Uk Settlement

[Eff1n2ret]

................ but has never done immigration stuff.

None of the people now running the UK Border Agency have - draw what conclusions you will from that.

[simiUK]

................ but has never done immigration stuff.

None of the people now running the UK Border Agency have - draw what conclusions you will from that.

cool... she cant be any worse than the tardy crew running it at the moment... maybe we could print out all the 88 pages from this thread and send them to her with a "welcome to your new job card"... might save her a few bob on a futile qualitative survey on customer satisfaction and service.

[Thongkorn]

Well another week has gone by , has anybody who submitted there visa application from the beginning of June got any replays, I have heard from my friend he got refused a Holiday visa , there seems to be a few refusals about ,

[Bukseeda]

Well another week has gone by , has anybody who submitted there visa application from the beginning of June got any replays, I have heard from my friend he got refused a Holiday visa , there seems to be a few refusals about ,

nothing yet

[simiUK]

Well another week has gone by , has anybody who submitted there visa application from the beginning of June got any replays, I have heard from my friend he got refused a Holiday visa , there seems to be a few refusals about ,

nothing yet

got a reply to my complaint email today which only took 4 days. i wanted them to confirm my application wouldnt be processed by the end of next week so i can change the missus' return flight booked for 5 sept... got the same reply everyone else gets re. applications now taking "around 3 months". im convinced if you complain your hovercraft is full of jellied eels you'd get the same reply.

good luck to your good self and thongkorn whose next on the list you must be hearing something in the next week or so.

[Thongkorn]

Thanks simiUk I Agree with you about the replys , i think they are just standard replys , like press button B. I don't know the point in putting , track your visa on line when all you get is your visa has been submitted, whats the point. it does not help anyone.

[Bukseeda]

Well another week has gone by , has anybody who submitted there visa application from the beginning of June got any replays, I have heard from my friend he got refused a Holiday visa , there seems to be a few refusals about ,

nothing yet

got a reply to my complaint email today which only took 4 days. i wanted them to confirm my application wouldnt be processed by the end of next week so i can change the missus' return flight booked for 5 sept... got the same reply everyone else gets re. applications now taking "around 3 months". im convinced if you complain your hovercraft is full of jellied eels you'd get the same reply.

good luck to your good self and thongkorn whose next on the list you must be hearing something in the next week or so.

Thanks. You too. My missus was booked on Eva air and the agent let her change it the afternoon before flying but i suppose it might depend on the airline. The only problem we have now is that the earliest she could reschedule it too was 29 Sep (she was supposed to fly here today).

[Thongkorn]

My misses has not booked a flight yet because i was expecting a wait , thats the next problem , If The visa is granted

Edited August 28, 2009 by Thongkorn

[Bukseeda]

My misses has not booked a flight yet because i was expecting a wait , thats the next problem , If The visa is granted

You could get her to make a reservation. Most agents will let you pay the week before.

[Thongkorn]

I cannot make a reservation because i do not know when the visa will get granted it could be a few weeks yet, by the looks of things.I don't see a problem really because she can book and pay at the same time. I dont want to jump the gun so to speak,

[Bird on the Wire]

.. got the same reply everyone else gets re. applications now taking "around 3 months". im convinced if you complain your hovercraft is full of jellied eels you'd get the same reply....

Further exeplification of the tick box mentality that now pervades the UKBA.

Additional "word on da street" has it that Bangkok was in line to receive two new ECOs, but they failed their exams. How on earth can such an exam be failed? Surely the questionpaper simply requires that the budding ECO is able to tick a sufficient number of boxes within a defined timeframe?

[tjthai]

Nothing has changed since the 17/8 decision. If this forum list is indicative of ACTUAL spplications then it would seem they have stopped processing them altogether and working on Student and Visit visas instead

Bukseeda we feel for you mate, everyday must be "Today will be the day"........

Let's hope they have another blitz and finish June...and maybe early July too!

Chins up everyone

[Andrew Hicks]

.. got the same reply everyone else gets re. applications now taking "around 3 months". im convinced if you complain your hovercraft is full of jellied eels you'd get the same reply....

Further exeplification of the tick box mentality that now pervades the UKBA.

Additional "word on da street" has it that Bangkok was in line to receive two new ECOs, but they failed their exams. How on earth can such an exam be failed? Surely the questionpaper simply requires that the budding ECO is able to tick a sufficient number of boxes within a defined timeframe?

Do ECOs do an exam?

