Passport Stamping

[untoldfattboy]

Hi all, I'm looking for information on how long it takes for a passport to be stamped at the uk embassy in manila.
To give you all some background info, my fiance's visa was refused in january this year, we took it to to appeal and just as the 19 weeks was up for the eco to submit his evidence the ecm overturned the refusal and requested the passport was couriered to the embassy for stamping.
It arrived at the embassy on the 6th october 2009 and to date it has not yet been returned. Can anyone share any info on their time for return please?
I'd love to have my fiance home in time for christmas and a january wedding would be great!
Many thanks in advance.
Matt.

[jonathan47]

dont bother with trying to ring or e-mail the embassy waste of time try fax to ECM asking the questions you want answered with your contact details,fax number on embassy website, i am advised that things tend to be done in strict date order, and another post here recieved a text friday who had submitted application on 6th october ... so maybe this week for you !!!! ?

jonathan

[Arthur Little]

Hi all, I'm looking for information on how long it takes for a passport to be stamped at the uk embassy in manila.
To give you all some background info, my fiance's visa was refused in january this year, we took it to to appeal and just as the 19 weeks was up for the eco to submit his evidence the ecm overturned the refusal and requested the passport was couriered to the embassy for stamping.
It arrived at the embassy on the 6th october 2009 and to date it has not yet been returned. Can anyone share any info on their time for return please?
I'd love to have my fiance home in time for christmas and a january wedding would be great!
Many thanks in advance.
Matt.

Welcome to the forum, Matt. it would be ideal if your fiancee's visa could be returned in time for the two of you to enjoy Christmas together ... and, frankly, I'm surprised at how long it's taking for the Entry Clearance Manager to carry out what - on the face of it - seems to only amount to a minor adjustment ...

dont bother with trying to ring or e-mail the embassy waste of time try fax to ECM asking the questions you want answered with your contact details,fax number on embassy website, i am advised that *things tend to be done in strict date order, and another post here recieved a text friday who had submitted application on 6th october ... so maybe this week for you !!!! ?

jonathan

... having said that, you could well have a point *here, Jonathan. I hope, for this couple's sake, that the ECM doesn't "procrastinate" much longer, though; after all, he/she's had the passport for nearly five weeks already!

[whiteraven]

seems unreasonable to me to, but we know how beurocracy works

[somebody]

Hi all, I'm looking for information on how long it takes for a passport to be stamped at the uk embassy in manila.
To give you all some background info, my fiance's visa was refused in january this year, we took it to to appeal and just as the 19 weeks was up for the eco to submit his evidence the ecm overturned the refusal and requested the passport was couriered to the embassy for stamping.
It arrived at the embassy on the 6th october 2009 and to date it has not yet been returned. Can anyone share any info on their time for return please?
I'd love to have my fiance home in time for christmas and a january wedding would be great!
Many thanks in advance.
Matt.

That sounds like an awfully long time. I would write an email politely asking where the passport is as you are concerned its got lost and if its still processing whats the hold up is there anything you can do or supply to help.

It sounds like thats stuck on a pile on a desk to me.

If you have no sucess within a few days contact your MP remeber elections next year...

[isimpson01]

Hi Matt

My wife had Visa refused on August 11, We lodged appeal August 26 in Manila during my visit to Philippines. The refusal was over turned in less than 3 weeks. We couriered in Passport and it only took 4 to 5 days to be returned with Visa attached. We got original docs back at the same time.

When did you lodge your appeal as I am curious if over turn after 19 weeks and allow 4 weeks for lodging appeal then by my maths there is missing 2 months before October ?

Also who did you use for courier of passport and have you checked the courier tracking to see what happened. Sometimes easier to contact courier rather than Embassy to check. Other people are getting Visa's quicker from start to complete than compared to your wait for return. Our experience shows it should not take long to return.

Good luck and we are sure you will have everything for your Xmas together and wedding next year.

