A Little Story

[pinball1972]

I have only posted a couple of times before on this site but I have read it most days this year. The one post I made was asking for advice as to how to go about a settlement visa application.

I followed this advice and engaged a certain immigration advisor from Liverpool:-) Any guesses? We worked together to prepare the settlement visa, and without going into too many details it was quite a complicated case. We put in the Visa application and prompted received an outright decline on roughly three grounds. As you can imagine I was devastated as we put in a great deal of work and the decline was worded so aggressively that I thought our chances were slim to none of being allowed to have a married life together in the UK.

After the initial shock of the decline and on the advice the previously mentioned advisor we set about working out what to do next. Firstly we lodged the appeal papers then the real effort began. We appealed to the embassy directly on the basis of fact and the law, to UK Visa's and in the end via my MP the home office. It has a been a difficult and stressful four weeks and the professional advice I have been given has been invaluable.

And to end the story we were contacted this week to say the refusal has been overturned and my wifes Visa will be available at the embassy.

Previously we have used local advice which has ultimately caused more trouble that it has solved. I cannot advocate enough the importance of getting good professional advice and following it, as you can imagine I cannot recommend highly enough the advisor that I used, and I am sure you can all guess who it is!

Additionally thanks to everyone on here, I have been silently but diligently absorbing everyones opinions and the successful outcomes of other peoples case has given me hope.

Cheers

[buffcoat]

Excellent to read your good news!!!!

Must have been a tough few weeks but hopefully that is all behind you now and you can get on with your life.

[the scouser]

It is certainly excellent news. Best of luck and wishes to both you and your wife.

Scouse.

[pinball1972]

The success is primarily down to your superb advice Ralph.

[the scouser]

That's very kind of you, although I think you're the most hands-on client I've ever had and your involvement was key, too.

I was as equally upset when K. was intially knocked back, as I perceived this to be a personal slight upon me and the advice I'd given you. Thankfully perseverance has paid off.

Scouse.

[pinball1972]

I am very glad we got the right outcome in the end.

Somehow underneath it all I take heart from the fact that the reasonable and lawful outcome has materialised, it is such a shame that the system means that you have to resort to such petitioning in order for the correct process to occur.

I hope my case gives hope to people who have difficult situations, patience and persistence can pay off!

[yaketyak]

There are a few interesting points here.

You used a professional to help prepare your case but it was rejected out of hand , and agressively too apparently. Magically whilst on appeal (if i read you right) it was overturned (by whom.....by the ECM at the Embassy??..its not totally clear)

Now the point is , if you used a certain professional then it is to be assumed he made sure you put everything into the application that was needed to be successful. So why was it turned down so firmly only to be overturned at a later date? Was it because the initial application was lacking , or was it because you got a pig of an ECO looking at your case?

When it was overturned did you receive an apology from the British Embassy for refusing you originally? No of course you didn't. So i guess what i am asking is , in your opinion , who was at fault for an application , professionally prepared , getting refused in the first place?

[Bird on the Wire]

^ What a weird contribution.

If the OP thinks the Scouser was negligent, he wouldn't be singing his praises on here. He'd be suing the a*se off him through the courts.

We don't know what the circumstances of the application were, so it seems yaketyyak has got his own unspoken agenda by jumping straight in and insinuating that Scouser was at fault for the original decline. That is unless yaketyyak has any personal knowledge of the OP's case?

What I understand from the OP is that he was more than happy with Scouser's job. Here's what he said:-

the professional advice I have been given has been invaluable

I cannot recommend highly enough the advisor that I used

The success is primarily down to your superb advice

[pinball1972]

I am not passing any comment on how the British Immigration process works, what I am saying is that I was in a substantially better situation as a result of receiving well thought out professional advice. I don't know how the decision making process works and I am certainly not describing anyone as a "pig".

