Settlement Visa, Waited 10 Weeks Then Refusal

[sumrit]

Which agency did you use ?

Another way of saying 'it wasn't me' :D

[nigelandjan]

Don't speak to another ECO ask to speak to the ECM (Entry Clearance Manager) go through the facts and say that you think that a mistake has been made and request that they review the decision.

Good luck

I sent them a polite fax yesterday pointing out the error, but as for speaking to the ECM, how would I go about doing that? Are their telephone numbers listed somewhere?

My agent is submitting the appeal today with the original of the divorce paper. I'll send another fax later.

Thanks for your support.

If you have used an agent I would be on to them like a ton of bricks to,,,they should have told you to supply her original divorce papers to make your application with. When I got my wifes visa we were both previously divorced and had to supply original signed and stamped divorce papers along with a ton of other crap,,, anyone else reading this its best to over egg this pudding , dont listen to what your mates tell you ,,this will be allright that will be allright MAKE SURE its an expensive and painfull hobby otherwise.

All the best to you both , hope to see you in the UK soon Im sure it will work out

[7by7]

I retain the view that the OP should try and reason with the ECM bearing in mind that the faxed copy of the divorce papers does not seem to have been questioned at the time.

Agree completely.

However, as there is a time limit on submitting an appeal he should do this too. The appeal can always been withdrawn if the original decision is overturned, as it should be.

[cuddleypete]

why do people keep using a visa agency when you can do it all yourself and much cheaper, and if goes wrong then you only got yourself to blame

[steve187]

On a similar note when we applied for my wifes settlement visa, we forgot to include my divorce papers, and like an idiot i had brought them to england, I had to sent them by fedex and the wife took them into the embassy when she went to collect her passport/visa a few days later, the embassy said yes to the visa on the grounds my divorce papers turned up, but of course the embassy had seen the papers when i obtained the ok to marry certificate from the embassy prior to us marrying in thailand.

[Brandx]

Don't speak to another ECO ask to speak to the ECM (Entry Clearance Manager) go through the facts and say that you think that a mistake has been made and request that they review the decision.

Good luck

I sent them a polite fax yesterday pointing out the error, but as for speaking to the ECM, how would I go about doing that? Are their telephone numbers listed somewhere?

My agent is submitting the appeal today with the original of the divorce paper. I'll send another fax later.

Thanks for your support.

If you have used an agent I would be on to them like a ton of bricks to,,,they should have told you to supply her original divorce papers to make your application with. When I got my wifes visa we were both previously divorced and had to supply original signed and stamped divorce papers along with a ton of other crap,,, anyone else reading this its best to over egg this pudding , dont listen to what your mates tell you ,,this will be allright that will be allright MAKE SURE its an expensive and painfull hobby otherwise.

All the best to you both , hope to see you in the UK soon Im sure it will work out

Yes I've given him hel_l this weekend, he's looking for excuses but as I pointed out to him...it was his job to prepare the package, therefore he should have asked us to supply any missing docs, no excuse your fault. Sort it out!

Wife's on her way to BKK today (Monday), I wouldn't like to be in his shoes when she gets there . Ha ha!

I won't be asking him to arrange the Schengen, she can do that herself.

Cheers

[cuddleypete]

Good on your wife give him hel_l, and good she do Schengen visa herself,

are you going to name agency who cocked it up??? so other people dont make the same mistake off using them

Hope you get it sorted out and you get to uk soon

all the best pete

[nigelandjan]

why do people keep using a visa agency when you can do it all yourself and much cheaper, and if goes wrong then you only got yourself to blame

People use visa agencies because if you choose a good one in the long run it is a hel_l of a lot cheaper ,, at £600 a throw to cock it up with a silly mistake and then to start getting refusal stamps , also you might have legal jargon that needs translation thai / english ie divorce papers etc also hopefully it provides a quicker route to be together

[nigelandjan]

Don't speak to another ECO ask to speak to the ECM (Entry Clearance Manager) go through the facts and say that you think that a mistake has been made and request that they review the decision.

Good luck

I sent them a polite fax yesterday pointing out the error, but as for speaking to the ECM, how would I go about doing that? Are their telephone numbers listed somewhere?

My agent is submitting the appeal today with the original of the divorce paper. I'll send another fax later.

Thanks for your support.

If you have used an agent I would be on to them like a ton of bricks to,,,they should have told you to supply her original divorce papers to make your application with. When I got my wifes visa we were both previously divorced and had to supply original signed and stamped divorce papers along with a ton of other crap,,, anyone else reading this its best to over egg this pudding , dont listen to what your mates tell you ,,this will be allright that will be allright MAKE SURE its an expensive and painfull hobby otherwise.

