Application timeline for a Tier 4 Student Visa: 8/19: Completed and paid 8/24: Biometric appointment 8/25: Shipped to NYC 8/26: Signed for in NYC 8/29: Email confirming application was under review 9/2: Email saying visa was approved Total process: Exactly two weeks Total approval time: 4 days I DID NOT do the expensive priority service, although I needed the visa within the next 30 days. Here is a more detailed account of my process, in case you need help-- August 19th: Completed and paid for the visa application online. It took me a solid 4 hours to complete. ***I also bought both the send and return labels from VFS (total of $53.00). There was NOTHING in the application guide/process that specified this was necessary, I only knew to do it because of reviews left here. Buying those labels was a real hassle-- they refused to accept my credit card, and then they refused to process my order. I had to get on the phone with them (not cheap, since not only do you pay international calling fees but also a fee per minute) to fix the issue. August 22nd: Went to Walgreens to print out a British sized passport photo. There is a lot of contradictory advice on the UK.gov website as to whether or not this is necessary, but after reading reviews here I decided to go for it. I asked the Walgreens people to print out two photos in the British size, but when I got home I measured them and they were off a little bit (WTF WALGREENS). I cut them down to size the best I could. Not sure if that was the right call. August 24th: Attended my biometric appointment in Miami. Very easy, the people were friendly and all they did was take finger prints and a photo. I received a sheet of paper that had a list of application materials I need to mail in. This had "return label" on the list although it didn't specify that it was that VFS one. There was nothing on here about the UK passport photos. Huh. August 25th: Mailed out my whole visa application. In the application I included: 1) a brief and politely worded cover letter 2) a list of included items, each of them labeled (per advice I read on here) 3) the printed off CAS my university gave me (not listed as necessary on UK.gov, but after reading reviews I realized it might be) 4) the email with receipt of my Health Surcharge 5) my US passport 6) a scanned copy of my birth certificate (again, not listed as necessary) 7) a dated and signed application form (check and double check that it's signed in all the right places!!) 8) my biometric receipt 9) a return label purchased from VFS My package was well organized with binder clips and tabs, placed in a gallon ziplock bag, and then placed in a shipping folder I originally tried to mail mine through USPS and they said they couldn't, since I had already purchased the labels. I went to a local family run shipping facility and they did it no problem. August 26th: A Friday Received an email from shipping company that confirmed my package had been signed for (by Lisa, around 9:30am). August 29th: A Monday Received an email from the consulate that my application had been received and was ready for review. September 2nd: A Friday Received an automated email at 8:00 am (to my spam folder!!) that said "Your UK Visa #______ has been printed". OH JOYOUS DAY! I'm assuming that my passport and whatever they decided to mail back of my application will be here by next Monday or Tuesday (about 20 days before I leave). I'm giving them 4 stars because the application process is contradictory, complicated and totally impersonal, but they did the whole thing in under 5 days, which is impressive (that being said, I am a white American which probably made the process faster/easier). EDIT: I've received my passport and visa. They DID NOT use the passport photos I provided. They used the one taken at the biometric screening. About receiving your package: UPS will not leave the package at your door, as it contains sensitive legal documents. You'll have to sign for it, and no, you cannot just sign the back of the package slip they leave after the first attempted delivery. Also no, you cannot have you mother/sister/neighbor sign for it. ALSO NO you cannot track your package, so you won't be able to plan when to be home and able to sign for it. This means you either have to a) sit around your house all day (for a few days) and wait for the package or b) wait to get an attempted delivery slip and then call your local UPS distribution center and ask them to put the package on hold for you; you can then go to the distribution center around 7:00 pm when all of the trucks have returned from their routes and hopefully one of them will be able to find your package, see that its on hold, and allow you to sign for it there. This option is the only feasible option for someone with a 9-5 job. read more

