We opted to pay for the premium service, as I didnt want to risk of sending all of our original documents in the post, and wanted to get it done and dusted. All in all the cost was well over a grand including the 500 paid for NHS, even though the wife has been working full time, and paying tax, NI etc since we arrived. Anyway, we opted for our nearest centre, which was Croydon, and paid about 10 pounds for the NCP car park, a five minute walk away. There was a Premier Inn hotel pretty much next door for anyone travelling from further afield. Armed with our phone -booked sized file, and photocopies ( they say this will speed up the process ) we went in for our 12pm appointment about 10 minutes early. 

We waited downstairs for a few minutes, went though security and upstairs to sign in . The lady who gave us our ticket number looked like she had lost the will to live.

After about 20 minutes we were called to a booth and handed our application and photocopies over to be scrutinized by a very large Nigerian woman. She slowly tapped in our details with one index finger on her keyboard, and at one point said in a strong Nigerian accent ' PASS ME THOSE PAPERS, I CANNOT REACH' , as she slumped in her chair and pointed to our folder, sat on her desk in front of her. I pushed the folder across the desk about 12 inches, she picked them up, messed them up, took some bits out, and continued to single digit thump type. About 15-20 minutes later we were given another ticket, and told to wait again as she took our paperwork away.

We sat down, with about 4 other couples, and waited another 15 minutes before being called in to have my wifes Biometrics done. There we saw a very polite Indian man, and this process took about 15minutes. He then told us, about 1pm that we should go and wait while they looked through the application, and it should take about an hour for the result. We went through the corridor to a small cafe waiting area, which looked like a Syrian refugee holding centre. There were maybe 60 - 70 people there , and maybe just 2 0r 3 other 'British looking people' waiting with wives/husbands. Our number on our ticket was something like 170, and shortly after walking in they called 55. I thought they couldnt be going through every number. But they did. We got about 4 coffees, a dry piece of cake, and sat there for about 4hrs , watching little bored middle eastern kids being chased around by women in Burkhas. 

Our number was finally called just after 5:20pm. We walked back into the main application area where we were handed my original documents by a smiling Turkish looking bloke, who gave us a piece of paper saying that my wifes application was approved. We were told to wait a few days for her biometrics card to arrive in the post.( which it did ).  We then drove back home through the London rush hour traffic, and straight into our local pub for a quick few, telling our story and what we have to do to keep my wife in the UK to our bemused landlord and friends. 

 

This was my experience of the Premium service. Our background is that we have been married for about 11yrs, and back in the UK now about 2 and 1/2 to 3 yrs after living in Thailand for around 12yrs. We have small children together, own our own home, both work, although were exempt from the financial requirements of the Visa due to my forces pension. I served my country for 12 yrs, but like many others am tiptoeing  through hoops of fire to keep my family here, while others around us, unemployed and on refugee status at my childrens school, are given everything and more, no questions asked. 

Now my wife has started her Life in the UK studying every night, so in the hope in 2 yrs time, she will be granted ILR. In the meantime, we continue to not be entitled to any public funds, as we muddle on, continue to do it the right way, no matter how wrong it seems to me. 

Not sure what British, Nigerian, Syrian or Turkish people look like?

Croydon is (one of) the busiest processing centres and the idea is that most applications are processed same day. Not designed to be a happy, fun day and it is inevitable that there will be some waiting around particularly taking the workload into account.

Shame about the attitude of the 'large Nigerian lady' staff member but it must be a pretty thankless task day in day out!

I have often found a smile and a few pleasantries go a long way to improving peoples day!

Did you achieve what you hoped to achieve?

 

Nice amusing post former farang.

 

If it's any comfort , when I took my first Thai wife to Croydon 25 years ago for a similar thing it was exactly as you have described. Even then, trying to spot another anglo saxon was like looking at a ' can you find ' puzzle .  You had to get there at about 7.00 am to start queuing in the freezing cold outside for over an hour and you were there nearly all day. 

 

Premium service ??  As bigger misnomer as an ' expressway ' in Bangkok.

 

Got lucky at Heathrow last September though. Current wife on second UK visit and we arrived at immigration expecting a long queue. Asked an immigration bloke if I could take the Mrs through the UK channel and he did even better. Opened a barrier especially for us and there was zero queue. We were both through immigration in 10 minutes flat. As miracles go as good as walking on water.

 

 

1 hour ago, bobrussell said:

Not sure what British, Nigerian, Syrian or Turkish people look like?

Croydon is (one of) the busiest processing centres and the idea is that most applications are processed same day. Not designed to be a happy, fun day and it is inevitable that there will be some waiting around particularly taking the workload into account.

Shame about the attitude of the 'large Nigerian lady' staff member but it must be a pretty thankless task day in day out!

I have often found a smile and a few pleasantries go a long way to improving peoples day!

Did you achieve what you hoped to achieve?

 

 

 

Not sure what British, Nigerian, Syrian or Turkish people look like?

 

Really ? What about Thai, Chinese, Janpanese, South American .... Do you know what they 'generally look like ' , or do i suggest someone who wants to stir things for the sake of it  ? I am glad for you, when you go,  its such a fantastic day out.  

Did I get what i hoped to achieve ?  You read the post mate, or just another stab at being smart ? Anyway, have a lovely day

The OP has told us his story, I'm glad his wife got her FLR but there's nothing further to say so I'll close the thread.


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