Wife Got Her Uk Settlement Visa In 3 Days Flat

[Casanundra]

Just wanted to let everyone know about our experience in getting the wife her UK settlement visa, which I am happy to report she got today without a hitch or the need for an interview, and all in 3 days flat as well!

When we did the paperwork, we initially followed Robs guide. We realised quite quickly that it needed a little enhancement in places (sorry Rob but we all cannot be perfect but we can call it continuous improvement) and so we tweaked it accordingly.

The wife submitted it all last Friday and hey presto she got it today without the bat of an eyelid or a flutter from the immigration office, so thanks Mr Rob for the initial guide and well done to the wife for being so level headed to pull it all together whilst I have been 5000 miles away pulling in the dosh to fund it all.

However, the wife to her disbelief, reported back that there were about 200 applicants filing for a visa (tourist, visiting, study, spouse etc...) on the day she was there. Whilst she was waiting she couldn't help but observe that the majority of the applicants were displaying so many levels of sheer stupidity that she just couldn't understand it. This stupidity came in many forms and was displayed in all its glory by both her fellow Thai's and their support partners and it basically boiled down to one thing. They just didn't 'get it'!

In the end, with many comng to her and asking her why she was there 'alone' and with such a huge file of professional looking paperwork in her hands, she would simply reply that we had done our homework and we felt that this was what was needed and that there was no need for me (her husband) to waste his time being there. Simple really.

After this, she would see a rather worried look appear in the eyes of the others sitting around and many of them would then turn to her and ask her for help and to give her thoughts on the rather slim supportng pack of paperwork that they were submitting.

To the wife's continued disbelief, she found herself filling in the applications correctly on their behalf let alone mentioning that they may fail in their application because they just simply did not have the supporting paperwork for the application they were making, only for most of them to shrug, hand over 36,000 THB and file it anyway. Yet the wife would be there saying things like: "But were is your proof of realtionship... or where is your proof of Income or where is your proof of where you will live..." which all fell on deaf ears apparently!

The other rather shocking thing was that many of the other applicants had already used a so called 'visa agency' to help them do the paperwork with fees of 10 to 20k and upwards having been already paid to the visa agency for the 'help provided' and yet the paperwork and application pack was still a complete load of old tosh.

She couldn't understand why the others just couldn't do it for themselves and she also mentioned that many of those she tried to helpe also told her that this was their second or third application as well! Sheesh!

Anyway, to wrap it all up, we at least were totally successful because thanks to Thai visa and Rob, we were able to do our homework and then some, as well as applying all of the key points above.

The sad thing about it all was that when she went to pick up her visa today, she couldn't help but notice the many tearful and desperate people in the visa office seeking help from the visa office (who just shrugged and saying they cannot do anything to help) because once again these applicants had just failed to get their visa to the UK... again!

Sometimes stupidity really does defy belief but what is needed here is someone to take an impartial and very pragmatic sensible view of these applications before they throw money away and tell them to just take a week out to get their paperwork together. Maybe I or the wife or some other sensible enterprising soul should be the one to offer this help as there are just so many desperate for help out there on this whole issue at the visa office and yet there doesn't appear to be anyone around to support them properly.

PS:

For those going through the process, let me tell you what we learnt along the way as it may help give you focus:

1) Do your homework

2) Do it yourself

3) Be sensible and pragmatic

4) Don't panic about it

5) Apply some common sense and a little intellect

6) Support everything with a photo or a piece of paper to prove what you are saying

And that's it really, not too hard. Oh and yeah, don't even bother going to the immigration office with the wife or even bother getting a plane to be in Bangkok to do it either because you just don't need to do it!

As for me and the wife, we got though it rather unscathed and hassle free and well i'm as happy and as smug as a pig in muck coz t' wife is on her way to be with me again soon after being apart for 6 weeks. Wonderful!

Edited June 27, 2007 by Casanundra

[Mossfinn]

Just wanted to let everyone know about our experience in getting the wife her UK settlement visa, which I am happy to report she got today without a hitch or the need for an interview, and all in 3 days flat as well!