If possible I would give ZERO stars My bf is the person mistreated here. I am a Singapore Citizen who doesn't require a passport to enter UK. He is a Chinese citizen/US PR. It is his FOURTH time applying for a UK standard visitor visa. He has been approved for all THREE previous applications. His situation has also not changed. He has been a student for ALL four times. We were gonna meet in London for the Columbus day holiday period (10/03 - 10/09) because, guess what, I have been denied US visa 5 times because some consulate officer really hates me and sabotaged all 5 applications. I can't visit the US anymore and we are forced into a long distance relationship and London seems to be a great place in the middle to meet. We have not met for FIVE MONTHS already, and we are both really looking forward to the trip. Because he is a grad student, this is the longest holiday he can get before Thanksgiving. Here is his timeline: 9/6 Submitted application for the Gold Package, but didn't know that it was that expensive. Cancelled it. 9/10 Resubmitted application for Priority service. Paid $406 for 6 months 9/13 Biometrics 9/14 Sent out materials 9/18 According to UPS tracking, package received by J Barns at the British Consulate 9/18 - Now Endless waiting with NO CONFIRMATION EMAILS from the British Consulate whatsoever 9/27 - 9/28 Called UKVI countless times inquiring about the status of the case, said "in progress" or "a decision is being made" 10/1 Called UKVI again, and was informed that though starting from 9/14 our case has been reviewed, it was not until 9/28 that the case was officially opened. According to UKVI, there was an action of opening the case on 9/28, though they were not able to provide anymore useful information. 10/1 Emailed them to inform them about our situation 10/2 Received a response that our case has been escalated Today is 10/4, and still no reply from the British Consulate or VFS. He has already missed his flight and I am in London, staying all alone in our hotel, while he is stranded in New York. Without his passport he can't even travel to other places. What we regretted most was not going to Spain instead. Here is what's going to happen. I don't think the Consulate cares that much about our comments here, but I believe all applicants do. We have decided that if he does not get back his passport by 10/9 so he could book the flight for the next week, this is the LAST TIME we are going to give the UK government money or contribute to their economy. If he does not get his passport back by 10/9, he will report that his passport is lost, and get a new Chinese passport. He would go back to China for Thanksgiving. I was going to apply for grad school in UK for Fall 2019, but now I would ONLY attend if given a scholarship. If not, I am not going to throw money to this country. I would go to France or something, not UK. Yes, we hold grudges. Also, we both feel that there is some kind of racism or bad joke here. In 2015, he applied for a 2-year visitor visa before Valentine's day. He had planned a romantic Valentine's day trip but had to cancel it because he got back his passport with a visa stamp ONE day AFTER Valentine's day. This time, he also missed his flight. In both cases he gave himself ample time for application. If not, he paid for priority service. So please understand why we have made the decision we choose to make. ***VERY IMPORTANT FINAL SUGGESTION*** For anyone who wants to apply for a visitor visa to UK, especially when it is quite TIME sensitive, don't do it! If you ever foresee yourself of needing to visit the UK, apply first for a six month or 2 year visitor visa on refundable tickets and hotel reservations when you are free and not thinking of visiting the UK. Then when you get it, book the cheapest possible ticket to UK and a cheap hotel/airbnb, so as show that you have used your visa. Then apply for a 5 or 10 year visitor visa, so that in future if you have a trip to the UK that you absolutely do not want to miss, you already have a visa in hand. Anyway, good luck on all your visa applications! read more

My experience with this consulate was HELLISH to the point that I wanted to step into ongoing traffic/ cry the Niagara Falls. It was the most unpleasant experience; they are a total farce. There is absolutely no way to contact with someone physically at the NY Consulate. I was constantly refreshing my email and staring blankly at my phone. The folks at the call center can't look at your actual application, either, and they can only escalate it to NY. And after that, it'd take ~5 working days to receive a response. BIG WOOP. I did, however, have my documents finally shipped back today after over 21 days of having it processed (with priority service), so that deserves a single, solitary star. I sent my application thinking it would be processed within 5 working days. In reality, it took 10 business days. I applied for a Tier 4 visa. September 3rd: Biometrics appointment. September 5th: Purchase priority service (would've purchased it earlier but the website was, of course, having 'technical difficulties') September 5th: Send documents via FedEx overnight delivery September 8th: Documents signed for and delivered by 9am September 10th: Receive e-mail that handwritten waybills are not accepted and that I would need to provide an electronic one. Purchase another FedEx overnight delivery waybill and send it to them within the hour September 12th: Call service center. Lady says that with priority service, my visa should be issued by the 16th or 17th September 16th and 17th: Nothing. September 18th: Call service center. Man says that due to it being peak season, priority service would take roughly 8-10 business days. I had been told it was originally 5 business days. He escalates my case to the NY office. September 23rd: Get email that visa has been issued, and that if I had provided a separate waybill, it would take up to 5 business days to be shipped out. September 26th: FedEx tracking updates to tell me that it has been finally picked up. Huzzah. Three weeks later, I missed my first week of classes and orientation. Priority service, turns out, is sort of an empty promise. All they do is place your documents to the front of the queue; a "5 day processing time" was a fantasy. I probably emailed about twice a day and called every other day. After calling so much, however, I learned that some of the advisors are infinitely more helpful than others. On a day that I called twice, the first lady refused to help me, refusing to help me further, advising me to call back but only after 5 business days.I called them again 30 mins later and was connected to a man who promptly escalated my case. I paid an arm and a leg for these calls, but I hate to think how long this would've taken if I hadn't been so persistent (obnoxious). Tips: Start early. E-mail them CONSTANTLY. Bug them. Don't include a handwritten waybill. Also maybe don't read Yelp reviews while you're waiting for your visa to be processed. I was on Yelp and Facebook every day, crying into my comfort nachos and panicking reading all of these horror stories about their experiences and thinking I'd have to defer enrollment and study at community college for a semester or something. If I had to do it again, I'd definitely use a third party agent or a visa rush service. But thankfully I get to go to England after all. May the force be with you. read more

