Uk Settlement Visa Application Waiting Times, Bangkok

[Steve77r]

Not sure about documents but our came back taken out of the folder all messed up

Hi Wilbs did you get the majority/all of your docs back?

Thanks Steve

[Kiggs]

Fingers crossed for today!

Need a bit of luck about now.

[Steve77r]

Visa granted

Good luck to everyone still waiting.

[Kiggs]

Congrats Steve

Looks like it our turn soon

Reference Number APET/191012

Application date 19 Oct 2012

Status Processed application returned to courier : 18 Jan 2013

Big question is why did we not get an Email or SMS?????

Edited January 18, 2013 by Kiggs

[Steve77r]

Great news mate, I'm sure you will have the decision you want this time, if you get it early next week will you bring your missus to the UK? or just got straight to Myanmar, and come back later?

[Kiggs]

I fly to Bangkok Sunday then to Singapore,Myanmar on the 28th.

I have every confidence in Tony M and Thai Visa Express.

It will be there

UK trip will be in about 2 mths

12 working weeks to the day! Funny that. Who was it that said they dont think they were holding applications back.... MMMMMmmm i beg to differ

Edited January 18, 2013 by Kiggs

[Tony M]

Fingers crossed, Dan. Let me know.

[wilbs]

Congratulations Steve all the best.

And good luck to every one else waiting

[Kiggs]

Fingers crossed, Dan. Let me know.

Will tell you in person Monday

Someone else I'm going to see. Don't think he will be so happy to see me though!!!

[Tony M]

Fingers crossed, Dan. Let me know.

Will tell you in person Monday

Someone else I'm going to see. Don't think he will be so happy to see me though!!!

He won't be there. He went back to UK today.

[Kiggs]

You are joking me..... Has he gone to his home town (liverpool)?

[kamenrider]

Kamenrider, what day did you apply? I was 7th Nov, so similar to you. Trying to move my flights to mid-Feb but even that could be optimistic

Coltc- we applied 6th November- will post again when we get the decision.

[Chivas]

Times have certainly changed..........Back in 1999 absolutely no investigation or checks were done on myself or wife. Marriage Certificate and registered via the Embassy was their only interest.

That I do know for a fact !!

[Kiggs]

Steve: what's your plans? Flight one way for her or you going for a jolly for a week

[Steve77r]

One way flight booked with Etihad for next Thursday, enjoying my last week of freedom

At least the flight prices have come back down now from the early Jan ones.

[Tony M]

You are joking me..... Has he gone to his home town (liverpool)?

Oh, okay. I was thinking you meant someone else. That could be interesting. Get a vid on your phone for us.............

[7by7]

Times have certainly changed..........Back in 1999 absolutely no investigation or checks were done on myself or wife. Marriage Certificate and registered via the Embassy was their only interest.

That I do know for a fact !!

Unless there was a dramatic change to the rules and requirements in late 1999 or early 2000, I suspect that yur memory is playing tricks on you. Our experience in September 2000 was completely different to that you describe.

We had to supply proof of my finances, evidence of the accommodation available to us, evidence of our relationship etc.; pretty much the same as today, in fact.

Most applicants in any category and almost all settlement applicants were routinely interviewed then as well, which made the process take longer.

BTW, couples who marry abroad have never been able to register their marriages at or via a British embassy. The legal registration in the country where they married is the legal registration as far as the UK is concerned. In the case of Thailand this is the ampur registration and the Thai marriage certificate, together with a certified translation, is sufficient for all purposes in the UK where a marriage certificate is required; including visa and leave to remain applications.

What you can do is deposit a copy of your Thai marriage certificate with the GRO in the UK via the embassy. This is not a legal requirement and in no way adds any sort of 'validity' to the marriage. It simply means that you can obtain a copy from the GRO in the UK at some point in the future.

See Depositing marriage documents in the UK

[Chivas]

Times have certainly changed..........Back in 1999 absolutely no investigation or checks were done on myself or wife. Marriage Certificate and registered via the Embassy was their only interest.

That I do know for a fact !!

Unless there was a dramatic change to the rules and requirements in late 1999 or early 2000, I suspect that yur memory is playing tricks on you. Our experience in September 2000 was completely different to that you describe.

