Supporting documents for all UK Visas to be digitally scanned from 15 June.

[Maradona 10]

41 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Knowing how well my partner excels in English you may be right, SMS, EMS, SOS take your pick, it's for one of them! I did just ask the question again and she is certain it's for SMS, take that with as many grains of salt as you wish.

It was SMS. The EMS is around 300 baht. Your 'partner' is it a she?

[Maradona 10]

2 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

We're just back from the VFS appointment, here's what happened.

 

Only my partner was allowed in, I was told to sod off please take a seat outside.

 

The documents my partner provided were separated by barcode pages and put into the required sequence. Ms. VF sorted through the documents several times without appearing to read any of them in great detail but instead checked for quality of the copies and condition of the pages - evidently, she did pick up some information from the application because she then asked my partner a series of questions which appeared to be casual and social but were read as being more searching than that, questions such as where exactly are you going, are you going sailing (?) and whereabouts will you stay in The Lake District Info from the application rather than volunteered verbally) . She then pulled out a couple of documents and asked my partner what their purpose was, at this stage my partner presumed she was being vetted to ensure she actually knew what documents had been provided.

 

At the end she was asked to pay 5 baht for a photocopy of her current passport (I didn't find where that was asked for) plus 85 baht for an SMS to tell her when then passport could be collected - my partner asked how they would notify her if she wasn't SMS'd and they replied she would have to call and ask each day!!!

 

Final point...she was fingerprinted and photographed and scrutinised (so she says) by a second VFS employee, after which the process was complete. 

It's beyond ridiculous all of this. I've already told my 'partner' that this the last time we are doing this.

 

Do you have to take original or copy's of your docs or don't it matter...I know they scan them anyway.

[simoh1490]

10 minutes ago, Maradona 10 said:

It was SMS. The EMS is around 300 baht. Your 'partner' is it a she?

I'm not sure why you need to know plus it's not nice to refer to a person as "it", but yes, my partner is an unmarried female.

[Denim]

42 minutes ago, puchooay said:

I'd read this post (#30) n this thread.

Yes.....you get a message on your phone  ( SMS ...sorry if I got mixed up ) to say your paperwork has been sent. Then another one when your passport is back.

 

You have to pay extra  to have your passport sent to your home address ( in Thailand ) 280 baht VFS courier price . 

 

I think the next time wifey wants to go to the UK with me I might just pack her in a container and send her by freight just to avoid the paperwork.

[simoh1490]

10 minutes ago, Maradona 10 said:

It's beyond ridiculous all of this. I've already told my 'partner' that this the last time we are doing this.

 

Do you have to take original or copy's of your docs or don't it matter...I know they scan them anyway.

We took a mix of originals and copies, the copies were typically screen prints from the internet, bank accounts etc. The originals comprised the bank letter and the letter from my partners employer.

[Maradona 10]

3 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I'm not sure why you need to know plus it's not nice to refer to a person as "it", but yes, my partner is an unmarried female.

Understood!

[Maradona 10]

3 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

We took a mix of originals and copies, the copies were typically screen prints from the internet, bank accounts etc. The originals comprised the bank letter and the letter from my partners employer.

Yes ok, same as me.

[Jip99]

10 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

We're just back from the VFS appointment, here's what happened.

 

Only my partner was allowed in, I was told to sod off please take a seat outside.

 

The documents my partner provided were separated by barcode pages and put into the required sequence. Ms. VF sorted through the documents several times without appearing to read any of them in great detail but instead checked for quality of the copies and condition of the pages - evidently, she did pick up some information from the application because she then asked my partner a series of questions which appeared to be casual and social but were read as being more searching than that, questions such as where exactly are you going, are you going sailing (?) and whereabouts will you stay in The Lake District Info from the application rather than volunteered verbally) . She then pulled out a couple of documents and asked my partner what their purpose was, at this stage my partner presumed she was being vetted to ensure she actually knew what documents had been provided.

 

At the end she was asked to pay 5 baht for a photocopy of her current passport (I didn't find where that was asked for) plus 85 baht for an SMS to tell her when then passport could be collected - my partner asked how they would notify her if she wasn't SMS'd and they replied she would have to call and ask each day!!!

 

Final point...she was fingerprinted and photographed and scrutinised (so she says) by a second VFS employee, after which the process was complete. 

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from the bar code pages and fine sorting and scanning,  the process is very much as before . The 'conversations' with VfS staff have no bearing on the application - it may feel like vetting but the processing staff have no influence on the decision making.

[Jip99]

14 hours ago, puchooay said:

Which check list was accepted? Do VFS have a say? Surely it would b the Gov.Uk check list at the end of the application that is needed. I was under the impression that VFS was just a drop off point. ????

