Submission of Passport to VFS - Do They Keep it For the Duration of the Application?

[lastlid]

Hi

When the applicant submits all of the application documentation to VFS, do they keep her passport until a decision has been made? Or do they return it immediately? 3 months is a long while to go without a passport especailly if it is your only main form of ID?

Can a notarised copy be submitted so that she can keep her passport until the day that they give her a visa?

Cheers if you know the answer to this.

[KeithD]

They keep it as they need something to put the visa in. :rolleyes:

Most are done within a month as long as you supply all that is required and leave no questions unanswered.

[lastlid]

Yes. A silly question really but I was hoping that wasnt the case.

At the moment I send her money via moneygram and she only has limited ID (she uses her passport as ID for the purpose of collecting the moneygram).

Thanks

[Terpe]

Take a look here:-
http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/processingtimes

75% turnaround within 15 days is not too bad.