TickTock

Can anyone explain just how youtrack an application?

I've been given a code starting GW then some numbers, plus the wife's birthday being entered but it comes up as invalid search.

I received an email from the VFS whgich said she's in the queue, be patient.

Am I doing anything wrong?

The online tracking takes the form of APET/xxxxxx/xxxxxx/x (all numeric) followed by date of birth of the Mrs dd/mm/yyyy. Unless it is pure coincidence on my part ( I could be wrong) the first six numbers is the date you submitted the application i.e APET/260309/xxxxxx/x was submitted on 26th March 2009.

Where did the GW code come from? I tried to ask the Mrs about the code (I was in UK) and gave up and sent an email to the VFS with some of the wife's and my details asking them to send me the tracking number which they did.

Its taking minimum 10 weeks.

SO why then is it taking 11 or 12 or even 13 weeks for some people? 95% cleared and sorted within 12 weeks, now you are saying minimum 10 weeks, so there's a 2 week window. 10 to 12 weeks, and what type of service are we paying for? think of all the heartache some people are going through and you come on and say its taking a minimum or 10 weeks, well i very sorry but it ain't good enough!!!!!!

sorry if i offend, peace and light.

Marc, I think ThaiVisa was replying to a request by Sumrit back on page 29. On average for his clients it is taking 10 weeks. I've resigned myself to the fact that the ECO dealing with my case is wearing a badge with "Trainee" written on it........perhaps we've all got the same ECO

cheers can stop sweating now

be pleased when she gets it

fingers crossed

I Am In the same boat , I am getting married next week if all goes well , I have an appointment

to submit my Visa file next Monday 8.30 21 June, i keep going over what i have got and if i have forgotten any thing,I like you have never been married and i have to sort things out starting Monday with the Affirmation then Chest ex ray Tues , hope every thing goes well with you mate

best of luck thongkorn

best bit of advice i can give you going by my experience in april

if you want a taxi to go to the embassy then the ministry of foreign affairs etc get the addresses translated into thai before you jump into any taxi wasted a lot of time being taken to the wrong buildings

also if you can get to where your going first thing when they open

i found everthing took twice as long as i thought

best of luck mate

Or an alternative is to get the translation company to run it up to the Ministry Of FA - I think we paid a 1000 thb for the service.

Using Kennkate stats:

Submitted: Tuesday, 17 March 2009

Today : Friday, 12 June 2009

It is 87 days from the start date to today

Or 2 months, 26 days.

That's 12.42 weeks @ 7 days a week = 87 days

But. 12.42 weeks @ 5 working days= 62 days

Meaning a possible extra 28 days?

I really hope not

There are also eight days for Thai holidays to come of of that so that reduces it to working 54 days...................sorry Ken.

And that means only 47 working day for us with up to 33 more to go.

But just to confuse things a bit the message on the VFS web page on 2nd June about processing times refered to twelve weeks, NOT working days.

I just hope they didn't mean twelve weeks from the date of that message.

Does the above include the 1/2 working day on Friday? AND.....don't forget to deduct 4th June too ....from the Embassy Website in Bangkok. Made me chuckle anyhow:

"The British Embassy was delighted by the huge turnout for the Queen 's Birthday Party, held on Thursday 4 June at the Grand Hyatt Erawan to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II.

The British Ambassador to Thailand, Quinton Quayle , described this year's event as "bigger, better and more fun" than ever. About 1000 guests joined the celebrations, which provided an opportunity to reflect on the strong friendship and many ties between the UK and Thailand....."

Sounds like it was an absolute blast Any members of this thread get an invite and go?

come on you 12 weekers!

Indeed. I'm going to send the Mrs a photo, 'this is me now' to avoid any potential confusion at Heathrow.

Some news, just checked on a thai web board, someone got a settlement visa, she submited on April 14th, granted June 6th

What's going on at the Embassy? Cinnamon, do you know if there were any special circumstances to warrant a 'speedy' response. I agree with Merangue, last two weeks we have only had two special cases.

Well done Rolypie(s). Excellent news.

There you were having a go at 'Thai time'. 24 hours late is well within the tolerance levels

Although the processing times are to say the least, pedestrian, at least the success rate on this thread are a 100%.

I'm having a strong mrburb premonition........I feel the number of goals England put past Andorra tonight = visa successes tomorrow.