 

Do you have a link to the bar code separators? Thanks.

 

 

Sent by PM.

 

 

file:///C:/Users/Ray/AppData/Local/Temp/Barcode%20Separators-2.pdf

 

 

 

Everything here:-  https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/th/en/how-to-apply

 

[simoh1490]

4 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

 

 

 

Apart from the bar code pages and fine sorting and scanning,  the process is very much as before . The 'conversations' with VfS staff have no bearing on the application - it may feel like vetting but the processing staff have no influence on the decision making.

I am confident that VFS does not have any influence on the decision but what I'm less clear about is whether they are asked to provide input or opinion on the candidate in some way - it only seems sensible that they would try and add value to their service by doing so rather than merely shuffling paper. In hindsight I didn't involve my partner sufficiently in the visa application and document gathering process, it was easier for me just to do it rather than to train her. The downside to that is that she may not understand all the answer to all the questions, I may have just taken too much for granted, dItto the documents gathering phase. I've told her that next time she's doing the whole thing on her own, start to finish and I'll check it when she's done.

[brewsterbudgen]

Any feedback on whether some are being phoned to discuss their application, since the decision-making process moved to India?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jip99]

3 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

  I've told her that next time she's doing the whole thing on her own, start to finish and I'll check it when she's done.

 

 

 

LOL!  Good luck with that one....?

[Jip99]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Any feedback on whether some are being phoned to discuss their application, since the decision-making process moved to India?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

 

Also, any feedback on how long the decision making process is taking under the new system.

 

Denim has kindly confirmed that they are still quoting 15 days - but the Bangkok embassy would often turn them round in 5 days. I shall be interested to see if the timescales are affected by the processing in India.

[Denim]

5 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

 I've told her that next time she's doing the whole thing on her own, start to finish and I'll check it when she's done.

 

No need for that. If we coordinate travel dates she can go in the same container as my wife. Might even get 4 in there. Put in some carpet and bunk beds, wifi for the all important face book , plenty of food , portaloo. What can go wrong ?

[Maradona 10]

Just something very trivial, but when submitting a bank statement should one put a line through the acc number..just don't want to offend anyone..

[Jip99]

1 minute ago, Maradona 10 said:

Just something very trivial, but when submitting a bank statement should one put a line through the acc number..just don't want to offend anyone..

 

 

If you can't trust VfS and the British government, who can you trust.....?

 

 

Hmmm....... I take your point....

[mnop]

I went to my appointment again last week (for a Visit Visa) and the whole process was a mess. It was a matter of getting into a line, then into another line, then into another line, then waiting for an hour for documents to be checked before getting back into the previous line for a number... a line which lots of people who arrived after me just pushed through to the front in a large group. Received a number, went inside the waiting area and waited for 50 minutes only to be given ANOTHER number. Once the number is called, documents are scanned (they forgot to remove one of the staples which jammed the scanner and sent my papers flying everywhere). Biometrics are quick... but then we realized the lady at the previous counter had misspelt my name on all the receipts so I had to return there and wait around for another 10 minutes for it to be corrected. No idea whether my application ended up in proper order. My appointment time was 12.15 pm. I arrived at 12 pm and left just after 2.30 pm. I could see that people who had booked an appointment time after me left a good 30 minutes before I did.   

 

Few points that may be handy: 

 

• The online application form itself is not scanned (so don't amend it in pen), but they did scour through it and ask questions such as if I was aware it would take 15 days (as my listed travel date was much sooner) and whether my sponsor was just a friend. Nothing was said to suggest they remarking on the quality or contents of the application, I believe they were just being helpful.
• No need for files or sticky notes, but paper clips do help to keep things in order when they sort out your application. 
• They give you application dividers on colored cards there. As mentioned, a little confusing; I put my cover letter behind the 'Ádditional Documents' divider and stuck it at the very front. Evidence of sponsor-applicant relationship was also put in this section (as opposed to the sponsor section). 
• Make sure all documents are printed only on one side - no scrap paper with marks on the other side are allowed.
• No documents are necessarily specified to be an original (e.g. I had to print out some pre-signed letters).  
• As frustrating as the wait might have been, the staff are actually very good at keeping their cool. As inefficient as the process was, they were patient and polite with everyone, so it's probably a good idea to do the same. 

 

More importantly, has anyone received any updates/news about their application after it was put through the new system? I've been scouring some Thai Facebook groups and it seems that even those who put in a 3-5 priority application have been waiting over 10 days, while many others have not heard anything even after 15 days. 

[Denim]

We applied on the 20th June for a visit visa and like Diana Ross , we are still waiting. 

 

We were told the wait would be 15 days or even longer.

