Approved, but documents not sent for 3 weeks - why?

[denden]

I called HSMP on March 18, 2005 and was told that my application had been approved and the approval letter sent out on March 15. The person I spoke to said it should take about 12 days to get to me.
I am an out-of-country applicant.

More than 3 weeks have passed since the 15th, and I haven't received anything, so I decided to call again today and follow up. This time, I was told that my application had been approved, but the documents have not yet been sent out.

I am going to call again tomorrow and hopefully talk to my caseworker, and arrange to have a courier service pick everything up.

But I'm truly baffled. Why would they sit on an approval for 3 weeks? Why did they initially tell me it had been sent? Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Thanks.

[sergio39]

Yes. I have.

I was informed about a refusal of my application and that my docs were sent back on 16 of march. I called them on 30 of march and they said that my package hasn't been sent yet and are waiting in the queue because they are a lot of outgoing correspondence. It will be sent on the next week maybe. I called them yesterday and got the response that the docs were sent on 17 of march. I wrote an email asking this and got the same answer (17 of march). Nobody know something on my postoffice about such a package, I ring them everyday.

Another thing.
On 04 april I've sent a review on 4 pages by fax with clearily specifying the applicant's name and the ref number on each page. Rang them (HO) everyday and "...there is nothin on my system that says we have received a review for your case." The email which I got today states the same.
How to attract their attention to my fax and make them register it?

Any ideas?

[denden]

Thanks for your reply, sergio39.

It is somewhat disturbing that they cannot keep track of whether or not they still have our documents, especially when they want us to send things like original university diplomas. I'm very glad I decided to send notarized copies instead.

As for the fax, I would suggest that you re-send it, and keep doing so until they receive it.

[hsmphopeful]

fax is no good, you should have sent it by registered mail/courier...

[denden]

Very bizarre...

As I wrote earlier, I called HSMP today and they told me that they hadn't yet sent out my approval leter. I was puzzled because they told me a few weeks ago that it had been sent out on March 15.

Well, I received the approval letter and all of my supporting documents in the mail today! The letter was dated March 15, and it was postmarked March 16.

Of course I'm very glad to get it, but it is a bit worrying that they don't seem to have good information in their system about which documents they do and don't have.

Anyway, next step is EC. Hopefully, things will go more smoothly...

[technician]

Hello denden,

COngrats for the approval and subsequent EC. Please could you share your ref no and date of payment charged.

I am 8th july applicant with ref no 0219XX.

Technician

[f2k]

I think there is something seriously flawed with the 'system', cause i have heard of people who have called and been told case was decided and decision was on the way, and then called again after a few days to be told decision not yet made and then as in your case the letter arrives. Stranger than fiction really. One just has to be very relieved and grateful when they do finally get all the documents intact.
Congratulations with your approval all the best with your EC. which country are from and based?

[denden]

I got EC today!

In response to f2K and technician, here is some information about my application:

Credit card charged: March 9, 2005
Approval letter dated: March 15
Date letter received: April 7
Reference number: 0368XX

I am an out-of-country applicant, from the Caribbean, which is where I am based right now; however all my university and work experience was in the U.S.A.

I went to the British Embassy this morning and got the EC stamp in about an hour, while I waited.

[technician]

Hello Denden,

Many happy returns for the day. Thanks for the information.

TECHNICIAN

[f2k]

I got EC today!

In response to f2K and technician, here is some information about my application:

Credit card charged: March 9, 2005
Approval letter dated: March 15
Date letter received: April 7
Reference number: 0368XX

I am an out-of-country applicant, from the Caribbean, which is where I am based right now; however all my university and work experience was in the U.S.A.

I went to the British Embassy this morning and got the EC stamp in about an hour, while I waited.

Good congrats again on HSMP approval as well as EC. All the best to you in your move and your search for work