CAN ENGLAND REALLY SCORE 7 GOALS AGAINST ANDORRA??????????????????????? HAHAHAHA

Six application successes today then

3 at half time fella so another 4 not beyond realm of doubts. Mind you marc, adhering to the order of application you need about 13!! Then again - Jamaica swerve ball who knows???

Well done Rolypie(s). Excellent news.

There you were having a go at 'Thai time'. 24 hours late is well within the tolerance levels

Although the processing times are to say the least, pedestrian, at least the success rate on this thread are a 100%.

I'm having a strong mrburb premonition........I feel the number of goals England put past Andorra tonight = visa successes tomorrow.

CAN ENGLAND REALLY SCORE 7 GOALS AGAINST ANDORRA??????????????????????? HAHAHAHA

3 at half time fella so another 4 not beyond realm of doubts. Mind you marc, adhering to the order of application you need about 13!! Then again - Jamaica swerve ball who knows???

Well done Rolypie(s). Excellent news.

There you were having a go at 'Thai time'. 24 hours late is well within the tolerance levels

Although the processing times are to say the least, pedestrian, at least the success rate on this thread are a 100%.

I'm having a strong mrburb premonition........I feel the number of goals England put past Andorra tonight = visa successes tomorrow.

Same same

But I can't get too excited until some of the 'seniors' push off and stop hogging the limelight........you know who you are

And to add to what Boo said. Breaking the terms of a Visit Visa ( e.g having a baby on NHS) could result in heavy 'fine' i.e. your GF/future wife could be banned from applying to visit/live in the UK for up to 10 yrs.

still nothing here!

Rolypie I seem to remember the embassy saying you should here something today with your wife being 29 weeks etc.

Just to let you all know i am pretty much dancing with joy this morning. Just got a text from Wifey and the Application was a success.

Now all i am waiting for is the flight tickets to be booked and she should be here on Saturday.

WISHING YOU AND YOUR WIFE ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE, AND I BET SATURDAY WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, AGAIN A BIG CONGRATULATIONS

Same here Merangue, excellent news, all the best for the future.

Hey guys, we had a phone call friday lunch time asking for an updated letter from the doctor confirming my wife was still pregnant and that she is still fit to fly.We went and got said letter and faxed it to the embassy with a new reference number they gave us and was told we could have a decision by tuesday!

Im not convinced we will get the answer soon but at least they have browsed through our application.Maybe pigs will fly past our house first!!

How many weeks gone is Mrs.Rolypie, Rolypie? We were asked to fax through a dr certificate which they got last Saturday, heard jack all since. Awesome if you get a decision by Tuesday, good luck fella, feels like you are on the home straight.

Also sorry to hear this Merangue, this is all your family needs at the moment, hope the little un is ok.

Of course your wife can send a messenger to collect, though I suspect she has other things on her mind at the moment.

sorry to hear about the little one, hope he recovers soon.

peace and light

why is there a big slow down on people getting there s/v ? is this due to the Easter period ?

Who knows? I think you take your pick from: Easter/lots of holidays, more applications from expats/UK based people, the poor economy, Bangkok processing Vietnam apps, more Visit visa/student applications, under resourced at the Embassy, 'busy' time to apply, some people have also suggested that more rigourous checking procedures in place and policy to send out the signal that sv process is a 3 month one to discourage spurious applications.

Checked online today, nothing doing. Very quiet.

If i remember correctly we sed we would like her to fly here at the begining of may 1st (RTD)

Our RTD date was 23rd May. Thought we'd given loads of time (submitted on 30th March). I think I started checking the online site after about two weeks after submission - yep I do feel a burk, still I'll never forget our APET number. I'm not looking forward to the Mrs' sister visit visa application later this year. Me thinks we need to start soon .

Must admit can't get my head around the latest statement on the vfs page. Non-settlement applications are now taking between 4-6 weeks to process and settlement applications 12 weeks. I assume this means if you submit an Settlement visa today expect a 12 week wait? However, for some posters they are getting close to that even though they submitted in mid March.

Applications already submitted are being cleared on the basis of date due to travel. As another poster has suggested a big slug of applications waved bye-bye (including me) to the date due to travel a while ago. Not sure how these get treated? In addition would a ECO be told by the ECM to stop working on your case beacause "we've had some fresh applications in with some really tight due to travel dates, so drop it and work on these fresh 'uns"??

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by these delays. The Embassy does say to allow 12 weeks for SV, so still within service levels. My expectations, based on historical performance, was that it would be a significantly shorter wait.

