Called For Cp Interview

[silomfan]

Hello to everyone,

Can some experienced posters suggest an answer to this ? . Me and my partner recently applied for the new Civil Partnership visa and today he got a letter asking him to call in any day next week . It appears to be a pre-printed letter , in thai, with an either/ or option for the Embassy to delete as appropriate.

First option, which they ticked , says call in any day , and the second option says "come in for interview on xxxxx day" They only ticked the first box saying come in any day.

Now this is odd to me . I thought all interviews were by strict appointment. Also it doesn't say what he is coming in for although the letter goes on to say that all the usual documents you would expect them to ask for should be brought in if not already submitted.

Now i know this sounds just like they are saying come in for an interview, but if so why do they leave it up to him when he goes in ?? I have not encountered this before. I know they are trying to speed things up to clear the backlog, is this some kind of way to help them do it ??

Anyone else had this form and what did it mean ?

SILOMFAN

[GU22]

I'm probably not the person you want to hear this from, but.......

This is the standard "short interview" letter. When he goes, he will be asked a few simple questions at the counter and provided his answers are consistent with the information already supplied, he will be told to come back later that day, or more probably the next day, to collect his visa.

Congratulations, it's in the bag.

[silomfan]

I'm probably not the person you want to hear this from, but.......

This is the standard "short interview" letter. When he goes, he will be asked a few simple questions at the counter and provided his answers are consistent with the information already supplied, he will be told to come back later that day, or more probably the next day, to collect his visa.

Congratulations, it's in the bag.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

GU22 thank you for taking the trouble to reply. I know we never see eye to eye but this is one occasion when i hope you are right . So that means "short interview" does it ? So you are saying he can go in , go to the counter , get a few simple questions right (what sort of simple questions do they ask ?) and hopefully thats it . Its just i have never had this b4, only success or full interview .

I'm not being cheeky, but are you sure that ticking the first box 1) means "short interview" or are you guessing ?

Thanks again

SILOMFAN

[GU22]

Yes, I am certain, having seen this happen many times; to friends of mine and reported in forums such as this.

The questions are very simple. Although my wife was given an actual date and time for her interview, she was effectively given short interview treatment once there as she was only asked about half a dozen questions and the interview lasted only about 10 minutes. It's been 5 years, but from memory she was asked things like "What are his parents names?" She said she didn't know, but I called them Mum and Dad "How many brothers and sisters does he have, and what are their names?" She said she knew I had 2 brothers and a sister, but couldn't remember their names. This is important, because although she could have made up the answers (how would they know?) if she had been asked again and stumbled or even worse given a different answer............

If he doesn't know or can't remember, then that is what he should say.

As I said, provided his answers are consistent with the information already supplied, then he will get his visa.

[silomfan]

Well thank you again for that.

Out of interest to others who may be in my position i will update after my partner has been to the Embassy . He is unlikely to go before early January as they are mostly closed until then and also we want to run through all the likely questions beforehand so no stupid mistakes are made.

I will post update within 2 weeks

Finally a big thank you to all those who have helped me with their opinions to my various posts , even those who disagreed with me.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all

SILOMFAN

[Krub]

Well thank you again for that.

Out of interest to others who may be in my position i will update after my partner has been to the Embassy . He is unlikely to go before early January as they are mostly closed until then and also we want to run through all the likely questions beforehand so no stupid mistakes are made.

I will post update within 2 weeks

Finally a big thank you to all those who have helped me with their opinions to my various posts , even those who disagreed with me.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all

SILOMFAN

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good luck I sincerely hope you will be successful.

When preparing for possible questions make sure you do not make up 'stories'

They are very difficult to remember and might trip your partner at the interview

[charles]

Yep, we had exactly the same letter earlier this month. As said, it means short interview, which is a quick over the counter interview. If granted, the visa will be issued on the that day, may have to wait about an hour or so.

[GU22]

we want to run through all the likely questions beforehand so no stupid mistakes are made.

I assume that you and he have told the truth on the application, and not tried to hide anything? Then how can he make a stupid mistake? He will be asked a few questions that have already been answered in the paper application, merely to see if his answers consistent.

The only way to ensure that applicants don't trip up in the interview, even a short interview, is to always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

[Prakanong2005]

"The only way to ensure that applicants don't trip up in the interview, even a short interview, is to always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!"

I know two Diplomats in the FCO (admittedley they are not in rhe consular section), one my best pal, and they have both emphasised the above to me - I even heard one tell a girl to admit she met the guy in the bar and do not lie - she did and was successful.

OP

From what I have read on another board regarding CP short interviews over the last couple of weeks they were straightforward. I started a post about this a couiple of days ago.

Hope your's goes well too.

