UK Visitor Visa

[petemcc]

I'll try to keep this short.

Do they stick rigidly to the ' no more that 3 months in advance' rule about a visa application?

I want to go with my flipper family in September, but they needed biometrics done, which meant flying 4.5 hours to Sydney, overnight, etc. Total cost about $2400. My missus and kids have just got their Aus PR status and she got a job, casual, but good pay, and she was told no chance of time off in July/August as it is busy +++. I did the online application for them on 30 May, they flew to Sydney on 14 June. VFS told them they would not submit my covering letter, which explained all this crap-I am used to dealing with immigration people and know they are human and will take account of circumstances, so when my missus came back and told me this I was livid. The VFS person told her to alter her/our arrival dates to 30 August, only all our evidence, prebooked, non-refundable airfares and accommodation to the tune of $8000 is for September. I tried to contact UK Immigration, <deleted> me, no wonder people go via the back door. Apart from spending $2 a minute to speak to some numpty who has no access to your records, there is a 500 character email. I asked them for a proper email addy, they stated there isn't one. I got a ref number from my first reply, which I quoted on my subsequent 6 replies-you can't reply to a reply, it requires a brand new webmail based wank thingy. Each time I got a different response, sometimes asking me the same question I had already answered, and but from 'Steve', from names I can't even pronounce, with generic cut and pastes about shit I know and told them I know.

I have submitted complaints, but am not holding my breath.

Does anyone know, does any UK immigration officer, hopefully on an indigenous UK background, with a grasp of English and common sense, have the common dog <deleted> to overlook the 3 month advance <deleted>, or am I <deleted>?

[rawhod]

What did you put as your date of travel?

Did you ask for the visa to be post dated?

From my experience with the British Embassy in Bangkok...

They will normally ignore your proposed date of travel and date the Visa from the date they issue it.

We have had UK Visitor Visa post dated 3 months by asking for it in the covering letter and repeating it on application form additional information section and attaching a post-it note. They are renowned for ignoring/missing it.

[petemcc]

What did you put as your date of travel?

Did you ask for the visa to be post dated?

From my experience with the British Embassy in Bangkok...

They will normally ignore your proposed date of travel and date the Visa from the date they issue it.

We have had UK Visitor Visa post dated 3 months by asking for it in the covering letter and repeating it on application form additional information section and attaching a post-it note. They are renowned for ignoring/missing it.

I asked for the visa to be post dated, date of travel given etc, but the VFS officer who took the application apparently refused to accept my covering letter, which covered everything including the difficulty with interstate air travel. Had I been there I'd have shoved it up her arse and reserected it and made sure it was submitted.

My understanding with any visa has been the time clock starts from when it is granted, which we calculated as being within the 3 months, but VFS think differently and so does the Home Office it seems, according to everything I have read.

[rawhod]

The processing date, of course, depends on the work load at the time. You may be lucky and it takes 3 months. (have a look at the latest processing times that they publish)

Also, if you asked for a visa to start on your stated date of travel, you may be luck and they do indeed take notice of that.

You will know when the visa is issued, hopefully...

[7by7]

All UK visas start on the date of issue, unless a specific start date is requested in the application.

This date cannot be more than three months ahead and there is no flexibility on this point.

As Rawhood says, a simple request in the appropriate box on the application form can be, and often is, missed; at least in Bangkok, can't speak for Sydney.

Therefore the request should be repeated and emphasised in any covering or sponsor's letter.

VFS staff have absolutely no business removing any document from an application or giving any form of advice. They play absolutely no part in the decision making process and their job is simply to collect the application, supporting documents and biometrics and forward everything to the appropriate entry clearance office. Where an entry clearance officer directly employed by UK Visas and Immigration, an agency of the UK Home Office, will make the decision.

You should definitely make an official complaint about that, if you have not already done so.

Unfortunately, as you have discovered, the so called help line is nothing of the sort! It is not staffed by experienced UKVI staff, but by people who are generally reading pre prepared, generic answers. They will certainly not be able to give specific answers to questions about specific applications.

Nowadays, unfortunately, it's impossible to talk directly with any one who is actually involved with your application.

Over the last 10 years, successive governments have increased the fees for most types of UK visa, whilst at the same time reducing the actual service offered to what they now refer to as 'customers!'

BTW, you say in your OP

all our evidence, prebooked, non-refundable airfares and accommodation to the tune of $8000 is for September

UKVI specifically advise visit applicants not to pay for fares, accommodation etc. until after the visa is issued; so this evidence will probably be ignored by the ECO anyway.

How long do you actually plan on staying in the UK for?