Good luck for the top 3 tomorrow. I've never been 'upgraded' in my life, so until you get the nod I'll be staying put.

Just seen this on the vfs website:

"2 June 2009: Delay in application process Please note that due to a surge in applications non-settlement applications are now taking between 4-6 weeks to process and settlement applications 12 weeks. Applications already submitted are being cleared on the basis of date due to travel. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by these delays"

What about when date of travel has already elapsed?

Tracker is stating our Visa is ready for collection. Now i am panicking that it is a rejection.

Saying that i am also incredibly excited. Can't think straight. Have customer waiting for me and i am typing here instead.

Nice one fella. You should be OK. Impressive queue jumping too . When will you(we) find the result - today? hel_l, I'm nervous for you too.

Promised myself i would not look at the Tracker till noon today. I did not make it that far. Still no news or change.

Have the ECO's gone on strike or something? Not heard of any visa's being issued at all for over a week now.

That includes Settlement and Visit visa's

Looks like the 10 week + days average is being blown out of the water too and it is into the 11 week area now.

Indeed, but I've had two email replies, one from the Embassy and also one from the VFS, so there are signs of life.

Lots of people have commented that the online tracking does not tell you anything....it does not give you progress apart from 'passed to embassy on xxxxxx etc". When I had to fax some additional information to the Embassy this week I was required to quote a new reference number (the Mrs told me the six numeric characters) from the Embassy on the fax back. I was not asked about the APET/xxxxxx/xxxxxx/x number. I'm guessing here, but if feels like once the application is in the Embassy you get assigned a new case number (reference) for processing which is obviously not made public. The APET only changes once the Embassy has 'finished' and passed it back to the VFS, by which time the Mrs could have already received the call/SMS from the VFS. What would be good would be some kind of 'public' access to the Embassy tracking system which you'd think already exists. Just a thought.

Condolences on your loss.

It is certainly possible to expedite a visit visa application for a funeral; but a settlement one? Not sure, it wouldn't hurt to ask. You would almost certainly have to provide some form of proof, such as a copy of the death certificate.

The main factor against, IMHO, you is that your fiance has never met your aunt. You may very well receive that reply that there is nothing stopping you from returning to the UK for the funeral, but there is no reason why your fiance needs to attend.

I suspect that is the likely reply you will get but nothing to stop you trying.

Condolences on your loss.

Sorry to hear of your sad news.

As per one of my previous posts a friend of the Mrs who applied for a Settlement Visa after ours had hers accelerated as the husband's mother had died. He faxed through the death certificate to the Embassy as proof. She had been to the UK before so I presume had met his mother.

I can't see any reason why you should not ask.

I'm well faxed off.

Been trying to get a Fax (at their request) to the Embassy since Saturday. Tried again today, still a communication error. Sent an email to the Embassy asking somebody to check if it is servicable etc. Also sent a email to the VFS (these are the only people who have replied to any emails), to ask the Embassy to check the Fax. Nothing so far.

Has anybody had to fax the Embassy before and what number did you use?

Congrats and condolences to the guys above.

I take it all back. Embassy has just replied to the email and they say the Fax is all OK.

I'm well faxed off.

Been trying to get a Fax (at their request) to the Embassy since Saturday. Tried again today, still a communication error. Sent an email to the Embassy asking somebody to check if it is servicable etc. Also sent a email to the VFS (these are the only people who have replied to any emails), to ask the Embassy to check the Fax. Nothing so far.

Has anybody had to fax the Embassy before and what number did you use?

Congrats and condolences to the guys above.

Just spoke to the Mrs and the Embassy has been in touch with her for the first time. Apparantly I need to fax over a copy of my passport, specifically the page that shows the arrival and departure stamp of my last visit. As I'm in the UK I compiled all the paperwork (including certified copy of my passport with the stamped pages from the local solictor) here in the UK before my last visit (March 09) then travelled out to Thailand for the marriage and handed over the paperwork to the Mrs to present to the Embassy.

I guess, in hindsight, I could have copied the passport again with my entry stamp into Thailand and attached it to the certified copy. But I'm at lot of loss of how I could do that with exit (from Thailand) stamp.......through immigration, next stop Heathrow ? Bear in mind too that the passport already had six BKK entry/exit stamps already in it.

The Embassy also wanted a faxed Dr's certificate of the wife's pregnancy. She was sure that it was already included.

