FIVE WEEKS after submitting the application, my wife received a letter from Sheffield acknowledging receipt of the application and stating they aim to make a decision within 8 weeks of receiving the application - with a raft of reasons why they may not be able to achieve this. Is this 'normal'?
Ours took 4 weeks..last november. But it teally was a straightforward application. I used savings as financial requirement..but if yours is more complicated it could take longer. At least you now have proof they received it. I really wouldn't worry.
"At least you know have proof they received it. I really wouldn't worry." Pretty much what I was thinking, @bigmac. Although my income is primarily from benefits, nothing has really changed since the Fiancee application. Doesn't mean they won't have to do the same 'checks' all over again, I guess! I just thought it was odd that it took 5 weeks to acknowledge an application that SHOULD take 8 weeks... Maybe they are just preparing us for a much longer than 'expected' wait - as it was with the Fiancee application?
I would take the view that you did all the Hard work in getting her here in the first instance,so unless your circumstances have changed significantly or the 2 of you have done a few Bonnie and Clyde bank robberies then all will be fine it's just a matter of process. Good Luck
We uploaded ours and had the biometrics done in Manchester yesterday. We've paid for the next day service though with it being on a Friday it will be probably Monday / tuesday before we get an answer. We were told it was 2-3 months currently otherwise which means that if Mica can find work quickly we can recover the cost in half that time at least. Hopefully good news next week. The service in Manchester checked that all our mandatory documents were uploaded and that everything was of good quality for review. Reasonably impressed all in all. Most people seemed to have uploaded previously but by no means all.
UPDATE - 2 days after receiving the letter mentioned above... We received another letter that the 1st FLR(M) is APPROVED! Big relief