An agonizing experience. Apply only if you have at least 2 months to prepare/wait. Otherwise, they'll hold you hostage in the US. I carry one of the worst passports in the world which means I need to get a visa to travel to pretty much every single country. I travel quite frequently but haven't encountered any embassy/consulate as inefficient and incompassionate as the British Consulate in New York. Applied for a short term business visitor visa as an organization in the UK invited me to facilitate a 5 day training. Needed to leave the US on May 15th. Here's the timeline May 1st: Meeting confirmed; invitation letter sent May 2nd: Online application submission (Took 4 hours to complete) May 6th: Biometrics done; application package sent via overnight shipping May 7th: Application received (According to the USPS) May 9th: Received email from the Consulate stating 10 business days to process (note that it took them two days to open the package) May 12th: Wanted to withdraw the application; called paying $3/min. I was told that a written letter (an email won't do) needs to be sent to the Consulate stating the reason I'm withdrawing the application and they will send the passport back in 2 business days (who knows how long they will take to open the letter?). Decided it's not worth it. Sent an email pleading to expedite my application and agreed to pay for priority service (received auto-response saying they MAY respond in 3 business days). May 15th: No response on the email request. Sent a letter to withdraw the application. May 19-22: One email everyday to remind them that I want to withdraw my application, no response. May 22nd (10th business day): Called paying $40; the guy said that he can't verify if they received my letter. He'll 'escalate' my case but it'll take his colleagues in NY 3 business days to process his request and there is no way he can call up the guys in NY (in this age and technology, how is that even possible?). May 27th: Received multiple emails with mixed messages, some suggesting that my application is sent for withdrawal and others asking for more information about my application, such as Reference number, my nationality, biometrics appointment date and place, etc. They sent email from 'Do Not Reply' email address and do not indicate where you're supposed to provide the information they requested. I filled in the online form one more time. May 29th: Received an email at 3pm saying my visa is issued. My passport should be shipped within the next 24 hours. I was provided the tracking number. May 30th: USPS tracking said that the package arrived at their NY facility at 5:30pm. May 31st: Passport picked up from the Post Office in DC. A month of preparation/wait to facilitate a 5-day training. Never will I apply for the UK visa again unless their visa service system improves or I have two months to twiddle my thumbs waiting for them to do their job. read more

