Uk Settlement Visa Application Waiting Times, Bangkok

[thomp256]

Any updates yet guys?

My wife applied on 18th May... no news yet

Thanks,

thomp256

[steady]

You must be getting twitchy by now. Our applications went in on the 22nd of May and we're getting twitchy. I know I did a lot of work before applying but it was so long ago I can only remember the bits I now consider not so good! Selective memory at its worst.

[thomp256]

Yes mate, you're right.... getting twitchy now!!

I don't mind waiting, so long as we get a positive outcome. I'd hate to wait 9 weeks to be declined - I guess this is where the anxiety comes from.

I'll let you know when we hear something... you can be sure to hear 4 days later!

Thanks,

thomp256

[ralphsilver]

05/7/2012

Two child VAF4A settlement visa applications submitted this morning, my wife tells me that the VFS staff were great, no problem accepting the childrens applications together, and they put both applications in the embassy bag.

She now thinks i was paranoid about warnings i gave her about the VFS staff.

We submitted all required documents, and many more, to support their applications.

All originals, and copies were translated, and certified.

Now the wait, thank's to all here who helped with my questions.

Wife got a strange telephone call this morning, but does not know if it was VFS, or Embassy officer. It seemed like a telephone interview but the questions were strange like the person did not have any of the application information. they asked her for my passport information to fax to them. They asked information like the reason for the childrens applications, was she still working in the UK, how old were the children, what school do they attend. All this information is in the application documents.

[ralphsilver]

05/7/2012

Two child VAF4A settlement visa applications submitted this morning, my wife tells me that the VFS staff were great, no problem accepting the childrens applications together, and they put both applications in the embassy bag.

She now thinks i was paranoid about warnings i gave her about the VFS staff.

We submitted all required documents, and many more, to support their applications.

All originals, and copies were translated, and certified.

Now the wait, thank's to all here who helped with my questions.

Wife got a strange telephone call this morning, but does not know if it was VFS, or Embassy officer. It seemed like a telephone interview but the questions were strange like the person did not have any of the application information. they asked her for my passport information to fax to them. They asked information like the reason for the childrens applications, was she still working in the UK, how old were the children, what school do they attend. All this information is in the application documents.

Further to the above. I have just telephoned the number of the person who called my wife this morning and it was the British Embassy Bangkok.

[steady]

Does anyone know how long after submission of the documents people in the embassy start working on the applications. I just assumed that as we applied in May then we just sort of sat in a bundle until our turn came. It seems that this is not the case if applications made last week are being worked on. Perhaps they do preliminary work and if no phone call comes it means that you either have all the documentation to pass......or else they have a laugh because they know you've failed because your application lacks something but you won't know for another 2 months!!!

[ralphsilver]

In our case it looks like they have started working on applications three working days after submission to the VFS

[MaprangHolmes]

In our case it looks like they have started working on applications three working days after submission to the VFS

How would you know that they started working on your application straight away?

[ralphsilver]

Because we only submitted the visa applications Last Thursday 05/07/12 and assuming that the Embassy do not work Sat / Sun that is four working days as i said in the previous post.

Edited July 11, 2012 by ralphsilver

[tribalfusion001]

Sometimes they may check certain facts with the applicant in the first few days or in the last few days before a decision is made. The ECA does the ground work by checking the application and then it is forwarded to the ECO for processing, you should still be prepared for a 4 to 10 week wait. The Embassy does not work on the weekends.

[ralphsilver]

Thank you tribal, we are prepared, and thinking 6-8 weeks for decision.

[steady]

Sometimes they may check certain facts with the applicant in the first few days or in the last few days before a decision is made. The ECA does the ground work by checking the application and then it is forwarded to the ECO for processing, you should still be prepared for a 4 to 10 week wait. The Embassy does not work on the weekends.

So are you saying that you know that every application is looked at in the first few days that it is in the embassy, obviously that means Monday to Friday. We are dealing with civil sevants after all. I'm trying to understand how the processes which will affect my family so dramatically actually work.

Steady

ps I don't want this post to appear pointed but I found it hard to post the words in another way.

[ralphsilver]

If Tribal is right, it does seem strange, and a waste of time that the office assistant spent 35 mins asking my wife questions when the ECO could have been working on it. The assistant actually asked my wife if the children in the applications were related. (bloody stupid question when all submitted documentation shows that they are brother, and sister) My wife got the impression that the assistant was more interested in what life in the UK during her last six years was like. As i said before a very strange interview.

[tribalfusion001]

There have been two posts in this thread relating to the Embassy ringing the applicant, one was after about 5 days, the visa was processed about 4 to 5 weeks later and the other applicant was contacted about 3 to 4 days before they got the email to say it had processed, this was after 8 weeks of waiting.

I'm only going what people have posted on here and another forum when the Embassy has contacted them, not many people post about UKBA contacting them.

[jessicanguyenself]

If Tribal is right, it does seem strange, and a waste of time that the office assistant spent 35 mins asking my wife questions when the ECO could have been working on it. The assistant actually asked my wife if the children in the applications were related. (bloody stupid question when all submitted documentation shows that they are brother, and sister) My wife got the impression that the assistant was more interested in what life in the UK during her last six years was like. As i said before a very strange interview.