Once they have the job I understand they go on a three week training course. Since they're paying them, they might want them to repeat aspects of the course but can't exactly fail them. (Three weeks seems pretty short considering the byzantine complexity of Bitish immigration law and practice... which might explain a few things.)

When I last looked, the VFS website was giving contradictory info on settlement visas, saying in one place that applications take 4 to 6 weeks and at another that the delays have increased to 12 weeks.

Do they not realise how important it is to supply correct current information on this?

Andrewy

[Bukseeda]

Nothing has changed since the 17/8 decision. If this forum list is indicative of ACTUAL spplications then it would seem they have stopped processing them altogether and working on Student and Visit visas instead

Bukseeda we feel for you mate, everyday must be "Today will be the day"........

Let's hope they have another blitz and finish June...and maybe early July too!

Chins up everyone

Thanks mate. Funny thing is neither of us (me and the fiance) were stressed about until about a week and a half ago. It was when the couple who applied the day before us got it (2 weeks ago now) that we started getting our hopes up. You start to feel like it never will be the day!

[simiUK]

Do they not realise how important it is to supply correct current information on this?

Andrewy

spot on. they are providing no form of individualised service whatsoever which is outrageous when we're paying £600 which more than covers their costs. the VFS enquiries answer phone message is STILL saying that applications are being processed in order of due date to travel which is absolutely not true based on the experience of most of us on here. that their standardised responses are inconsistent, incorrect and contradictory is totally unacceptable.

[learningcurve]

With reference to the processing time, along with a large number of applications being submitted coupled with the Visa Section being understaffed, I have also heard of another problem. The rumour is that a large number of Student Visa Applications have been refused due to the applications not meeting the new student visa requirements (the applications submitted based on the 'old' requirements), therefore having taken the time to review and refuse the applications the visa staff are now seeing the same person applications being submitted again (to meet the new requirements). How true this is I do not know.

[7by7]

Do they not realise how important it is to supply correct current information on this?

Andrewy

spot on. they are providing no form of individualised service whatsoever which is outrageous when we're paying £600 which more than covers their costs.

The current high visa fees, for in and out of UK applications, were set by Gordon Brown when he was chancellor as a way of raising money for the exchequer. They bear absolutely no relation to the actual cost of the service.

How much VFS keep I don't know, but suspect that it is very little. If memory serves, before the VFS fee was absorbed into the overall visa fee it was something like an extra 300baht per application. Can anyone say for sure?

I can see no contradiction on the VAC website over processing times. As ever, they give a minimum and a maximum time, together with a link to the current times. (See Guide to Processing Times.)

For as long as I can remember, going back to pre-VAC days, the official advice has always been "We recommend that you allow at least a month (for non-settlement) and 3 months (for settlement)." I understand that even at the busiest period recently, 90% of applications were dealt with within these time scales.

[Jaggg88]

Do they not realise how important it is to supply correct current information on this?

Andrewy

spot on. they are providing no form of individualised service whatsoever which is outrageous when we're paying £600 which more than covers their costs.

The current high visa fees, for in and out of UK applications, were set by Gordon Brown when he was chancellor as a way of raising money for the exchequer. They bear absolutely no relation to the actual cost of the service.

How much VFS keep I don't know, but suspect that it is very little. If memory serves, before the VFS fee was absorbed into the overall visa fee it was something like an extra 300baht per application. Can anyone say for sure?

I can see no contradiction on the VAC website over processing times. As ever, they give a minimum and a maximum time, together with a link to the current times. (See Guide to Processing Times.)

For as long as I can remember, going back to pre-VAC days, the official advice has always been "We recommend that you allow at least a month (for non-settlement) and 3 months (for settlement)." I understand that even at the busiest period recently, 90% of applications were dealt with within these time scales.

You're absolutely right the fees bear no relation to cost and are just another stealth tax. Those of you who haven't been back to the UK for a while will soon fall prey to Gordon Brown and his stealth taxes - they're everywhere. Meanwhile I think the Embassy has closed for August..not funny I know but it seems they have for settlement visas.

[Bukseeda]

Do they not realise how important it is to supply correct current information on this?

Andrewy

spot on. they are providing no form of individualised service whatsoever which is outrageous when we're paying £600 which more than covers their costs.

The current high visa fees, for in and out of UK applications, were set by Gordon Brown when he was chancellor as a way of raising money for the exchequer. They bear absolutely no relation to the actual cost of the service.

