Uk Settlement

[kennkate]

You got there in the end

Well done Sounds like it was A rough ride.

Very Pleased to see you GOT IT

GOOD LUCK Wonny & Best wishes for your future in the UK.

Thanks for the Update

Ken N Kate

[tahaan]

According to the UK Governments web site on processing times for settlement visas in February over half, 65% (about 105 people) had an answer within 30 working days and in March again over half, 54% (92

people) had their applications processed and answered within 30 working days yet this thread has been running for 7 weeks and I don't think anybody has posted to say they got their settlement visa within 30

days. Has anybody had, or know of anybody who's had their application processed within 30 working days of submitting the application, or is everybody who posts on thai visa in the unlucky half who seem to

have to wait forever? I know we can't all get an answer quickly but surely by now somebody would have posted to say they were in the 'quick' half, even if it was only to gloat.

Firstly, congratulations to kooyooni on your success.

I find it difficult to believe these statistics mean anything and for me they are just adding to my frustrations. I'm not really interested in their past performance because I doubt we'll ever need to apply for another settlement visa. If they have to post them as a benchmark for customer service I think they should also be prepared to let people know when they are not going to be able meet them.

The only information or contact we've had since submitting the application is the bland statement on the tracking web page that the application was passed to the embassy on 18 Feb 09. I'm in a kind of limbo at the moment unable to make plans for travel, finance etc. I wouldn't mind waiting longer if I had some assurance that our application is not sat at the bottom of someone's 'in tray' waiting their return from sick leave or propping up a wonky desk! Surely, if there are delays in the system it can't be that difficult to send a courtesy email, sms or to post a statememt on a website.

[Merangue]

After recently reading about your case Kooyoonii and the time it has gone on for i can only say CONGRATULATIONS!! to finally getting your Visa.

Good luck and best wishes for the future.

[mrburb]

Submitted at the beginning of April, flights are booked for the 2nd of July. Looks like it's going to be a close call!

Fingers crossed they'll speed things up a bit after this coming Friday's holiday.

Good luck everybody

[chanthas]

Submitted at the beginning of April, flights are booked for the 2nd of July. Looks like it's going to be a close call!

Fingers crossed they'll speed things up a bit after this coming Friday's holiday.

Good luck everybody

[chanthas]

hello everybody,wife submited all our paperwork at vfs for her settlement visa on 12 march still no word as of yet ,frustrating yes,as she is 16 weeks pregnant,and we need an answer asap,but i dont think its going to happen soon ,anyway good luck for everyone

[Tango7]

hello everybody,wife submited all our paperwork at vfs for her settlement visa on 12 march still no word as of yet ,frustrating yes,as she is 16 weeks pregnant,and we need an answer asap,but i dont think its going to happen soon ,anyway good luck for everyone

Similar position: submitted on 10th March, wife 11 weeks pregnant and nothing yet.

[chewy22]

hello everybody,wife submited all our paperwork at vfs for her settlement visa on 12 march still no word as of yet ,frustrating yes,as she is 16 weeks pregnant,and we need an answer asap,but i dont think its going to happen soon ,anyway good luck for everyone

Similar position: submitted on 10th March, wife 11 weeks pregnant and nothing yet.

Wife submitted aplecation18^th March would like to have a go to get her pregnant but not seen each other since February. Still waiting.

[Merangue]

Friends of mine who submitted the application 25th Feb got a refusal at the end of last week.

They are appealing as from what i can understand, he simply needs to provide some utility bills but the point i am making is that they had a reply after 8-9 weeks.

Not sure how that makes a difference for the rest of us but i am working on 8-9 weeks now, which means i have about another 3 weeks minimum to wait before i see my wife again.

Out of interest. Does anyone know how long it takes for an appeal to be looked at if only more paper required?

Edited May 6, 2009 by Merangue

[kennkate]

Thanks Marangue For your Post.

Yes it is looking like 8 to 9 weeks from submision Me 17 March

I dont think they refuse on grounds that you did not submit Utility bills. I might be wrong

I thought they would simply ask you to Fax them on. If that was the ONLY Reason It is a poor Excuse.

Maybe you are only getting half of the story. If not then it's not looking good for Quite A few people

If it is REFUSED and it has to go to appeal I do belive it is a long drawn out process.

