UKBA Inquiry Response

[MissAna]

MyY wifes residency permit has just been hand delivered this morning 9 1/2 months after our application was submitted.

congratulations!!! finally you got it.

mine is still in pending my husband sent his passport and got it back after one week (need it for work) but he still haven't sent his bank details yet. i hope we will make it before the deadline

[raynaputi]

MyY wifes residency permit has just been hand delivered this morning 9 1/2 months after our application was submitted. Strangely enough I just e mailed my MP once again last night complaining about the atrocious service by the UKBA so have had to e mail him and tell him not to bother enquiring again. Nevertheless questions still need to be asked in the House as to why genuine applicants are being treated in such an appaling manner particularly when the applications are not State funded. Have u heard anything Rayna as your application was several week before ours ?

Congrats to you and your wife Malchard!

Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything else. I'm really the unlucky one..

[raynaputi]

Hi rayna, sorry to bother you. I'm just wondering if by any chance you can share which way would be best to contact ukba to inquire about the progress of my application?we have tried calling them several times now but to no avail. Thank you in advance.

Just to give you an idea about my application, read below...I'm not sure if your MP or even a solicitor would have the power to insist UKBA to work on your application, but there's no harm in trying..

I came here to UK on 31st October 2011 on fiancée visa, valid from 23rd October 2011 to 23rd April 2012. After getting married on 1st March 2012, I sent my FLR(M) visa application via post on 23rd March 2012. And the rest is a nightmare!

• FLR(M) application received by UKBA on 27th March 2012.
• Payment of £561 was credited from my husband’s credit card on 28th or 29th March 2012.
• Letter for Biometrics was received on 4th April 2012.
• Biometrics done on 10th April 2012 at Post Office Corn Exchange, Liverpool.
• Called UKBA on 2nd week of September 2012 to follow up my application and has been told to call after the 6th month of application.
• Called UKBA on 28th of September 2012 (a day after the application’s 6th month) and was told that application still has not been processed yet.
• I sent an email to my local MP, David Jones, about my application.
• On 2nd October 2012, MP sent a letter to UKBA asking for explanation about the way they are handling my application.
• On 12th October 2012, I sent a complaint to UKBA Complaint Allocation Hub via their email. I only got an automatic acknowledgment response.
• On 31st October 2012, UKBA (signed by Sarah Wells, Assistant Director of Customer Service Improvement Directorate) sent a response to MP, stating that they are experiencing extreme numbers of backlogs and that I would be notified as soon as they made a decision. Take note, they stated a wrong application date (they said they received it on 26th February 2012 which obviously is impossible), mispelled my name, and even called me Mister!!!
• Called UKBA every week to follow up my application and I’ve been told it still has a “PENDING DECISION” status and they can’t give me a timeline as they don’t have any idea when it’ll be processed.
• I filed another complaint to UKBA Complaints Allocation Hub on 19th November 2012, this time sent it on special delivery registered mail.
• I got an acknowledgement letter (signed by Dan Griffin, NEYH Customer Service Unit) dated 26th November 2012 from UKBA, stating they received my complaint letter on 20th November 2012 and that their 20 day target date to respond is on 18th December 2012.
• On 2nd week of December 2012, I got a letter from UKBA sending me a very delayed copy of the 1st response they sent to my MP (dated 31st October 2012).
• I called UKBA North East, Yorkshire and the Humber (NEYH) Customer Service Unit on 21st December 2012 to follow up my complaint and was told that there’s no update on their system yet. The one who respond said that he would send a follow up email to the concerned department about it.
• I sent an email to my MP on 21st December 2012 asking for assistance again regarding my application and the complaint I made to UKBA. I kindly asked them to file a complaint to the Ombudsman for me and has been told that he can’t do that unless I can get a final response from UKBA about the complaint.
• Around 1st week of January 2013, I called the NEYH Customer Service Unit again to follow up my complaint and was told of the same thing again, that there’s no update on their system yet and that they would send a follow up email to the concerned department.
• On 9th January 2013, my MP David Jones sent a letter to Sarah Wells, Assistant Director of UKBA’s Customer Service Improvement Directorate regarding my FLR(M) application and complaint. He told them that he intends to file a complaint to the Ombudsman upon receiving their response to our enquiries or letters. He also sent a copy of the letter to Home Secretary Theresa May.
• On 24th January 2013, I called UKBA to follow up my FLR(M) application again and was told it’s still not completed. I also sent a complaint to John Vine, Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration.
• On 27th January 2013, my application reached its 10th month! My grandmother died that same day and I know I won't be able to go back home for her funeral!!!
• On 1st February 2013, I received an acknowledgment letter from John Vine and told me they would keep my details for future inspection of the UKBA.
• On 4th February 2013, I received a final response for my complaint on 20th November 2013 (which they were supposed to have responded on 18th December 2012) and told me the same response I got as before, that they have received bulks of application and that they have lots of backlogs! Again, they got the wrong application date! They said they're considering applications with biometrics done on April, but I know people who did their biometrics on May-August already got their visas. Application decision isn't clearly done by date of biometrics!
• Today, 6th February 2013, I received an email from the office of our local MP and they said they are still chasing the UKBA for a response to their email as they still haven't received any yet!

