Uk Visa Application Center.

[Lite Beer]

Has anyone applied for a UK Visa from the application center recently.?

My Wife applied for a Family Visit Visa on the morning of 4th March.

She hung around in Bangkok for a few days and was told to come back on 10th March when her passport would be ready for collection.

She has come home to Khon Kaen and is not going to waste her time going back until we know for sure. The phone number she was given to check the progress is next to useless as we never get an answer. It just rings and rings till it cuts off.

The check your passport status facility on rthe website keeps coming back with "Your passport has been forwarded to the UK High Commission on 4th March."

Any one know how long this is taking takes at the moment?

[Governor]

Some people are concerned that they are sitting on applications until the stricter rules come in next month, but as the rules on the date the application should be used are the ones that should be aplied I doubt it, but who knows.

I have also heard, on the grapevine, that they are reducing the number of visa staff, that could, and I stress could, be the reason.

[Lite Beer]

Some people are concerned that they are sitting on applications until the stricter rules come in next month, but as the rules on the date the application should be used are the ones that should be aplied I doubt it, but who knows.

I have also heard, on the grapevine, that they are reducing the number of visa staff, that could, and I stress could, be the reason.

Thanks. Will just have to keep waiting. It just annoyed me about the telephone check line. If it is useless, why give you the number?

[yorkieb]

Some people are concerned that they are sitting on applications until the stricter rules come in next month, but as the rules on the date the application should be used are the ones that should be aplied I doubt it, but who knows.

I have also heard, on the grapevine, that they are reducing the number of visa staff, that could, and I stress could, be the reason.

In relation to the new rules affecting an application it is the date of deciscion not the date of application submition. This has been comfirmed to me by my immigration lawyer.

If I were you I would call the embassy direct on the main number and ask for the visa section. You will be put through the secretary of the section and she will be able to give you some feed back. Ask who is handling your application dont be fobbed off. I was on the phone with them this morning chasing them up on my application. Also I would send then an email to [email protected] ahead of any call. A wise old friend once told me "if it aint written down it was never said".

We submitted an application 28 Feb and after 6 emails (one every day) and calling direct just been confirmed by email this morning that passport will be sent back to Regent house tomorrow.

I dont think they are playing games sitting on application maybe they are just under staffed and your application as mine was, is not straight forward.

Yorkie

[Lite Beer]

Thanks Yorkie.

It seems that the whole procedure is a total shambles. The website says 3-5 Days. Quite clearly this is not the case. It's not so much the time factor but the time spent phoning their useless phone line and typing out the long reference number on their slow web site.

Cant do much now as have to go to Korat tomorrow to sort out my Marriage Extension.

[dogger]

Thanks Yorkie.

It seems that the whole procedure is a total shambles. The website says 3-5 Days. Quite clearly this is not the case. It's not so much the time factor but the time spent phoning their useless phone line and typing out the long reference number on their slow web site.

Cant do much now as have to go to Korat tomorrow to sort out my Marriage Extension.

Well i just had my second aplication back it came back within 3 days so dont seem like they held on to mine they just failed it instead because they hadnt read all the documents i had submited...

[malct]

When do the new rules come in?

We are applying on the 25th March for a Visa and then going off for a few days and then come back for the answer !!!

Malc

[Governor]

When do the new rules come in?

1st April, all fools day.

[Lite Beer]

Thanks Yorkie.

It seems that the whole procedure is a total shambles. The website says 3-5 Days. Quite clearly this is not the case. It's not so much the time factor but the time spent phoning their useless phone line and typing out the long reference number on their slow web site.

Cant do much now as have to go to Korat tomorrow to sort out my Marriage Extension.

Well i just had my second aplication back it came back within 3 days so dont seem like they held on to mine they just failed it instead because they hadnt read all the documents i had submited...

Thats why it was quick. They didn't bother to read it all.

Why should they care? They get your money either way.

[Guemlum]

Dont panic or give up guys.

We submitted our application on the Friday 15th Feb. It was taken to the embassy from the VAC on the following Monday 18th Feb. We were informed on the 21st to come to the VAC to pick up the passport. We collected the passport on the 22nd. The refusal notice inside stated that the decision to refuse the visa had been made on the 19th Feb.

I then employed the services of the Scouse who wrote a letter to the embassy on the 25th Feb. We received a reply back from the embassy on the 28th Feb. A further letter from the Scouse was written on the same day back to the embassy and on March 6th we received another letter and phonecall from the embassy telling us they were overturning their decision and were now granting my wife with a settlement visa.