All the best to you both , hope to see you in the UK soon Im sure it will work out

Yes I've given him hel_l this weekend, he's looking for excuses but as I pointed out to him...it was his job to prepare the package, therefore he should have asked us to supply any missing docs, no excuse your fault. Sort it out!

Wife's on her way to BKK today (Monday), I wouldn't like to be in his shoes when she gets there . Ha ha!

I won't be asking him to arrange the Schengen, she can do that herself.

Cheers

Your missus sounds like a fiery beast ,, are u sure your doing the right thing ,, reading your posts she,s beginning to scare me !

[cuddleypete]

why do people keep using a visa agency when you can do it all yourself and much cheaper, and if goes wrong then you only got yourself to blame

People use visa agencies because if you choose a good one in the long run it is a hel_l of a lot cheaper ,, at £600 a throw to cock it up with a silly mistake and then to start getting refusal stamps , also you might have legal jargon that needs translation thai / english ie divorce papers etc also hopefully it provides a quicker route to be together

All i can say that when i did my wife's settelment visa i was told that the embassey DO NOT like people using AGENCIES this is when you could go in to the embassey some 5 years ago (and i remember that i saw a lot of agent touts getting thrown out off embassey) And i was told they look more favorable when you do it yourself, I myself felt great when i did it myself with my wife and the help of the scouser and this forum of course, And regarding translation of paperwork thai / english ie divorce papers etc there is plenty off good place's you can use as many people have posted on this forum,which will save you money.

Pete Som &ben

[TheFiend]

People use visa agencies because if you choose a good one in the long run it is a hel_l of a lot cheaper ,, at £600 a throw to cock it up with a silly mistake and then to start getting refusal stamps , also you might have legal jargon that needs translation thai / english ie divorce papers etc also hopefully it provides a quicker route to be together

Cheaper in the long run...... you must be joking!!!!! Quicker.......... very much doubt it!!!!

If you do your homework , there is no need to use an agent. Only idiots with more money than sense use an agent. Once you have collected the evidence required, then you are just about there. The hardest part is filling the form in. For a Settlement Visa it is all about proving you can support your spouse, have somewhere to live and that you have a committed long term relationship. As long as you can provide the proof, the UK BA will grant a visa.

We went to an agency that offfered free advice, and within minutes of sitting down with them they resorted to the hard sell offering us their service for 60K baht, saying they would guarantee a visa...... LOL!!!

We decided to go the DIY route for getting married and applying for the Settlement Visa, and to tell the truth an agent couldn't have done it any quicker. I had researched what documentation was needed before flying out to Thailand, so went out prepared.

The refusal in this case was because of a lack of documentatery evidence - "original" divorce papers and payslips - the agent Brandx used should have picked this up before the application was submitted.

Brandx - Good luck and I hope you get this sorted.

[cuddleypete]

I agree with you the friend Cheaper in the long run...... you must be joking!!!!! Quicker.......... very much doubt it!!!!

[yaketyak]

All this talk about the OP's agent is really irrellevant and not helping the OP now. What he would and wouldn't like to do to him is equally irrellevant. He won't get a refund and the agent can do nothing with the embassy now. Put it down to a bad experience .. fact is you needn't really have used an agent at all.

The point now is that several members have advised you to contact the ECM ,this would have been my advice too, so have you done it yet and whats the result. You simply phone them and ask to speak to her. The website says that Aleyne Howerd is still ECM . For that i am sorry for you . Having spoken to her over the phone in 2005 i can tell you she struck me as very unpleasant , loves to uphold refusals and make people go through the terribly long winded process of appeal.

However IF everything is as you say , its hard to see how even she could uphold the refusal.

Also contact the authorities in the UK and complain and go to see your MP .

Don't sit back and do nothing . Time is of the essence as this will go cold quickly if it hasn't already.

[Brandx]

All this talk about the OP's agent is really irrellevant and not helping the OP now. What he would and wouldn't like to do to him is equally irrellevant. He won't get a refund and the agent can do nothing with the embassy now. Put it down to a bad experience .. fact is you needn't really have used an agent at all.

The point now is that several members have advised you to contact the ECM ,this would have been my advice too, so have you done it yet and whats the result. You simply phone them and ask to speak to her. The website says that Aleyne Howerd is still ECM . For that i am sorry for you . Having spoken to her over the phone in 2005 i can tell you she struck me as very unpleasant , loves to uphold refusals and make people go through the terribly long winded process of appeal.

However IF everything is as you say , its hard to see how even she could uphold the refusal.

Also contact the authorities in the UK and complain and go to see your MP .

Don't sit back and do nothing . Time is of the essence as this will go cold quickly if it hasn't already.

No way this is going cold. I'm being a bit relaxed cos I'm pretty laid back and would prefer to laugh at this crazy situation. Eventually we will get this visa and although it would be nice to have my lovely lady here now, I can wait. The agent is stewing quite nicely at the moment and the pain being inflicted on him for me is very enjoyable and tomorrow (tues) is one that I'm sure he will remember for sure as the Misses is in town. She's sweet really but can't tolerate fools!!