[joebloggs]

excuse backlogs , 10 month delay is , why for years did it take only 28 days to process nearly all FLR and ILR apps. search on here and see

[malchard888]

I can ionly hope u get some good news very soon, this morning it was actually a UKBA employee who hand delivered the residency permit, my wife had to prove it was her address by providing letters addressed to her etc and then signed for it but apparently the passports will be delivered under separate cover in a few days time.
We also had a letter from Sarah Wells last year stating the same crap as yours, they obviously cannot cope with the situation and those of us with relatively easy applications still have to wait in line it seems although payment of an additonal £300 and they can find the time to process in 2 hours. The whole situation stinks and of course the next hurdle will be the life in the Uk test and then ILR and another huge bill

[han]

COngrats to you and to your wife Malchard888, for finally getting the visa. YOu mention you waited for 9 1/2 months.. if you don't mind me asking when is her visa expires??. My visa will expires July 2014. As far as I can remember, we were in the same time frame when we posted the FLR (m). Thanks.

I hope Rayna, MissAnna and the rest will get theirs soon.

[Terpe]

I can ionly hope u get some good news very soon, this morning it was actually a UKBA employee who hand delivered the residency permit, my wife had to prove it was her address by providing letters addressed to her etc and then signed for it but apparently the passports will be delivered under separate cover in a few days time.
We also had a letter from Sarah Wells last year stating the same crap as yours, they obviously cannot cope with the situation and those of us with relatively easy applications still have to wait in line it seems although payment of an additonal £300 and they can find the time to process in 2 hours. The whole situation stinks and of course the next hurdle will be the life in the Uk test and then ILR and another huge bill

I'm happy to learn that the FLR(M) is finally in your hand.
Congratulations for that.
I can quite understand the feelings and emotions that you, Rayna and others have gone through.
It is a disgrace. The biggest disgrace is that there is no-one to turn to who can make any inputs and imo this needs to change. The responses at every level are totally unprofessional.

[malchard888]

COngrats to you and to your wife Malchard888, for finally getting the visa. YOu mention you waited for 9 1/2 months.. if you don't mind me asking when is her visa expires??. My visa will expires July 2014. As far as I can remember, we were in the same time frame when we posted the FLR (m). Thanks.

I hope Rayna, MissAnna and the rest will get theirs soon.

This FLR visa expires end of january 2015 but the original fiancée visa was for 6 months and expired last year,perhaps u have a student visa currently ?

[angellegwen]

I can ionly hope u get some good news very soon, this morning it was actually a UKBA employee who hand delivered the residency permit, my wife had to prove it was her address by providing letters addressed to her etc and then signed for it but apparently the passports will be delivered under separate cover in a few days time.
We also had a letter from Sarah Wells last year stating the same crap as yours, they obviously cannot cope with the situation and those of us with relatively easy applications still have to wait in line it seems although payment of an additonal £300 and they can find the time to process in 2 hours. The whole situation stinks and of course the next hurdle will be the life in the Uk test and then ILR and another huge bill

I have a question Malchard888 or to anyone who knows this. If for those who have submitted their FLR(M) via post/mail for instance go for a personal appointment at UKBA and pay for an additional fee of 300, is it allowed? So instead of waiting maybe we'll get the result fast. Just a thought, thanks.

