Fiance' Visa.. What Should I Do Next

[markww]

Guys

Its been 12 weeks since we submitted the prospective spouse visa app, and last night I was using a phonecard to talk with my Mrs on the phone and the line dropped out 3 times and I've cracked the shits, I cant take this anymore!

Today I called her CO (I have kept in mind the reputation that the thai women at the embassy can be rude at times, and I was extrememly polite) I called the CO just for a progress update, and told her that my employers were asking me when they should expect me to be taking annual leave, as they know of my plans to spend a week in thailand with my fiance and her family before we come back together (and then when we come back i want at least a week or two of annual leave to help her settle in) the case officer told me that it was "in que to be viewed by an Australian", she said that it was impossible to tell me how long I can expect to wait, as to give me an estimate she would need to go to the room where the applications were stored and count through every application one by one and find out where our application was in the que ... she advised me that she wouldnt be doing this.

The CO advised me that the average time for an approval for a prospective spouse visa was 6 months, I asked her is that the standard 6-9 month answer as i understood that, but had found that most people get their visa's approved within 3 or 4 months ..... I also advised her of:

java script:ol('http://www.vfs-au.net/forms/PARTNER INFORMATION SHEET Jan 2006 VFS COPY.pdf'); and that we understood that officially approvals can take upto 6-9months but as a standard would it be possible that our visa might be approved within the next 4 weeks...

The CO told me if it were a spouse visa it might be completed with that time, but for a fiance visa 6 months is about the average. She couldnt say anything else and the call was ended

Guys, WHAT SHOULD I DO??

I cant wait another 12weeks! if I go over for a week, there is still a slight chance that the approval may come shortly. Is there an Aussie in the embassy in the embassy that I can get a straight answer from??

No offence to the thai girls they are just doing their job, and its obviously a different style of culture and work environment over there, but if she was an australian in australia I'd be demanding that I speak with her superior and I wouldnt be taking the "fob off" that I took today, its not acceptable to put your life on hold for 6months, as its fair enough that they probably process 2000 odd visa's for spouses and the likes a year, 6 months seems abit rediculous to get a job done.

[Mighty Mouse]

The Immigration web site states that the embassy will accept email enquiries with regard to the progress of visa applications.

I think that you may have had a better response with an email rather than a phone call.

Obviously there is a set procedure that all CO's follow. As your CO told you that the file has now progressed to an Australian manager, it seems that the CO has already made her recommendation on your application.

Her recommendation will need to be reviewed and either accepted, rejected or follow up information requested.

It sounds to me like your application is now in the home straight. The winning post is in sight and it won't do the punters any good if the jockey gets upset and falls off the horse.

So, my advice is, keep your cool and stay in the race as long as it takes. If you start cracking the whip you may hit yourself in the head and your horse may not come home a winner.

[markww]

The Immigration web site states that the embassy will accept email enquiries with regard to the progress of visa applications.

I think that you may have had a better response with an email rather than a phone call.

Obviously there is a set procedure that all CO's follow. As your CO told you that the file has now progressed to an Australian manager, it seems that the CO has already made her recommendation on your application.

Her recommendation will need to be reviewed and either accepted, rejected or follow up information requested.

It sounds to me like your application is now in the home straight. The winning post is in sight and it won't do the punters any good if the jockey gets upset and falls off the horse.

So, my advice is, keep your cool and stay in the race as long as it takes. If you start cracking the whip you may hit yourself in the head and your horse may not come home a winner.

thanks mm

i understand what u are saying... but i dont feel like the home straight is anywhere in sight if the co is telling me that i should wait another 3 months

[gburns57au]

The Immigration web site states that the embassy will accept email enquiries with regard to the progress of visa applications.

I think that you may have had a better response with an email rather than a phone call.

Obviously there is a set procedure that all CO's follow. As your CO told you that the file has now progressed to an Australian manager, it seems that the CO has already made her recommendation on your application.

Her recommendation will need to be reviewed and either accepted, rejected or follow up information requested.

It sounds to me like your application is now in the home straight. The winning post is in sight and it won't do the punters any good if the jockey gets upset and falls off the horse.

So, my advice is, keep your cool and stay in the race as long as it takes. If you start cracking the whip you may hit yourself in the head and your horse may not come home a winner.

thanks mm

i understand what u are saying... but i dont feel like the home straight is anywhere in sight if the co is telling me that i should wait another 3 months

She is giving you an over estimate...she doesnt want to tell you two weeks or a month in case there is a hold up....and then she will will have you ringing her quoting her estimate back at her....As MM said...keep your cool and things will happen...keep positive.

Graham

[markww]

The Immigration web site states that the embassy will accept email enquiries with regard to the progress of visa applications.

I think that you may have had a better response with an email rather than a phone call.

Obviously there is a set procedure that all CO's follow. As your CO told you that the file has now progressed to an Australian manager, it seems that the CO has already made her recommendation on your application.