I applied for a Tier 4 General Student Visa using the standard processing service (about $53, expecting about 15 business days) and so I'll talk about my timeline, what exactly I submitted (obviously, cases differ depending on the school and location), and how I submitted the documents. Timeline: July 19: Completed Visa application and paid fee + IHS fee July 24: Had my biometrics appointment July 28: Purchased VFS shipping with overnight services to and from the consulate and mailed off application materials July 31: Received confirmation that the consulate had received my application August 7: Received confirmation that my application had been successful and that my documents will be at my address by tomorrow August 8: Documents delivered to my home by 10am Now, I didn't look at any of the reviews on Yelp until after I had submitted the application for processing. I, like many people, was worried about if I submitted the correct documents, etc. In particular, I submitted: -completed Visa application -my passport -2 passport photos (These were taken by me on an iphone and printed at a CVS kiosk in the size 1.77in x 1.37in which is 45mm x 35mm) -Stamped biometrics appointment confirmation/receipt -an original transcript sealed in a university envelope (some people may require more evidence of qualifications, and it's best to ask your UK school what that evidence should be after they issue your CAS) -printed out email confirmation of the IHS fee being paid and my IHS reference number (no source told me to submit this other than the handout I received at the ASC center, so I would suggest including it just in case) -return postage Worried to death of getting refused, I also included: -printed out version of my CAS -evidence of funds (Since I am under the federal loan scheme, I submitted my loan letter issued to me by my UK university, along with a conversion of the final loan amount from USD to GBP from the OANDA website stapled to the loan letter) Tips: 1. I highly suggest including a cover letter that lists all the documents you submitted as well as the order in which the documents appear in the package/envelope. 2. I suggest keeping the documents in a manageable order. Some say to put them in the order they are asked for. 3. I suggest labeling your documents at the top (with labels, don't write directly on the documents) so that it's easy for a Visa officer to work through them. From what I've seen from earlier reviews, those who follow the above tips get their Visa applications approved much faster! P.S. For those interested in how long the visa lasts for, I put that I intend to stay in the UK for 12 months, but my visa expires Feb 2019, so there seems to be a grace period of about 5-6 months anyway. read more

More Info for those experiencing problems contacting the UK Visa Dept: The only way that I was able to get in contact with them was through an email, UKVINewYork.Correspondence@FCO.GOV.UK however I sent several emails and someone eventually got back to me. You need to make sure that you include your reference number or they will completely ignore the email. The phone number that they provide you is a complete loop around there is no way to get in touch with a real person that way. You have to pester them via email and wait for them to call you back Status Update: 2 Jul - Received an email confirming that my Visa has been issued & will be posted within 24 hours. Another email received from UPS confirming that my package will arrive the next day at 8am (priority overnight delivery). I have added another 2 stars as UK Consulate staff dealing with my application were very helpful, understanding & courteous. Once you get beyond the handling & receiving & your package is finally opened things appear to move fairly rapidly My Timeline for General Visitors UK VISA: 12 May 2014: Biometrics 15 May 2014: Application sent using UPS overnight priority mail delivery. 16 May 2014: Status update that my package was received 11 Jun 2014: Emailed & was contacted by phone to check visa status - lots of apologies about delays & visa should be processed by following week. 18 June 2014: Emailed & contacted by phone again to check status - again apologies about delays & backlogs but they estimate that I should get it by the following week. 25 June 2014: Emailed & contacted by phone again - this time I insisted that I speak to someone at UK Consulate as my flight is booked for 1 July - more apologies and told that my visa will be processed by 3 or 4 July 2014. 26 June 2014: Email received to say they have opened my package & processing my visa - it will take 5 business days with no expected delays!! Flights are booked for 1 July - today. I now have to reschedule in the hope that my visa & passport get here by 4 July as promised. Total time now waiting for a General Visitors Visa is 7 weeks and still counting ....... (see above for final update) Conclusion: It is important to apply for your UK VISA 3 months before you travel. Dont book your flights before you have your visa in your hand & dont take it for granted that you will receive it within the usual 15 working days as stated on the application form. IMPORTANT NEWS: There are MAJOR delays with UK Passports applications. The media broke this story mid June bbc.co.uk/news/uk-277899... which prompted me to call to check up on my UK visa status. Staff have been moved from the Dept of Immigration & VISA control to help with this unprecedented backlog. read more

