Premium Services for UK visa applicants

[Crossy]

Received an email today regarding premium visa application services, links below:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/world-location-news/uk-visas-in-thailand-premium-services-are-great

http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/thailand/user_pay_services.html

I'll leave it to the reader to decide if the services are worth the fees.

Anyone who's used these services is welcome to post their experiences here.

[ulike]

Hello

Definitely worth the money. Reduced waiting period for my niece for settlement visa. First one, refused (1 week) second one issues (2 weeks)

[CharlieH]

Paid 3000 baht, no seat, had to stand for over an hour. really slow.

When the wife came out, the main processing area was cleared ! so it would have been more comfortable and quicker to have just used the normal service.

Yes it was convenient to have them photocopy something but hardly worth the extra money involved.

That was our experience.

[theoldgit]

I personally think having to pay an extra £100 to Fast Track an application is an utter disgrace, I suspect that that no more ECO's are employed as a result of this extra income, maybe I'll submit a FOI request and ask, and these fast tracked applications are simply pushed to the front of the queue at the expense of other applicants, who cannot afford, or cannot justify, the extra expense.

Whilst I'm glad "ulike" thought it to be worth the extra money, I didn't think applications for Settlement Visas could be fast tracked, at least that's what the VFS website says, maybe they should update the information they provide.

There have been a number of reports confirming what CharlieH has said, that the applicants paying the 3,000 for the claimed VIP Service, didn't actually get any meaningful benefit for the extra cash paid.

I think it's worth the extra to have your passport and supporting documents couriered back, especially if you live up country, but I do wonder why the cost of this service varies depending by the type of application, maybe some have less supporting documents, but have you seen the level of supporting documents some visit visa applicants provide?

[ulike]

I thought all visa centres were the same, so obviously not and there is difference. I guess about 5-6000baht extra for priority service.

Priority Visa Service

You will be able pay an additional fee to fast track your application and have your visa application processed ahead of others.

To apply for a priority visa you must complete and submit a UK visa application online as normal and visit one of the UK's visa application centre

Anyway, I think it was very worth it just to reduce that horrible waiting time period. And, it was a fraction of what I had to pay the Immigration Barrister to step into the case and stop another wrong ECO decision.

Edited June 20, 2014 by ulike

[jimn]

I think we are speaking about 2 different services here. (1) The premium service at about 3000 thb that is supposed to give a better experience on the day but as people have said this is sometimes not the case. I believe this is booked on line at the same time as the application is submitted. (2) The priority visa service where a decision is promised in 3 to 5 working days. You pay for this when you go to VFS on the day you hand in the paperwork. The cost is 5600 thb. Is it worth it, to some yes because sometimes a decision is urgently needed. Note you can only use this service if you have visited the Uk and other nominated countries before. A personal decision I think.

[mikebell]

I agree with The Old Git: when you pay the extra your partner is pushed further up the queue at the expense of the poorer folk who cannot afford/justify this extra on a fixed pension.

Updating my previous rant about VFS, my wife got her visa a month after her 4 hour wait. I have written a series of emails to Embassy/VFS/Foreign Office/various MPs and only received automated responses. Disgraceful service.

[jimn]

Updating my previous rant about VFS, my wife got her visa a month after her 4 hour wait. I have written a series of emails to Embassy/VFS/Foreign Office/various MPs and only received automated responses. Disgraceful service.

I agree with your last comment Mike, its absolutely disgraceful that no one seems to be accountable for the service. As a general question to members. Has anyone ever had an acceptable reply addressing your issue when contacting the services mentioned by Mike? The usual response is an automatic reply or a very general response irrelevant to the complaint

[ulike]

I agree with The Old Git: when you pay the extra your partner is pushed further up the queue at the expense of the poorer folk who cannot afford/justify this extra on a fixed pension.

You mean like business class on planes and boarding easily? Or priority boarding on easyjet so we don't have to push our way and try and get a seat? Like paying for an arrival service at a foreign airport to be helped through passport control and customs? Like getting a taxi to Heathrow but not the train? Like getting into a nightclub or a nice restaurant cause you tip and get a place? Or paying for a private school for a child? Or paying the premium fee to get your passport issued quicker so you can travel?

Why would visas be any different when the government has made this a profit centre to support other non commercial services.

Personally, I got no issue with paying priority service, its how world works. What I don't like is our case of having to pay a expensive silk cause the ECO doesn't know the job and is wrong. That's not fair.

[theoldgit]

@ulike Nobody is criticising you, we all have to do what we believe is best.

I do think it's morally wrong for a Government Department who impose a visa regime on certain nationals, then to make the procedure so inefficient and cumbersome that potential applicants feel the need to "jump the queue", at a price, to bypass these inefficiencies.

I would be more relaxed if the UKVI used the fees charged to queue jump to actually pay for the enhanced service by employing more Entry Clearance Officers, and for all I know they may do so, though my experience of Government Departments leads me to believe that they simply use the extra fees to generate income to compensate of efficiency savings imposed by the centre.

Whilst I note your comparison, and don't forget I'm not criticising you or anybody else who feels the need to purchase the enhanced service, you're not really comparing like for like. I travel Business Class, though not as often as I used to now that HMG isn't picking up the tab, I do so because I like to extra comfort and am prepared to pay for it, not because the alternative is so inefficient that I feel compelled to do so.

[durhamboy]

I wholeheartedly agree OG. People pay extra for things like business class air journeys and private education because they perceive that they are getting a better product. Here people are paying extra not for a different or better product but to queue jump. I don't blame them for doing that but I do blame the system for allowing it and making extra money from it.