Her recommendation will need to be reviewed and either accepted, rejected or follow up information requested.

It sounds to me like your application is now in the home straight. The winning post is in sight and it won't do the punters any good if the jockey gets upset and falls off the horse.

So, my advice is, keep your cool and stay in the race as long as it takes. If you start cracking the whip you may hit yourself in the head and your horse may not come home a winner.

thanks mm

i understand what u are saying... but i dont feel like the home straight is anywhere in sight if the co is telling me that i should wait another 3 months

She is giving you an over estimate...she doesnt want to tell you two weeks or a month in case there is a hold up....and then she will will have you ringing her quoting her estimate back at her....As MM said...keep your cool and things will happen...keep positive.

Graham

thanks Graham

its just seems so painfully slow and i feel sometimes im starting to crack

[rio666uk]

im from UK but a mate of mine had something similar - just sit back and let it run its course - i know easier said than done, but if theres a problem you will hear about it either personally or via your fiance

all the best

[Pink Mist]

there was a post kicking around with the names and roles of people in the embassy and visa joint, will have a look and pin it if possible.

[Mighty Mouse]

Just another thought on this matter. The CO stated on the phone that your file has now progressed to an Aussie official.

I would take that as an indication that the CO was happy with the contents of the application, as she did not request any follow up information.

I don't know what the statistics might be but I'd have a guess that more than 90% of recommendations made by the various CO's are rubber stamped by the Australian manager.

If the application is border line, you could expect the Aussie to request further information from you.

As three months have already passed without contact, I'd say that there will be no further information required from either of you.

You would know yourself how strong (or otherwise) the application is. So, if there is nothing to worry about in the application and that the main requirements have been met, I'd start preparing for a positive result.

I suggest that if you haven't heard anything within the next six weeks, forward a polite follow up request email to Gemma Jackson at the embassy.

[markww]

there was a post kicking around with the names and roles of people in the embassy and visa joint, will have a look and pin it if possible.

hi bronco,

thanks i have seen "who's who at the aus embassy" pinned up ... im not sure if i should hold off emailing... i think mm knows abit about whats going on and has some good suggestion

[markww]

Just another thought on this matter. The CO stated on the phone that your file has now progressed to an Aussie official.

I would take that as an indication that the CO was happy with the contents of the application, as she did not request any follow up information.

I don't know what the statistics might be but I'd have a guess that more than 90% of recommendations made by the various CO's are rubber stamped by the Australian manager.

If the application is border line, you could expect the Aussie to request further information from you.

As three months have already passed without contact, I'd say that there will be no further information required from either of you.

You would know yourself how strong (or otherwise) the application is. So, if there is nothing to worry about in the application and that the main requirements have been met, I'd start preparing for a positive result.

I suggest that if you haven't heard anything within the next six weeks, forward a polite follow up request email to Gemma Jackson at the embassy.

MM,

The application is super strong! I hope they get the rubber stamp happening sooner rather than later.. i know u understand what i mean

What's Gemma Jackson's email ??...... what is also playing on my mind is that at work I have got people taking annual leave during the first week of may and also the whole month of June is tied up as someone is taking the full month off... so that isnt any good for my hopes of getting annual leave so i can spent a week in bangkok with my fiance' and her family and then a week or 2 once she gets here to help her ease into life in Aus... I cant just get her here and dump her at home while i go off to work...

[Pink Mist]

gemma jackson is a waste of space, but if you want her email this is it

[email protected].

I am still waiting for a reply from 2 years ago over an immigration issue.

[markww]

gemma jackson is a waste of space, but if you want her email this is it

[email protected].

I am still waiting for a reply from 2 years ago over an immigration issue.

Sounds like the recent aussie media attention about reforms in service that the immigration department provides need to come to bangkok.

I was reading your threads from "who's who" ... I pray that I dont have too much trouble

[Pink Mist]

gemma jackson is a waste of space, but if you want her email this is it

[email protected].

I am still waiting for a reply from 2 years ago over an immigration issue.

Sounds like the recent aussie media attention about reforms in service that the immigration department provides need to come to bangkok.

I was reading your threads from "who's who" ... I pray that I dont have too much trouble

well good luck anyway, I dont think she is there anymore anyway.

[Mighty Mouse]

what is also playing on my mind is that at work I have got people taking annual leave during the first week of may and also the whole month of June is tied up as someone is taking the full month off... so that isnt any good for my hopes of getting annual leave so i can spent a week in bangkok with my fiance' and her family and then a week or 2 once she gets here to help her ease into life in Aus... I cant just get her here and dump her at home while i go off to work...

I wouldn't worry too much about her adapting to Aussie life. If you have a garden she will be out there planting chillies and herbs.

If no garden, get her some pots.

Show her how to walk to the supermarket and let her go alone. If she is a good cook, she will be happy creating dishes in the kitchen. There won't be enough hours in the day for her to settle in her way and you'll be surprised how well she does all these things whilst you are at work.

