Change to UK visa issuing process

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Changes to the visa issuing process have been announced. This is the official line :

The Home Office has announced that starting in March 2015 long term visas of over 6 months will no longer be issued. Instead a visa valid for 30 days will be issued along with a letter informing the applicant which post office in the UK they must collect their biometric residency permit at within 10 days of arriving in the UK. Failure to travel within the 30 days period will mean that a new paid for visa application must be made. This system will start in Delhi before being rolled out across the World by the end of July 2015. No date has yet been given for implementation in Bangkok.

It will presumably mean an end to the 30 month initial visa, being replaced by a 30 - day short term visa. Presumably, the Biometric Residence Permit will start from the expiry date of the short term entry visa, and be valid for 30 months

Tony M

[PeeJay1959]

Yet another bit of hassle

[theoldgit]

I don't see a problem with the principle of this, however applicants don't know how soon the visa will be approved and, when it is, will have quite a short period to finalise travel plans, put their affairs in order and move halfway across the globe to meet the 30 day deadline.

[bigyin]

My understanding is that it will be of paramount importance to put a realistic and accurate date of travel on the visa application. The applicant will then have 30 days from that date to get to the UK and then 10 days to collect the Permit. The big problem might be that at the moment you can post date your application for the visa to commence 3 months ahead and then you have 3 months to get to the UK but under the new system would you have to apply 3 months before your expected date of travel which effectively cuts by 50% your time available for planning and preparing? Also do we know whether an application lodged before the change in Thailand would automatically still fall within the old rules even if the date of travel was after the change was implemented? I am on the brink of making settlement visa applications for my wife and step daughter and could really do without the extra aggravation.

[rockingrobin]

Does this mean you will also have to have a return ticket in order to board flight , even though you will probably will collect permit and be staying longer than 30 days

[bigyin]

I don't think so because as well as the 30 day travel visa there will also be a letter confirming that the Biometric Residence Permit is to be collected. I assume, but confirmation would be welcome, that the 2 together will be enough for the airlines.

[bobrussell]

How on earth do they think this is going to work? As you don't know if the visa will be approved within 3 days, 3 weeks or 3 months it will be horrific to have to be ready to travel at the drop of the hat to keep within the 30 day window.

There may be whole households to pack up and transport. What a completely bonkers idea!

[Jim walker]

And all designed to keep immigration figures low and the more people who become disillusioned with all the hassle and give up thinking about living in the UK from Asia and leave more room for the Romanian Gypsys to come and settle in the UK and get their free money and house and carpets and cooker and a social worker all supplied free from the generous UK taxpayer, but dare you try and take in your Thai wife/partner to the UK and we will shower you with obstacles to make sure they never arrive and upset the immigration figures.

[fbf]

Oh wow! Thanks for the warning. Seems like an extra bit of stress.

So just to be clear, this applies to any visa of any kind over 6 months. e.g. settlement visa?

How do they decide on the post office? Presumably by location near the intended address (but they could create all kinds of mischief there, sending people halfway across the UK!)

Forgive my ignorance but what is the biometric residency permit? Is this like an ID card, issued to anyone with a stay longer than six months? I'm marrying in Thailand in June and then she'll apply to stay with me here in the UK.

It seems like this could have an effect on visa processing times too...

[fbf]

Ah ok, I found your other post, but maybe should reply here?

So if a settlement visa (or any visa over 6 months) application is successful, then the visa issued is only for 30 days. So in the passport will be a single entry visa for 30 days? If so, how about travel to/from the UK during the 'real' time of the visa (e.g. 33 months)? After we marry we might visit Thailand briefly once or twice per year.

Or is it a long visa (e.g. 33 months) but with a special initial entry condition?

[Tony M]

Ah ok, I found your other post, but maybe should reply here?

So if a settlement visa (or any visa over 6 months) application is successful, then the visa issued is only for 30 days. So in the passport will be a single entry visa for 30 days? If so, how about travel to/from the UK during the 'real' time of the visa (e.g. 33 months)? After we marry we might visit Thailand briefly once or twice per year.

Or is it a long visa (e.g. 33 months) but with a special initial entry condition?

The visa will allow the holder to enter the UK for the first time. After that, the Residence Permit ( the BRP) replaces all visas ( until a new one is required after 30 months), and can be used to show to airlines, employers, etc, in place of a visa.

I wonder why they couldn't have made the initial visa a 90 day visa ? That would sort of follow the Schengen rules for category D ( long term) visas.

[Chapy]

Any indication on when this will be rolled out for Bangkok yet ?

It could make that month, "very exciting".

[NanLaew]

This doesn't apply to longer-term (one, two, five or ten year), mutiple-entry UK Visit visas... or does it?

Edited February 12, 2015 by NanLaew

[Chapy]

" long term visas of over 6 months will no longer be issued "

Nan, I presume those are the ones they are targeting.

[NanLaew]

" long term visas of over 6 months will no longer be issued "

Nan, I presume those are the ones they are targeting.