Anyhows, at least I have heard something, and it should all be easily sorted. The wife did say they wanted to give her the visa but these bits were missing. Should give those around Mar30th date that things are afoot. Doing a mrburb, it feels like those applications ahead of me, certainly the 3 earliset should hear next week.

Ok, so off I went yesterday to the Library to photocopy and then fax the documents (£2.50 per fax sheet, good eh). After 30 mins of trying the guy at the counter gave up, "Need to check the number mate....can't get through". Tried to confirm the number with the Mrs, but she was eating noodles and nothing gets in the way between her and noodles. Went to Rymans and same storey, could not transmit. Went home and got through to the Mrs to check the number. She had no problems faxing the embassy with the Dr's certificate and repeated the number...same same no difference.

Am I doing something wrong here? To fax Thailand you add 0066 and delete the 0 from ther fax number. Is this right? Any help would be appreciated. Can't believe fax technology is holding up the process.

That is what you would do 0066 Then miss out the first 0 from the Number What Number did you use ?

Sounds like they Cocked up If your wife is using the same Number Maybe a pause after the 0066 will do the trick

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Just had A thought Maybe the FAX machine is turned OFF for the Weekend. You could try to ring it and see if you get the skeeching noise No noise could Indicate it's OFF

Some fax machines refuse connection once they run out of paper. Could be because it is a weekend and nobody there to refill it.

Thanks for the replies fellas. I thought the same maybe turn the m/c off at weekends. However, the Mrs sent her fax on Saturday and no problems, "Dee dee" she says. I tried ringing too and got the screeching sound so it is on. I'm off to try again...and to enjoy the thai like weather.

Just spoke to the Mrs and the Embassy has been in touch with her for the first time. Apparantly I need to fax over a copy of my passport, specifically the page that shows the arrival and departure stamp of my last visit. As I'm in the UK I compiled all the paperwork (including certified copy of my passport with the stamped pages from the local solictor) here in the UK before my last visit (March 09) then travelled out to Thailand for the marriage and handed over the paperwork to the Mrs to present to the Embassy.

I guess, in hindsight, I could have copied the passport again with my entry stamp into Thailand and attached it to the certified copy. But I'm at lot of loss of how I could do that with exit (from Thailand) stamp.......through immigration, next stop Heathrow ? Bear in mind too that the passport already had six BKK entry/exit stamps already in it.

The Embassy also wanted a faxed Dr's certificate of the wife's pregnancy. She was sure that it was already included.

Anyhows, at least I have heard something, and it should all be easily sorted. The wife did say they wanted to give her the visa but these bits were missing. Should give those around Mar30th date that things are afoot. Doing a mrburb, it feels like those applications ahead of me, certainly the 3 earliset should hear next week.

Ok, so off I went yesterday to the Library to photocopy and then fax the documents (£2.50 per fax sheet, good eh). After 30 mins of trying the guy at the counter gave up, "Need to check the number mate....can't get through". Tried to confirm the number with the Mrs, but she was eating noodles and nothing gets in the way between her and noodles. Went to Rymans and same storey, could not transmit. Went home and got through to the Mrs to check the number. She had no problems faxing the embassy with the Dr's certificate and repeated the number...same same no difference.

Am I doing something wrong here? To fax Thailand you add 0066 and delete the 0 from ther fax number. Is this right? Any help would be appreciated. Can't believe fax technology is holding up the process.

Just spoke to the Mrs and the Embassy has been in touch with her for the first time. Apparantly I need to fax over a copy of my passport, specifically the page that shows the arrival and departure stamp of my last visit. As I'm in the UK I compiled all the paperwork (including certified copy of my passport with the stamped pages from the local solictor) here in the UK before my last visit (March 09) then travelled out to Thailand for the marriage and handed over the paperwork to the Mrs to present to the Embassy.

I guess, in hindsight, I could have copied the passport again with my entry stamp into Thailand and attached it to the certified copy. But I'm at lot of loss of how I could do that with exit (from Thailand) stamp.......through immigration, next stop Heathrow ? Bear in mind too that the passport already had six BKK entry/exit stamps already in it.

The Embassy also wanted a faxed Dr's certificate of the wife's pregnancy. She was sure that it was already included.

Anyhows, at least I have heard something, and it should all be easily sorted. The wife did say they wanted to give her the visa but these bits were missing. Should give those around Mar30th date that things are afoot. Doing a mrburb, it feels like those applications ahead of me, certainly the 3 earliset should hear next week.