[Jonson83]

I feel bad for your m8, but surely they cant have refused his wife just because he failed to provide utility bills.

[tahaan]

Marangue

Jeez, waiting 8 weeks for a straight refusal is a bit rough. Did they have an interview?

The longer this goes on the more worried I get. When my wife applied I thought we'd ticked all the boxes - been married legally and living together in Thailand for 6 years, monthly income, savings and accommodation in UK. I remember when we were at VFS one of the guys from the visa office next door looked at her application and said "it didn't look very big - most people have lots more paper" It didn't worry me at the time because I thought quality was perhaps more important than quantity. However, now I'm not so sure

Incidentally, what I considered our most important piece of evidence, my expired passport showing 5 years of unbroken Thai visa extensions granted on the basis of supporting a Thai wife (including police visits by the RTP checking we're living together) was returned to her by the application officer as not needed despite the mrs's assurance that it was. They did however insist on her photocopying the entry page of my new passport which shows I'd made one visit and been in Thailand for 3 months! After making my protests I was later given the special privilege of entrering the application centre myself to make sure the passport and copies were included in the app.

Anyway, 11 weeks for me now and still not a peep from the embassy or vfs!

[tlusername]

Friends of mine who submitted the application 25th Feb got a refusal at the end of last week.

They are appealing as from what i can understand, he simply needs to provide some utility bills but the point i am making is that they had a reply after 8-9 weeks.

I have heard that a few missing documents will on the whole result in them making a phone call to you to request the docs be faxed or delivered. To go direct to refusal cannot be right? Surely thats the whole reason for the high price and the contracting out of document checking and stewardship to VFS?

Edited May 7, 2009 by tlusername

[sumrit]

Marangue

Jeez, waiting 8 weeks for a straight refusal is a bit rough. Did they have an interview?

The longer this goes on the more worried I get. When my wife applied I thought we'd ticked all the boxes - been married legally and living together in Thailand for 6 years, monthly income, savings and accommodation in UK. I remember when we were at VFS one of the guys from the visa office next door looked at her application and said "it didn't look very big - most people have lots more paper" It didn't worry me at the time because I thought quality was perhaps more important than quantity. However, now I'm not so sure

Incidentally, what I considered our most important piece of evidence, my expired passport showing 5 years of unbroken Thai visa extensions granted on the basis of supporting a Thai wife (including police visits by the RTP checking we're living together) was returned to her by the application officer as not needed despite the mrs's assurance that it was. They did however insist on her photocopying the entry page of my new passport which shows I'd made one visit and been in Thailand for 3 months! After making my protests I was later given the special privilege of entrering the application centre myself to make sure the passport and copies were included in the app.

Anyway, 11 weeks for me now and still not a peep from the embassy or vfs!

Like you I'm starting to get concerned at the length of time it's taking. I also thought we'd covered everything. Been living in Thailand with my wife (and stepdaughter) for over 4 years, employed by a large UK company, savings in the UK, accomodation organised for when we get there and proof of custody/responsibility for my stepdaughter. And I've already taken my wife to the UK three times so far on tourist visas so the Embassy must have accepted our relationship and finances to have issued those visas.

It's been 8 weeks so far and haven't heard a thing from the day we submitted the forms (although somebody who took their application in on the same day as us had a phone call from the Embassy 1-2 weeks later to query something, so they must be looking through all the info supplied fairly quickly).

I have to go back because of work and I should be there this month (although I could possibly delay it until June) but looking at the length of time people are waiting we'll stuggle to go there together.

Edited May 7, 2009 by sumrit

[tlusername]

sumrit & tahaan, your applications both sound very strong so you really do not need to worry to much, but I do relate to your fears as the same have come up for me as well. I am sure though its just them taking to long to process and working in ways we cannot deem or predict from the info coming back in this thread.

We are moving towards weeks 9 now and I believe also have a very strong application - my wife (then GF) was here in the UK for 3 months staying with me on a 6 month visit visa only two weeks before we submitted the settlement visa. We have also been together for a year and provided proof of my visits to Thailand and with photos of us with her parents and her with my parents in the UK - we also sourced a years emails, internet chats and phone bills.