[untoldfattboy]

Hi again, sorry for the confusion on my part, visa was applied for in jan, and appeal went in, in may, hence the 19 weeks, as to why the ecm waited until the 19 weeks was up until it was overturned is beyond me! I've been using a really good immigration consultant to sort the original app and the appeal as there was some complications to the case. she has emailed the embassy twice now, here is the reply to the first:

Your email has reached the Visa Enquiries Team at the UKBA Regional Visa Section for the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taipei.

Please note that due to Date Protection Act, we are unable to state the outcome of an application. We can only discuss personal details with individual visa applicants or their authorised representative.

We confirm to have received Ms ******* passport on 06 October via LBC courier. This have been forwarded to the concerned Entry Cleareance Officer for routine processing of overturned appeals.

We hope to complete the process the soonest time possible.

Yours sincerely.

I was also thinking 5 weeks was far too long, if my consultant hasn't heard today then i'll contact my MP i think!

Many thanks all.

[jonathan47]

i tried to call the visa section today between the hours of 4.30am and 7.30am gmt as the lovely voice message states this is the only time they take calls, well the phone would either ring and ring no answer sor to the voice message to sate ring at time above or it appeared someone was disconecting the calls !!?? in the past i have emailed and that takes 10 days to answer ? i think as someone said here before about making appeals fro reconsiderations by the ECM fax might be your best option asking what the delays are and if there is anything you can do to help!!! it may be as simmple as the ECO dealing is away and they havent realised it needs dealing with !!

regards
Jonathan

[somebody]

Do remember the British ECO's are part of the civil service so will have targets and quotas to reach IE turnover of applications, emails answered etc.

I also found when i enquired politely on a slightly different topic but just as crucial how long it took they could not discuss the particular case which is fair enough unless they can confirm who you are but i left enough information for them to be sure of the case we were discussing.

As you know its amazing how to shut up the polite but firm complainer things suddenly get found..

I would prime your MP sooner rather than later, a quick enquiry from them may have a lot more effect than from a member of Joe Public.

[untoldfattboy]

hi all we've recieved this email from the manila embassy today:

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the application made by Ms ******.

We understand that the applicant was advised that her appeal has been overturned and to submit her passport with us for the endorsement of her visa. However, there was an error on the advised given to her. Her appeal will be forwarded to AIT instead. We have already informed Mrs Symons about this and her passport will be returned.

The appeal of Ms ***** will be forwarded to AIT to be dealt with by an Immigration Judge. Our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.

Yours sincerely.

We are both devastated by this development, and don't understand how the embassy can do this, especially as they have informed the AIT of their withdraw from the appeal process, this now means they will have had longer than the 19 weeks they are given to submit their evidence. we should have had our court hearing by now going by the timescale laid down by the AIT.
I've informed my MP who is looking into it,and my immigration consultant has requested more information from the embassy also. and of course the other question is if they have made a mistake, why has it taken nearly 5 weeks to pick up on it?

Anybody else experienced them doing this? I wonder if what they have done is legal?

[untoldfattboy]

It get worse, we've recieved this email and phone call today:

Your email has reached the Visa Enquiries Team at the UKBA Regional Visa Section for the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Brunei.



Thank you for your e-mail concerning the application made by Ms ********

We understand that the applicant was advised that her appeal has been overturned and to submit her passport with us for the endorsement of her visa. However, there was an error on the advised given to her. Her appeal will be forwarded to AIT instead. We have already informed Mrs Symons about this and her passport will be returned.



The appeal of Ms ******* will be forwarded to AIT to be dealt with by an Immigration Judge. Our apologies for the inconvenience this has caused.



Yours sincerely


I've spoken to my MP and immigration consultant who is looking into what is going on, I don't understand how they can go back on saying the visa will be issued and informing the AIT of this decision, and after having the passport for nearly 5 weeks changing their minds.
We are both distraught at this outcome, and can only hope that the immigration judge will eventually grant the visa if it goes to a tribunal.