Wait time for temporary long term skills shortage visa

[rbolton295]

Does anyone know the current waiting times to process temporary visas from London. I read it can take 2 months. I thought it was 23 days.

[JandM]

What you thought is what the INZ website used to say the average normal time was. These last few months, there has been a wave of applications for visas of all sorts, and the waiting times has stretched and stretched because of the backlog. Forum members of recent times have been told that processing may take up to six months - people haven't so far reported that it has come to that, but the official line seems to be to be prepared for it.

[rbolton295]

Thank you. I have already had my first assessment had sent back further info they required. They said it will take a few days for an immigration officer to look at my application. I have not heard back for a couple of weeks. With a job offer and my future employers waiting as I am the skills shortage list do they prioritise this type of visa.

[JandM]

No, sorry. EVERYONE applying for a work visa has an employer waiting for them. You're all in the same boat.

[rbolton295]

Thank you. Just spoke to immigration and they said my application is in the final stages and looking good. So hopefully fingers crossed I won't have to wait that long.

[DPIK]

Our Talent Visa was lodged on the 5th of April. We received news today that our application has been decided and they are in the issuing queue. Email said should be 2-3 working days for them to be issued.

[holroyd]

I'm applying for a LTSS, my CO was allocated on 7 April...neither me nor my Employer have heard anything from them.

[holroyd]

Sorry to double post, does anyone know if one work visa has any higher priority (specifically gets processed faster) than another?

Thanks in advance for any response!

[JandM]

Someone on the threads was recently told that INZ are processing temporary work visas with higher priority than partner-sponsored work visas at the moment, trying to clear the large backlog due to a wave of applications from the US and the UK of recent months. There isn't any preference among the different kinds of temporary work visas.

If you mean, is there a way to get your own visa processed faster than other people's, no, there isn't. There is a set procedure to be followed by a CO to verify the evidence that comes with each application, and this takes the time that it takes, thinking particularly of having to receive replies back from third parties, who may or may not treat the matter urgently. The only thing an individual can do to speed their case as much as possible is to prepare the application carefully to make it clear and easy for the CO to understand, and let anyone INZ may need to contact know that their answers need to be full, but also quick. (But be careful - it isn't legal to be actually involved in verifying evidence about yourself, for obvious reasons.)

[holroyd]

Thanks JandM. I had a nice lever arch file with everything filed and separated into organized separators, when I went to the Visa Processing place they pulled everything out and mixed it all up then handed me back the empty file.

They also refused to accept my co-submittal of my wifes application for a working partnership visa because my baby boy was included as part of her application too. They refused to accept the forms as were and made me change it to a Partnership Visit Visa.

Overall I was very unimpressed with the service in Dubai by the sub contracted visa center.