Uk Settlement Visa Application - Supporting Documents

[samsingsong]

My wife and I went to Regent House on Friday (20 Jan 2012) for her to put in her application for a UK Settlement Visa to VFS.

We had included with the application supporting documents my previous UK passport (and my wife’s previous Thai passport). As husband / sponsor I thought this would not only confirm my identity / UK status, but also our extensive foreign travel together (including to the UK) for the last 7 years.

I had made one or two mentions in the application about my old passport being included, so that our travel dates / stamps could be compared to prove our travels together.

When my wife emerged from the application centre after 2 hours, she was clutching my old passport, which she said VFS had rejected, saying it wasn’t needed.

The UKBA ‘Guide to Supporting Documents’ states “It is not a list of documents that you must submit. We do not expect you to provide all of the documents listed below; it is for you to decide which documents are most relevant to your application.”

We had decided that my previous passport was relevant, for the above mentioned reasons.

My questions are:

* Should VFS be allowed to contradict this UKBA guidance?

* What should we now do, as my wife’s application contains reference to my old passport which VFS removed? (The ECO might be puzzled without any explanation).

Any suggestions gratefully received.

[beano2274]

Did you supply photocopies of the passport?

Guidance says it is not required, therefore they did not accept it. Does her previous passport show that the travel you stated took place?

All her previous applications are held on computer so they can easily reference it to you as well.

The gurus will be on here soon ready to answer in more detail.

Edited January 23, 2012 by beano2274

[samsingsong]

Hi Beano,

Yes, I supplied photocopies of the relevant pages of my current UK passport.

That passport was only issued in 2010, and our travels together go back to 2005.

My wife's old and current passports show she has travelled to all these places, but without MY passport stamps we don't have the proof that she went there with me!

(The UKBA may be able to link our travels together to the UK, but not to all the other countries we've been together).

This is why we decided that this (passport) was a relevant document- as per the UKBA guidance notes (as far as I understand them).

The fact remains that the application has references in it to my old passport which VFS removed!

Edited January 23, 2012 by samsingsong

[beano2274]

Sorry but my understanding is it is her application, she has shown her previous travel and also the Embassy have a record of your previous applications for her tourist visas so they know she travelled with you. Your new passport confirms your identity, they have kept the letter which shows that they have taken on board what you have written.

How do you know exactly what was said, maybe they checked your letter against the passport and said to your wife, it is okay we do not need the passport, as they could see it matched your letter.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Drop them an email you will get a reply within 10 days generally VFS should have included it with the application. Do not presume anything with the UK/BA in Bangkok you may feel let down.

You should have copied all your evidence of previous visits stamps in/out of Thailand.

[VisasPlus]

There are several ways to look at this, but the bottom line is, I think, that VFS are there to ensure that all the required documentation is attached to the application. In my view, it is not their place to take documentation out. If the ECO doesn't want to look at it, that is his choice, not VFS's.

As your wife's application attracts a right of appeal if it is refused, I wouldn't worry. If UKBA managed to come up with a reason for refusal that was caused by your old passport being excluded from the application, then it is simple enough just to provide it to them. The refusal decision would then be overturned.

Should the application be refused solely for this reason, then please contact me and I will take the matter up on your behalf.

[samsingsong]

Thanks for your answer Thai Visa Express.

Do you mean email VFS or the UKBA?

Actually I was looking for the UKBA email address but could only find an address for complaints - and this isn't so much a formal complaint as a concern.

I'd be grateful for the relevant email address please.

I didn't photocopy my entire old passport - just supplied it. UKBA say that if you don't supply photocopies of original documents then the originals may not be returned. I didn't care if the UKBA returned my old passport or not, but of course didn't expect VFS to reject it!

Edited January 23, 2012 by samsingsong

[samsingsong]

Thank you for your reply and kind offer Visa Plus.

I don't expect this to be a 'make or break' issue. There is plenty of other evidence of our relationship.

But then again I only have the experience so far of applying for 3 visitors visas successfully, and I have read here of some 'surprising' outcomes for settlement visa applications.

It's a rather stressful time - preparing all the documentation then waiting for the result. I would just have felt a little more confident if my old passport had been inculded in the application.