Settlement visa application - Worldbridge/Embassy in Rome

[lonelywife]

Hello All,

I am new to this forum and am hoping you will be able to help me.

Does anyone have any experience of the British Embassy/Worldbridge offices in Rome?

My husband is Albanian but has lived in Italy for many years and has permanent residence there. We met when I was on holiday in Sorrento in 2006 and romance blossomed and we were married in Italy in January this year. We made our application for a spouse settlement visa at the Worldbridge office in Rome on the 26th of Jan. We expected our application to be straightforward but have since heard nothing.

We are getting really concerned now and are obviously devestated at being apart. According to the UKBA statistics, in the last quarter, the Rome office processed 75% of settlement visas within 15 working days and a further 100% in 30 working days now so we expected to have a similar time-frame. We have now reached day 33 with no news.

I was hoping someone on the forum might have some experience of this office and can give us some idea as to why we having to wait so long. Should we be concerned?

Many thanks

[3crown]

Congrautlations on your marriage. Welcome to the world of long waits. I do hear Spouse Visas are quicker now than when we applied last year 3 months for us. Maybe you would have been better applying for EEA Family Permit. A more senior forum member may be able to advise more. Good luck tho

Hello All,

I am new to this forum and am hoping you will be able to help me.

Does anyone have any experience of the British Embassy/Worldbridge offices in Rome?

My husband is Albanian but has lived in Italy for many years and has permanent residence there. We met when I was on holiday in Sorrento in 2006 and romance blossomed and we were married in Italy in January this year. We made our application for a spouse settlement visa at the Worldbridge office in Rome on the 26th of Jan. We expected our application to be straightforward but have since heard nothing.

We are getting really concerned now and are obviously devestated at being apart. According to the UKBA statistics, in the last quarter, the Rome office processed 75% of settlement visas within 15 working days and a further 100% in 30 working days now so we expected to have a similar time-frame. We have now reached day 33 with no news.

I was hoping someone on the forum might have some experience of this office and can give us some idea as to why we having to wait so long. Should we be concerned?

Many thanks

[lonelywife]

Thank you for your reply and kind wishes. I love being married! We just need to be together now!

I take it you applied in Rome? If so, it looks like their stats (that I have held so much hope in) are way off.
Can i just ask did you have to go for an interview?

[3crown]

No we applied from North Africa (one of the worst) - I now some Albanian nationals who have been waiting a long time; even though your hub has permanent Italian residency, I would imagine HO will check his records back in Albania too. Im no expert but there plenty on this forum and someone will jump in and advise more, but your eight weeks so far is not long compared to some. And the home office statistics are not a true reflect. Then again, you could hear any day. I did get our MP involved in the end.

Thank you for your reply and kind wishes. I love being married! We just need to be together now!

I take it you applied in Rome? If so, it looks like their stats (that I have held so much hope in) are way off.
Can i just ask did you have to go for an interview?

[lonelywife]

Thanks again for your help.

I do feel guilty complaining when some people have wait a very long time but we just thought we wouldn't have a problem and the wait has come as a bit of a shock.
I'm gauging from your reply that you think the hold-up may be from the Albanian side - we did have a horrendous time trying to sort out the marriage paperwork with them.
And thanks for the heads-up about the stats - I don't know why they publish them, it only gives people false hope. Better to be honest so people can plan their lives.
I'll just have to hope, like you say, that some other forum members may be able to help me.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply.

[lonelywife]

Update:
I emailed the British Embassy in Rome via their online complaints department and received a reply yesterday to say that 'the application is still under consideration and will receive a response in the next few days'. Fingers crossed!
Can anyone tell me will the embassy telephone/email my husband as soon as a decision is made or do they simply post back the documents? The Worldbridge tracking system still says 'Arrived at the Visa Section'. Our nerves are shattered - any help would be appreciated.

[mirnat]

Hi there

I sympathise with your situation! Although I don't have experience of the office in Rome, my husband is also Albanian and we married in Albania in December 2006. It took the British Embassy in Albania 4 months to make a decision about his visa - it was a very nervewracking time waiting and it was so hard being apart, especially over Christmas! My husband was in Albania since November 2006 and didn't return until March 2007 (we've just actually submitted his application for ILR and are now waiting on a decision for that - I'm expecting it to be at least 3 months even though the website says most are dealt with in one month!) When I did call the British Embassy in Tirana after about 2 months (which was a real pain to try and get through to!) they said they were awaiting on checks from the local authorities and the police in Albania and also for a report on his previous immigration status in the UK from the Home Office. From his experience, they called when they had made a decision asking him to attend to pick up his visa-endorsed passport and all his documents submitted with the application (don't know what happens if it's a refusal decison - I think they still ask for personal attendance as they were some people there at the Embassy with refusal letters). Anyway, good luck with the whole situation and stay strong! Hopefully if u've submitted everything they've asked for and it's all genuine, the decision will be a positive one and u'll be back together before u know it!

[lonelywife]

Hi Mirnat,

Thank you for the advice. I think the the delay must be coming from the Albanian side as there is no reason for this delay. We supplied all the paperwork required and more, we're clearly in a real and very happy relationship, all our family attended the wedding, I'm financial stable, employed, own my own home....I could go on. It's just torture. Just need to hope we get that phone call next week.

Many thanks and good luck with the IRL.