Bizarre. My wife will be applying for (hopefully) a 5-year, multiple-entry UK Visit visa soon as she has had a couple of 1 year and a 2 year visas in the past and we have no plans to relocate to the UK. The approval time would not be a major issue as she has never exceeded each visa's time limits in her 4 visits over 3 years. I would assume that this Biometric Residence Permit would be a one-time issue and not required to get a new one for each UK visit on the same visa. The 30-month validity seems a bit arbitrary unless that dovetails with some other pre-qualification time for ILR or PR or whatever they call it these days.

We may just try and beat the deadline and file an application online next week and see if she can get a document submission appointment at Trendy before the end of this month.

[Upnotover]

I was reading it that this applies to long term stays over 6 months, not visa validity. The 1,2,5 year visit visa's of course do not allow stays over 6 months.

[Chapy]

Can anyone confirm my understanding of the UK VFS Bangkok system.

1. Registrar my family details and make an account- or maybe 3 individuals.

2. Fill out the online forms

3. Do not supply any docs

4. Pay online in USD via a credit card

5. They then contact me and invite me to go to trendy to check docs and take Biometric fingerprints etc.

(Some where in there need to do a TB test in BKK)

What is the time period for #5 ?

So I can do the online stuff while waiting for docs to arrive from abroad ?

[theoldgit]

5. They then contact me and invite me to go to trendy to check docs and take Biometric fingerprints etc.

(Some where in there need to do a TB test in BKK)

What is the time period for #5 ?

So I can do the online stuff while waiting for docs to arrive from abroad ?

They don't contact you to invite you to go to Trendy, you have to book an appointment, once the application has been submitted and the fee paid you are directed to the appointment page which shows you the times and dates available.

You can do the online stuff and save it, maybe submit when the documents are in hand, appointments are normally readily available.

As far as I'm aware there's only one place to do the test in Bangkok, it's on Silom. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tuberculosis-test-for-a-uk-visa-clinics-in-thailand/tuberculosis-testing-in-thailand

[bigyin]

Don't forget the English test which is the hardest part of the whole process. Going back to the new Biometric Residence Permit I was planning to try for an appointment at Trendy Building on 23 of this month (or as close as possible). I planned to ask for the visa start date to be post dated the maximum 3 months to, say, 22 May and my travel date was going to be 30 July getting me to the UK in good time for the full 30 months. I have shipping to organise and tenants in my home to give notice to. Is this still viable under the new procedure? Will they process the visa now with a travel date of 30 July and if we apply before 15 March does the whole process follow the old rules and would access to the UK be allowed in July on a normal visa? I am hoping one of the Tony's or 7By7 has some information but help from anywhere would be appreciated as I don't

[fbf]

The visa will allow the holder to enter the UK for the first time. After that, the Residence Permit ( the BRP) replaces all visas ( until a new one is required after 30 months), and can be used to show to airlines, employers, etc, in place of a visa.

I wonder why they couldn't have made the initial visa a 90 day visa ? That would sort of follow the Schengen rules for category D ( long term) visas.

I see, thanks. Yes, the 30 days restriction is annoying. Making it easy for people isn't too high up the priority list I suspect!

Luckily in my case it won't be an issue, as she will probably want to fly around 2 weeks after the visa approval.

[NanLaew]

I was reading it that this applies to long term stays over 6 months, not visa validity. The 1,2,5 year visit visa's of course do not allow stays over 6 months.

Your interpretation makes good sense.

[Upnotover]

Bizarre. My wife will be applying for (hopefully) a 5-year, multiple-entry UK Visit visa soon as she has had a couple of 1 year and a 2 year visas in the past and we have no plans to relocate to the UK. The approval time would not be a major issue as she has never exceeded each visa's time limits in her 4 visits over 3 years. I would assume that this Biometric Residence Permit would be a one-time issue and not required to get a new one for each UK visit on the same visa. The 30-month validity seems a bit arbitrary unless that dovetails with some other pre-qualification time for ILR or PR or whatever they call it these days.

We may just try and beat the deadline and file an application online next week and see if she can get a document submission appointment at Trendy before the end of this month.

Just done a 2 yr visit application, no problem with appointments almost every day till the end of the month. Only problem is how GBP300 becomes USD468 then ends up as THB17241 on my card !!

[NanLaew]

Bizarre. My wife will be applying for (hopefully) a 5-year, multiple-entry UK Visit visa soon as she has had a couple of 1 year and a 2 year visas in the past and we have no plans to relocate to the UK. The approval time would not be a major issue as she has never exceeded each visa's time limits in her 4 visits over 3 years. I would assume that this Biometric Residence Permit would be a one-time issue and not required to get a new one for each UK visit on the same visa. The 30-month validity seems a bit arbitrary unless that dovetails with some other pre-qualification time for ILR or PR or whatever they call it these days.

We may just try and beat the deadline and file an application online next week and see if she can get a document submission appointment at Trendy before the end of this month.

Just done a 2 yr visit application, no problem with appointments almost every day till the end of the month. Only problem is how GBP300 becomes USD468 then ends up as THB17241 on my card !!

Thanks for that update. Maybe we can take a rest in March as it has been flat out since Hogmanay renewing 3 UK passports.

At least we know where VFS Trendy is!