Parliamentary Ombudsman

miles · Post by **miles** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:20 am

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... highlight=

As you will see from the above topic, we have been waiting over one year for my wifes ILR.

On 17th June we complained to the parliamentery ombudsman, and today her passport with ILR has turned up.

I strongly recommend using the Ombudsman.

WE WON HOORAY!!!!!

Post by **John** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:45 pm

Congratulations! Glad it worked out .... at last!

You could now be on a roll! Reading the earlier topic, your wife returned to the UK with her spouse visa sometime in August 2005. Accordingly, assuming you are a British Citizen, is your wife going to apply for her Naturalisation as British shortly after the 3rd anniversary of her arriving back in the UK with her spouse visa?

Certainly suggest that if she is intending to apply for Naturalisation, she does so as soon as she is time-qualified to do so.

tasha75 · Post by **tasha75** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:23 pm

WOW, 950 pounds for a one year service. In best Home Office traditions.
Congratulations on finally beating the beast.

Could you please tell how you lodge a complaint to parliamentary Ombudsman? I think I have to go this route as well. I won my appeal last May (2007), 14 months on and I am still waiting for the stupid sticker in my passport.

Post by **John** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:43 am

tasha75, us mere mortals cannot lodge directly. It can only be done by an MP. So contact your MP. He/she will know of the procedure.

Not sure who the MP is for where you live? Go to this website and feed in your postcode. But do note that even MPs are allowed holidays, and Parliament has just broken up for the summer recess, and your MP might already be away. So don't necessarily expect a fast response.

miles · Post by **miles** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:19 am

Hi John,

Yes we have already printed the forms and next week will fill them in and apply for her British Citizenship. Another years wait I suppose!!!

Thanks to everyone for their support on this Forum.

miles · Post by **miles** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:23 am

Tasha,

As John says you have to go through your MP. Go to this site:

http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make_a_complaint/index.html

and complete the form then send it to your MP.

If your MP is not already involved in your case then make an appointment to see him/her at their surgery.

tasha75 · Post by **tasha75** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:04 pm

John, miles, many thanks for the info.

One more question. I have sent 11 complaints in the past 4 weeks, but got no reply, made numerous calls only to be told that someone will look into this.
When I finally managed to get through to the North East Cs, they said that there is no time limit on the implementation of the court decision. So if there is no standard of service (or something like that) then I cannot complaint about it. I've said I've already been waiting for 14 months, are you saying I could wait for another 14 months? She just kept going on about no time limits. Is it true or they trying to fob me off? Can I still lodge a complaint via my MP in this situation?

Yes, I know who my MP is, he's been MP for my area for the past 16 years, and is quite outspoken in the Parliament (Andrew Mackinlay, Labour)

republique · Post by **republique** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 3:28 pm

tasha75 wrote:John, miles, many thanks for the info.

One more question. I have sent 11 complaints in the past 4 weeks, but got no reply, made numerous calls only to be told that someone will look into this.
When I finally managed to get through to the North East Cs, they said that there is no time limit on the implementation of the court decision. So if there is no standard of service (or something like that) then I cannot complaint about it. I've said I've already been waiting for 14 months, are you saying I could wait for another 14 months? She just kept going on about no time limits. Is it true or they trying to fob me off? Can I still lodge a complaint via my MP in this situation?

Yes, I know who my MP is, he's been MP for my area for the past 16 years, and is quite outspoken in the Parliament (Andrew Mackinlay, Labour)

It may be true but it is irrelevant. Clearly such a delay is tantamount to it not being implemented at all and would defeat the purpose of the decision so you'd have to complain again to get fire underneath someone's feet.

Post by **John** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 6:34 pm

tasha75, the way you have been treated is appalling. You need to make contact with your MP's office without delay.

Suggest you go to your MP's website and use the Feedback and Comments page.

tasha75 · Post by **tasha75** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 2:39 pm

John wrote:tasha75, the way you have been treated is appalling. You need to make contact with your MP's office without delay.

Suggest you go to your MP's website and use the Feedback and Comments page.

Thank you, will be sending it off tonight. One more question please - do I ask my MP specifically to lodge a complaint with Parliamentary Ombudsman, or just write him about my situation and he decides/knows what to do?

Post by **John** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:07 pm

I think you will find that if the MP has not been involved before that there is the need for the MP to contact the relevant Ministry first, to try to expedite matters, and if that does not produce the desired result, then the MP can the Parliamentary Ombudsman involved.

On the basis of what you have posted there clearly there is maladministration here, but the Ministry needs a chance to correct matters before the Parliamentary Ombudsman gets involved, otherwise the Parliamentary Ombudsman would simply get swamped with millions of cases per year.

Hopefully contact with the Home Office will produce a rapid response.

tasha75 · Post by **tasha75** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:03 am

John wrote: the Ministry needs a chance to correct matters before the Parliamentary Ombudsman gets involved, otherwise the Parliamentary Ombudsman would simply get swamped with millions of cases per year.

Thank you, that's what I'll be doing. I don't remember where but I saw the procedure for complaining - first to the department, then head of department, then MP. I've done the first two steps, but got no reply.

First, I sent a bunch of complaints to the departments (Customer services of different areas taken from the BIA website regarding complaints) as I didn't know which one exactly was dealing with my case - North East CS said it was south east, South east said it was North west, then back to North East. I have run a very big phone bill now. When after 2-3 weeks I got no replies to my email and letters, I sent another bunch of complaints addressed to Head of department.

Still no response, I called them back and they said they answer to complaints within 1-4 weeks. So I waited till 4 weeks have passed, finally when I called them last week they said they haven't received my complaints, when actually I did receive automatic acknowledgements to my emails so it didn't get lost. She looked again, and there were my complaints but no one has actioned on them. At this point she said about no time limit on the implementation of the court decision.

I think there is a serious maladministration, because when she looked into my case, there was (apparently) nothing to say that something is still outstanding with my case. she also mentioned something about the grant of Work permit, I had to correct her that it should be discretionary leave, not work permit.

tasha75 · Post by **tasha75** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 2:08 am

I have found another poor soul who was in a similar situation and only got everything sorted 7 months after his appeal was allowed and even then it was due to MP involvement.
Here's hoping I get a swift reply to my MP enquiry.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=21367

miles · Post by **miles** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:12 am

Tasha,

Our MP was not actually that helpfull, but his PA has been brilliant. She has been chasing the BIA and the Ombudsman weekly.

I spoke to the Ombudsman yesterday and they are still going to carry on with their investigation even though we have now got my wifes ILR.

Maybe we will get some compensation!

thsths · Post by **thsths** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 10:27 am

tasha75 wrote:I think there is a serious maladministration, because when she looked into my case, there was (apparently) nothing to say that something is still outstanding with my case.

I completely agree. A simple mistake can happen, but they should have informed you when they closed your case, and they should have responded to your complaints much earlier.

The real problem in my opinion is a lack of accountability. The UKBA feels no responsibility towards the applicants, and this causes a lot of problems if things go wrong. It is ridiculous that it takes months and such a large number of people involved to fix a simple mistake.

Tom

tasha75 · Post by **tasha75** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 7:55 pm

Anyone knows how long it takes for the Home Office to reply to MP? Or is it the case of "how long is the piece of string?"

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