays). The guidance is to not travel until you've received your BRP, or to apply for a one-time BRP-replacement vignette if you do.
My questions are:
1. As I'm an American and would normally have visa-free travel, am I still advised to stay in the UK until I have my new BRP? I'm thinking that I'd likely be using e-gates at the point of entry, which just involves a passport scan. I do have documentation of both my successful application and the delay in my BRP.
2. Almost all of the guidance I've seen about using the one-time BRP-replacement vignette is for people whose BRPs have been lost/stolen abroad, which isn't my case. The HO does advise this if your BRP hasn't arrived yet and you need to travel, but I'm leery, both of mistakenly using this option when I haven't actually "lost" my BRP, and of having it completed in time to return. I can't seem to find much guidance on how long this type of application takes. Is this a realistic option for my situation, where I'd be planning to return after only a few days abroad?
I've looked online for information and just about everything seems to be universities' advice for students on Tier 4 visas whose BRPs have been lost/delayed, which I'm not, or advice for people who are still waiting for an actual application decision, which I'm not.
It isn't a huge deal to postpone this business trip (it's been kicked back literally half a dozen times in the past year and a half), but I'm also concerned about what might happen if it drags on until, say, early December, when I'd be wanting to travel to the U.S. for Christmas. Looking at how long some people have waited for BRPs lately, I'm a bit anxious.
Any insight or guidance is appreciated. Basically: Am I stuck on this island until I get the physical BRP, or do I have some leeway? Thanks.
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