Uk Visit Visa Expires

[boogie]

After four polite e-mails to the New York Visa centre I am still non the wiser. This is my dilema. My wifes current 5 year UK visit visa expires in March 2008. We don't have any concrete plans to visit the UK next year, but in all probability it will be around June/July time. I have an elderly mother who has not been in the best of health recently. My concern is if we have to travel to the UK in an emergency prior to June/July. How can my wife get a smooth transistion from the expired visa to the new one. Can we just make up dates of travel, even though we don't intend to travel on those dates ? For her current 5yr visa we only had to submit the first travel dates and after that you can travel when you want to, so why do the travel dates have to be known ? I obviously haven't suggested to the visa centre about making up dates, but just asked them what we could do if we had to travel in an emergency after my wife's visa expired.

A visa apparently takes 5-7 working days to process, so by the time I have got it to New York and back it would be well over a week, probably nearer two weeks.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

This is the first response I received, which if read literally means they are not issuing any visas for another 5 yrs !

Good morning WE can only postdate a visa for up to 3 months but at the moment we are not issuing visa's for 5 yeares or more due to biometrics being introduced. The officer may need to see evidence of travel but the outcome of the applicaiton will be decided on the documents produced at the time. Kind regards NY visa

[Mahout Angrit]

This is from the VAC Bamgkok web site

From 25th August 2006, multiple entry/ business visit visas will be issued for a period of 6 months or 2 years only, unless a person already holds a previously issued 5 year visit visa. The British Embassy in Bangkok will no longer be issuing 5 year or 10 year multiple entry visit/business visit visas until further notice, due to the introduction of biometrics.

It looks like what NY were telling you was that they are no longer issuing 5 year visit visas but as you have had one previously this note would suggest you could get one.

If you want your wife to be in possession of a current visa and ready to instantly depart I think you have already deduced the solution but you may have to settle for a 2 year visa for the time being.

The Embassy recommends that you do not purchase a ticket to travel before knowing the result of the visa application so they can hardly expect to see a ticket. It should be a perfectly reasonable request if you explained that you are likely to have to depart at short notice due to ill health in your family so you need to have a current visa.

Edited October 16, 2007 by Mahout Angrit

[the scouser]

You can apply for your wife's visa in December/January and include a covering letter which states that you wish the new visa to be valid from the date of expiry of the current one. If, for example, you then had to travel to the UK three days before the current visa expired, your wife could still remain for up to 6 months as upon expiry of the old visa, the new one would kick in.

It would seem that New York does not issue five-year multis any longer, and it may be that two is the best you can get.

Scouse.

[boogie]

This is from the VAC Bamgkok web site

From 25th August 2006, multiple entry/ business visit visas will be issued for a period of 6 months or 2 years only, unless a person already holds a previously issued 5 year visit visa. The British Embassy in Bangkok will no longer be issuing 5 year or 10 year multiple entry visit/business visit visas until further notice, due to the introduction of biometrics.

It looks like what NY were telling you was that they are no longer issuing 5 year visit visas but as you have had one previously this note would suggest you could get one.

If you want your wife to be in possession of a current visa and ready to instantly depart I think you have already deduced the solution but you may have to settle for a 2 year visa for the time being.

The Embassy recommends that you do not purchase a ticket to travel before knowing the result of the visa application so they can hardly expect to see a ticket. It should be a perfectly reasonable request if you explained that you are likely to have to depart at short notice due to ill health in your family so you need to have a current visa.

Thanks Manhout Angrit, that's interesting about getting another 5yr visa if you already have a 5yr. The New York office never mentioned that.

Actually I did realise what they meant to say about 5 yr visas I just posted their reply as an example of what I have been receiving as I was getting frustrated at the lack of an actual answer to my question. I'm not too worried about the length of visa although obviously a 5yr one would be better. I haven't actually deduced the answer because they have not actually said we can get one to run after the expiry date of the old, be it for 2 years or whatever.

Your final sentence sums it up "It SHOULD be a perfectly reasonable request if you explained that you are likely to have to depart at short notice due to ill health in your family so you need to have a current visa"

I have actually explained the reason to them, but all I get back are standard answers about post dating, not currently issuing 5 yr visas etc. All I asked them was could my wife get another visa to run from after the current one expires even though we don't intend, under normal circumstances, to travel until probably next June/July ? They seem either incapable or unable to answer for some reason and I was wondering if anybody on here knew the answer.

[boogie]

OK great thanks Scouser. We must have been typing at the same time ! That's exactly what I wanted to know.

[the scouser]

You posted one second after me. Hopefully, my previous response helps. Basically, there is no reason why you can't ask for the new visa to be valid from the day after the current one expires. By the very nature of 2-year multi entry visas, it is unreasonable to expect that travel dates should be known and you may explain that your wife is renewing her visa in case of need, not because she has any immediate plans to visit.

Scouse.

[Mahout Angrit]

They seem either incapable or unable to answer for some reason and I was wondering if anybody on here knew the answer.

Just do it, with a 5 year visa under your belt I dont think you will get any problems but if you do you know what you have to do. Good luck

[farmerfred]

hello,

sorry to hijack this thread slightly, but I am interested to know what sort of reasons are needed for these longer visas, such as 2 years and 5 years. Are these for frequent visitors to the UK? I have started studying back in UK and would like my girlfriend (already visited once) to visit me regularly during holiday periods. Would that substantiate a reason?

Thanks!

Fred

[Mahout Angrit]

sorry to hijack this thread slightly, but I am interested to know what sort of reasons are needed for these longer visas, such as 2 years and 5 years. Are these for frequent visitors to the UK? I have started studying back in UK and would like my girlfriend (already visited once) to visit me regularly during holiday periods. Would that substantiate a reason?

Expecting to visit frequently for relatively short periods is a reason, however, although there are no set rules she would be expected to have proved her intention by visiting a couple of times on the standard 6 month visa.

You should also note that Embassies are not issuing visas for periods longer than 2 years at present and with the substantially higher fee she would need to visit UK several times to make it viable above getting 6 month visas. Remember you can visit UK twice or even more on a 6 month visa but it is best to declare your intention when the application is made.