Uk Settlement Visa Application Waiting Times, Bangkok

[chogiekim]

I keep checking the tracker still says at Embassy. They sent me an email wednesday to say the decision has been made. They sent me an email again today to say the same. They say wait for the sms and keep looking at the application tracker. Many people now that applied on 16th march got their visas already!

[chogiekim]

Anyone know the latest time they would send an sms?

[simmsc]

hi guys the wait is over ... applied 16th March 2012 - decision made today, 18th May 2012.

i will point out that the online tracking site is still saying "your visa application has beeen forwarded to British Embassy 16th Mar 2012" ... so that side of things has not been updated.

however, we have had an email this morning at ca 11am telling us this:

UNCLASSIFIED: The UK Border Agency in Bangkok has made a decision on your visa application: AUTOMATED EMAIL PLEASE DO NOT REPLY

So keep an eye on your emails - that (for us) was updated first. No SMS, even though we did subscribe to this service.

[chogiekim]

just dont know why i haven't heard anything! surely monday now!

[chogiekim]

Thats the kind of email i got too

[simmsc]

hi everyone,

i mentioned earlier about the embassy calling my fiancee and asking for additional information. i kept quiet about the details as because they were making the decision at the time, I didn't want to post anything on here (in case they read boards) which could have jeopardised the application if a comment of mine was misunderstood. it wasn't worth the risk.

I would like to disclose what happened and why now (as the decision appears to have been made) in order to help others in the future. so here goes ...

i applied for a fiance visa 2 years ago through an agent. this got approved, but the relationship failed and we parted for genuine reasons. this time i didn't go through an agent because i had a good idea of what documents were required (plus english test results) and i wanted to save myself a few quid.

in the past, when you applied for a fiancee visa (ie to get married in the UK), you had to show evidence that you were planning on getting married by supplying evidence of the provisional wedding booking with the registrar in the UK.

i did contact an agent to double check about this (because I the guidance on this was conficting and confusing), and they told me that for the fiance visa you don't need to supply a provisional booking with the registrar anymore because a lot of registrars in the UK will no longer accept provisional bookings if both parties (her and me) are not in the UK at the time of doing so. this wasnt the case before. lucky i didnt pay the bugger - (because he may have now jeopardised my application).

I double checked with my local registrar in the UK (to make sure my agent had advised me correctly) and they confirmed that they no longer accept provisional bookings if both parties are not in the UK.but they didn't advise me on what to include in the visa application (why would they, it is not their job to do so).

so i just included a comment in the application cover letter stating that i had tried to book a provisional booking, but couldn't do so due to the above mentioned reasons (ie me and her not being in the same country).

what i should have done (i did read this on another website after i submitted the application) is ask for the registrar to send me a letter confirming (to prove) that I TRIED to make the provisional booking with the registrar.

well ... i didn't do that ... i just made a phone call to the registrar to try to make the provisional booking and assumed that if i mentioned that in the letter that they would accept that.

so, after this long wait (just over 2 months) the embassy called my fiancee in thailand and asked her about 40 questions in 30 minutes. name of my buisness, name of my dad and mum (including correct spelling), what my busienss does, where my family live, etc etc ..... trust me, there were a lot of them. they even asked her why my business trades online (as opposed to having a bricks and mortar shop) and they also questioned her what the products that we sell are being used for. I'm sure you will all agree - these are not easy questions for a Thai fiancee who has never seen my business (or my family in the UK) to answer. well, she told me all the questions (and what answers she gave) and they were spot on and honest.

they mentioned to her on the phone that the reason for the them checking this information was because a) no evidence of the provisional wedding booking and no evidence that i TRIED to book it was supplied... so they wanted additional information to make sure that the relationship was genuine and that we were genuinly wanting to get married in the UK. i kind of get that, but the embassy should know by now that some registrars in the UK dont accept provisional booking anymore and that some genuine people (like myself) will just mention in the letter that they tried to book it. no everyone will automatically realise that they need to prove that they tried to book it.

lesson learnt: a) if you can book a provional with the registrar supply the infos. if you aren't able to book a provisional with the registrar get proof that you tried to do it.

sorry about the long post, but i genuinly want to help others applying in the future. this forum has helped me - so i want to give something back.

[simmsc]

got one question ... can anyone tell me how long it took from the moment you were told that a decision was made until you physically had the visa in your hands. ie how many days did it take to come through in the post.

we're obviouly both a bit nervous now after the interview questions ... there is quite a bit of pressure on her now. the rest of our application is as solid as a rock ... its just the questions now.