[Jip99]

57 minutes ago, Denim said:

We applied on the 20th June for a visit visa and like Diana Ross , we are still waiting. 

 

We were told the wait would be 15 days or even longer.

 

12 July would be 15 “working days”.

[Jip99]

57 minutes ago, Denim said:

We applied on the 20th June for a visit visa and like Diana Ross , we are still waiting. 

 

We were told the wait would be 15 days or even longer.

 

12 July would be 15 “working days”.

[CeeGee]

Thanks for the update but can you give some more information as to the colored cards, are these in addition to the bar coded sheets you have to print off, or in place of or some other purpose.

Does this mean you have to re order your papers when you get to VFS,

 

ps The website does tell you not to use staples.

[mnop]

47 minutes ago, CeeGee said:

Thanks for the update but can you give some more information as to the colored cards, are these in addition to the bar coded sheets you have to print off, or in place of or some other purpose.

Does this mean you have to re order your papers when you get to VFS,

 

ps The website does tell you not to use staples.

 

Hmmm, the coloured cards seem to be the same as the barcoded sheets available online actually.

 

I apologize - I began my application prior to all the changes on their website (but had to restart and thus delay it), so I must not have been aware that you needed all this when I attended.

 

Either way, I believe they will have copies of it in case you don't print it off (same with the checklist). 

 

As for re-ordering papers when you arrive, it will probably be inevitable as someone checks your papers prior to entering (waiting at this counter took the longest for me). Which is why paper clips help to group the documents together, just in case the staff believe it should be in a different order. Also note that at this stage, they have a funny lining up system; you will find that there are up to 12 people who are booked into the same time slot as you, so they will call the time along with a number between 1-12 (your allocated number will be written on your appointment form at the first line you get to). 

[CeeGee]

thanks for that clarification,I thought here we go again, changing the system without telling anyone.I am glad I was wrong

[Denim]

2 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

12 July would be 15 “working days”.

Not in any rush just so long as we get it. Would be dissapointed if the application failed on some small point.

[Jip99]

5 hours ago, Denim said:

Not in any rush just so long as we get it. Would be dissapointed if the application failed on some small point.

 

 

I am sure it it will be OK......... but the waiting is the worst part..

[cornishcarlos]

On 6/22/2018 at 5:04 PM, simoh1490 said:

had a look at their website this morning and they are pushing extra paid for services, the silver package at THB 2k looks reasonable since it avoids the need for an appointment and you can simply walk in, that seems good value to me.

 

My wife wanted to pay the 1500 baht walk in, no appointment required fee.

Surprise surprise, on the day was told they were already sold out of those (9.30am) but she can have VIP package for 3400 ?

She was in and out in 10 mins though...

 

Luckily we did our application early June, before all these changes were made. Wife was in VFS a few days before all this scanning business..

Edited July 4, 2018 by cornishcarlos

[simoh1490]

11 hours ago, Denim said:

Not in any rush just so long as we get it. Would be dissapointed if the application failed on some small point.

I don't think you have anything to worry about, if there are small points that require clarification they will request additional information from you. If there are big points out there you will already know what they are and I doubt you would have applied in the first place if there were.

 

As said previously we applied for a Settlement Visa in 2012 and this was granted without an interview or any further information being asked for. During the wait period I spent time coaching my partner on what I felt sure would be an interview but that was wasted effort and worry....chill, it'll be just fine better you spend your energy worrying about how much she'll spend on shopping this trip. 

[Maradona 10]

Went today, in and out in 30 minutes, all very simple and straightforward. Sorry I can't report any dramas or reports of if it all being in complete disarray etc. Admittedly we did have the first appointment mind. The only slight mishap was my pwn doing, i didn't realise that I couldn't go up to the 28th where I intended to give Mrs M some last minute guidance and words of wisdom etc, so I ended up relaying them as the lift door was closing ?

[Jip99]

1 hour ago, Maradona 10 said:

Went today, in and out in 30 minutes, all very simple and straightforward. Sorry I can't report any dramas or reports of if it all being in complete disarray etc. Admittedly we did have the first appointment mind. The only slight mishap was my pwn doing, i didn't realise that I couldn't go up to the 28th where I intended to give Mrs M some last minute guidance and words of wisdom etc, so I ended up relaying them as the lift door was closing ?

 

 

You used to be able to wait in the reception area on the 28th floor....presumably that has changed. Useful for a first visit to add support and direction....

[Maradona 10]

5 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

You used to be able to wait in the reception area on the 28th floor....presumably that has changed. Useful for a first visit to add support and direction....

Yea I was surprised. Anyway, it's done now thankfully. Got a feeling it will get refused though.