Uk Settlement

[7by7]

Chewy, as you have found out trying to get an answer by phone is practically impossible; the people who know the answer don't speak to the public and those that do don't know the answers! (No consolation to you, but many government departments are the same!)

Have you written to the Entry Clearance Manager? Do so again, with a copy to Phil Woolas, Minister of State for borders and immigration, as well as your MP.

I can think of only three possible reasons why this application has taken so long:-

Somehow the application has been missed and is sitting in a pile somewhere in the visa section.

or

The application has been deferred while the ECO seeks further information. If they wanted further information from you or you wife then you or she would have been contacted; but they may want further information from someone else, e.g. another country to whom she may have applied in the past.

or

For some reason the application has been referred. Referrals of settlement applications are very rare

The ECO should normally decide all other applications, including those that have been deferred, unless the case is particularly unusual or difficult..........

(Source)

So unless your wife has some dark secret in her past, e.g. a criminal record or has been deported from the UK or some other country, I cannot see why this would happen.

My money is on the first option; so get those letters off.

[mikeyp]

Super we got visa yesterday.

No more life on hold, hair torn out, intermediable long phone calls, crying (not me!) etc etc.:-)

Thanks to everyone for their sharp and quick answers.And pingit and mikeyp for their PMs.

The TW seems to think I have all the answers of which I actually get most of them from TV.

I am self-employed and incidently it appears from opened folder items that (among others but not many) :-

Marriage documents checked (predictably)

TWs old passport was checked (have many visa stamps)

Photocopies of tax returns for last 4 yrs (ended last yr) not checked

Business bank account statements for last 5 years (ended last yr) thoroughly checked.

Personnal statements (have 6 yrs) only last 6 months checked.

And once again no interview.

Good luck everyone, try to keep sane and hang in there, will keep following thread to see how some of you do...

Superb news,HUGE CONGRATES!!!! im just back from working in the highlands (scotland) and have managed to catch up whats going on. all i can say is have a wonderfull, fulfilling and happy future. all the best.

[mikeyp]

CHEWY & CHRISSPURE. I have been working in the back of beyond the last week so have had no access to computers, but i have been thinking and praying (im not a religous man) for a good outcome for you both. hope you get the news you want, very soon. good luck my friends.

[borodave]

Have you written to the Entry Clearance Manager? Do so again, with a copy to Phil Woolas, Minister of State for borders and immigration, as well as your MP.

Phil Woolas Minister of State (Borders and Immigration)

2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

Email: [email protected]

General Home Office enquiries

Tel: 0207 035 4848

Fax:020 7035 4745

Telephone:020 7273 3476 (9:00am -5:00pm)

Chewy i would agree that it is time to start asking for answers.

Good luck chewy

Edited July 25, 2009 by borodave

[theoldgit]

Have you written to the Entry Clearance Manager? Do so again, with a copy to Phil Woolas, Minister of State for borders and immigration, as well as your MP.

Phil Woolas Minister of State (Borders and Immigration)

2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

Email: [email protected]

Chewy i would agree that it is time to start asking for answers.

You could also send an email to Lin Homer the CEO of the UKBA, [email protected] if you are lucky the email will get to her as she does take things seriously. If an email should get as far as her staff officer, Jon Payne, you might get a reply, Jon used to be part of the Visa Section for the Americas based in New York, and will have an idea of the problems you guys are facing, that's if it's the Jon Payne I am think of.

[chewy22]

Thanks for all the ideas will keep you posted this week. If no joy I fly out in about two weeks time.

[marky1600]

Monday the 27th is my wife's birthday and 11 weeks and 6days since we applied. It would be wonderful if somebody noticed that and gave her the best birthday present she could have

[ExoticMatter]

Take it last option is to go there in person, what a drag. I know a solicitor who married an ethiopian woman. Said he had to fly out there 3 times and even buy land for her for the process. Reckoned it was dreadfully difficult (because they aint set up for it), but then this isn't easy is it.

[7by7]

My money is on the first option; so get those letters off.

Chewy, having now read through your previous posts on this, it appears that I would have lost my money; the application seems to have been deferred.

Chewy, you posted here

After many tries 5 am this morning I got to talk to someone at the visa section at the embassy. Somewhat surprised at been talked to buy a Thai with poor English, but better than nothing. She told me our application was started on Monday the 29th so that fits with the last call I made. I was told that they are awaiting some information not from me, or my wife? I presume it is some kind of background check maybe my tax office or police records etc.......Edit wife just phone and they told her the embassy are awaiting my background checks but its earl and UK not start work yet

Do you have any idea what these checks are and to whom they are being made? (Not asking you to say here.)

If you can get that information out of the embassy then maybe you will be able to chase these checks up yourself; the embassy wont, they'll simply wait until the information is returned to them!

[chewy22]

My money is on the first option; so get those letters off.

Chewy, having now read through your previous posts on this, it appears that I would have lost my money; the application seems to have been deferred.

Chewy, you posted here

After many tries 5 am this morning I got to talk to someone at the visa section at the embassy. Somewhat surprised at been talked to buy a Thai with poor English, but better than nothing. She told me our application was started on Monday the 29th so that fits with the last call I made. I was told that they are awaiting some information not from me, or my wife? I presume it is some kind of background check maybe my tax office or police records etc.......Edit wife just phone and they told her the embassy are awaiting my background checks but its earl and UK not start work yet

Do you have any idea what these checks are and to whom they are being made? (Not asking you to say here.)

