Case worker DID NOT READ covering letter

[Kiwi Pro]

I had clearly mentioned in my covering letter:

After a decision has been made, I wish to arrange a courier to collect my documents and deliver them back to me. Please do not send them back by standard airmail because of risk of loss of documents

Also, I sent a FAX as well as Email to HSMP team to arrange collection of documents.

But, they replied back:

Dear Applicant
Thank you for your fax regarding courier collection of your documents.Unfortunately the caseworker was unaware that you wished to have acourier collect your documents, therefore your letter and documents weresent to you by airmail yesterday (05/07/2007). Please allow 12 weeks for delivery.

Any review request has to be sent within 28 days of the decision letter. Please advise.

How reliable and timely is Airmail across continents?

[SYH]

Obviously they will take into account the date you receive the documents

[seek hsmp]

Does Airmail have any TRACK & TRACE system for tracking when the documents were sent and when they were received?

Many have had very bad experiences with Airmail?

[PounceQuick]

Airmail is just a normal post by air rather than by surface. This is nothing more than your standard mail. Obviously you won't be able to track & trace these things.

[SYH]

AND by the way the case worker didn't necessarily not read your additional info. You sent it in and someone has to sort it to the right location, it might be with the case worker or it might be still in the queue.This is why they respond with 6-8 week response time to any additional info. So the caseworker probably didn't even get your request to return it a particular way.

[Kiwi Pro]

I had clearly mentioned in my covering letter a courier will be arranged once a decision has been made.

If they do not even read COVERING LETTER properly, what can an applicant do?

Documents are dispatched within 24 hours after the decision being made.

[push]

Nothing !!

This is really unfortunate - looks like yours is a one off case because a number of other applicants have been successfully making arrangements for courier pickups - although in one of the cases, a courier agency different from the one which was mandated by the applicant picked up the courier and sent the packet to some unknown destination.... poor chap had to run all around to get his docs.

So the moral of the story is - despite making best arrangements/plans things could go wrong...

If they do not even read COVERING LETTER properly, what can an applicant do?

[Kiwi Pro]

Covering Letter
HSMP Form
Supporting Documents

are part of every application.

Not reading the Covering Letter cannot be considered as acceptable practice.

Also, a FAX +EMAIL was sent to HSMP team to arrange courier collection within 24 hours of the decision time.

With Courier Pickup, the decision letter and documents would have reached me in 2-3 days. Now, I have to wait for 12 weeks.

They did not disclose the decision.

A review request application has to be submitted within 28 days of the decision letter along with original decision letter.

Also, an EC application requires original decision letter.

I have sent an email/FAX to HSMP team explaining this and requesting a DUPLICATE decision letter which shall be picked up a courier arranged by me. (documents have been dispatched via airmail) But, NO REPLY so far.

Can a DUPLICATE letter be issued by the HSMP team in this case?

Risk of loss of documents, delay via airmail, unable to apply for review or EC as the case may be - a big nuisance

[push]

I dont think they will issue a duplicate approval letter - they will ask you to wait till the 12 week period is over. Read it somewhere on this board - that applicant too faced the same problem.

As far as applying for a review is concerned, (1) dont expect the outcome to be negative (2) God forbid, if it is then they would definitely consider the date of receipt of documents. You can intimate to them regarding this when you are nearing the 28 day period.

regards,

push_hsmp

PS: 12 weeks is a very pessimistic scenario: Royal mail does deliver papers a lot quicker than that, so hope for the best.

[Kiwi Pro]

As the HSMP team should have sent my documents and decision letter back via Courier as requested in the covering letter and not via Airmail, I requested a DUPLICATE decision letter for review request or EC as the case may be.

After all, they are supposed to read the covering letter and allow delivery by courier. Hence, they are at fault.

This is the reply I got:

Dear Sir,

I am sorry to disappoint you, but as your letter has already been dispatched to you we cannot send a duplicate. Please allow the full 12 weeks from date of dispatch (05/07/07) - ie 28th September. If your letter (plus documents) has not arrived by then you should contact us and we may be able to replace the letter at that point. We are unable to act any sooner than this.

I hope this helps to clarify the situation for you.

Regards,

Would a complain help?