How much VFS keep I don't know, but suspect that it is very little. If memory serves, before the VFS fee was absorbed into the overall visa fee it was something like an extra 300baht per application. Can anyone say for sure?

I can see no contradiction on the VAC website over processing times. As ever, they give a minimum and a maximum time, together with a link to the current times. (See Guide to Processing Times.)

For as long as I can remember, going back to pre-VAC days, the official advice has always been "We recommend that you allow at least a month (for non-settlement) and 3 months (for settlement)." I understand that even at the busiest period recently, 90% of applications were dealt with within these time scales.

You're absolutely right the fees bear no relation to cost and are just another stealth tax. Those of you who haven't been back to the UK for a while will soon fall prey to Gordon Brown and his stealth taxes - they're everywhere. Meanwhile I think the Embassy has closed for August..not funny I know but it seems they have for settlement visas.

Regardless of the reason why the costs are so high or who gets what, the outrage felt at poor service for such a high fee is fully justified.

[7by7]

Agreed; but don't direct that outrage at the VAC or even the embassy, direct it where the true fault lies. This so-called Labour government. They set not only the fees but the staffing levels too!

[moodysufc]

Just about got my Appeal sorted out but have a few questions about it

1. Do i hand in the previous folder that i supplied at the beginning of the application process including replacement documents that the ECO has kept or do i just hand in the extra evidence that will address the reasons of refusal.

2. Do i include my girlfriends passport with this

3. Where do i hand it in?? The ECO did not add the local address on the Notice of Immigration Decision so is the VFS office or the Embassy.

4. On the AIT 2 form it asks for the name of the British mission, i'm guessing this is just "British Embassy Bangkok"?

Thanks for any help on this as hopefully i can get this handed in tomorrow or thursday

[Thongkorn]

The silence from the visa application centerer is deafening. 10 weeks to day , looks like June applications have come to a halt. has anybody got the Big TeX message yet.

[Bukseeda]

The silence from the visa application centerer is deafening. 10 weeks to day , looks like June applications have come to a halt. has anybody got the Big TeX message yet.

Still waiting mate. My missus sounds like she's given up.

[enquirer]

The silence from the visa application centerer is deafening. 10 weeks to day , looks like June applications have come to a halt. has anybody got the Big TeX message yet.

My daughter in law (Thai) got a probably automated message via sms telling her that her Spouse Visa application was forwarded to the Embassy the same day she submitted it, 19th August.

Not very exciting news, I agree.

[Thongkorn]

The silence from the visa application centerer is deafening. 10 weeks to day , looks like June applications have come to a halt. has anybody got the Big TeX message yet.

My daughter in law (Thai) got a probably automated message via sms telling her that her Spouse Visa application was forwarded to the Embassy the same day she submitted it, 19th August.

Not very exciting news, I agree.

Thats standard practice mate

[marcjaiyenyen]

would like to know if;

1, solely supported is the same as sole responsibility ? for child to live with her mother.

2, if an interrogation the maintenance of a child document signed by 2 guardian witnesses and local district office is enough for application for a child to come and live with her in u.k .

3, and do the documents have to be in within a certain time frame i.e within 6 months?

hope someone can give light many thanks, marcjaiyenyen

peace and light to one and all

[tjthai]

Come on you June guys (don't give up Bukseeda's Missus) it could be today

And as if all this waiting wasn't stressful enough, we're living in Hua Hin and now only got about half a packet of Tetley tea bags left

Good luck everyone.

[sumrit]

Come on you June guys (don't give up Bukseeda's Missus) it could be today

And as if all this waiting wasn't stressful enough, we're living in Hua Hin and now only got about half a packet of Tetley tea bags left

Good luck everyone.

Mine ran out three weeks before my wife and stepdaughter's visas were issued, so get drinking:lol:

[tjthai]

Good advice sumrit........will quaff the tea asap, although I do have to supplement Tetleys with the ocassional, medicinal, Singha beer

[Bukseeda]

Come on you June guys (don't give up Bukseeda's Missus) it could be today

And as if all this waiting wasn't stressful enough, we're living in Hua Hin and now only got about half a packet of Tetley tea bags left

Good luck everyone.

Mine ran out three weeks before my wife and stepdaughter's visas were issued, so get drinking:lol:

Maybe that's the problem for us then. Every time I visit Thailand my fiancee insists I bring 100s of teabags for her and 100s more for her mother. They're into Yorkshire Tea at the moment and must have a month's supply left.