Well Done Cass, very quick and neat.

well done to the wife for being so level headed to pull it all together whilst I have been 5000 miles away pulling in the dosh to fund it all.

For those going through the process, let me tell you what we learnt along the way as it may help give you focus:

1) Do your homework

2) Do it yourself

3) Be sensible and pragmatic

4) Don't panic about it

5) Apply some common sense and a little intellect

6) Support everything with a photo or a piece of paper to prove what you are saying

Yes well done to the other half and I agree you do not have to be there, I wasn't either.

Agree with 1-5 but not sure everything needs to be supported with photographic evidence.

And that's it really, not too hard.

On occasion it might need some additional help.

They just didn't 'get it'!

This is probably true, but could be down to the fact that they didn't have the evidence in the first place and if they had followed your guidance set out above in the first place they might have got somewhere near.

" which all fell on deaf ears apparently!

Horse and Water springs to mind!

shocking thing was that many of the other applicants had already used a so called 'visa agency'

If you use one and sometimes it is very necessary for a variety of reasons ensure it is an OISC registered Agent.

Well done Again,

To you and your other half

Moss

Edited June 27, 2007 by Mossfinn

[the scouser]

Well done.

Scouse.

[AZZZEY68]

3 days is the norm these days i got my daughters in 3 days.

[the gent]

Terribly sorry for striking a discordant note but your somewhat smug, sanctimonious post puffing up yourselves simply demands it.

In your frenzy of self congratulation you seem to have ignored the salient fact that in many applications matters are not so clear cut and no amount of ' homework ' can alter that fact. These are cases that are presented to the visa section as best as folk can manage but they often teeter on a knife edge to be decided adversely on grounds that challenge even the most ardent of the ' system's ' supporters. Certainly, a lack of preparation and ignorance ( what you possibly consider as stupidity ) contributes to a significant proportion of refusals but to quantify it on the basis of your partner's empirical study, seemingly comprising a morning spent in the VFS waiting room in omniscient comprehension verging on the godlike, strikes me as fatuous as it is hyperbolic.

Who is to say that your enlarged ring binder, bigger of course than everyone else's, was not essentially superfluous to an application that would have been granted in any event on the production of a covering letter supported by nothing more than the barest of essentials?

But let's have a little perspective, shall we. The general trend over the past 3 years suggests that the refusal rate in settlement applications will hit about 10 - 12 % per annum whilst visit visas will probably come in at between 6 - 8 %. Applications increase inexorably y o y and I believe the current year will probably hit about 45,000. Assuming a mean average of 10% will be refused then we can assume that 4,500 punters will be knocked back over approx 220 working days, the typical year less public holidays. Thus, a daily attrition rate of stupid, ill prepared or just plain ill starred applications would be circa 20.

Mmmmm. Perhaps your wife just hit a bad day and may be next week will be better.....

Preparation can't hurt but it seldom retrieves an application ultimately lacking credibility or one that is not properly understood by a deficient visa officer ill equipped to judge properly.

Edited June 27, 2007 by the gent

[DWALDO]

Hi,

I'm happy to hear about your successful appllication but if your wife can't write English like mine how is she expected to fill in a form in English especially as the spelling is supposed to be exact. People use agents because they feel that they no more about the proccess than they do themselves. My wife has to go for an interview in 2 weeks and I am going back for moral support and to give her further evidence that I was unable to supply when her application was made. Many people don't have overwhelming documentary evidence but that doesn't mean that they are any less sincere with their applications.

Good luck to you and your wife and to everyone else who is going through the pain of being sepperated from their wife, usually just after they have got married.

Dave

[DenThai]

The Gents eloquent response is merited. Reading casawhatsits smug post made me squirm.

A trivial point. The attrition rate, those who withdraw an application before a decision is reached, is very small. Refusal rate is probably as the Gent says.

[samran]

good work cassandra. You work will be missed in Thailand, I'm sure....