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7+ months, still no response from the UKBA

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 12:00 pm
by Micaela
Hello,

I'm an EEA2 applicant as my husband is an EU national exercising treaty rights in the U.K. I sent in my application on 23 January 2013. It is now 27 August 2013 (more than 6 months later), and I still have no response from the UKBA in regards to my application.

I have requested a return of my documents three times now (via email), and these requests either seem to be ignored or deleted from the system so that when I call, they can't find a trace of my ROD request, and have thus used it as an excuse to not send my documents it seems.

Yet, I've been told by the UKBA that there aren't any problems whatsoever with my application, and that I still have the right to work in the UK even though my COA has expired. Then when my future employer called the Employer Checking Service, they contradicted themselves and told him I no longer had the right to work!

The UKBA is pretty much ruining my life. If I had known they would be so unprofessional and shady/dodgy, I would have applied from outside of the country (where I had a steady job). Unfortunately I stupidly trusted in Border Control (I was helping my husband move to the UK for a new job, with the intention of returning to Spain and applying for my UK residency from there), who told me that my EEA2 application wouldn't take long to process at all, and kindly gave me a 30-day visa that allowed me to apply from within the UK. If I had known that I would be kept waiting for this long, I wouldn't have bothered.

Does anyone have advice? I've already turned in two official complaints (no responses there either), and have called several times to no avail. I get completely different answers each and every time - one UKBA agent told me that my RC would process soon, another told me not to make any travel plans for Christmas, one said I didn't have the right to work, two others said I DID have the right to work... I just don't know what to think anymore.

I apologize for the long rant of a post... but I'm sincerely hoping that someone might be able to help as I feel I've taken all of the necessary steps and don't know how to further proceed. Thank you.

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 12:53 pm
by Jambo
Get your MP involved.

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 1:10 pm
by Directive/2004/38/EC
You should also send them a letter by Special Delivery. Demand that the documents be returned immediately along with the Residence Card, and point out that they are never allowed to take more than 6 months to process the application.

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 4:14 pm
by Micaela
Thank you. I think I will have to get my MP involved indeed.

I have pointed out, several times, that they are not allowed to take more than 6 months, and all the UKBA agents have responded with something more or less along the lines of, "Well, we have an EEA backlog of applicants, and processing applications can now take more than 6 months." One woman told me to brace myself for a year-long wait!

I think it's outrageous have been reduced to tears. They themselves give applications the 6 month deadline, so why aren't they abiding by it?

I don't mean to sound paranoid, but there's no strange reason as to why the UKBA have held on to my documents this long whilst ignoring my ROD requests, is there? Especially as I've been told that "there are no problems" with my application.

Re: 7+ months, still no response from the UKBA

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:54 pm
by eldane
Micaela wrote:Hello,

I'm an EEA2 applicant as my husband is an EU national exercising treaty rights in the U.K. I sent in my application on 23 January 2013. It is now 27 August 2013 (more than 6 months later), and I still have no response from the UKBA in regards to my application.

I have requested a return of my documents three times now (via email), and these requests either seem to be ignored or deleted from the system so that when I call, they can't find a trace of my ROD request, and have thus used it as an excuse to not send my documents it seems.

Yet, I've been told by the UKBA that there aren't any problems whatsoever with my application, and that I still have the right to work in the UK even though my COA has expired. Then when my future employer called the Employer Checking Service, they contradicted themselves and told him I no longer had the right to work!

The UKBA is pretty much ruining my life. If I had known they would be so unprofessional and shady/dodgy, I would have applied from outside of the country (where I had a steady job). Unfortunately I stupidly trusted in Border Control (I was helping my husband move to the UK for a new job, with the intention of returning to Spain and applying for my UK residency from there), who told me that my EEA2 application wouldn't take long to process at all, and kindly gave me a 30-day visa that allowed me to apply from within the UK. If I had known that I would be kept waiting for this long, I wouldn't have bothered.

Does anyone have advice? I've already turned in two official complaints (no responses there either), and have called several times to no avail. I get completely different answers each and every time - one UKBA agent told me that my RC would process soon, another told me not to make any travel plans for Christmas, one said I didn't have the right to work, two others said I DID have the right to work... I just don't know what to think anymore.

I apologize for the long rant of a post... but I'm sincerely hoping that someone might be able to help as I feel I've taken all of the necessary steps and don't know how to further proceed. Thank you.
Hi.....

Do you want to join my crusade against this abuse?
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=144047

Eldanes
Best regards