I hope the above gives you some idea of timescales involved. Should your application be unsuccesfull and dependent on the type of visa and reasons for refusal, I would definately recommend the Scouse's services otherwise you could be looking at a 7 month battle before you receive a tribunal hearing.

On another note, I believe that the ECO's only have a certain amount of time in which to read any application and supporting evidence put forward. Had they read all of the supporting evidence I had provided, it would have taken a couple of hours. Hence, evidence provided was overlooked resulting in our refusal.

Guemlum

[scotty123456789]

My mrs put her sv in on a monday morning, her passport was ready on the thursday.

At the centre she was given a reference number and told to start checking around 3 to 5 days after submitting.

Scotty........

[yorkieb]

Visa application submitted 28th Feb...................Received an email direct from the enbassy (after chasing them up) detailing that passport would be back in Regent house on 13 March..................Went today to pick up but NO PASSPORT.

These people cant even be beleived or trusted when they put it in writing.... confused and still waiting

Yorkie

[scotty123456789]

What time did you arrive today yorkieb?

You could always track it on there site..

[yorkieb]

What time did you arrive today yorkieb?

You could always track it on there site..

Was there 3.00 - 4.30pm untill it closed.....................also site still says application was forwarded on the 28th.

Yorkie

[scotty123456789]

Think someones taking the p**s then matey.

Good luck anyway.

Scotty...

[Lite Beer]

What time did you arrive today yorkieb?

You could always track it on there site..

Was there 3.00 - 4.30pm untill it closed.....................also site still says application was forwarded on the 28th.

Yorkie

And we complain about Thai Immigration Services.

Good Luck Yorkie.

[the scouser]

Visa application submitted 28th Feb...................Received an email direct from the enbassy (after chasing them up) detailing that passport would be back in Regent house on 13 March..................Went today to pick up but NO PASSPORT.

These people cant even be beleived or trusted when they put it in writing.... confused and still waiting

Yorkie

It shouldn't take two weeks to consider an application. If your solicitor is still under instruction then get him to send an e-mail asking what on earth is going on. It may well be that the case has been referred back to the UK for guidance.

Scouse.

[yorkieb]

Visa application submitted 28th Feb...................Received an email direct from the enbassy (after chasing them up) detailing that passport would be back in Regent house on 13 March..................Went today to pick up but NO PASSPORT.

These people cant even be beleived or trusted when they put it in writing.... confused and still waiting

Yorkie

It shouldn't take two weeks to consider an application. If your solicitor is still under instruction then get him to send an e-mail asking what on earth is going on. It may well be that the case has been referred back to the UK for guidance.

Scouse.

Solicitor is standing by and preped. However I was waiting to get the passport back to see the outcome. This is the reply i got from the embassy

Dear Mr XXXX

Thank you for your email below attention to Mrs A Howard.

We would like to inform you that the visa application of Ms XXXXXX XXXXXX has been considered by an Entry Clearance Officer. Her passport and relevant original documents (if any) will be returned to the UK Visa Application Centre, Regent House by tomorrow morning (Thu 13 Mar) and should be ready for collection between 15.00-16.30 hrs.

Yours sincerely

XXXXX XXXXXX

Visa Section

British Embassy Bangkok

Tel: 66 (0) 2 305 8333

Fax: 66 (0) 2 254 9579

mailto:[email protected]

[the scouser]

It seems as if they have considered it, then. Just try again tomorrow and perhaps send off a precautionary e-mail saying that despite their assurances the passport had not arrived at the vac by 13th, so what guarantees can they now give.

Scouse.

[yorkieb]

It seems as if they have considered it, then. Just try again tomorrow and perhaps send off a precautionary e-mail saying that despite their assurances the passport had not arrived at the vac by 13th, so what guarantees can they now give.

Scouse.

Email from solicitor who represents us in relation to immigration matters has been sent. So lets see what kicks off tomorrow.

[scotty123456789]

Maybe you should have used the adviser above your last post my friend.

Anyway, I wish you good luck, and a happy ending......

[Lite Beer]

We are still waiting to hear after applying on 4th March.

Hopefully will hear next week before Easter.

Just a warning for anyone thinking of going there next week. They are closed for Easter.

Fri 21st - Mon 24th Inclusive.

[LOWFLYER]

We are still waiting to hear after applying on 4th March.

Hopefully will hear next week before Easter.

Just a warning for anyone thinking of going there next week. They are closed for Easter.

Fri 21st - Mon 24th Inclusive.