[gordon]

Yes, of course, they are meant to read your covering letter etc, but getting upset about their oversight and being vocal about it to them, will not help. At this point you still should have every reasonable expectation that the decision letter and documents should arrive in good form by airmail (rather than courier), but it would not be unreasonable to complain if that does not happen by the four-week mark. AG

[apeterso925]

According to the guidance notes, you should have included your courier request in a fax. Since the cover letter is not a required element in the application, I don't think it can be said that the HO owes you anything beyond the standard 12 week replacement.

I understand that it must be incredibly stressful for your docs to be missing, but I disagree that this is the HO's fault...think about it from their perspective: they sort through and review who knows how many applications a day. In order to keep those mountains of paperwork sorted, they have pretty nitpicky policies and procedures, and they actually seem to stay pretty organized considering...so if you deviate from those policies and procedures, you risk mistakes.

This is purely a guess, but I'm betting that the reason they want a fax is that the caseworker is not the person who gets your docs ready for return, and therefore even if he did read your cover letter, the courier request was lost in the shuffle. Whereas if you sent a separate fax, that would get attached to your application in a manner that the person who prepared it for return would see it...I'm just trying to picture the logistics.

Here's what I found in the guidance notes:

"If you arrange for a courier to collect
your documents, please fax us on 0114
207 6021 to make the necessary
arrangements. If however, at the end
of one week your documents have not
been collected we will post them out by
the appropriate postal method, as
above."

As the HSMP team should have sent my documents and decision letter back via Courier as requested in the covering letter and not via Airmail, I requested a DUPLICATE decision letter for review request or EC as the case may be.

After all, they are supposed to read the covering letter and allow delivery by courier. Hence, they are at fault.

This is the reply I got:

Dear Sir,

I am sorry to disappoint you, but as your letter has already been dispatched to you we cannot send a duplicate. Please allow the full 12 weeks from date of dispatch (05/07/07) - ie 28th September. If your letter (plus documents) has not arrived by then you should contact us and we may be able to replace the letter at that point. We are unable to act any sooner than this.

I hope this helps to clarify the situation for you.

Regards,

Would a complain help?

[Kiwi Pro]

Yes, I sent a FAX as well as Email for courier arrangements within 24 hours of the decision taken.

Also, the same was mentioned in the cover letter.

Decision Date: 5 July 2007
Fax sent: 5 July 2007

But, they replied that your documents have dispacted via Airmail.

A courier can be arranged as soon as a decision has been taken, not before the decision.

I used to call HO everyday for an update. But time zone differences are bound to there.

Any idea - UK to NZ - average time for Airmail delivery

[apeterso925]

Ok, in that case then, they did make a mistake...mistakes *do* happen though

I agree with other respondents, give it another week before you let yourself really get worried...at this point, it's just slow and not necessarily lost.

Yes, I sent a FAX as well as Email for courier arrangements within 24 hours of the decision taken.

Also, the same was mentioned in the cover letter.

Decision Date: 5 July 2007
Fax sent: 5 July 2007

But, they replied that your documents have dispacted via Airmail.

A courier can be arranged as soon as a decision has been taken, not before the decision.

I used to call HO everyday for an update. But time zone differences are bound to there.

Any idea - UK to NZ - average time for Airmail delivery

[push]

The FAX has to be sent BEFORE the decision is made. They ship out the documents immediately after making the decision.

A number of people get confused by the mention of HO waiting 7 days after the decision is made- The fact is: If you have sent a fax for getting your documents collected, then only HO will wait for 7 days after the decision has been made. If the agency which has to collect your dox does not do so within 7 days HO ships the Dox via Airmail or Royal Mail (for in country applicants).

So the fault lies with the applicants not HO.

regards,

push_hsmp

[nshar1]

Kiwi Pro,
Go Thru this link:
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=16747

The HO people are extremely unprofessional. They will not accept their responsibilities for any stupidity they do.

I fully symphathesize with you - "Do applicants have to stand on their head to tell them that they want to arrange courier".

The complaint dept is equally bad.

There still is time for your documents to reach you. Lets hope so.
All the best

[Kiwi Pro]

I feel that it is the fault of the HO not to read the covering letter. There could have been other important facts in the letter for decision making.

Also a FAX+email sent within 24 hours....

Anyways, I received all documents today via Airmail (12 July 2007) with approval letter.

So, Royal Airmail can deliver within a week...