Tribal is right , and the embassy do call you to ask for confirmation of the information you have already provided . When i applied for my settlement , someone called my line phone to ask to speak to my husband and this person was british . she did not wish to speak to me and did not even tell me she was calling from the embassy in bkk But i knew it anyway as my husband did not know our line phone number .She only asked for my husband personal details (names , dob ) and one stupid question was If He is sponsoring me for my settlement visa . And that was taken place one week after we submitted our application Though i did not get my visa untill 8 weeks later

Edited July 11, 2012 by jessicanguyenself

[Kadafi]

Because we only submitted the visa applications Last Thursday 05/07/12 and assuming that the Embassy do not work Sat / Sun that is four working days as i said in the previous post.

My wife submitted her application on the same day and has not heard anything yet apart from the confirmation text message. Not sure if a telephone call is a good or bad sign, i guess it doesnt really indicate much with regards to outcome. Maybe because there are children involved the embassy want to make double sure they have all the facts to make the correct decision.

[ralphsilver]

I think the main reason for my wife getting a call yesterday from the Embassy was to ask for a copy of my passport.

[hardgrafter187]

18th may still no news thought this would be the week obviously not gotta be next week surely.

[ralphsilver]

Further to my previous posts. My wife received a telephone call this morning 10.00 hrs Thai time from the British Embassy telling her that this was a interview. It lasted 65 mins and was intensive.

My wife tells me she felt the interview went well, and she was able to answer all the questions as per the childrens applications.

So one week after submission, interview done, the embassy say they may call her again.

[tribalfusion001]

This is just my opinion, no facts to back it up. I think the Home Office may have told UKBA to toughen up on applications received before 09/07/2012 and the new guidelines came into force.

[ralphsilver]

Do you really think the Home Office / UKBA are that forward thinking Tribal.

Edited July 13, 2012 by ralphsilver

[tribalfusion001]

Probably not.

[thomp256]

Do you really think the Home Office / UKBA are that forward thinking Tribal.

When it comes to rejecting visas, then yes - they are very good at forward thinking for that!!

[Jejwinner]

I'm new here but application went in for us on 29th may. Thought I would join in as I'm looking at everyone else for the same reason. The wait now is killing me. Good luck to everyone.

[tomcreeduk]

Who's got experience on visa settlement application decisions this year. I know they vary just wondered how many working days on average they take ?

[Jejwinner]

I'm new here but application went in for us on 29th may. Thought I would join in as I'm looking at everyone else for the same reason. The wait now is killing me. Good luck to everyone.

30 working days so far.

[7by7]

Update:

jingjingna: submitted 12/3, passport received 16/5, visa issued.

retard: submitted 16/3, passport received 21/5, visa issued.

simmsc: submitted 16/3, passport received 23/5, visa issued.

chogiekim: submitted 16/3, passport received 23/5, visa issued.

dracos: submitted 19/3, passport received 21/5, visa issued..

rightontime: submitted 19/3, passport received 23/5, visa issued.

jessicanguyenself: submitted 26/3 in Hanoi, passport received 30/5, visa issued (extra 6 days to send passport back to Vietnam).

tribalfusion001: submitted 27/3, passport received 25/5, visa issued.

funkyronster: submitted 12/4, passport received 5/6, visa issued

farmerfred: submitted 16/4, passport received 1/6, visa issued.

arik: submitted 20/4, email received 7/6, processed and awaiting passport, result not reported.

sweeneytodds: submitted 24/4; passport recieved 3/7, visa issued.

POMCHOB: submitted April, passport recieved June, visa issued.

ken2000s: submitted 8/5, passport recieved 6/7, visa issued.

hardgrafter187: submitted 18/5

thomp256: submitted 18/5

steady: submitted 22/5

MaprangHolmes: submitted 29/5

Jejwinner: submitted 29/5

braid101: submitted 8/6

tomcreeduk: submitted 19/6

Jared: submitted 25/6

alaninlamphun: submitted 23/6

sanky001: submitted 25/6 in Singapore, passport recieved 4/7, visa issued (note Singapore, not Bangkok.)

ralphsilver: submitted 5/7 (two child applications)

kadafi: submitted 5/7

alldone: submitted 6/7

The guide to processing times is still only showing figures for decisions made in April; but if it's any comfort it shows 65% within 40 days, 97% within 60 days and 100% within 90 days.

tomcreeduk, figures from members for 2011 and Jan/Feb 2012 can be found here.

Edited July 14, 2012 by 7by7
Kadafi submission date altered; see his post below.

[7by7]

If Tribal is right, it does seem strange, and a waste of time that the office assistant spent 35 mins asking my wife questions when the ECO could have been working on it.

Would you rather an assistant sorted this out before the application reached an ECO or have the application delayed once it had reached an ECO?

I think the main reason for my wife getting a call yesterday from the Embassy was to ask for a copy of my passport.

I don't; see below. Although not including a copy of your passport could have simply resulted in a refusal; lucky they called.

Further to my previous posts. My wife received a telephone call this morning 10.00 hrs Thai time from the British Embassy telling her that this was a interview. It lasted 65 mins and was intensive.

Which comes to the crux of the matter.

My opinion, although I stand to be corrected by those more knowledgeable than I, is that the primary reason for the phone calls and the questions asked is the 6 year gap between your wife moving to the UK and her applying for her children to join her.

The transcript of her interview will, I believe, be added to the application for consideration by an ECO; when it reaches the head of the queue for same.

[Jejwinner]

Who's got experience on visa settlement application decisions this year. I know they vary just wondered how many working days on average they take ?

The visa company I'm using told me 2 weeks ago it was taking about 39 working days as it went up again. I'm thinking now about 42 working days.

[tomcreeduk]

Thanks 7by7. I'll be in BKK between working day 30 and 40 so hopefully we get an answer whilst I'm back out there. Then we're return together