New VFS centre, a few tips and be careful if with kids !

[SantiSuk]

I'm still waiting for a response to my e-mail enquiry to the much (self-) lauded international enquiry service for UK visas.

Submitted questions - tracking status and whether I could change option and pick-up visa - on Sunday at 5pm;

received response saying "expect acknowledgement of your enquiry in your inbox now". No such (nor in junk box);

after 24 hours got a message saying "what is your date of birth?" from a no-reply sending address (doh!)

Spent 5 minutes refinding and navigating the contact webpages and replied (with wife's DOB of course);

got the 'expect acknowledgement' mail again; no such received again;

radio silence since then;

approaching 72 hours (service promise is 24hrs), at which point I will send another reminder along with a request for the complaints contact number (UK government, not the subcontractor's complaint procedure). I agree with 7x7's approach!

Edited April 16, 2014 by SantiSuk

[SantiSuk]

Same building? Yes.

Same office? I hope not!

Not that I've anything against Aussies (even when you whitewash us in the Ashes!); but as the UKVAC already deals with UK visa applicants and British passport applicants, adding Aussie visa applicants as well means even more overcrowding!

I only saw one set of offices on the 28th floor, so unless there is some other part of that floor that is currently partitioned off, possibly accessed by another bank of lifts, it's going to be a bun-fest up there (assuming you have fought of the Ozzies to get your place in the limited lifts - I had to wait nearly 10 minutes when I went in the first week of UK-only operations).

[SantiSuk]

If I can interrupt your spat for a few moments, here's a bit more info about making contact under the regime and location changes that happened around 1 April:

• I've had another shot at searching for a local Thai contact number. There is one - after all 0018 001 5620 78469 open form 7:00am to 3:00pm. I'll post whether it works or not when and if I need to try it after Songkran

........ redacted (my own prior post) ........

The local number does not get you to anyone local. It simply refers you into the £1.37 a minute service for enquiries. Maybe it saves you the difference between a national and international call.

I still have no answers to my questions after 3½ days. I'm going to complain widely but I suspect it is all going to get blown off as being a function of the Songkran holiday in Thailand.

[OJAS]

Specific info about VFS's UK representation in Thailand is available via the following link:- http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/thailand/

More general info about this mob is available via the following link:- http://www.vfsglobal.com/

[theoldgit]

A number of argumentative posts removed.

[SantiSuk]

It is now exactly 4 days since I raised questions on UK Immigration's subcontractor website. I despair of getting any free answers in the new environment, so I have just paid GBP 4 for a live chat with the subcontractor. Here is a transcript in full detail (exceot name/detail removal):

X said: Hello. My name is X and I work for UK Visas and Immigration. How can I help you, today?

Note that this chat will end automatically after 30 minutes.

X said: May I have the reference number please X said: its starts with GWF
You said: I am assisting my wife Y Z, DOB 9th March 1974, with her application for a 5 year UK visitor visa. We submitted at Bangkok on Friday 4th April. I forgot to guide her about receipt of the visa and she took it upon herself to request delivery by Thai Post. We actually need to get hold of the visa asap in order to apply for a German Schengen Visa. Questions: 1 How can we change the instruction so that we collect the visa and documents from VFS in Bangkok and cancel the mailing instruction. 2 What is the latest status of her application and how do we check for an update in the coming days? . The reference number is gwfxxxxxxxxx
X said: thank you, please wait while I check your visa . X siad: Your application has been processed and the decision will be with you in the next few days.You said: Thank you. And the answer to question 1 please? X said: We have checked the status and the outcome is as following: Your application has been processed and the decision will be with you in the next few days Xsaid: So please wait a few days and you will receive the result.

You said: And the answer to question 1 "How can we change the instruction so that we collect the visa and documents from VFS in Bangkok and cancel the mailing instruction" is ....?
You said: Hello are you still there X?
X said: yes Im X said: Im afraid you have to arrange that directly with your visa application center

X said:

You said: How do I do that? There is no longer a local contact number for talking to staff at VFS Bangkok? There is alocal number given on the website, which I tried this morning. It referred me straight into the "pay GBP1.37 per minute" service. If I use that service, does it get me to talk to a local VFS member of staff?
X said: VFS Bangkok does not have the contact number or email, you will have to make a physical visit to the VAC

X said: But it is not guarantee that they will agree to see you without an appointment X said: That is a number United Kingdom Visas and Immigration International Enquiry Service not VAC center in Bangkok X said: That service is to help you track your application not for making appointment at the VAC in your country. X said: Even it is a local number but it will go to us in the UK office and you will be charge X said: You will be charge a local rate or international rate depending on your local phone provider, and for Thailand you will be charged international rate

You said: It (the number was 01562078469) appeared to be a local number so I assumed, until I made a call, that the number would connect me to Bangkok staff. I did not need to dial a country code so I assumed that the call was going to Bangkok. Anyway, that is all probably a side issue now. Thank you X, you have been as helpful as I could reasonably expect in the circumstances.

Note that this chat will end automatically in 5 minutes.

X said: Thank you for contacting us, have a lovely day! X said: Goodbye from sunny London!

So this is the improved new service. PS - previously you could check the status for free as many times as you like on the VFS website. Previously you could talk to a VFS local Bangkok staff member about anything. Now, I have to travel again to Bangkok to try to stop the visa being mailed and hope that the visa will be ready for collection within a day or two of going there. Real progress [sarcasm]

.

[Yes I will be making a complaint to the Bangkok Embassy and to UK immigration that the new service is a marked step down and to point out that Bangkok VFS staff are handing out the wrong web-site address for checking status. I will try to be cosntructive as well as damning of the specious claims made by the Head of UK Immigration].

[David48]

Same building? Yes.

Same office? I hope not!

Not that I've anything against Aussies (even when you whitewash us in the Ashes!); but as the UKVAC already deals with UK visa applicants and British passport applicants, adding Aussie visa applicants as well means even more overcrowding!

Mate ... it's the same floor.

So, unless you saw some empty office space there ... there is a good chance it will be a 'shared facility'

[David48]

It is now exactly 4 days since I

Mate ... that was a damm good rant ...

BTW ... I seriously hope we don't share the same VFS service ...

[SantiSuk]

It's your government you should worry about David, not VFS. VFS simply do what the contracting government pay them to do (they were fine until the UK Government cuts merchants got to their contract) and the Brits have clearly now opted for the 'Poo Package'.

I don't actually mind the 'user pays' concept but the <deleted> politicians and civil servants should stop treating us like idiots and pretending it's an improvement.

All the best btw! Hope you Ozzies can afford at least the Nickle Package.

[SantiSuk]

"VFS Bangkok does not have the (sic) {a} contact number or email, you will have to make a physical visit to the VAC .. but it is not guarantee that they will agree to see you without an appointment" [uK Immigration International Enquiries Call Centre webchat response]

"Neither consular officials at the embassy or VFS will now answer any enquiries about visas ..." [british Embassy Bangkok automated response to pressing 1 for visa enquiries]

"Thank you for emailing the Consular Section of the British Embassy in Bangkok. This is an automated response and we aim to respond to you as soon as we can within our 20 working days timeframe"

The modern British Government at your service. Might as well have said "Just shut up you peasant and wait for something to happen"