I know i'm an idiot for using an agent... but 4 easy and cheap visa's we had is not bad. He got sloppy this time and I hope this will be a warning to you other guys to check the papers yourself if you use an agent.

This week will be interesting, so I shall keep you guys informed.

cheers

[learningcurve]

I hope this issue is resolved quickly. It is my understanding that once the appeal has been submitted to the visa section, the ECO who originally refused the application will review the application in light of the appeal, and thus have a chance to overturn his own dicision before wasting tax payers money by forwarding the appeal to the appealate court. On a similar note, I have been living here for eight years now, and in that time have taken my girlfriend (now wife) with me the to the UK on several occasions, each time preparing our own visa application. However there are many people that have trouble understanding visa requirements (amongst others) and have trouble completing application forms, visa or otherwise. Over the years I have assisted many friends completing various application forms, from passport renewal to birth registration, to visa applications. So it is unfair for some posters to say "why don't you do it yourself?", some people do not have administrive or organizational skills. On this note, I pay people to paint my house or fix my car because I am a complete duffer when it comes to anything resembling 'hands on' skills.

With regards......learningcurve.

[nigelandjan]

People use visa agencies because if you choose a good one in the long run it is a hel_l of a lot cheaper ,, at £600 a throw to cock it up with a silly mistake and then to start getting refusal stamps , also you might have legal jargon that needs translation thai / english ie divorce papers etc also hopefully it provides a quicker route to be together

Cheaper in the long run...... you must be joking!!!!! Quicker.......... very much doubt it!!!!

If you do your homework , there is no need to use an agent. Only idiots with more money than sense use an agent. Once you have collected the evidence required, then you are just about there. The hardest part is filling the form in. For a Settlement Visa it is all about proving you can support your spouse, have somewhere to live and that you have a committed long term relationship. As long as you can provide the proof, the UK BA will grant a visa.

We went to an agency that offfered free advice, and within minutes of sitting down with them they resorted to the hard sell offering us their service for 60K baht, saying they would guarantee a visa...... LOL!!!

We decided to go the DIY route for getting married and applying for the Settlement Visa, and to tell the truth an agent couldn't have done it any quicker. I had researched what documentation was needed before flying out to Thailand, so went out prepared.

The refusal in this case was because of a lack of documentatery evidence - "original" divorce papers and payslips - the agent Brandx used should have picked this up before the application was submitted.

Brandx - Good luck and I hope you get this sorted.

Ok I am an idiot with more money than sense ,, but then I am an uneducated lorry driver so what do you expect ?? However I am very happy when I can feel my wife give me a cuddle in bed tonight , and cook me a lovely Thai meal ( or English ) and share our lives together in the UK ,when so many other ( clever ? ) people that do their own visa,s end up living 6000 miles apart. Each to their own pal .

As an aside my wife has a cousin been married to an American ( a wealthy bussiness man by all accounts ) however he thinks he is cleverer than the system , they are USA legally married and guess what 2 and a half years later they are STILL submitting their own visas.

I can fit kitchens ,, tile bathrooms , etc but filling in forms , not for me I pay someone everytime,,there are many expats living in the LOS bored out their skulls all day ,, so yes it must be great relief for them to research and fill out lots of paperwork for visitor visas to go back home

[7by7]

Whether one chooses to use an agent, elicit help from boards such as this, go it alone or any combination of these is a personal choice.

When I applied for my wife's settlement visa in 2000 I knew nothing about the process. I did not have access to the internet, even if this or other similar forums existed at the time. So we used an agent, recommended by a couple we met at the embassy while picking up the forms.

I have nothing but praise for this man; he seemed at the time to know what he was doing and having taken an interest in these matters since, I know that impression was correct. We kept in touch with him, and if it wasn't for the fact that he has since retired I would not hesitate to recommend him. He was Thai, by the way.

However, I now know that we took a risk in using an agent in Thailand, whether Thai or British, as very few of these are properly qualified or regulated. To be blunt, most of them are unqualified form fillers and some are out and out crooks. We were lucky in finding an ethical man who knew the system, charged a fair fee and did not make promises he could not keep.

By all means use an agent if you wish, but make sure that they are qualified and regulated in the UK, i.e. on the OISC register.

[TheFiend]

Ok I am an idiot with more money than sense ,, but then I am an uneducated lorry driver so what do you expect ?? However I am very happy when I can feel my wife give me a cuddle in bed tonight , and cook me a lovely Thai meal ( or English ) and share our lives together in the UK ,when so many other ( clever ? ) people that do their own visa,s end up living 6000 miles apart. Each to their own pal .