As for Gemma Jackson, I had good service from her. It may be a good idea to phone your nearest Australian Immigration office and obtain the name and email addy of their best Aussie contact in the Aussie embassy, Bangkok.

[Ozspike]

Hi Mark

you say "it has been 12 weeks since we submitted the prospective spouse visa app" did you submit it at the VFS (with the interview at a later date) or at the embassy with a interview on the same day.

I ask this because from my understanding the 3 months seems to be from the date of the interview and not from the date of lodgement.

I am also interested because we just had our interview today, we lodged all the docs at the same time and had compleated the medicals and police checks over the last 2 weeks, the CO said it looked like we had all the docs needed.

But dont feel to bad we would love to be in your shoes and already be 12 weeks down the path.

any way good luck

Spike and Pui

[Mighty Mouse]

Ozspike,

If you attended the interview with Pui, do you remember the questions that were asked?

If you do, perhaps you would be good enough to post them on this thread whilst it is all still fresh in your memory:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=64729

You might also state whether or not you believed it was of any benefit to the application for you to be there for the interview.

Thanks...and I hope it all goes well for you both.

[markww]

Hi Mark

you say "it has been 12 weeks since we submitted the prospective spouse visa app" did you submit it at the VFS (with the interview at a later date) or at the embassy with a interview on the same day.

I ask this because from my understanding the 3 months seems to be from the date of the interview and not from the date of lodgement.

I am also interested because we just had our interview today, we lodged all the docs at the same time and had compleated the medicals and police checks over the last 2 weeks, the CO said it looked like we had all the docs needed.

But dont feel to bad we would love to be in your shoes and already be 12 weeks down the path.

any way good luck

Spike and Pui

Spike,

We submitted on 25/01 at VFS thai cc, then she had the interview on 14/02.

before we submitted the application the medical and police checks were actually delivered 4 days prior to us submitting the app.... they called my mrs and told her that they had the medical and criminal checks but where was the app... i flew in 2 days later with about 3.5kgs of emails, phone bills, letters, envelopes, stat decs, photos and financials.. and more .... and we put in the app on the 25/01 at thai cc, and when my fiance had her interview, they advised her that nothing more was needed, the CO said her application was "fully complete"

[markww]

Ozspike,

If you attended the interview with Pui, do you remember the questions that were asked?

If you do, perhaps you would be good enough to post them on this thread whilst it is all still fresh in your memory:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=64729

You might also state whether or not you believed it was of any benefit to the application for you to be there for the interview.

Thanks...and I hope it all goes well for you both.

MM

for what info i got from my fiance, the interview was to cross reference the details on the application that we put it, it seems a fairly simple way of weeding out those who are trying to try any funny business. The CO asked my fiance about my likes and dislikes, about how she feels when we are together, what we like to do when we are together and things we have in common ... in general just sussing out if we are the real deal or not... once the interview was over my fiance felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders

[Ozspike]

MM

We had the Interview booked for 8:30Am Turned up at 8:10 and was told we had to wait outside the embassy until the time of the inteview(8:30) which seems a bit strange as the new security measures at the embassy I thought would be to protect Australians and not have us waiting outside the embassy which has to be the least safe place.

Anyway not wanting to upset anyone we said nothing and waited outside, We both went in together to see the case worker, she told us we had done a very nice job with our application with everything in a nice ring binder folder with title and index page's but infortunalty all of the documents except for the proof of relationship ones had to come out and go in her case file. so we all took about 15 mins doing that and even though she didn't say much while we were doing this(she was taping info into her PC) she was able to see how we spoke to each other and worked together while sorting out the doc's.

After the docs were ready she gave us the standard warning about the paperwork all being truthfull and correct then we all had a chat about nothing for about 5 mins. I was then asked to wait outside the room while she interviewed Pui.

Pui said she asked her about things like when we met when she became my girlfriend what i got her for valentines day when I asked her to marry me how many brothers and sisters i had if she had met them. And how did Pui know I wanted her to be my girlfriend(what I did and said). Then they just talked about Pui past Marrige in germany and what went wrong with that one. After about 1 hour I was called back in but she just asked me if I had any questions or anything to add so I just explained my financial position and that was it she said thanks and they would contact us when the decision wsa made.

Now we wait and hope all is well.(and try not to watch the clock)

Hope that helps

Spike & Pui

[Mighty Mouse]

That's excellent Spike.

You have confirmed what some others have also said, that the CO is merely probing to ascertain in her mind the strength and genuineness of the relationship.

In any genuine relationship it should be expected that both partners have personal knowledge of each other as well as each others families. The CO's questions are structured to bring out the depth of that knowledge.

I have always believed (and stated) that there is an advantage in both parties being present at the interview, if for no other reason, to further demonstrate to the CO the genuineness of the relationship and to clarify any issues arising from the application.

Your post has fortified that belief.

[Pink Mist]

I reckon things have lightened up considerably in the last 4 years, which is a good thing.