The visa will be valid for 6 months, so if you only plan on staying for 5 months or less and it starts in August rather than September, this will have no effect on your plans. Your wife can use the visa any time after it's start date, as long as she leaves the UK on or before it's expiry date.

However, if the start is post dated, the visa cannot be used to enter the UK until the start date at the earliest.

[petemcc]

Thanks for the responses. Travel is in September for a mere 2 weeks, so were a visa to be issued, and it has 6 month validity, then it is well covered. My concern is the entry date, if that is enforced or indeed if the CO will not grant the visa because all evidence is post the 'start date', which seemingly is when the online application started, not when the visa is granted.

The reason I booked fares so soon is of course price. I price-watched last year and nearer the time the fares went up considerably nearer the date, also WRT them and the accommodation, I know Filipinos come under quite some scrutiny from any Western government, so I wanted to make sure that there was sufficient evidence to show she(they) would not be overstaying and their reason for visiting was genuine. TBH, I never considered visa refusal as the evidence provided should have been sufficient.

I have made 3 separate complaints, one to VFS (got a call today), one to UKvisa, and one to the Home Office. The VFS person said they wouldn't have refused to accept the letter-well they did, but he says he will forward my concerns to the clearance officer. All I can do is hope for some common sense and discretion.

One of my complaints was about the fact there were no closer facilities and the guy who spoke to me (Indian) said there are offices in Canberra and Perth. I told him that both are also 4.5 hours by plane from Darwin. He is based in Sydney, he should have a clue about the geography of the country.

Anyway, I'll wait for the Home Office, UK Visa and the clearance officer to to their bits.

Cheers

[bigyin]

The start date is the date the visa is granted not when the online application started. The 6 months starts from then. So all the evidence you supplied will be considered as it is all pre the date the visa will be granted. If you are travelling in September you will be well within the 6 months period. The entry date will not be an issue once the visa is granted. The 3 months you mentioned in your OP only means that you cannot apply for a visa to start more than 3 months after the application date. I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as the visa is granted.

[petemcc]

The start date is the date the visa is granted not when the online application started. The 6 months starts from then. So all the evidence you supplied will be considered as it is all pre the date the visa will be granted. If you are travelling in September you will be well within the 6 months period. The entry date will not be an issue once the visa is granted. The 3 months you mentioned in your OP only means that you cannot apply for a visa to start more than 3 months after the application date. I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as the visa is granted.

Thanks, this was my understanding having dealt with many Australian Vida applications,however the VFS employee told my wife that her travel would have to start within the 3 months, also the VFS complaints officer who spoke to me today also said the same thing. I hope they are talking through their <deleted> like I think they are!

[theoldgit]

bigyin is correct VFS are wrong, the visa is valid from the date of issue, unless you ask, and they notice, for it to be post dated, then the valid from date will be shown.

The visa is then valid for six month and the holder must leave the UK before the six month expiry date.

If they wanted to they could enter the UK after five months and two weeks and stay for a week.

[petemcc]

bigyin is correct VFS are wrong, the visa is valid from the date of issue, unless you ask, and they notice, for it to be post dated, then the valid from date will be shown.

The visa is then valid for six month and the holder must leave the UK before the six month expiry date.

If they wanted to they could enter the UK after five months and two weeks and stay for a week.

Thank you again. My fingers are crossed and I will report back when I get a result.

[robertthebruce]

bigyin is correct VFS are wrong, the visa is valid from the date of issue, unless you ask, and they notice, for it to be post dated, then the valid from date will be shown.

The visa is then valid for six month and the holder must leave the UK before the six month expiry date.

If they wanted to they could enter the UK after five months and two weeks and stay for a week.

Thank you again. My fingers are crossed and I will report back when I get a result.

All the best and hope you get the visa ....

[petemcc]

Visas granted.

[bobrussell]

Congratulations!

Now you have the visa i will sidetrack the thread a bit!

Regarding helplines:

I have had issues with getting a family EEA permit for the Thai wife of a family friend. The Visa4UK website hides this category under 'other' and provides no guidance whatsoever for applicants. Somehow I stumbled across a page with UKVI contact numbers from within the UK.

Phoned the 'European' helpline which was answered promptly (local rate) by someone clearly British. Very knowledgeable and admitted they have lots of problems with the website. I was trying to get a refund for the friends because they paid for a free visa!

The chap had to suggest I phoned the non-EU helpline number as the visa was for a non-EU citizen. Long wait then a menu, then a message stating they are very busy, to leave a contact number and they will phone back within 48 hours!

What a difference and needless to say I did not bother leaving a number!