[Michael Parnham]

Yes Angel, normally same day! Just check with Arthur

[angellegwen]

Yes Angel, normally same day! Just check with Arthur

Really, I'll tell my husband tonight then and see what he thinks. We submitted our FLR(M) last Jan 2 i think or end of december, can't remember the date (coz i don't want to think about it, makes me anxious), so we just have to go there and pay an additional fee. Why I haven't heard of anyone here done the same thing like Rayna (for example) she's been waiting for very long time already, hi Rayna , if its okay this way, would you consider trying this?

[raynaputi]

It's not possible to change from post applications to PEO if you've already submitted your applications. If your current visa has not expired yet, you can probably withdraw your post application and then try to apply via PEO. But you won't be able to get a refund.

[angellegwen]

It's not possible to change from post applications to PEO if you've already submitted your applications. If your current visa has not expired yet, you can probably withdraw your post application and then try to apply via PEO. But you won't be able to get a refund.

Thank you Rayna, that's what I thought. So i guess ill just have to wait then .

[malchard888]

Really, I'll tell my husband tonight then and see what he thinks. We submitted our FLR(M) last Jan 2 i think or end of december, can't remember the date (coz i don't want to think about it, makes me anxious), so we just have to go there and pay an additional fee. Why I haven't heard of anyone here done the same thing like Ryna (for example) she's been waiting for very long time already, hi Rayna , if its okay this way, would you consider trying this?

Its not an issue in the meantime even if your fiancee visa expires unless of course u want to work instead of getting bored at home day in day out. As my wife had our baby 4 months ago, she has had plenty to keep her occupied so it wasnt too much of an issue for us but nevertheless the anxiety of waiting 9 1/2 months is not fair on anybody and UKBA dont appear to be doing anything to cut the waiting time to an acceptable timescale.

[sars_notd_virus]

Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything else.

I hope they dont lost any of your documents rayna

[andy222]

excuse backlogs , 10 month delay is , why for years did it take only 28 days to process nearly all FLR and ILR apps. search on here and see

It takes about 2 weeks for the council to threaten you if you miss a payment on your council tax. Just to put things into perspective.

[Michael Parnham]

Yes Andy, that just about sums it up

[angellegwen]

Its not an issue in the meantime even if your fiancee visa expires unless of course u want to work instead of getting bored at home day in day out. As my wife had our baby 4 months ago, she has had plenty to keep her occupied so it wasnt too much of an issue for us but nevertheless the anxiety of waiting 9 1/2 months is not fair on anybody and UKBA dont appear to be doing anything to cut the waiting time to an acceptable timescale.

So if I cancel my application and process a new application (by PEO) then I would be an overstayer here since my fiancee visa expires Jan 5 this year. I think it would just be complicated so i'll just wait for the result. Thanks anyways malchard888 for your response, i have a dog ( stress free) and my garden soonish to keep me occupied. Regards to your wifey and baby (i wish i have at least 1).

[malchard888]

So if I cancel my application and process a new application (by PEO) then I would be an overstayer here since my fiancee visa expires Jan 5 this year. I think it would just be complicated so i'll just wait for the result. Thanks anyways malchard888 for your response, i have a dog ( stress free) and my garden soonish to keep me occupied. Regards to your wifey and baby (i wish i have at least 1).

Not worth wasting your £561 Angel plus from what I have read in the forum it is becoming increasingly difficult to get a one to one appointment anyway and thats about £830 i believe.I think u will just have to be patient and wait it out and hope our lengthy bad experience is not reflected in your waiting period. Many thanks for your kind wishes to my family

[Arthur Little]

My wifes residency permit has just been hand delivered this morning 9 1/2 months after our application was submitted.

Congratulations, Malcolm & Loida ... I take my hat off to the two of you for your infinite patience - even though you'd no real choice in the matter.

[malchard888]

Congratulations, Malcolm & Loida ... I take my hat off to the two of you for your infinite patience - even though you'd no real choice in the matter.