Hi Everyone! This review is in regards to my Tier 4 General Student Visa and the Processing Times. Note: I did NOT pay for priority service!!!! I applied for my visa around 10/17/16. I scheduled my biometric stuff to take place on Friday 11/4/16. 11/3/16: Purchased $34 waybill Return Slip so I don't have to worry about how my documents will be returned to me. (No you do not have to send them a return envelope! They use UPS and use their own envelope. You just have to make sure to print the waybill labels and place it with the rest of your documents) 11/4/16: Attended Visa App Centre for Biometrics. Received a stamp on printed appointment confirmation paper. (I had gathered my paperwork already before I attended) The documents that I mailed out was: my visa application, my visa appointment letter stamped from the visa centre, return labels from my waybill, passport sized photo, my valid U.S passport, my birth certificate, letter from parents stating I can use their funds, official bank statements to prove I have the funds for the year (although apparently this isn't necessary cus U.S is a low risk country and the differentiation agreement applies to us however it's good to have these docs ready in case you need to prove your finances at a later date), loan letter from the university of Westminster stating it's approval with official stamp on it, my CAS, my immigration health surcharge letter with reference number on it, my diploma, and my official transcript. 11/4/16: I mailed everything out for about $7 via USPS express delivery. 11/7/16: Received notification from USPS that my document reached the building and receptionist collected it. 11/8/16: Received receipt acknowledged email from the U.K. Visa people in NY stating they have received my application and it will be prepared and assembled. 11/16/16: exactly at 9:00a I received an email stating "Your UK visa (number) has been printed" and in the email it stated "We are pleased to inform you that your visa application has been successful. Your visa will now be placed in your passport and returned to you." 11/17/16: I used the tracking number from my WayBill to track the return of my documents and it was delivered to my house in the morning. All in all, this was a very fast paced process and I did not pay for priority service because I thought it was unnecessary. It only took 8 days out of 15 for them to approve my Visa!! I will be flying out December 15th and my university starts in January 2017. Although this process of getting everything together, applying etc is stressful, it is well worth it at the end! I am glad with the service provided with the British Consulate General! read more

I received my passport back in my hands exactly 10 business days after my application was mailed to NY. This is my timeline applying for a Long-term (over 6 months) Tier 4 Student Visa to the UK (standard, no priority service): Date of entry needed to enter the UK for studying abroad is September 7. I am also traveling on August 3. June 27: Received CAS number from the university, needed to be able to apply for a visa online. July 11: First available biometrics appointment available for me (in Chicago). Appointment took less than 15 minutes to fill out paperwork and fingerprints. July 11: Mailed out passport and documents directly after biometrics around noon. (Needed to print out UPS shipping and return label beforehand). My passport was mailed to the UKVI Centre 16 days business days before when I needed my passport for travel by August 2. July 12: Email confirmation of received application at the UK Decision Making Center in Sheffield. From 12th to 24th I tried various methods to make them aware that I needed my passport back by August 2nd. I physically sent mail to them, emailed, and called. Using this email: UKVINewYork.Correspondence@fco.gov.uk is the best because they replied in exactly 13 minutes and it does not cost money. I think it is an email for sensitive/urgent matters. The email they advertise and you have to pay for rarely gives valuable information, and calling did not help either. July 24: Emailed the non-paying email, got a response that my visa has been issued and my documents will be sent back to me pending any errors. Never received any email of despatch of my application. July 25: At 4:30pm EST received UPS MyChoice notification that a package (I had the tracking number from the return shipping label) was being sent to my apartment by July 26 at 10:30am. Knew I wasn't going to be home to give a signature so redirected package to be stored at a UPS Store for easier pick up. (Sign up for UPS MyChoice to have this option). July 26: Package with passport delivered! Need to provide government ID and tracking number at UPS Store. Since I am an American applicant the only document I needed to provide was my passport and biometrics stamped application form. Did not include proof of residency or university confirmation or anything else besides these documents. I was traveling 16 business days from the date of my biometrics appointment and very nervous about not having my passport. It was a tight squeeze but worked out okay! They generally work faster for student visas and long-term visas based on their online timeline. APPLY as EARLY as possible!!! read more

