Visa update

[Brit Chick]

Just thought I would update you guys on the status of our visa application.......

We applied and got refused our spouse settlement visa application from Islamabad at the beginning of this year and filed an appeal in March. However as the appeal process was turning out to be quite a lengthy process we decided to file a fresh application whilst the appeal was still ongoing.

Second application was filed in early September and we were given a time estimate of 13 weeks. Yesterday my husband got a call from the fed ex office asking him to collect his passport this morning.........probably the most nerve wracking night I have ever gone through:)

Anyway, he went to collect his passport this morning and the visa has been granted!!!!!!! And 'only' 9 weeks after we filed the second application too.

Just wanted to share my news as I know how hard it is being apart from your partner but it can be done!

And it also goes to show that you should never underestimate the idea of submitting a fresh application rather than go through the appeal process providing of course that you can rectify the points in the initial refusal.

Ironically the ECO deadline for replying to the AIT on the appeal also expires today, so I guess the AIT will send me a date for a hearing soon

[John]

Brit Chick, many congratulations! Glad it worked out .. in the end!

Have a long and happy life together in the UK.

[Rashid786]

Congratulations and hope everything works out for you.

9 weeks is pretty fast, my wife submitted her application in late September, so I suppose we should check with FedEx after 9 weeks.

[Khurram]

so I suppose we should check with FedEx after 9 weeks.

You should be able to do that online or via SMS here

Regards

[Brit Chick]

I agree 9 weeks is pretty fast considering they say 13 weeks and tend to take the full 13 weeks, which we had prepared ourselves for considering that we already had an appeal pending etc etc.

Although the BHC in islamabad won't answer any queries on the status of an application before the 13 weeks, they just ask you to wait until the 13 weeks is up and then contact if you haven't heard anything.

Still....I'm not complaining. We get to be together a month earlier than anticipated now

[Brit Chick]

Brit Chick, many congratulations! Glad it worked out .. in the end!

Have a long and happy life together in the UK.

Thanks John.......the past few weeks I was actually preparing myself for another refusal after reading a post on the forums that any fresh application will automatically get refused if an appeal is outstanding. Looks like they were wrong

[The Confused One]

Many congratulations BritChick!

I told you about my husbands friend who also got it in nine weeks, just pray that my husband gets his soon too....

[ppron747]

.......after reading a post on the forums that any fresh application will automatically get refused if an appeal is outstanding. Looks like they were wrong.....

Oh yes! I'd almost forgotten that nugget! I still can't quite get my head around his explanation...
Hearty congrats, Brit Chick - and best wishes

[Brit Chick]

^ perhaps I should send him/her a link to this thread

Thing is, when you're in a situation like mine and hear something like that it really preys on your insecurities especially as they were so adamant that they had insider knowledge.

Anyway I just wanted to post about my situation so that others can perhaps think about doing the same if circumstances permit. It's far far quicker.

[Rashid786]

Just out of curiousity Brit Chick, what is visadropbox.com saying now in regds to your Visa - does it still say it is in progress or visa granted?

[Brit Chick]

Good question rashid, so I checked for you and it says ' your application is still pending'

[Rashid786]

Thanx for checking Brit Chick. Well its now official - visadropbox.com is a complete waste of web space.

[ppron747]

The UKVisas complaints procedure is described here on their website. Why not use it, to report this, and any other administrative failures? It may help others who come along....

[Brit Chick]

^ you mean to complain about the visadropbox site not being up to date?

[ppron747]

Yes. If someone complains, they might fix it...

[Brit Chick]

Complaint filed.....hopefully they will take note.

[Rashid786]

If I'm right isn't that website run by Fed-Ex, not the HO, hence they will probably say its their problem not ours.

[ppron747]

But presumably there is some sort of contractual arrnagement between Fedex and the BHC, if Fedex are taking in applications on the BHC/s behalf.

[Brit Chick]

Yes there is.....fed ex have an agreement with most of the embassies (I'm referring to the situation in pakistan here but presume it's similar elsewhere too) where they act as a contact between the embassies and the public in order to stop people going directly to the embassies.

In theory it's a good idea, but in reality the fed ex in islamabad have taken on contracts with so many different embassies that they struggle to cope with the workload. They have a 'system' whereby anyone wanting to submit applications must do so in the morning session and anyone collecting passports must do so in the afternoon session. Again in reality people don't seem to pay attention to this rule (apart from muggins here) and use their social status, gender, age and a million other reason to jump the queue.

Okay rant over.......