Thanks for your kind wishes Arthur but we all have to feel sorry for Rayna as she applied several weeks before us and is still waiting which does suggest they are not processed in strict date order. I am sure we all hope that she gets positive news very shortly as these timescales are a complete joke.

[Akilah Blythe]

Thank you rayna for the advice. We are going to get in touch with the mp soon. For us to be able to know at least where we stand. Fingers crossed.

[raynaputi]

Well, Keith and I just sent letters to David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Theresa May, Chris Bryant, Home Office, The Labour Party, UKIP, LibDem and to some newspapers..not sure if any of them would take notice or be interested but there's no harm in trying! UKBA IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THIS COUNTRY!!!

[joebloggs]

UKBA IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THIS COUNTRY!!!

i think you'll be lucky to get a reply from any of them

[Terpe]

Well, Keith and I just sent letters to David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Theresa May, Chris Bryant, Home Office, The Labour Party, UKIP, LibDem and to some newspapers..not sure if any of them would take notice or be interested but there's no harm in trying! UKBA IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THIS COUNTRY!!!

Well done I say

Even there's no reply from anyone, that in itself can be used for future outlets.

Never give up. The biggest problem is that no-one is there who can help. You must help yourself.

Well done Rayna. More power to you

[raynaputi]

Well done I say

Even there's no reply from anyone, that in itself can be used for future outlets.

Never give up. The biggest problem is that no-one is there who can help. You must help yourself.

Well done Rayna. More power to you

Hahahaha..Keith said, if I'd get any response from them, I'd be collecting proof of address from these politicians' offices! I'd definitely use it in my ILR application and would highlight the subject matter is all about the incompetence of UKBA!!!

[Terpe]

Hahahaha..Keith said, if I'd get any response from them, I'd be collecting proof of address from these politicians' offices! I'd definitely use it in my ILR application and would highlight the subject matter is all about the incompetence of UKBA!!!

Great idea too

[raynaputi]

Great idea too

Maybe I should try the Queen too???

[raynaputi]

Border agency backlog keeps Britons and their foreign spouses in limbo

Long delays mean visa seekers' personal and professional lives are put on hold, with 6,000 applications pending at last count.

Helen Murphy, a British lawyer, married her Chinese husband, Kurt Qian, a translator, in August last year and applied the next day for a marriage visa to allow him rights to stay in the country. Six months later, the couple are still waiting. Murphy has been offered an important six-month career placement overseas but unless the marriage visa comes through she will either have to forgo the opportunity or endure an extended separation from the man she loves.

The long documented delays at the UK Border Agency are wreaking havoc with their personal and professional lives. "It has been and continues to be a totally soul-destroying experience. It's horrible. I had no idea it would be this bad," Murphy said.

Qian said: "Most of the time I've been home alone and sometimes I feel like I'm going mad. Helen is the only person I have to talk to. It's Chinese new year next week and as an only son I would love to go back to China to celebrate with my parents. But I can't because I'm stranded here. I'm not trying to take advantage of the system. All I want is the opportunity to work as a translator and pay my taxes. We are just two human beings trying to live a normal life."

When one of a couple is a British citizen and the other is from a country outside the European Union a spousal visa is required to allow the foreign partner the right to work, travel, study, volunteer and access healthcare in the UK.

Last month, John Vine, chief inspector of borders and immigration, published a report criticising the backlog in processing marriage visas. Much of his attention was focused on delays of almost a decade in dealing with appeals in the most complex cases.

However, the delays also extend to initial applications in straightforward cases. There were 10,805 postal applications for spousal visas between January and June last year. By November 6,236 of them were still pending.

Couples who meet the criteria of being financially self-sufficient and having suitable accommodation to live in, assumed the issuing of this visa would be a speedy formality. They were wrong: many have been left in limbo for 10 months or more while their applications languish in a file somewhere in the UK Border Agency. Many of the couples are high flying professionals, unused to being prevented from working.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/fe...ge?INTCMP=SRCH

[jlags90]

Just a quick update.


I have finally received my Biometrics App Letter after almost 6 months of waiting. I should think the letter helped a bit. Thanks a lot for your help guys.! Though, I did not receive any letter of apology from the caseworker, I think my application is moving forward (slowly). Now, it is only a question of HOW LONG will it take them to return the docs.