We had to supply proof of my finances, evidence of the accommodation available to us, evidence of our relationship etc.; pretty much the same as today, in fact.

Most applicants in any category and almost all settlement applicants were routinely interviewed then as well, which made the process take longer.

BTW, couples who marry abroad have never been able to register their marriages at or via a British embassy. The legal registration in the country where they married is the legal registration as far as the UK is concerned. In the case of Thailand this is the ampur registration and the Thai marriage certificate, together with a certified translation, is sufficient for all purposes in the UK where a marriage certificate is required; including visa and leave to remain applications.

What you can do is deposit a copy of your Thai marriage certificate with the GRO in the UK via the embassy. This is not a legal requirement and in no way adds any sort of 'validity' to the marriage. It simply means that you can obtain a copy from the GRO in the UK at some point in the future.

See Depositing marriage documents in the UK

You have misunderstood and perhaps my mistake.....

I had previously applied for a Tourist Visa for at that point Wife to be. Declined. I refused to leave Embassy before someone spoke to me. They did eventually. I pushed to the point of asking what could I do to make the process acceptable.........."Get Married and I cant stop you".......

Duly did. Application submitted for Marriage Visa. Date given few weeks in advance at 0800 on a Friday morning. All documents relating to Finance etc etc were submitted at 0755 same day.

0800 she walked in and 0805 she walked out..............No checks whatsoever done and for that you'll have to accept my word......

The whole process was laughable. I suspect its not as lax now...........

[durhamboy]

Visa granted!

[Kiggs]

Congrats mate

[Kiggs]

Put the kettle on boys I'm on my way

[kateharper]

Hello,

We applied on the 16th October for the settlement visa and are still waiting for a decision. I did e-mail them at VFS and they forwarded my inquiries to the British embassy. They got back to me on Monday, the 21st, saying a decision has been made and keep checking the tracking site. The tracking site still says " Your application has been forwarded to the British Embassy 16 Oct 2012" that seems they haven't updated the status since October!!

We also paid for the SMS service but have yet to receive any text messages!

Kate

[coltc]

Kate, did you also pay for docs to be returned to you? If not then it may mean your passport is already available for collection. People here seem to give it 2 working days after being told of a decision before collecting passports. If you're in BK then a trip to VFS to try and collect is probably worthwhile. (It seems like yours took more than the 60 working day service standard...)

Kiggs, did you collect yours okay?

[coltc]

As for the SMS service, we also paid for it and haven't received one (not even to confirm the app was submitted)

[kateharper]

Yeah, we've actually been waiting for over 14 weeks now!! That's why i had to chase it up, I'm also 7 months pregnant so we are on a tight time scale.

We finally got the e-mails and text through today saying that the processed application has been forwarded to the courier, as my husband is in Chiang Mai.

Not sure if we paid for the documents to be sent, i assume so. My husband doesn't remember details like that

We're not getting our hopes up on the result anyway, it just means that we can get started on our appeal. As i was an ESL teacher i wasn't earning enough to meet the financial requirements and now as i am pregnant i can't find work and sponsor my husband! We were left with no choce but to apply and then appeal on human rights grounds with the help of lawyers!

It's going to be a tense few days!

Congratulations on those that had their visa's granted

Kate

[coltc]

Jeez, it's a sorry state of affairs when a husband can't join his 7m pregnant wife! Here's hoping for a surprise visa for you in the post then

[kateharper]

Thanks coltc, I know it is! It's a disgrace really. Here's hoping they have hearts!

[7by7]

Unfortunately whether or not the ECOs have hearts is irrelevant.

The government has laid down the rules and the ECOs have no choice other than to follow those rules.

For those who wish to do so, you have until 31st January to make your views known to the Parliamentary review.

See here.

[kateharper]

I know they have to adhere to the governments' rules, i was talking about the government having hearts!!

At least this Parliamentary review shows that some MPs care.....hope it makes a difference.

[Tony M]

Kate,

Your story is one for the newspapers, it really is. The divisiveness of the new rules should highlighted. 7x7 is right that the ECOs have no discretion to grant a visa if you don't meet the requirements, and stories like yours need to be made known to a wider audience.