Part of what made the process for me and my husband so difficult was figuring out the order everything happened in and how long it would all take. We got married June 16th, 2012 in the USA (North Carolina) and we knew we couldn’t submit the forms before then but there was much research to be done to find what came next. This was our order of operations and the expected and actual processing times. From day of marriage to day of decision (July 2) it was 16 days.
1. Get marriage license (can be done in NC 30 days before) and get married
Ahead of time things that could/should be done: Get 2 passport photos; Fill out required forms; Gather supporting documents
2. Submit online visa application
3. Book appointment for biometrics
Expected time: 1-2 days
Actual time: Appointment was 3 days out or later
4. Get certified marriage license
Expected time: 7-10 days
Actual time: 5 days
5. Send out mail/paper application
Expected time: 15 working days (See their processing times page for up-to-date guides for times and/or like the UKBA in the USA on facebook)
Actual time: 2 working days (arrived Friday, decision made by Monday) with optional priority service (extra $300 fee)
6. Get answer from UKBA and book flight
USA to UK 