Applying for your visa and trying to book an appointment with the UKVCAS system. 

Many of you have faced frustration and anxiety during the lockdown and through this time with Covid 19, not just with the financial situation but also trying to book an appointment.  

The appointment system known as UKVCAS has finally put information on their website as to what is happening.  I know with many of our clients the online system has been fully booked, some of us have spent hours on a premium line just trying to get through to someone. 

Some of the things 4A Law have learnt through this time.  Even if the online system if fully booked there are appointments available when you telephone them.  Several of our clients have found appointments available the same week or following week. 

There seems to be one thing or another going on with the new UKVCAS system and how people are treated seems to be happening far too often.  From problems with trying to login to issues with uploading documents and booking appointments.  If you do have and appointment please remember to take your appointment confirmation, otherwise you are likely to be refused entry.  Some of the issues we have faced have been, an appointment re-arranged from lockdown and applicants refused entry even with proof of the appointment only to be told that they had cancelled it and not notified anyone so book again! At other centres workers at the UKVCAS refusing to scan or catch that the documents have been scanned and uploaded.  Then being told by Senior Officials that if there is a problem the Home Office will contact you.  When do they do this? It is normally a letter refusing your application as not meeting the rules for failure to submit a document. 

UKVI New App

The current situation is that the Home Office have developed a new app to upload all your documents using the phone.  Now, how this App works and how efficient it is we do not yet know.  Please share your views and experiences if you have tried this. 

The new App allows you to upload the documents without paying a booking fee.  If you book and appointment with UKVCAS you are still required to pay a fee for the appointment (some are free though very few).  If you need your documents scanning, then you will need to pay  an extra £49.99 for this (which used to be free).

Initially you had to OPT out of the App if you wanted to attend an appointment.  Now it seems that you have to wait for the email from the Home Office and then you can decide to go ahead with the New App or book an appointment online or by telephone. 

The UKVCAS website on the 25 August 2020 put the following status up

The UKVCAS Identity Verification app

“The IDV app was approved for use by UKVI last week and rollout of the IDV app started on 17 August 2020.

We are sending out emails to invite you to use the IDV app in phases, working in date order from the earliest to the most recent, based on the registration date you applied to UKVI.

• By 7 September 2020 for IDV customers who have registered with UKVI and UKVCAS up to 31 July 2020
  
  
• By 14 September 2020 for IDV customers who registered with UKVI and UKVCAS in August 2020

Registered with UKVCAS in August?

If UKVCAS received your application on or after 15 August 2020, you won’t be able to book an appointment at the moment. This is because UKVI are assessing which customers are eligible for biometric reuse and the IDV app.

For those of you who applied between 1 – 14 August 2020, we will be sending you an email to outline next steps. This will let you know if you are eligible to use the IDV app or whether you need to book a UKVCAS appointment.

• Watch out for an email called; ‘UKVCAS – book an appointment now’ by 27 August 2020
  
  
• If you are eligible for the IDV app, the email will be called; ‘Introducing the UKVCAS IDV app’ and will have instructions for next steps and will arrive by 30 August 2020.
  
  

For customers who applied from 15 August 2020, we will be in touch as soon as possible after UKVI update us about your application.

Good luck with your applications and booking appointments and uploading your documents.  If you need assistance, please contact Jes at 4A Law.