[chogiekim]

I think you will get it Monday mate!

[simmsc]

I think you will get it Monday mate!

Thank you ... can anyone that has actually had it through back that up?

[retard]

got one question ... can anyone tell me how long it took from the moment you were told that a decision was made until you physically had the visa in your hands. ie how many days did it take to come through in the post.

we're obviouly both a bit nervous now after the interview questions ... there is quite a bit of pressure on her now. the rest of our application is as solid as a rock ... its just the questions now.

Mine went by courier to the agent am. Agent reckons to get it Saturday am. We have one or two gremlins same as you so we are both on tenterhooks

[chogiekim]

Retard,you went through a visa agency?

[jackinbkk]

We were told to withdraw our application in Bangkok for a family permit in 2011. I told them I was entitled to the permit for a number of reasons but they scared my wife saying a failed application would put a black mark on her passport. I think they just didn't like processing an EU permit for free. She was told to re-apply the same way but for the settlement visa. (Well if that was the only difference their reasoning made no sense) I was desperate to get her back to the UK with me so I went for a 2nd visit visa. It gave us 6 months to review the situation.

I don't know for sure, of course, as I was not there; but I am certain that no one at the embassy would tell you to withdraw an EEA family permit application and replace it with a UK settlement one. If someone at the VAC told you to do so they were acting outside their remit as they are expressly forbidden from giving any advice of this nature.

VFS are paid a fixed fee as per their contract. The visa fee goes, as said previously, to the government to swell the Treasury's coffers/cut the deficit.

Are you sure it was someone at the VAC who told her this, and not an unscrupulous visa agent trying to get her to use their 'services'?

EEA family permits can be applied for in the UK, UK settlement visas cannot.

Yes she was told to withdraw by a British embassy worker reviewing the application.

Yes I believe UK settlement cannot be applied for in the UK

[simmsc]

got one question ... can anyone tell me how long it took from the moment you were told that a decision was made until you physically had the visa in your hands. ie how many days did it take to come through in the post.

we're obviouly both a bit nervous now after the interview questions ... there is quite a bit of pressure on her now. the rest of our application is as solid as a rock ... its just the questions now.

Mine went by courier to the agent am. Agent reckons to get it Saturday am. We have one or two gremlins same as you so we are both on tenterhooks

Thank you. Good luck to us both then - hope we the desired result.

[toddmeister]

got one question ... can anyone tell me how long it took from the moment you were told that a decision was made until you physically had the visa in your hands. ie how many days did it take to come through in the post.

we're obviouly both a bit nervous now after the interview questions ... there is quite a bit of pressure on her now. the rest of our application is as solid as a rock ... its just the questions now.

Ours was last year so things may have changed now.........but my wife's arrived the day after the tracker was updated. So tracker updated 18/10 passport arrived 19/10. *Note* that was by courier to Phuket which I was surprised about. Didn't expect it to reach Phuket so fast. Presumably the visa was issued and posted a day or so before the tracker was updated

[7by7]

We were told to withdraw our application in Bangkok for a family permit in 2011. I told them I was entitled to the permit for a number of reasons but they scared my wife saying a failed application would put a black mark on her passport. I think they just didn't like processing an EU permit for free. She was told to re-apply the same way but for the settlement visa. (Well if that was the only difference their reasoning made no sense) I was desperate to get her back to the UK with me so I went for a 2nd visit visa. It gave us 6 months to review the situation.

I don't know for sure, of course, as I was not there; but I am certain that no one at the embassy would tell you to withdraw an EEA family permit application and replace it with a UK settlement one. If someone at the VAC told you to do so they were acting outside their remit as they are expressly forbidden from giving any advice of this nature.

VFS are paid a fixed fee as per their contract. The visa fee goes, as said previously, to the government to swell the Treasury's coffers/cut the deficit.

Are you sure it was someone at the VAC who told her this, and not an unscrupulous visa agent trying to get her to use their 'services'?

EEA family permits can be applied for in the UK, UK settlement visas cannot.

Yes she was told to withdraw by a British embassy worker reviewing the application.

Yes I believe UK settlement cannot be applied for in the UK

Found your previous topic on the subject.

[7by7]

this topic has no worthwhile use, just as the other threads on waiting times.

If you find it to have no worthwhile use, then don't read or contribute to it!

Others do find it useful and helpful, and as similar topics ran throughout 2010 and 2011 and were very popular, it seems that you are in a minority of one with your opinion.

