Does a phone call regarding UK general visitor visa mean a successful application?

[isnakebite]

I appreciate we're told to allow 3 weeks but the wait is starting to become slightly stressful for both of us . This is our second application and her visit of course means so much to us.

GF submitted 02/06/15 requesting visa to start 26/06/15 (we allowed minimum 3 weeks). GF answered preliminary questions and was told it would take 2 weeks.

Sat 13th GF asks me if I've been contacted. I asked why, she explained that she had been contacted earlier in the week, answered some questions including asking for my number. I explained that I hadn't been contacted and that it was probably part of the test as they already had my number.

As I write, the office is BKK is closed and now 2 weeks and 2 days have passed and I have had neither a call or an email advising me that a decision has been made.

In light that we received notification of a decision after 3 days for our first application, we have taken the phone call as a positive sign, as we never had one last time. However with no apparent further action, doubt has started to creep in.

Only death and taxes are certain, but I feel it would be wrong to contact an applicant and then over 1.5 weeks later notify them that they were rejected. Does the phone call and long wait mean we were successful?

[7by7]

The phone call means that there were some points which the ECO wanted clarified or confirmed.

The phone call itself does not mean the application will be successful, neither does it mean it will be refused.

That depends on the information in the application and from the answers she gave in the phone call; which I trust were consistent with each other.

The processing time is not an indication of success or failure. It takes just as long to process a successful application as it does a refusal.

Whilst the processing of some applications may be delayed if the ECO needs more information, which may the case here, they mainly depend upon demand. The busier the office is, the longer each individual application will take to reach an ECO and be processed.

[wooloomooloo]

GF answered preliminary questions and was told it would take 2 weeks.

Take what VFS staff aver with a large pinch of salt. They've no more idea than you.

[Jesse123]

Application 4 May, no formal decision yet but the ECO in the Channel Islands authorised the visa last Tuesday. Rang VFS yesterday who spent a long time getting nowhere. Promised escalation. Still no word. Hope to travel 1 July. It's the inability to talk to the embassy direct in these circumstances that is bad. Can understand their wish to prevent numerous calls but even a direct email contact would be better than VFS. They could always provide a standard reply or alternatively do something.

We did get a call from the embassy on Monday telling us to chase the Channel Isles - so I did and got a result. Maybe there is still a layer of bureaucracy to climb over. You just get stock answers to email queries. I'm sure they have a small list of prepared responses as all ours are of two kinds, mainly saying wait or tell us what we already know.

[wanderluster]

my gf did the application yesterday at VFS in bkk and was told 18 days... later that day she received an sms from VFS saying that her application had been sent to the UK embassy.. this sms thing was same as when she got her schengen visa, at every step in the process she would get an sms telling her what was happening

[Liquorice]

@isnakebite.

I totally agree with 7by7 above.

They just wanted to clarify some issues.

I'm sure you'll receive word one way or another at the beginning of next week.

[Jesse123]

Paid for SMS service and not had one SMS in 7 weeks. Got an email saying a decision has been made at 8am this morning. Paid for courier service but not in that system yet. Typical mushroom approach. Keep you in the dark and throw shit on you!!

[Nemesis7]

A phone call from them means just clearing a Particular doubt they might have , nothing more or nothing less at that point.

[brewsterbudgen]

Will VFS send the passport back to the applicant or does it have to be collected in person?

[Upnotover]

Will VFS send the passport back to the applicant or does it have to be collected in person?

They will if you pay for the courier service.

[theoldgit]

Will VFS send the passport back to the applicant or does it have to be collected in person?

They will if you pay for the courier service.

Which is:

Courier service

Applicants can choose to have their passport and documents returned to their chosen address by courier. The fee for this service varies by application type as follows:

Visit / Visit EEA 250 Baht

Points based system (Tier 1,2,4,5,Dependent) 350 Baht

Settlement / Settlement EEA 450 Baht

[brewsterbudgen]

Will VFS send the passport back to the applicant or does it have to be collected in person?

They will if you pay for the courier service.

Which is:

Courier service

Applicants can choose to have their passport and documents returned to their chosen address by courier. The fee for this service varies by application type as follows:

Visit / Visit EEA 250 Baht

Points based system (Tier 1,2,4,5,Dependent) 350 Baht

Settlement / Settlement EEA 450 Baht

Same price anywhere in Thailand?

[theoldgit]

@brewsterbudgen, yes same price to anywhere in Thailand, more for Laos.

[Dumbastheycome]

Female Asians who wish to be tourists outside of Asia must be dedicated to the possibility ! If I was AsianI would consider aquiring a visa, once achieved roll it up and shove it up where the sun never shines ( except Pattaya) of the revalent Consul !

[Jonmarleesco]

The official timescale is 15 days - I assume business days. I've had one accepted in 2, but that was probably an exception. The result is usually to be found on the VFS site.

[isnakebite]

The official timescale is 15 days - I assume business days. I've had one accepted in 2, but that was probably an exception. The result is usually to be found on the VFS site.

Thank you all for the responses, comments and thoughts. I think the topic subject should have been "Does a phone call and then a long non response regarding..........."

I tried to track on VFS site but I think unfortunately it looks like this is not an online option for those applying from Thailand hoping to travel to the UK.

