Processing Application vs Application Approved

I’ve been in ‘application processing’ since 1/3/22. From what I’ve gathered online, most people in this position have found it to be an issue with their photo not meeting requirements or their counter signatory. Of course there good be other reasons!

After the office has received your documents, what determines whether your application is approved instantly or is instead sent to ‘application processing’? This seems to be the determining factor in how long your application takes, with applications that need to be ‘processed’ taking considerably longer.

There are two routes through the application process - the digital route and the processing route. According to documents online the digital route means all necessary checks etc can be accomplished digitally - as soon as something crops up, the application is dropped out of the digital route and people get involved - this is the processing update, apparently even requesting a call back is enough to drop the application from the digital route. I was lucky it took 20 days for my application to be approved, and I went straight from docs received to approved - so this was a digital route application. I had an interview and an hour after that it was approved. However, that was last Sunday - and I've been stuck at approved since then - apparently there are delay in the printing and collection by TNT process now due to demand.

I’m due to fly on 30/3/21 - will lose my Airbnb booking money, airport parking and waiting to hear about whether I will lose flight money too. Gutted - when I renewed in 2012, it took less than 3 weeks so I stupidly thought it would be similar this time as it was just a renewal. I wish I has paid extra abd taken the premium option

I am the same as you @cjay, I trusted the system so much as it has never been over two weeks for my, my flights are on the 31st and I applied on the 2nd of March and at that time it was 4 weeks waiting time, I will lose my flights (no refundable) hotel and disney tickets, almost 5K. I've been sick and stress over the roof with all this situation