She has also in the past successfully got a US visit visa, she studied in Japan for three years and during that time she travelled to South Korea on her own for a college break (with no sponsor). She speaks very good english as well as being a thai / japanese interpretor. Her folks were both teachers working for the government and she has not married before - so all in all she is quite suggestive of being someone in a genuine position to apply for settlement with no ill intent (having been in the country only two weeks before, she could have just stayed and disapeered if that was her sole aim).

I also own my property in the UK - I have a good secure job and can easily support her when she gets here.

So I say all this to try and chill you guys a bit as we have a really strong application but like everyelse we have not heard anything yet and I don't think we will until we get to 3 months.

[TheFiend]

Like you I'm starting to get concerned at the length of time it's taking. I also thought we'd covered everything. Been living in Thailand with my wife (and stepdaughter) for over 4 years, employed by a large UK company, savings in the UK, accomodation organised for when we get there and proof of custody/responsibility for my stepdaughter. And I've already taken my wife to the UK three times so far on tourist visas so the Embassy must have accepted our relationship and finances to have issued those visas.

It's been 8 weeks so far and haven't heard a thing from the day we submitted the forms (although somebody who took their application in on the same day as us had a phone call from the Embassy 1-2 weeks later to query something, so they must be looking through all the info supplied fairly quickly).

Our application was on the 20th March and it's only coming up to 7 weeks now.

We are all in the same boat....Yes, it's frustrating, but it's something we just have to accept. As it stands I am unable to make any plans for the next few weeks, but my employers know I am waiting to fly back out to Thailand at short notice.

[feasantplukka]

5 week since my application went in, o my budda its a nightmare and its not getting any better, looks like I wont be in Thailand for the wifes birthday on the 12th june. looking like its going to go the full 12 week before we hear anthing & I can book to go back, so I reckon about 26th June

[chewy22]

Just spoke to my wife and yes still no news yet. We are now starting week 8 so wish us luck. She spoke to a friend who applied for settlement in Sweden and it took them 8 months to process. So I had a look at the processing time for Sweden on the embassy website and only two people “Yes 2” for last month and it still takes 60 working days for 100% to be completed.

Settlement Visas 5 days 10 days 15 days 30 days 60 days 90 days 120 days Applications completed in period

Settlement 0% 0% 50% 50% 100% 100% 100%

I see this is a popular thread with over 4000 hits so I would presume many more who haven’t become members are reading these posts and waiting like us.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Don'T panic they have implemented on line applications only now for settlement will this speed things up ?

[gypsymoth]

Don'T panic they have implemented on line applications only now for settlement will this speed things up ?

I'm so glad my wife sqeaked in our application before the 'online - only' ruling came in, not to mention the increased fee. I'm stuck here in UK and couldn't have been any help to her. I don't know how she'd have sorted that one.

Application in 13th March and resigned to June outcome. What were VFS thinking when they told her she would hear in 2-4 weeks?

Best of luck everyone.

[sumrit]

Don'T panic they have implemented on line applications only now for settlement will this speed things up ?

I doubt it will speed things up. Every applicant will still have to go to the VFS office to present their documentation and have their boimetrics done in exactly the same way as they did previously, only the actual application form will be missing.

And I'm sure the British Embassy have already got the excuse that problems with implementing the new system is the reason for future delays.

[tlusername]

Just noted we are now clear of public holidays for until July 7th. If anything I should hope that helps them speed up just a little bit.

[tlusername]

And I'm sure the British Embassy have already got the excuse that problems with implementing the new system is the reason for future delays.

Sourced from the VFS website just now:

" 08 May 2009: Due to an IT problem, the UK Border Agency is experiencing delays processing some visa applications. We process around 200,000 visa applications per month and most applications have not been affected by the current problem. The UK Border Agency apologises for any inconvenience and is working hard to fix the problem. We continue to monitor the situation very closely. Should anyone require urgent travel to the UK they should contact their local visa application centre/ call centre/ UK Border Agency at a British mission."

[TheFiend]

Just noted we are now clear of public holidays for until July 7th. If anything I should hope that helps them speed up just a little bit.

But for those of us that applied before the start of April, a combination of Easter, Songkran and last weeks Buddha Day holidays we have already lost 5 working days......