I did a search on a search engine and was able to find the ability to track for applications to Italy and Finland from Thailand but not for the UK.

Again admittedly I'm told to allow 3 weeks and VFS states they try to complete in 15 days. Today is 13th working day, not including the day of submittal. As previously commented we may get the email start of next week.

[jinners]

not wishing to piss on your chips but absolutely no. I received 2 emails and assumed (wronfully) that as they had everything, and then requested additional previously unrequested details, it was fair to say we would get an approval. WRONG, those cu**s issued a refusal on the most spurious of grounds and I'm now going through the ball ache that is an appeal.

Good luck!

[wooloomooloo]

... issued a refusal on the most spurious of grounds and I'm now going through the ball ache that is an appeal.

You can't appeal a visit visa. You can request a review, though probably easier to reapply and attempt to fill the gaps.

[7by7]

The official timescale is 15 days - I assume business days. I've had one accepted in 2, but that was probably an exception.

UKVI do advise allowing up to 3 weeks for a visit visa application to be processed.

However, as said above, the actual processing time depends mainly on demand.

Apply at a quiet time and it will be processed quickly, apply at a busier one and it will take longer for each application to reach an ECO and so be processed.

I've been involved in applications which have been processed very quickly, one day in one case, but others which have taken longer.

The result is usually to be found on the VFS site.

I don't know about other countries, but for the UK definitely not.

UKVI consider, rightly in my opinion, that the result of an application is confidential. VFS do not know the result.

Once the process is completed, passports etc. are returned to VFS in a sealed package for forwarding to or collection by the applicant or their appointed representative. The result will not be known until that package is opened; which VFS will not do.

All VFS can tell an applicant is that they have forwarded the application to the entry clearance section and then, once they have, that they have received it back.

[7by7]

I tried to track on VFS site but I think unfortunately it looks like this is not an online option for those applying from Thailand hoping to travel to the UK

It used to be; but it was not much use.

When you entered your reference number all it would tell you was that the application was with the embassy, or, once it had happened, back with VFS.

Now the embassy will send you an email saying a decision has been made and the passport etc. returned to VFS.

Then you'll get an email from VFS saying they have received it and it is awaiting collection or will be sent to you via courier, depending on which option you chose when submitting the application.

There is an optional SMS status tracking service, cost 80 baht, but it wont really tell you anything different to what the old, free service did!

[isnakebite]

"Does the phone call and long wait mean we were successful?"

To answer my own question, "no" as 2nd application unsuccessful. If anyone is interested.

Submitted 2nd June, 9/10th GF is contacted. I write email to UKVI 25th, receive email Friday 26th from UKVI stating decision made, 5 hours later email from VFS received, state collect passport 2 working days later. Collected today (30th). Decision was made 19th, sent to applicant 26th.

[theoldgit]

Sorry to hear that, what was the reason?

[isnakebite]

Sorry to hear that, what was the reason?

Thank you.

1. My lack of funds to support her during the stay

(My error , stupid, stupid, stupid – after the 1^st application was rejected, I moved saved monies into another bank account for the purpose of her visit and completely forgot to supply the statement of this).

2.“No evidence of the letter, I referred to in my sponsor letter, from her boss granting her a return to employment after the 5 month holiday”

(I’ve seen it, it is in Thai, she even went back to ask her boss to sign it and we included it in application)

3.“Not clear why her employer would grant leave of 5 months, given that she had only started work”

(Her boss is an old work colleague and friend, my gf has returned to the factory where she once worked, in the time that she was away her friend is no longer her equal but her employer. Hence why she was able to find quick employment. Admittedly none of this is included in my letter)

4. “No inclusion of any satisfactory evidence in respect of employment”

(She started working in a factory a month after the 1^st application was rejected – which the ECO noted. She gets paid in cash biweekly. Very small business 4 ladies employees, 1 employer. I had hoped that her boss’ letter would have been sufficient)

5. “Given my concerns regarding your employment I am not satisfied that the funds you have shown accurately reflect your current financial circumstances and that these will be genuinely be available to you.”

(They make reference to two bank statements. One ended in March 2015, with say a substantial amount and the other in May 2015 with not so much. The latter confirms my financial support. We made the 1^st application via a friend of a friend let’s say called Mrs N. I learnt this morning that Mrs N supplied a fake bank statement confirming gf had saved funds (this is the statement ending March) when I was told by Mrs N that she had lent her some money on the day to accompany her).

Some of the reasons we opted to make the 2^nd application ourselves is because of the lack of urgency to help with a 2^nd application by Mrs N. I also criticised her after the first application was rejected. In fairness she did help my gf a lot and certainly sorted out some things that I could have never had done but given that she was the so called “expert” she could have addressed a lot of the issues that were highlighted in the first rejection. Mrs N also wanted to create a ludicrous lie for the 2^nd application that my gf had forgotten to mention that I had given her a lot of money to set up a business in her home village.

No longer using Mrs N. I opted to use Thai Visa for assistance in the 2^nd application and realise that the false statement in point 5 should never have happened. and that taking hard cash would not have made any difference.

I think I can deal with points 1-3 without any problems. 4 & 5 have me stumped.

[robertthebruce]

So so frustrating....