Visa Application Process: My son received a scholarship to study in Scotland for the 2015-2016 year. Orientation started Sept 7. August 10: Son (Tier 4 Student visa) and girlfriend of 3.5 years (dependent visa) submit applications--the earliest possible date, since for no known reason, it took an extra month to get his ATAS clearance. Paid expedited fee ($192). About a week later: girlfriend receives email--her application was denied, but they wouldn't tell her why until son got his visa. His visa did not get processed until many calls had been made to the UK Visa Help Desk (at a total cost of $200). Sept 8: Yet another call to the UK Visa Help Desk--a kind soul finally escalates son's case. Sept 11: Son's visa delivered, 33 days after paying expedited fee--he goes directly to airport hours later with visa in hand. Cost of buying a plane ticket on short notice: $2300 (would have been $1300, in advance). Reason the girlfriend's visa was denied: her name was not on the lease of the apartment she shared with my son--and the decision specifically stated that they declined to interview her. Her original paperwork provided two years of bank statements that showed her living at her boyfriend's apartment and paying her share of the rent to the rental office, every single month. The visa submission guidance advised not to submit more paperwork than necessary--but if you want to appeal a denial, you can't submit additional paperwork. Sept 16: She has now submitted an appeal. She is told no one can tell her anything until 28 days have passed. Is that 28 business days? 28 calendar days? And 28 days starting when--from when they receive it? These are similar to the delays and lack of information my son experienced--and it was only through constant inquiries that he was able to fly in the nick of time, arriving a day and a half before school started (missing a week of orientation). This is a simple situation of a young man with a scholarship, fully funded for a year in Scotland for tuition, accommodations and a monthly stipend, and his girlfriend--with adequate financial means to support herself, and with two supportive families (hers and ours)--wanting to join him to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Why is this so difficult? It has now been 7 weeks since she submitted her visa application, with another month ahead of being in limbo, and no one can tell her a status for 28 days. I have read so many similar reviews and cases--what kind of a system is this? read more

I applied for a visitor visa, and my application was sent to the New York Consulate-General. I brought the priority service which cost $170 in addition to the application fee. I was anticipating I would get a decision within 2 business days, but it turn out to be much longer. It took them 7 business days to issue my visa. Time line ... 4/2 - Package sent via USPS Express Mail. 4/3 - Got an email saying they have received and opened the application. In the same email they asked me to email them a prepaid return shipping label. I gave them a FedEx Airbill along with my application, so I guess that was not acceptable. I emailed the shipping label to them the same day. 4/8 - Received an email saying they have received my new shipping label, no further action is required. 4/15 - Received an email saying the visa has been issued 4/17 - I got my passport and visa back. Even with priority service, it took them 7 or 8 business days to process my application. The only thing I didn't do correctly was the prepaid return shipping label. Couple of things... I spend around $35 calling up the visa enquiry service because they have no clear instructions on UK visa and immigration website. The visa enquiry service was not very helpful, so I wouldn't waste money on them. The only way you can speak to a live person is by paying them 1.37GBP. Email is free but it takes 2 business days for them to reply back to you. The enquiry service is offered through HGS, a contractor with the UK visa and immigration. https://ukvi-international.faq-help.com/ Normal 2x2 US passport photo would be fine; you don't have to get the UK visa/passport photo size, they would accept 2x2. Submit anything you think is relevant, and be sure to provide them with copies of your documents. Be sure to include a "PREPAID RETURN SHIPPING LABEL " and something like a box or envelop for them to mail your passport back. I don't think you can create a prepaid return shipping label with USPS, so you have to choose from FedEx or UPS. You would need to have an account with FedEx or UPS in order to create one. When they say "shipping waybill", they are referring to prepaid return shipping label. Prepaid return shipping label is different from a standard shipping label. And they don't accept non electronic airbill or waybill. Since I applied, they have posted a more clear and helpful instructions. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/usa-apply-for-a-uk-visa/apply-for-a-uk-visa-in-the-usa read more

Short Review: Excellent, quick and smooth visa experience to get a visitor's visa as a US Permanent Resident, kudos to their online visa application and emailing me when they received and approved the visa. Longer Review:My US Citizen Wife and I planned a trip to visit the UK and France in March 2017. I applied for my French Schengen visa on Jan 13th and received it on January 27th, I had already started my UK Visa application online and done some research including on Yelp so I then completed my application and paid for standard processing with the VFS Roundtrip Service, (so $110 + $55) My Timeline: 1/31 - Biometrics appointment in Memphis at 12PM 1/31 - Sent documents and Passport by UPS (the agent was very helpful, and placed a return envelope in the outgoing envelope, this wasn't necessary as my passport came back in the padded UPS envelope so I think you just need to only send the copy of the air waybill) 2/1 - Delivered to the consulate, (do yourself a favor and download the UPS app, you can get push notifications) 2/2 - Received email from the consulate that they had received my application 2/7 - Received email that my Visa had been printed and will be sent back via UPS 2/8 - UPS delivered my passport and all the documents I sent at 10:00 AM local time (I was able to use the UPS app and UPS Mychoice to instruct the driver to leave the package at my door, I was at home but wasn't sure what time the driver would come, you can also instruct UPS to hold and you pick up as for some folks that is convenient Documents I sent: 1. Passport 2. Notarized copy of my Permanent Resident Card (don't send the actual card, I called their help desk and the agent said to have a notarized copy sent) 3. Copy of my Marriage Certificate 4. Copy of my Wife's Passport picture Page (I think it helps to show that your spouse is a US Citizen and you are both traveling) 5. Consolidated Bank Statement which shows our mortgage 6. Last pay Slip 7. Job letter with Salary information 8. Delta Flight Itinerary for both me and my Wife 9. Hotel reservations 10. Stamped Biometric Appointment notice 11. completed Visa Application 12. Signed Document checklist Tips: I guess off season you will get through quickly so no need for premium processing, but nevertheless apply with enough lead time, it helps to get a Schengen visa first if you are also going to another European country. Label your documents and clip them together. All the best and thanks for reading my review. read more