[the scouser]

I even heard one tell a girl to admit she met the guy in the bar and do not lie - she did and was successful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's not the ECO's role to make moral judgments, and if they find a given situation morally offensive, they should not let it influence the overall decision.

Consequently, the fact that an applicant used to work in a bar should not, per se, prejudice the application. There are other factors which come into play, however. For example, the visa officer will still need to be satisfied that the relationship is genuine, something which could be in doubt given the nature of such an applicant's occupation.

Scouse.

[GU22]

I read a while ago on another board of an applicant who said she worked in a beauty shop and met her sponsor there. Under questioning it emerged that she had really worked in a bar and that was how she met her boyfriend.

Apparently the ECO (female) hit the roof. She waved the papers about, exclaiming that they had enough evidence for the visa to be granted. She reportedly said "You have enough here to prove you are a genuine couple! Why did you lie! Your application is so good I'm going to grant you your visa, but I could have refused you because you have lied!"

As Scouse says, the ECOs are not there to pass moral judgements. They know that many couples meet in a bar, and probably suspect that most do.

If ex-bargirls didn't get visas, there'd be a lot fewer Thai wives in the UK than there are!

[silomfan]

Thanks again to everyone who's replied.

Just to be clear....what i meant by "not making a stupid mistake" is this....my b/f , although a university graduate is useless at interview and goes to pieces. Our application meets all the requirements but if asked something easy like whats my mums name or how old etc, he will be soooo nervous he will stumble. I know it . Even tho he's lived in the UK with me in the past for 2 years he will get factual questions wrong. So i simply meant we will have to go over and over these pouints again and again before the interview so he's got them clear.

Thats all i meant.

Its reassurring whats been posted here

Strangely, when i examined the letter again it says only attend on a monday, wednesday or thursday between 1-2pm and then the first box is ticked. Can i just ask Charles and Prakanong2005 (because they are recent applicants) to confirm this is EXACTLY what their form said as well. Is the applicant expected to bring additional up-to-date evidence with them as well?? Presumably..or didn't they ask for any more ? Also Charles and Prakanong2005 what exactly where the questions they asked at the counter ? So the applicant is not called into a interview box then ??

Sorry many questions

Silomfan

[Prakanong2005]

I have it on very good authority there a that employee's at the Embassy in Bangkok have even married ex-bar girls ;-)

[Prakanong2005]

Silomfan

Sorry I am not a recent applicant but just posted what I read about CP short interviews on another board.

Its against board rules to post the board here but I will try to PM you.

[silomfan]

Silomfan

Sorry I am not a recent applicant but just posted what I read about CP short interviews on another board.

Its against board rules to post the board here but I will try to PM you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

THANKS Prakanong2005 ... i got it ok and will check it out.

SILOMFAN

[the scouser]

I have it on very good authority there a that employee's at the Embassy in Bangkok have even married ex-bar girls  ;-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I, personally, know 3 men who worked at the UK embassy in BKK who refused visas by day and went whoring by night, yet they saw no double standards..........

Scouse.

[charles]

Strangely, when i examined the letter again it says only attend on a monday, wednesday or thursday between 1-2pm and then the first box is ticked. Can i just ask Charles and Prakanong2005 (because they are recent applicants) to confirm this is EXACTLY what their form said as well. Is the applicant expected to bring additional up-to-date evidence with them as well?? Presumably..or didn't they ask for any more ? Also Charles and Prakanong2005 what exactly where the questions they asked at the counter ? So the applicant is not called into a interview box then ??

Sorry many questions

Silomfan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes, our letter said 1-2 pm, also said no first Tues of the month (staff training), don't remember anything about Friday. Anyway don't worry it is the same thing, i.e. the short interview.

There was also a list of evidence to bring (only if you hadn't submitted it already), no.1 was any previous passports, a lot of the others were info to be supplied by the sponsor e.g finance, accommodation, copy of passport plus evidence of the relationship, e.g photos and emails. I expect as you've got the short interview you've already submitted comprehensive information, wouldn't fret about the list too much, it is apparantly just a general guide. For example, we didn't sumbit my wife's previous passport (which was lost) or evidence of her employment history (she'd not worked for over a year). None of these was mentioned or asked for at the interview. And although we took some photos with us to the embassy, again we were never asked for them (although in our case we do live together in Bangkok and have a baby - who was with us at the embassy!)

The "interview" is over the counter not in one of the small interview rooms. My wife just got asked very general questions such as if she'd ever been married before or had any children previously. My wife even got confused and said she'd been married (meaning she was married to me, whereas they wanted to know if she'd had previous husbands). But once they understood each other and realized that she wasn't actually saying anything inconsistent with her application form there was no problem. So I wouldn't worry about your partner being nervous, they won't be trying to catch him out if he's being truthful.

Good luck and don't worry too much!

[silomfan]

To Charles and all.... thank you

SILOMFAN