Effectively my 7 week wait, up to date, is only 30 working days since the application went in...... meaning it could be another 6 weeks or more

[kennkate]

Dear Fiend I am one week ahead of you March 17 Submission

Are you taking into account Friday is only half day

They need the rest working their socks of down at the Embassy

I have not seen Any reports on here of People getting Visa's from a MARCH Submission

Last two that posted was ROBO1792 submited 2 Feb Recived on 30/03

and EDDIBABY submited 20 Feb Recived 1/04

Anyone out There recived your Settlement Visa since then ?

[Tango7]

Dear Fiend I am one week ahead of you March 17 Submission

Are you taking into account Friday is only half day

They need the rest working their socks of down at the Embassy

I have not seen Any reports on here of People getting Visa's from a MARCH Submission

Last two that posted was ROBO1792 submited 2 Feb Recived on 30/03

and EDDIBABY submited 20 Feb Recived 1/04

Anyone out There recived your Settlement Visa since then ?

Embassy called my wife last Thursday but because she attends many meetings due to work, she has her phone set to vibrate for the first three rings and then it'll start to ring out.

She noticed three missed called from the embassy and wondered why she'd missed the calls.

As she was working from home on Thursday and I was at home too, I know that they must have let the phone ring no more than three times before cutting off and trying again because neither my wife nor I heard her phone.

When she called back to try to speak to the person who had called, she was told she couldn't be put through as it was not known who had called her.

My wife mentioned they need to allow the phone to ring longer, rather than agree or jsut say something simple like "OK, not a problem", She was also told "you'd better pick up next time".

Sarcasm must be part of the training for the LES (locally engaged staff) at the embassy.

[tlusername]

We submitted on March the 4th so I think we maybe some of the first to apply for March *in this forum/thread* so as soon as we here something I will reply to you all right away.

I think our cut off day should be the 4th of June which will be 3 calender months from the date it was delivered to the embassy by VFS.....unless it's 90 *working days* wait and not three months which means I am about to lose the will to live and have a long time waiting still what with all the public holidays, half day's, red shirt protests and failed IT systems etc.

[TheFiend]

Dear Fiend I am one week ahead of you March 17 Submission

Are you taking into account Friday is only half day

They need the rest working their socks of down at the Embassy

I have not seen Any reports on here of People getting Visa's from a MARCH Submission

Last two that posted was ROBO1792 submited 2 Feb Recived on 30/03

and EDDIBABY submited 20 Feb Recived 1/04

Anyone out There recived your Settlement Visa since then ?

Your application went in on the Tuesday.(17th)... mine went in on the Friday of same week (20th)and it was passed on the the embassy on the Friday afternoon.

Personally, my feelings are that as long as the visa is granted I don't care how long it takes.....

One thing i want to add is that MrsFiend wants a room for Buddha in our house, so it is giving me a little bit of time to straighten the room out for her....

Edited May 11, 2009 by TheFiend

[Tango7]

Dear Fiend I am one week ahead of you March 17 Submission

Are you taking into account Friday is only half day

They need the rest working their socks of down at the Embassy

I have not seen Any reports on here of People getting Visa's from a MARCH Submission

Last two that posted was ROBO1792 submited 2 Feb Recived on 30/03

and EDDIBABY submited 20 Feb Recived 1/04

Anyone out There recived your Settlement Visa since then ?

Your application went in on the Tuesday.(17th)... mine went in on the Friday of same week (20th)and it was passed on the the embassy on the Friday afternoon.

Personally, my feelings are that as long as the visa is granted I don't care how long it takes.....

One thing i want to add is that MrsFiend wants a room for Buddha in our house, so it is giving me a little bit of time to straighten the room out for her....

MrsFiend sounds like MrsTango7. She also wants a Buddha "room" but this just means a small statue; more of a symbol than anything.

Does MrsFiend take bottled shampoo and conditioner from hotels ?

[Merangue]

Have to say Both Mrs Tango7 and Mrs Fiend sound a lot like Mrs Merangue.

Admitted Mrs Merangue does not go for the bottles of Shampoo or conditioner from the Hotels but she surely does love the small sewing kits and the Shower caps.

Oh i am a week behind you both on March 25th for application submission.