I just applied for a Tier 4 student visa. I did not purchase the priority service, so I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly everything got processed! Here's my timeline, to add to the data pool: July 19th: Submitted online application, including fees. August 2nd: Went to my biometrics appointment. (Not sure why it took that long to get an appointment. Maybe because I live in a big city?) August 7th: Overnighted my application and supporting documents to New York. August 8th: USPS tracking confirmed that my application had safely arrived at its destination. August 9th: Received email confirmation that UKVI had gotten my application and that it was queued for processing. August 10th: Received an email saying that my visa has been granted and my documents will be sent back to me that day or the next day. (This was less than 24 hours after they received my application!) August 11th: Visa and documents arrived back at my house. Here's what I included with my application (yours may vary): -A printed and signed copy of my application -Two passport photos (Mine were sized according to US regulations because I didn't realize Walgreens could do UK-sized photos. This didn't seem to make a difference. Also, I think you only need one but Walgreens gave me two so I sent them both.) -My passport -Stamped biometric confirmation receipt -A bank statement showing evidence of funds (I learned after I mailed the application that US applicants don't actually need this? My university told me I'd need it, though, so I sent it.) -Since I was using money held by my parents, I included a letter from my parents saying I had their permission to use the money, as well as a notarized copy of my birth certificate to prove they're actually my parents. (Again, probably didn't need this.) -IHS number (I printed out the email they sent me when I paid the fee and highlighted the number.) -Printout of my CAS (Not sure if this was necessary or not.) -Return shipping label Some notes: -I did NOT need to send my transcript, but other people's experiences may vary. -I didn't include a coversheet, but if I were to do this process again I probably would. -I only labelled the documents when it wasn't immediately obvious what they were. For example, I didn't label my passport, but I did label my bank statement. Best of luck to those applying for visas! read more

I am African and wanted to visit family in the UK so i applied for the 6 months travel visa. After reviewing the yelp reviews i decided to use all the advice to avoid what everyone else had gone through. i used normal processing (50buxs). Hope this helps someone else:: I submitted my online application sometime in September but booked the biometric for October 30 October. So 30 October- did my biometric (the process took about 15mins) 3 Nov- sent in my package (took the days between the biometric and submission) to review all the reviews and i wrote a cover note outlining why i am in the US, put in all necessary supporting documents- passport photo, employment letter confirming employment in the US and dates of travel and when you are expected back at work, bank statements, invitation letter, sponsors banks statements, return airway bill and receipt. PS. these documents were outlined in my cover letter and also there were yellow stickers on each document. 4 Nov- UPS delivery received and opened 5Nov- Got an email that the documents were put in queue. 9November- realized i did not include the envelope for returning my documents (had just come back to the reviews to check how long it took others to get information on progress on their applications. I panicked and quickly wrote to help help on their website and within an hour i got a response that the envelope wasn't necessary. (yoohooo!!!) they actually do respond to people!! 13 November- received email that the visa had been issued. (It was a Friday) 16 November - track my UPS tracking number and yes the documents are with UPS 17November- UPS delivers the documents. so in total it took 8 days for the Visa to be issued!! Lessons learned ::: 1. Include a cover note to tell the officer your story since you are not there in person to say it your self. (include your reason for travel, finances, employment, dates of travel etc) 2. Do not assume anything give as much information as you can and clearly label them - use sticky notes. read more

