OLD FLR(M) waiting times Thread

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 3:48 pm

Have asked my MP to contact me again because I just do not trust the UKBA to tell me the truth - I am worried that they are just trying to fob me and my MP off by telling us a decision has been made.

luckyjinx · Post by **luckyjinx** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:07 pm

Ugh probably a good idea to go through your MP then - if they don't even know whose information they're supposed to have then I don't know what any of us are supposed to do.

Thanks to whoever posted about the WeQ4U app. Saved myself 15 minutes of call time while on hold. Still no news for me.

Post by **Damanisshallo** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:32 pm

Xiaozhu wrote:I just do not trust the UKBA to tell me the truth

You shouldn't anyway....Read the below story to see how truthful and up-to-date these bunch of morons are...

Also I bet you'd get the same response when you ring them after the package is delivered...I think someone (Who's already got their documents) should give a go ...

Maria wrote:Hi all, my documents arrived on Saturday, February 2, 2013. From the date I sent my postal application (May 28, 2012) it took 8 months (!) and a couple of days to get the decision letter & the docs back. From the date of enrollment my biometrics data (June 26th, 2012) - 7 months. It was a very straight forward application, switching from Tier 2 visa to a marriage visa.

All the last 2 months - after the date when waiting time had reached 6 months and till the very last day - I was calling to UKBA asking about status of my case, and the answer was always the same - "your case is still pending". On Friday - February 1st - when my decided application was ALREADY DESPATCHED (since I got the package on Saturday, Feb 2nd at 8.00 in the morning) I called UKBA too and - !!!!!!!!!! - the answer was "your case is still pending"!!!!!!!!! So they even don't bother to put the information about your case status into computer - I can't believe it.

This is professionalism and attitude our cases is being dealt with. This is UKBA.

innocentdevil · Post by **innocentdevil** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:09 pm

Xiaozhu wrote:Grrrr, still waiting for our documents back, even though our MP told us on Friday that a decision had been made on the 6th Feb and our stuff was about to be posted...

Xiaozhu -- I might be mistaken but did you get your MP involved even before 6 months ?

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:09 pm

innocentdevil · Post by **innocentdevil** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:12 pm

Xiaozhu wrote:Yep.

hmmm... i applied for my wif'es FLR(M) on 4th Nov and she gave biometrics 10th Jan, do you suggest I should get in touch with my MP now about it.

its already 3 months and a week ?

if i recall it, you requested SPONSOR's docs back, didn't you?

have you a template for letter to UKBA and MP ?

shendean · Post by **shendean** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:44 pm

Innocent i did mail my MP about my situation applid nov11. And he did replied to me and stating on the letter that he will get back to me as soon as possible..

shendean · Post by **shendean** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:49 pm

Just had the letter from my Mp today and he already written to UKBA about my situation.

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 6:30 pm

Well I wasn't going to sit and wait until the 6 months was up tos start complaining when I could see that they were taking over 8 months to process peoples visas. It takes a while to get the MP/Ombudsman process in motion (complain to UKBA first and give them 20 working days, complain to MP and give them 10 working days, complain again to MP about UKBA unsatisfactory response another 10 working days, then send Ombudsman form to MP, another 10 working days plus 40 for the Ombudsman although I'm told they're quicker than that). Adds up to a long time! So yes get started ASAP.

To give you some context we are keen to get the visa sorted as soon as possible as I am being posted abroad for work in March.

AleksSol · Post by **AleksSol** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 8:56 pm

Hi all,
After 7.5 months I have received my passport back today with the letter saying that my biometric permit is on its way.
Still can't believe that my wait is over now.
Good luck to everyone!!!

Application received: 05 July 2012
Acknowledgement letter: 09 July 2012
BM letter dated: 06 Sept 2012
BM given: 07 Sept 2012
Documents received: 12 Feb 2013
BRP received: waiting

xiaoma · Post by **xiaoma** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:02 pm

Congratulation! I am the November applicant and hope my wait will be over soon!

rafique0333 · Post by **rafique0333** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 12:53 am

HI!
i had apply 3 applications to home office so far, i was student and my visa was running out in DEC 2011 and i was wanted to apply psw BUT i was waiting for my result which was due in jan. i had apply my 1st application in Dec 2011 which was FLR o because my solicitor advised me to send FLR o and then we will do variation after that we will send your result with psw application. my result got late but we applied our PSW application in march and after that UKBA asked us which application you want to consider and which one you want to withdraw and my solicitor said to WITHDRAW FLR O and consider PSW. BUT in few months i got married and i sent my FLR M application with variation with PSW before 9 th july with all documents and that time UKBA had not made the decision of PSW. on 17 july they sent my all documents back saying you have cancelled the application.but my solicitor send them letter saying we did not ask for to return the documents we asked for variation and send the documents to the relevant department now i have done my BIO MATRIX for FLR M and i have already received my PSW Refund in Sep.
my question is am i illegal or if they consider my application will i fall in old rules or new though we did variation before july and they received my FLR M application aswell. please reply

Post by **Damanisshallo** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 1:07 am

rafique0333 wrote:my question is am i illegal or if they consider my application will i fall in old rules or new though we did variation before july and they received my FLR M application aswell. please reply

You are not illegal, if they consider your application. Also you'd fall under old rules. Refer the quote below

varying your application wrote:An applicant can vary an application at any time before a decision is made on it. They can do this if they want to be considered for a grant of leave on a different basis to their initial application.

If the applicant wishes to vary their leave for a purpose where a specified application form is required, they must complete the new form and meet all the requirements of paragraph 34A of the Immigration Rules, for the variation to be valid.