If you can get that information out of the embassy then maybe you will be able to chase these checks up yourself; the embassy wont, they'll simply wait until the information is returned to them!

Thanks 7by7

I was guessing at background checks and tax or criminal record (may I add I don’t have one) No they wont tell us what it is. will try the ECM ext number again this week

Edited July 26, 2009 by chewy22

[7by7]

What they want to know, why and from whom, I have no idea. It may be worth asking them again when you write/email them, explaining that due to the long delay on your wife's application that you want to chase this information up.

They may tell you; they may not, but I'm afraid until they recieve the information this application is going nowhere.

[alanr]

HI MARK 1600 you feeling luck this week !! hope so..... iam 2 behind you !!! may 7th

alanr

Edited July 27, 2009 by alanr

[marky1600]

Alan thanks dude I have been sitting around all day today going nuts. I refresh the page every 5 seconds just hoping. And now the status page isn't working. Are they updating it to say we've got the visa? What if we're refused (I can't see how)? Well they definitely have the best way to test that your marriage is true. Plus its her birthday today. Anyway good luck to you all lets hope that they all start coming in.

Edited July 27, 2009 by marky1600

[alanr]

Try this link mark was working 12.03 http://www.vfs-uk-th.com/

[marky1600]

Yeah it works now but still the same. So close to happiness but you feel so far tomorrow is 12 weeks lets hope that that will be D day.

[dean999]

Hi all,

Week number 11 starts tomorrow. Only good news is they are starting Mays app's. Hope my wifes is done soon. Well i think everyone with an outstanding visa is thinking and hoping the same.

Looking at the results of the visa's completed for June, it looks like they are concentrating on visit visas. I know a lot of ex-pats go home for the summer months. But still they must of known this was going to happen. GET MORE STAFF. The whole process is a joke and is making England look like they don't care. All they care about is money.

Good luck to all for this week.

[dean999]

I thought of one thing the VFS could put on there Visa processing times page. How many applications they have outstanding. It would probably put more peoples minds at rest if it said something like 196 applications processed, 20 left for the month of may. One reason i think this would be good as well is, before i put my wifes application in i was looking at the processing times and saying to her it's ok there completing 100% in no more than 30 days, so your visa will be ready by the time i fly. What i didn't realise was they were completing 100% of the ones they are looking at and there were god knows how many still left on there desk.

Anyone else think it's a good idea.

[true blue]

my status page,has the message, application collected 27/07/2009 does it mean to collect passport as i asked for it to be sent to cargo services cnx or somet else,getting nervous now.

[marky1600]

True Blue I applied on the 5th of may but my status page still says

Your visa application has been forwarded to the British Embassy : 05 May 2009

this hasn't changed for 12 weeks

If wishing made it so

Yours sound different to this

[true blue]

yes markey, as i said mine says application collected 27/07/2009,bit worried as i seemed to have jumped the gun anyway will find out in the morning.

[Thongkorn]

Looks like i am the new boy , i put my application in on the 22 June, Just not thinking about it , Only 7 weeks to go ish

[Castor83]

my status page,has the message, application collected 27/07/2009 does it mean to collect passport as i asked for it to be sent to cargo services cnx or somet else,getting nervous now.

My girlfriend got a txt message saying that earlier today. I guess it means it's ready. I really dunno. My girlfriend is going tomorrow so I can let you know.

She's confident anyway, she says the girl at vfs place told her you wait 3 months, till you get the 2nd txt message, then come and get your visa, haha.

[true blue]

rang vfs,said sent off passport already should be able to pick it up at depot today,sweating now,seems strange to be so far ahead of every one else.

[alanr]

HI girlfriend got sms 10.40 thai time saying YOUR PASSPORT IS READY FOR COLLECTION fingers crossed same as suprich i think

Edited July 28, 2009 by alanr

[Suprich]

Well guys; I've just had a very excited girlfriend on the phone (5.30am UK time!!!) as her passport in ready to collect today!!

11 weeks 5 days (today) but fiancee will collect passport tomorrow!!

Now we just wait and hope it has an approved visa inside no??

Alanr - I'll try to call later as Tom has the news also!!

Fingers crossed now

(c'mon Embassy get your finger out for the guys still not heard from March!!)

[true blue]

sabi,sabi ji,happy happy everything ,visa passed. now we start packing air tickets pressies, be home for footy season start as well,hope missus like uk, good luck to every one waiting,and extra luck for chewy.

[marky1600]

Well we are also ready to pick up mrs is on the way to get there for 3pm will let you know how it goes.

Has anyone failed after 12weeks or do you tend to be refused earlier on?

Edited July 28, 2009 by marky1600

[true blue]

Well we are also ready to pick up mrs is on the way to get there for 3pm will let you know how it goes.

Has anyone failed after 12weeks or do you tend to be refused earlier on?

have faith mate, be positive,if not initiate plan B.lol

[rolypie]

Wow another influx of granted visas congrats everyone, whats happened to chewy????????

[marky1600]

Actually Plan B is not such a bad idea to me. I wouldnt mind being back in LOS