Priority services available for submitted marriage and family Entry Clearance applications (15 working days)
Since March 2022, the UKVI have processed more than 200,000 Ukraine visa applications for Ukrainian nationals fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Many Home Office staff were redeployed to support this effort and the impact of this has meant a swathe of other visa applications are still in the system being processed. For many Marriage and family Entry Clearance applications the service standards have increased to 120 days with suspended priority visa services. The Home Office have stated:
“We are operating within the revised service standard and are hopeful that we will soon be able to reinstate our normal service standard and resume Priority visa services for new customers”
In order to catch up and process the existing submitted applications the UKVI have decided to reinstate the priority service for submitted applications. This service will come at an additional cost to the applicant or relevant fee payer of £573. This would mean your application may be considered within 15 working days. In order to be able to access this service you will be contacted by the UKVI by email, and you will need to follow further instruction. The UKVI will be contacting applicants in order of the submission date of their application. Therefore, those who have been waiting the longest will be contacted first.
If you wish to use the service, you will need to complete the required details requested in the email after which time the UKVI will send you a payment link. Once payment has been processed the UKVI will assess your application within 15 working days (3 weeks).
If you have been advised by UKVI that your application is in the system and nearing the service standard of 120 days, you may choose not to pay the extra fee. Also consider how many people will want to use the service as this may extend the priority service standard of 15 working days and whether your case is of a complex nature.
If you are a new applicant wishing to submit your family application, you should expect the Priority service for this option to be reinstated shortly.
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