As an aside my wife has a cousin been married to an American ( a wealthy bussiness man by all accounts ) however he thinks he is cleverer than the system , they are USA legally married and guess what 2 and a half years later they are STILL submitting their own visas.

I can fit kitchens ,, tile bathrooms , etc but filling in forms , not for me I pay someone everytime,,there are many expats living in the LOS bored out their skulls all day ,, so yes it must be great relief for them to research and fill out lots of paperwork for visitor visas to go back home

As has been shown by the OP of this thread, using an agent does not guarantee the application will be successful.

The agent should have checked all the correct documentation was supplied before submission.... they didn't.

When we went to see an agent for "free" advice..... they tried the hard sell on us - 60K Baht for a "guaranteed" visa. We told them we were doing it ourselves, and that we just needed advice on filling in the form, they then said they can fill it for us for 300 baht - so we let them fill it in. Before submiiting the application I checked through the form and found 3 mistakes on the application. That was binned and we wrote out a new one.

Even if you use an agent you still have the hard work of providing proof of accomodation, finding bank statements, payslips, phone bills, mortgage statements and such like. That's the hard part - all the agent basically does is fill in the form, check all the documentation required is there and then package it all together.

If people want to do the application themselves there is plenty of advice on how to do it, and how to fill the forms in, on forums like this one. The internet is a wonderful thing.

And did you know that over 90% of UK Visa applications in Bangkok are successful?

My wife agreed with me about not using agent........ she said "better save money for us, na"..... I agree - keeping my old Porsche running costs a bit of money! LOL!!!

[TheFiend]

Whether one chooses to use an agent, elicit help from boards such as this, go it alone or any combination of these is a personal choice.

However, I now know that we took a risk in using an agent in Thailand, whether Thai or British, as very few of these are properly qualified or regulated. To be blunt, most of them are unqualified form fillers and some are out and out crooks. We were lucky in finding an ethical man who knew the system, charged a fair fee and did not make promises he could not keep.

By all means use an agent if you wish, but make sure that they are qualified and regulated in the UK, i.e. on the OISC register.

I tend to agree with you there about using one that is OISC registered. At least you know you will be dealing with a reputable agent not out to rip you off.

[Brandx]

Wife just had a call from the Embassy....come and get your Visa on Wednesday. YES!!!!

Good luck to all you guys still waiting and thanks for your help.

cheers

[Boo]

Excellent result, well done & I hope she settles well in UK

[theoldgit]

Wife just had a call from the Embassy....come and get your Visa on Wednesday. YES!!!!

Really pleased for both of you, how did you achieve the turn about?

[sumrit]

Wife just had a call from the Embassy....come and get your Visa on Wednesday. YES!!!!

Good luck to all you guys still waiting and thanks for your help.

cheers

Thats great news. Good luck for the future

[Brandx]

Wife just had a call from the Embassy....come and get your Visa on Wednesday. YES!!!!

Really pleased for both of you, how did you achieve the turn about?

Not sure, I have not been able to speak to them directly, but a series of grovelling faxes may have helped.

[kennkate]

Well done Pleased you managed to sort it in couple of weeks It must have been hel_l for you

It is bad enough for us lot waiting, but surely a nightmare for you

I wish you and your wife A happy life in the UK Good Luck

[theoldgit]

Well at the end of the day it's the result that counts.

[Merangue]

Congratulations BrandX. Good to see at least some of the ECO's are willing to overturn their decisions.

[TheFiend]

Congrats Brandx

[yaketyak]

Wife just had a call from the Embassy....come and get your Visa on Wednesday. YES!!!!

Really pleased for both of you, how did you achieve the turn about?

Not sure, I have not been able to speak to them directly, but a series of grovelling faxes may have helped.

No Brandx , whatever reason it was it was NOT due to a series of grovelling faxes. That implies they are compassionate and care about you and yours. You should know by now they neither care about you nor are compassionate.

Mostr likely scenario is that they looked at your case , decided they were in error and that the refusal wouldn't stand at appeal , and issued the visa. Did they enclose with the visa a letter of profound apology? No of course they didn't.

After all your suffering you no doubt want to move on . What you should do is write a letter of complaint to them asking for a full statement as to why they overturned the refusal and if it admits to fault on their part then copy it to your MP and ask him/ her to investigate why these errors are happening . Because it affects others in the future not just you.

Congratulations, but in your joy don't forget the suffering they caused you.

[yaketyak]

Well at the end of the day it's the result that counts.

No i don't agree. "At the end of the day" , we should have a system where those entitled to a visa get it ,WITHOUT HASSLE, and those that aren't don't. So many who are entitled have their lives turned upside down for months or years because although entitled to the visa our deliberately unclear and vague rules mean ECO's can interpret them differently causing a lottery as to whether you get the visa or not. A clearer system should be introduced to take away all the uncertainty.