There may be circumstances where applications should be fast-tracked e.g. to attend a family funeral. However should that sort of thing incur additional expense for the applicant. Personally I don't think so. I would hope that there is someone at the embassy prioritising applications.

[7by7]

In urgent, compassionate cases applicants used to be able to 'queue jump' at no extra cost. Do they now have to pay the extra?

In my opinion, compassionate reasons, such as family illness or a funeral, are valid reasons for someone 'jumping the queue', the ability to pay extra is not!

[ulike]

@ulike Nobody is criticising you, we all have to do what we believe is best.

I do think it's morally wrong for a Government Department who impose a visa regime on certain nationals, then to make the procedure so inefficient and cumbersome that potential applicants feel the need to "jump the queue", at a price, to bypass these inefficiencies.

I would be more relaxed if the UKVI used the fees charged to queue jump to actually pay for the enhanced service by employing more Entry Clearance Officers, and for all I know they may do so, though my experience of Government Departments leads me to believe that they simply use the extra fees to generate income to compensate of efficiency savings imposed by the centre.

Whilst I note your comparison, and don't forget I'm not criticising you or anybody else who feels the need to purchase the enhanced service, you're not really comparing like for like. I travel Business Class, though not as often as I used to now that HMG isn't picking up the tab, I do so because I like to extra comfort and am prepared to pay for it, not because the alternative is so inefficient that I feel compelled to do so.

I am not sure where you got that thought from. I do not think at all that you, or anyone, was criticising me. This is a discussion upon using premier and fast track services.

So, logically then, do you also think it is also morally wrong for British nationals to 'jump the queue' with regarding to renewing British passports? Some people are having to wait weeks and weeks whilst other people a day or two? Especially in the light of your business class analogy and alternative passport issue being so inefficient.

I think we agree on the overarching funding issue:

Why would visas be any different when the government has made this a profit centre to support other non commercial services.

And you said:

though my experience of Government Departments leads me to believe that they simply use the extra fees to generate income to compensate of efficiency savings imposed by the centre.

Edited June 20, 2014 by ulike

[ulike]

I wholeheartedly agree OG. People pay extra for things like business class air journeys and private education because they perceive that they are getting a better product. Here people are paying extra not for a different or better product but to queue jump. I don't blame them for doing that but I do blame the system for allowing it and making extra money from it.

There may be circumstances where applications should be fast-tracked e.g. to attend a family funeral. However should that sort of thing incur additional expense for the applicant. Personally I don't think so. I would hope that there is someone at the embassy prioritising applications.

I guess you too would also not agree about passport issue fast tracking too.

And, my own opinion is I don't have an issue with it cause it a horrible fact but its the way the world works all over.

Edited June 20, 2014 by ulike

[ulike]

....

Edited June 20, 2014 by ulike

[theoldgit]

So, logically then, do you also think it is also morally wrong for British nationals to 'jump the queue' with regarding to renewing British passports? Some people are having to wait weeks and weeks whilst other people a day or two? Especially in the light of your business class analogy and alternative passport issue being so inefficient.

No not at all, I don't think it's morally wrong for people to jump the queue, I think it's morally wrong that the service they have already paid for is so bad that they feel the need to pay the premium fee to get, what I would call, a standard service.

The same applies to passports, I think it's morally wrong that the standard service is so clogged up that people feel the need to jump the queue, HMG seems to agree and are waiving the fee for those with just cause.

If I chose to travel in a premium cabin I do so because I want the extra comfort, I don't so because the service at the back is so bad, and neither are the staff diverted from economy to premium cabins to meet my needs, there are dedicated staff in place.

I'm sure that you really don't relish the thought of paying an extra fee for a pretty bog standard procedure.

[ulike]

Cant understand your point on that.

I do not see how it can be morally wrong for a government to break a system and then offer users choice to use the same service, unbroken, at an extra fee.

And it is not be morally wrong for the people to use that service. Surely for poor service to flourish and a fee paying service to also flourish then both needs people of equally poor morals who thinks its ok to use it.

So aren't all shareholders all morally bankrupt? Logically?

Anyway, I cannot claim higher morals. I used it to reduce waiting periods for my own family needs.

[Donutz]

I don't see any issue with actual VIP treatment for an extra fee, such as having your visa being reviewed within 24 hours or other luxeries. Making an appointment, not having to wait much (after all that's why you make appointments not?) and having your case reviewed in about a week and having it send back by mail (if you pay the postage with a pre adressed enveloppe) hardly seems something special, that should fall under standard applications...

[durhamboy]

Ulike - what on earth are you on about?

Firstly, yes you are correct - I do not think it is acceptable to have a system that fast-tracks British passport applications. I think that, in general, when you introduce a fast-track system then it usually results in a poorer service for those that don't pay for fast-track. In the end everyone has to pay for fast-track to get a reasonable service. I had some experience of this with visa renewals in The Philippines.

I can't understand why you say it is a "horrible fact" but you don't have an issue with it. So things that are a horrible fact are ok are they?

As for your post #17 I am even more at a loss to understand your logic. Are you trying to say that it is morally wrong for someone to use a service that they consider to be morally wrong? Is that your logic?. Ok so a person may think that private health treatment is morally wrong and it should be available free to everyone. His child is dying and the only place that has the equipment to treat his dying child is the private hospital. He has money so what does he do?

[ulike]

Ulike - what on earth are you on about?

Hi

Brain farting at the end of a very very frustrating first part to a two part journey

Sorry.

As hubby Says, 'Chill Luv'.

[durhamboy]

Ok Ulike, no problem. We all have bad days sometimes. Cheers!