BEWARE of payment by HDFC DEBIT CARD !

[Sher]

HDFC DEBIT CARD DOES NOT WORK in making the application fee payment.
I have faced the same problem as mentioned elaborately in this post

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... debit+card

HDFC Bank has refused to help me. I believe it is the bank's mistake in not having informed me that their licensing agreement with VISA does not allow a manual processing of cards.
How is a consumer supposed to know ?
They appeared non-chalant and cavalier when I frantically told them that I was a few days away from the 28th 'birthday' deadline !
Moreover, they have given me no advice on the rejected payment (the folks at Doncaster were quick and informed me in writing within a week)

I wonder which date will the HSMP consider .... the one on which it received the application or the one on which it receives its application fee ?

All hard work comin' to naught ?

HDFC BANK, tujhey itni asaani say nahin chodoonga.
Wish I could reserve this energy for post HSMP struggle in UK
I wonder if it is one more reason to quit this sorry, uncaring land ..... Really !
I hate it when folks lie to get past people like the HDFC Bank Manager did the whole of the afternoon today.

[Sher]

Do check on ICICI BANK as well on this issue. I was given a similar tale by their call center dunces.

One more tip : SBI and other public sector banks have branches in the UK. They can easily issue bank drafts acceptable by HSMP.
Wish I had taken this hard way out and not the unsmart plastic card one !

[MWazir]

I wonder which date will the HSMP consider .... the one on which it received the application or the one on which it receives its application fee ?

All hard work comin' to naught ?

You should be alright. You should be under 28 on the date the application was recieved by HSMP.

Look at the guidance document (page 4)

5.1 A Young Person assessment has been introduced into HSMP in recognition of the greater potential that young highly skilled individuals have to be active in the labour market for longer. The designated young person’s assessment involves separate criteria for work experience and past earnings from the standard HSMP assessment and the award of an age allowance of 5 points. This will apply only to applicants who have yet to reach their 28th birthday when their HSMP application is received by WP(UK).

Keep your courier service reference number, just in case.

[Rog]

Safest way to pay is through a £ draft. Any bank in your home country, even if they dont have a branch in London, can issue a draft on London in pounds sterling through their correspondent bank. Even the banks whose cards did not work would have arrangements for issuance of DD payable in UK. Here at least once u send out the DD you have peace of mind that unless entire documents are lost (even then you can get a duplicate draft) , the payment is assured.

[Sher]

Wazir Saab,

It is this vague sentence on this link that I am worried about :
" From 1 November 2004, applications under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme will be subject to payment clearance. "

http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/workin ... /hsmp.html

[Rog]

This just means that any application will be processed after the HO receives clear funds towards the application fees. EG if you are paying with a cheque/DD, due to long clearance time of 5 working days for a cheque/DD to clear in UK, the processing will start after the cheque is cleared which would delay the overall application processing times

[Sher]

Thx.
That is re-assuring.
Will check the other card for a charge tom ....

[Sher]

Card Charged, ABN AMRO Credit Card to the rescue.