TGF put in application for fiance visa Tuesday 4th March and received a successful outcome Monday 10th

March. She was told to ring everyday between 13.00 and 15.30 but one day had to ring for 2.5 hours

before anyone picked up and they said it was just because they're very busy. Pick up time for passports

is after 15.00 until 16.30 and you don't know what's in it until then -- scary. Embassy did not call her

for interview but just phoned her on the Thursday and a few hours later they rang me at work in UK

for a few questions.

No complaints from me then and she flys to England on May 3rd complete with our offspring inside.

[ajsp9]

Sounds like there is a problem, perhaps just an isolated incedent??

I have recently had a similar positive experience to a few other posters, with my TGF applying/submitting on the Wednesday morning 5th March for a Visitors Visa and she picked up her Passport with Visa on Monday 10th. Good service for us. Hope yours improves.

Edited March 16, 2008 by ajsp9

[Lite Beer]

Still waiting. Their service really is a total disgrace. You can never get through to the phone number they give you. The Track Application web address is so slow. They have not even got the common courtesy to respond to our E Mail.

Being up here in Khon Kaen it is not even as though we can just go on spec. and hope it is ready. We are getting to the stage now where we could not give a toss about the Visa, we just want her passport back.

Beware all applicants.Leave plenty of time before your trip.

[Lite Beer]

Update.

After another E Mail, someone phoned my Wife and told her that her passport had been forewarded to Regent House 10 Days Ago

When asked why the web site was still showing it as being still at the Embassy the woman said that the site has a problem. So at the moment there is no way to check if your passport is ready for collection.

She is off to Bangkok in the morning to pick it up.

[CharlieB]

Update.

After another E Mail, someone phoned my Wife and told her that her passport had been forewarded to Regent House 10 Days Ago

When asked why the web site was still showing it as being still at the Embassy the woman said that the site has a problem. So at the moment there is no way to check if your passport is ready for collection.

She is off to Bangkok in the morning to pick it up.

This happened to our application. I was flying back to the UK on the Sunday, we were in the BKK area until then. On the Sunday my fiance was also returning north to Khon Kaen. I check the website on Thursday afternoon, because this would allow us to to down to the visa centre on the Friday and pick the passport up. Until the Friday the site still said the visa was at the embassy. When I got home to the UK on the friday night, it had changed to say it had been sent back to the visa centre on the Wednesday. Result, I had to pay for a flight for my mrs to fly down to BKK from Khon Kaen and back on the same day as I didn't want her leaving our 6 month old daughter on her own overnight. Extra £100 expense for me due to their useless website.

[Lite Beer]

Yes it is useless as is their phone line.

I would much rather they said to come and pick up the passport in 2 weeks rather than poncing around with the phoneline or web site.

[KruJoe]

This thread caused me to fret a bit last week while we were waiting… we also experienced the use-less-ness of both the phone line (both Thai and English services) and the website (it wouldn’t recognize any visa application reference number). When I finally did get through, (try calling soon after 8am before they open the doors, but have staff in already) I told them about the website, they said “oh yes, the website has been down for quite some time now”. That didn’t stop them giving out the address to hopeful applicants, though, did it?

As LB said above, they should ditch both services, get on with the job in hand, and give all applicants a time and date to come back for their passport two or three weeks later. And tell them “if it’s ready sooner we’ll call you, don’t call us”.

Rant over… long story short…

Settlement visa (spouse) application submitted 2:30pm Monday 17th March (busy time, week before Easter)

Tuesday… nothing

Wednesday… waiting, no info available

Thursday… accepting the fact we’d go home to Chiang Mai empty-handed, facing an agonizing 4-day Easter weekend with no news or progress… until SURPRISE! Out of the blue, a call at 3pm from the VAC “Your visa is ready, come to meet us now!” Closed Good Friday, so a mad dash from the rellies house (Suphan Buri side of Nonthaburi). Arrived Regent House VAC 4:10pm for a painful wait while Mrs KJ went inside for a good half hour… They’d misplaced her bulky folder but found it in a back office… she emerged, we opened the white envelope and there it was, passport and visa! SUCCESS!

So, three days, submission to collection. At a busy time, with obvious glitches in the system. Lucky again? Maybe. But I can’t help thinking that a well prepared, honest, comprehensive application folder helps matters. We had a short wait for a positive answer two years ago for a visitors’ visa.

I do hope that this gives some hope to those tackling this mountain of red-tape. It is truly horrible.

I’ll put up a thread soon explaing how we did it.

Chok Dee all!

[Lite Beer]

My Wife got her Visit Visa , but could have done without the hastle of trying to find out if her passport was ready for collection.

Edited March 24, 2008 by Lite Beer