This is the second Tier 4 PBS student visa I've needed for the UK and this process was perfect. Timeline: August 24th- biometrics appointment September 1st- mailed using Priority Mail (I had to wait for proof of funding from school) September 4th- email notification of opened application September 8th (day after Labor Day weekend)- Issued Visa September 9th - notification of printing September 14th - received documents I've seen a lot of people having issues with supporting documents. I only had to include my old passport, proof of funding and proof of IHS payment (printed the receipt from gmail). In total I only had 3 documents and all were returned. If you don't need to provide additional documents don't do it. All it does is increase the processing time and makes it more likely something will be lost. The website warns the process usually takes up to 14 business days for non-priority applications. Somehow they managed to process and print my non-priority application in 4 business days! The entire process took 14 days in total which includes 6 days of mailing and Labor Day weekend. I am very impressed because my flight is on the 21st and I waited till the last minute to mail my application. My best advice is to not wait till the last minute and get the best mailing option you can. Priority mail isn't fast enough. It took the full 3 days for priority shipping both to and from the consulate. It actually took longer to mail the application than it took to process it. Also don't bother using any third party visa agents. I used one the first time and went through hell to get l sorts of documents I didn't even need that increased the time of processing and had to pay for priority service in addition to the agent fees because it took us so long to get all those useless documents. The application is complicated in some areas but it is certainly doable on your own and not worth the extra $400+ to have someone help you. read more

So a 4 stars to the Consulate because it all went as per their indicated timeframes - I just wished I had read the YELP reviews before to save myself the anxiety and unnecessary pressure about losing a lot of $$ on a cruise from the UK. 1. 7/24: Filled out application online, biometric appointment on 7/24. 2. 7/28: Mail out all the documents via next day UPS, including UPS return envelope and shipping with NORMAL processing on 7/28, track and see that it was delivered on 7/29 am. Follow the instructions on the website to a tee. 3. 8/3: Receive email that it was received and is in queue. Now I wait. Scheduled to fly out on 8/21 to get on a cruise from Southampton on 8/23. So cant miss my flight or the ship will sail without me and my husband. 4. 8/7: Read Yelp and Google reviews. Panic. Call the number on the site, pay $36. Get told that it is pending review by the Clearance Officer. Email the email address on the site, get same response. 5. 8/12: Panic some more. Learn that I can add a "retrospective priority service" to the application. Pay $192 each and buy the service, email the Consulate with the priority fee notice. No response. 6. 8/14: Email consulate asking if they receive the priority visa fee. They reply with a yes, it will now take 8 business days.What! 8 new business days? It should be retrospective since the day they received it which was 7/29! Panic more. Email, call again ($24 this time), pray. 8. 8/17: Wake up feeling like it all needs to be cancelled. Get an email saying it was approved and will be shipped out soon. Have 3 days left till I fly so fingers crossed that it will be delivered. All in all, save yourself the anxiety- apply EARLY, give yourself at least 4-5 weeks if you don't want to pay $192 for priority. Or pay it and got it in 8 business days. Not worth the stress. Good Luck! read more

I applied for a standard short term tourist visa (6 months). I am a greencard holder. This process was very straightforward so long as you provide all the necessary documents requested and then some. I must say that I was very anxious after reading yelp reviews and other online reviews about British visa process. I used standard processing time. You can opt for priority. I am highly satisfy with the process. Although not knowing visa status was nerve recking. Below is my timeline: April 26: Biometrics appointment completed (took me literally less than 10 minutes) April 27: Mailed all documents April 28: UPS delivered Package May 1: UKVI application---Receipt acknowledge by consulate. It might take a total of 15 business days or less to process May 12: Your UK visa has been printed and that it all documents will be sent to me in the afternoon or next business day May 15: UPS delivered 9am and the content included all documents and my visa :) 6 months multiple entry Overall, 10 business days door to door from sending and receiving documents Documents Included: Signed Visa application Biometrics appointment paper (stamped) 3 months bank statements Parents Bank Statement Letter from University indicating my registration for the current and next term University apartment lease Notarized copy of GreenCard Flight reservation (not required) Invitation letter from aunt in UK: her 3 months bank statement, Utility bill, Pay stubs for 3 months, copy of her UK passport FYI: They used biometric picture for visa...you don't have to take any passport photos. I purchased the vfs global round trip courier ($54). Do not worry so much about bad reviews. Follow all instructions given. Good luck to anyone applying all the best. read more