For more information on these requirements, see related link: Specified requirements.A person who varies their application does not have to pay an additional fee unless the new ground they want to be considered under has a higher fee than their original application. In this case, they must pay the difference between the original fee and the new higher fee.

This means that a valid variation will look like a new application. You must check CID to see if an earlier application exists. This will tell you whether the specified form is a variation of an existing application.

The application date remains the date of the original application and not the date of the variation. You will need to consider this when deciding if the applicant benefits from section 3C leave and determining the applicant’s appeal rights.

Dev9aug · Post by **Dev9aug** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:04 am

Hi Xiaozhu,

I posted the application form on 5th July 2012 and still not received the decision yet. I tried calling them but off course, "a decision has not been made."

I want to contact my MP, is there a template letter somewhere I can use?

Xiaozhu wrote:Yes that's the email address I used, though they didn't reply for about 6 weeks and only then after me chasing them using this email address: NEYHCustomers@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk.

I also emailed:

'ministerforimmigration@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk' (Immigration Minister Mark Harper - passed my complaint onto Margeret Hodge MP who made an enquiry on our behalf)

'public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk' (Theresa May)

'info@migrantsrights.org.uk'

The most effective by far was our local MP, who needs to be kicked into action as the first letter they send to the UKBA is always met with a stupid pro forma reply. You need to email your MP again, saying this reply is unsatisfactory and that you will be making a complaint via the Ombudsman.

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:15 am

There is no template and besides you are much better off writing it yourself.

Not sure how good your English is (sorry, difficult to tell from forums etc! For all I know you could be a native speaker) but my advice to anyone for whom English is not their first language would be to get a native speaker to check your letter through before sending it.

Think about the letter carefully: state the facts clearly and don't use capital letters, exclamation marks etc etc as it will make you look like a loony. You need to come across as rational, reasonable and very hard done by.

Sturcture suggestion would be:

Introduce yourself and why you are writing: "my name is X and I am writing to complain about the UKBA's delay in issuing my/my husband's/my wife's (name) visa for settlement through marriage".

Then go on to state the facts: nationalities, the date of your application, when the BM letter was sent etc.

Then tell them how the delay has affected you, e.g. financial hardship, stress, marital strain, depression.

It seems like a good idea to emphasise how the UKBA are so bad at giving accurate information, the disparity between the facts they give you and the experience you've actually had, and the fact that you have been misled into thinking that your visa would take a lot less time. It is also a good idea to explain how difficult it is to get hold of them, how they have failed to respond to complaints etc. Use solid examples and details. No use just ranting aimlessly, you need to back up your claims with facts.

As a lawyer (not immigration) I'm pretty much trained to write letters like this, and I can guarantee that putting your case clearly and forcefully will help a lot.

innocentdevil · Post by **innocentdevil** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:17 am

right that is helpful. I have just emailed my MP today. I will give wait till i hear back from them.

When did you email to email addresses @ukba homeoffice

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:20 am

14 Jan! No reply.

shendean · Post by **shendean** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:41 am

I just sent the requesting of my husband passport today as he needed it for his renewal..

Let see how long does this take.

DieselD · Post by **DieselD** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:16 am

Shendean, what English Test are you trying to pass?

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:18 am

Another update from MP: the decision has been made but the UKBA are delaying posting our docs back. IS NOTHING SIMPLE WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!! All they need to do is put it in the post, for Christ's sake!

luckyjinx · Post by **luckyjinx** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:25 am

Xiaozhu wrote:Another update from MP: the decision has been made but the UKBA are delaying posting our docs back. IS NOTHING SIMPLE WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!! All they need to do is put it in the post, for Christ's sake!

...that's just bizarre. What on Earth do they gain by delaying the posting of your documents? I smell a tip for Diane Taylor...

I rang the UKBA earlier this morning and got an unusual answer: "Your application is not yet finished being processed so you must continue to wait and the UKBA will contact you when it is finished." I asked for clarification and if that means a case worker is looking at it. The guy just repeated "It's being processed." For all I know that just means that it's still in the queue so I'm not getting excited just yet - especially if they're just arbitrarily holding on to people's decisions - but it's not a fluke because when I rang yesterday afternoon I got the same weird answer (and just assumed someone was being creative).

curlyk · Post by **curlyk** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:25 am

Xiaozhu - I wouldnt be surprised if they have filed all your documents in different places, and now need to work out where it all is!

Xiaozhu · Post by **Xiaozhu** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:27 am

I no longer care where all the documents are: just send me my husband's passport and our marriage certificate, that is all we care about. I hate them so much.

balasinor.bristol · Post by **balasinor.bristol** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 1:03 pm

Hii all thought to share my time line with you

Applied on - 5th of July 2012
Acknowledgement letter Dated 12th July : Received 20th July 2012
Biometrics Letter received : 7th September(Dated 4th Septmeber)
Biometrics Enrolled : 8th September
Wait wait
Called UKBA some where in mid January they(UKBA)said to wait and again wait
Received Doc : 13th February 2012
Biometrics : On the way
Visa switching from tier 4
Total time elapsed : 7 Months 1 week and 1 day.

Lads how long does the biometric takes to come through? There is no letter in the mail stating the visa has refused so what shall I assume??

All the very best for your applications. Any help or suggestions will be here for a while now and will try my best to help you guys.
I don't really think MP or asking the sponsor passport back will really affect and speed up the application. You can now see the impact of you people and they have already speeded up. Patience is the best key.
best regards and best wishes to all
Balasinor.Bristol

Post by **Damanisshallo** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:49 pm

Immigrationboards.com: Immigration, work visa and work permit discussion board

OLD FLR(M) waiting times Thread

Bunch of Morons

Great news for us today!

applied in july

Re: applied in july

contact MP

request husband passport

Where is United Kingdom's customer feedback????