Hi guys just wondering what you think about this. Me and my Thai Wife applied for a the UK spouse visa just over a month ago using one of these agencies with a no visa no pay deal! ( I know there ripoff merchants but we got turned down for a vistor visa before and wanted all the help we could get!) Basically she has been told that she been granted the visa, but she hasn't been to interview yet ( I know that some people got theirs without an interview) but the thing that concerns me is that the agency picked up her passport from the Embassy. This just seems strange to me, I asked my wife if she signed a letter giving the agency authority to pick it up but she is unsure as it was a while ago. So my question is whats the easy way to check that the visa is indeed legit before we pay the agency!

Thanks

I'm sorry, but this sounds very fishy to me.

If an applicant is issued a visa without the need for an interview (and it happens more often then most think) then the usual procedure is for the embassy to contact the applicant, not the agent!

Tell the agency that you want to see her passport and the visa and that you want to confirm with the embassy that the visa has indeed been issued before parting with any money. If they are legit then they will agree to this.

If they refuse, then demand her passport be returned immediately, and if they refuse then go straight to the police and report them for stealing it.

A receipt is normally given when an application is handed in. The passport could have been picked up using this receipt. As GU22 suggested, the best way to check if the correct vignette had been issued is to examine her passport and Entry clearance endorsement.

Why not call the embassy and give them the application number and check for yourself. This is the best way

Firstly thanks for the reply's

Yeah its no problem for us to go and check her passport they haven't argued about that apparently its locked in their safe. I was more concerned about how they managed to get her passport from the embassy, but I guess if you can use the receipt to pick it up thats what they must of used. Well I guess we'll have to wait until monday and go check her passport and give the embassy a ring. Whats the best number to call them on regarding visa's

+66 (0) 2 305 8333

Well we went to check my wifes passport and visa it all looked good then we called the embassy and it all checked out! cant quite believe it, I was really expecting it to be a load bullsh&t. Thanks for the help guys!

Glad to hear it.

Best of luck for the future.

Agency Name? ;-)