Uk Settlement Visas Online Applications From 9Th July

[VisasPlus]

The UKBA website says this about online applications for family settlement visa applications from Monday 9th July :

The changes to the UK Immigration Rules on family settlement will come into affect on 9 July 2012. If you have completed your application using our online application system you must submit your application and pay your fee by 00:01 on 9 July 2012 (UK time) to be considered under the current Rules. All applications submitted after this time will be processed under the new Rules.

Changes to the Rules will apply from 9 July and applications submitted on or after this date must be made using the new settlement visa application form (VAF4A) and appendices. The new VAF4A form and appendices will not be available until 9 July 2012. The appendices will not be available on the online application system so you will need to download, print and complete them from this website. You must bring the appendix with you, along with your other supporting documents when you attend the visa application centre. If you do not complete and submit the correct appendix your application will be delayed and you will still have to complete the correct appendix .

Another poor effort from the UKBA. The new online application form, and the new required appendices are not available until 9th July ! Why not ? Fortunately we haven't tried to make any appointments for next week ( we submitted all outstanding settlement applications under the old rules ), but what happens to those applicants who have already submitted online ? The above says that their applications will be delayed, which sounds like applicants will have to make a new online application. Totally unprofessional, in my humble opinion.

[7by7]

To be fair, VP, it says

If you do not complete and submit the correct appendix your application will be delayed

so your application wont be delayed if you do complete and submit the correct appendix.

My interpretation is that if you have already submitted an application online for an appointment on or after 9th July then you simply complete the relevant appendices, print them out and take them with you; which you have to do with the application form anyway.

I do appreciate, however, that if your appointment is on 9th July and the appendices aren't available until 00:01 UK time (06:01 Thai time) that you may have difficulty getting this done in time if you have a morning appointment.

[VisasPlus]

To be fair, VP, it says

If you do not complete and submit the correct appendix your application will be delayed

so your application wont be delayed if you do complete and submit the correct appendix.

My interpretation is that if you have already submitted an application online for an appointment on or after 9th July then you simply complete the relevant appendices, print them out and take them with you; which you have to do with the application form anyway.

I do appreciate, however, that if your appointment is on 9th July and the appendices aren't available until 00:01 UK time (06:01 Thai time) that you may have difficulty getting this done in time if you have a morning appointment.

Yes, but you also have to complete the new online application form ( which nobody has yet seen ). Don't forget that many applicants don't complete their own forms. Some are even completed by sponsors in the UK, and printed out by the applicant. We aren't just talking about Thailand here, this is world - wide. The point is, UKBA are not, I guess, properly prepared for the changes. If they were, then these forms and appendices would be available now. It's the same story as when A1 tests were introduced. Would you use a company or business that operated like this, if you didn't have to ? UKBA deserves to be told that it is not performing as it should be.

[7by7]

You are correct that the UKBA are not properly prepared, as they have not been for other changes in the past.

I wonder, though, how much of that is their fault and how much that of their political masters?