Any further comment on this will be deemed as off topic and deleted.

[simmsc]

Thanks moderator. I would like to applogise if I went a bit off-topic with my long post on the page before. After I read your post (the one I am replying to) I realised that I went a bit off-topic. But I did feel a strong urge to share my experience with the people who I am waiting with. I will make sure that my comments stay on topic going foward.

Edited May 18, 2012 by 7by7
Unnecessary full quote of preceding post removed.

[7by7]

The remark was not directed at you, simmsc, as your post was relevant to processing an application.

With regard to that, ECOs are well aware of the law regarding booking the ceremony; or should be!.

SET1.18 What evidence is required of marriage arrangements?

The ECO needs to be satisfied that it is intended that a marriage in the UK will take place.

The law relating to marriage in England and Wales does not allow for any arrangements to be made with a Registrar until the foreign national has arrived in the UK. Of itself, a booking at a Register Office or church is not proof that a marriage will take place.

The ECO can reasonably expect the couple to have made some tentative plans for the wedding. Any evidence that may be available that wedding arrangements are in hand may help in this respect.

Effectively, a brief note of when and where should suffice, and any ECO who refused simply because the applicant didn't provide anything from a registrar would be on very dodgy ground.

[simmsc]

Thanks for clarifying and I agree with you. I'm feeling quite confident as a) the rest of our application is strong (proof of relationship, my ablity to support my fiancee, etc) and she answered the questions both correctly and honestly.

Edited May 18, 2012 by 7by7
Unnecessary full quote of preceding post removed.

[simmsc]

my "'s" keep getting converted to smiely faces - quite funny

Edited May 18, 2012 by 7by7
Unnecessary full quote of preceding post removed.

[7by7]

unfortunately, the smiley software recognises a lower case b in brackets as (. To get round it, leave a space thus: (b )

[simmsc]

Thank you - you will have noticed that it even failed on the second attempt when I capitalised the letter b and added an apostraphy and added inverted commas lol I tried really hard. I've got a few completely off-topic things to ask you when all this has gone through (ie once we have had our results through) but I will do that through PM to keep things on-topic here.

Edited May 18, 2012 by 7by7
Unnecessary full quote of preceding post removed.

[7by7]

By all means; or if you feel your questions and the answers may be of benefit to others, open a new topic in the public forum.

[thaigirllondon]

If you find it to have no worthwhile use, then don't read or contribute to it!

Others do find it useful and helpful, and as similar topics ran throughout 2010 and 2011 and were very popular, it seems that you are in a minority of one with your opinion

.

I am so sorry, I did not understand. I thought this was the procedure and policy to not have a thread about the waiting times for anything about visas and immigration. I misunderstood your post at the end here.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/553046-uk-citizenship-waiting-times/

I will re-read all posts, I do not want a conflict cause of my lack of understanding. Sorry again.

[retard]

Retard,you went through a visa agency?

Yes. I came back to UK before she applied. Wife not confident so used agency. No regrets, saves a lot of shit and gave me time to prepare for homecoming. Didn't expect such a long wait though

[retard]

Got the news Friday, papers sent to agent by courier. Bloody agent not available today so have to wait for verdict until Monday. More sodding sleepless nights! Life's a bitch and then you die.

[tribalfusion001]

Got the news Friday, papers sent to agent by courier. Bloody agent not available today so have to wait for verdict until Monday. More sodding sleepless nights! Life's a bitch and then you die.

Is passport being posted or is she collecting from VFS?

[7by7]

I am so sorry, I did not understand. I thought this was the procedure and policy to not have a thread about the waiting times for anything about visas and immigration. I misunderstood your post at the end here.

http://www.thaivisa....-waiting-times/

I will re-read all posts, I do not want a conflict cause of my lack of understanding. Sorry again.

That topic was closed because it was a duplicate of another topic of yours, which

As explained to you here.

Starting a new topic wont change the answer!

made clear.

End of discussion; back to topic.

[retard]

Got the news Friday, papers sent to agent by courier. Bloody agent not available today so have to wait for verdict until Monday. More sodding sleepless nights! Life's a bitch and then you die.

Is passport being posted or is she collecting from VFS?

Posted to agent

[tribalfusion001]

Got the news Friday, papers sent to agent by courier. Bloody agent not available today so have to wait for verdict until Monday. More sodding sleepless nights! Life's a bitch and then you die.

Is passport being posted or is she collecting from VFS?

Posted to agent

I see, posted to visa agent, got it.