As a result of properly explaining my case to people who subsequently listened an original decline was overturned prior to an appeal. I consider this a fantastic result for myself and my wife irrespective of the decision making process. There was nothing lacking in the application and there is no way on my own I could have presented my case in such a clear manner.

I certainly place much more value on being allowed to continue married live with my wife in the UK versus receiving an apology.

I hope that answers your question.

[Mossfinn]

or was it because you got a pig of an ECO looking at your case?

It could have been something to do with the porcine references in your earlier post

By all means provide constructive criticism of the embassy and its staff, but "slagging off" is puerile and not in the least helpful.

Ah !! that will explain it . Now i know that freedom of expression is so tightly controlled on this forum i can factor it into my future posts.

"I am working on mysteries, but with plenty of clues", Lyrics from the great Bob Seger, but with a sleight change for emphasis.

Good luck

Moss

PS.

Well done Pinball, for the success

Edited March 6, 2008 by Mossfinn

[yaketyak]

Bird on the wire and others,

you seem to have misunderstood my post totally.

So let me make it clear , i was NOT blaming the OP OR the professional helper one iota.

I was curious to know how a complete and utter refusal could turn into an about turn. I wondered if the fault lay with the application or with the ECO . Thats all.

No offense was meant and i can't see why anyone thought it was.

[Nignoy]

That's very kind of you, although I think you're the most hands-on client I've ever had and your involvement was key, too.

I was as equally upset when K. was intially knocked back, as I perceived this to be a personal slight upon me and the advice I'd given you. Thankfully perseverance has paid off.

Scouse.

Really wish you had been around in September1966 when the powers that be annulled my first marriage and separated me from my 2 children for 5 years Nignoy

[semper48]

Bird on the wire and others,

you seem to have misunderstood my post totally.

So let me make it clear , i was NOT blaming the OP OR the professional helper one iota.

I was curious to know how a complete and utter refusal could turn into an about turn. I wondered if the fault lay with the application or with the ECO . Thats all.

No offense was meant and i can't see why anyone thought it was.

Here is a scenario for you; At the office; today we inundated with aplications and we have a big backlog; so we refuse the lot and let the ones really neeeding a Visa reapply. We will lose 30% of the bulk, as some will give up and to others it will not matter anymore (too late). Could even be one person having a bad day and wanting off early this particular day. Not far fetched and happens all the time, everywhere.

[Lite Beer]

Here is a scenario for you; At the office; today we inundated with aplications and we have a big backlog; so we refuse the lot and let the ones really neeeding a Visa reapply. We will lose 30% of the bulk, as some will give up and to others it will not matter anymore (too late). Could even be one person having a bad day and wanting off early this particular day. Not far fetched and happens all the time, everywhere.

It would not surprise me in the least. They get your money whether you succeed or not.

[pinball1972]

Lets hope that we get treated better than just refusing everyone outright however in all fields of business you are subject to what my old boss used to call the "bad sausage day" where the guy had a bad sausage for breakfast.

Anyways mrs pinball is in the air now, not a bother on her. The last time I went to Bangkok there was a queue of people travelling on their own getting the second and third degree from the Thai authorities. Mrs P smiled at everyone and even got on the plane with 10kg's over the baggage allowance without being charged a bhat. I am hoping she gets treated with the same respect in London.

[the scouser]

I am hoping she gets treated with the same respect in London.

Well, my mobile phone will be on should the need arise, although it shouldn't.

By the way, it's double time on a Sunday.

Scouse.

[londonboy12]

Pinball,

Congrtaulations. Having read through your previous posts, I am sure it has been a tough fight, but sounds like it has worked out well.

All the best

[pinball1972]

Mrs Pinball has arrived safe and well just in time for the storms and gales!

Had a brief scare when her name was announced over the tannoy at Heathrow a couple of times:-) I am sure that it was just to spook me out! It turned out it was just the lack of an X-Ray despite having the certificate but have got used to expecting the unexpected:-)

Thanks again to one and all