Settlement Visa Processing.

[lionelblak]

Hi All,

This is my first post, so please bear with me. I'm a UK citizen and my wife is from Trinidad and Tobago, although she has lived in England for a number of years. We were married at the end of October just before the expiry of her existing visa and she submitted her application for the Marriage Visa online and paid the appropriate fee around the middle of November. When she attended the embassy in Port-of-Spain to submit the supporting documents and biometrics, she was told that the whole application would be sent to be processed in New York.

The official also led her to understand that she would be contacted by email from New York on them receiving the application and that she would be contacted again when they begun to process it and then if any further information was required.

That was nearly eight weeks ago. We've not received the promised email and nobody seems to be willing or able to tell us even whether New York have received the documents. Contacting World Bridge via their website is useless - all that produces is what appears to be an automated reply to the effect that they cannot answer queries about individual applications. Judging by the experiences of others, calling them would be a waste of money. The embassy staff themselves are unable to shed any light on the situation at all.

We are unable to plan anything as our lives are on hold with absolutely no inidication of if/when we might hear from them.

Please could someone tell us from their experience whether it's normal to receive an email when New York receives the application? We are afraid that the application has somehow become "lost" and if that is so, we would like to take steps to get it "found" before too much more time passes.

Thanks in advance of your help!

[chesstar87]

8 week is a long time for no reply, maybe you should try to get in contact with the new york office and check if they can confirm recieving your application.

[pinky22]

Hi All,

This is my first post, so please bear with me. I'm a UK citizen and my wife is from Trinidad and Tobago, although she has lived in England for a number of years. We were married at the end of October just before the expiry of her existing visa and she submitted her application for the Marriage Visa online and paid the appropriate fee around the middle of November. When she attended the embassy in Port-of-Spain to submit the supporting documents and biometrics, she was told that the whole application would be sent to be processed in New York.

The official also led her to understand that she would be contacted by email from New York on them receiving the application and that she would be contacted again when they begun to process it and then if any further information was required.

That was nearly eight weeks ago. We've not received the promised email and nobody seems to be willing or able to tell us even whether New York have received the documents. Contacting World Bridge via their website is useless - all that produces is what appears to be an automated reply to the effect that they cannot answer queries about individual applications. Judging by the experiences of others, calling them would be a waste of money. The embassy staff themselves are unable to shed any light on the situation at all.

We are unable to plan anything as our lives are on hold with absolutely no inidication of if/when we might hear from them.

Please could someone tell us from their experience whether it's normal to receive an email when New York receives the application? We are afraid that the application has somehow become "lost" and if that is so, we would like to take steps to get it "found" before too much more time passes.

Thanks in advance of your help!

I think the H.O should be able to provide you with an update.

[lionelblak]

8 week is a long time for no reply, maybe you should try to get in contact with the new york office and check if they can confirm recieving your application.

Hi chesstar87, the only way of contacting NY is by email via World Bridge (drawbridge?) and within 10 minutes we get an automated reply to the effect that they don't answer queries about individual applications.

[lionelblak]

Pinky22, I checked the Home Office website this morning and they point all such enquiries to the UK Border Agency, where I found this info:

"If you are calling to ask about an existing application, we can only provide an update or confirm that we have received your documents if:

â– you applied more than 14 weeks ago for further or indefinite leave to remain under a category that does not require biometrics; or
â– you applied under a category that does require biometrics, and you provided your biometric information more than 14 weeks ago."

So basically it looks like we have to wait another 6 weeks before they can even confirm they have received the documents. Considering the amount of money we paid for this "service" (£600), I'm absolutely appalled.

Is it just me, or is this unacceptable?

[prettypolitical]

Try going to the home office closest to you, thats what i did and they looked on the international database found it and told me the result.....failing that call the post where the application has been sent....forget the emails they only bother to reply when they can be bothered and they are generic.........or they must just press delete

good luck and hope you hear something very soon

[lionelblak]

Ok, will try that - thanks!

[colwill]

Hi in reply to your question yes you should of received a e-mail by now i married my wife in Trinidad in Dec 2009 and we posted off visa applications on 19th Dec and she has received confimation e-mail another way of checking see if payment has been taken .

colin

[lionelblak]

Hi Colin,

Unfortunately the money was taken out the same day we did the online transaction. That was even before the biometrics and the supporting documents were submitted.

Your experience only confirms that something is wrong but we can't seem to get thru to anyone.

It's a lot of money to pay for such a poor service. Anyway, I hope your app goes smoothly. Please could you let me know when you get your decision? If you don't want to post, a private message would be fine! Thx...

[prettypolitical]

Go to the nearest Home Office (if you are in the uk) to you as i advised before...that is what i did and i spoke to someone and got an answer, simple!!!! if you can go to one of there office as they have got access to all systems worldwide