going to Croydon on Monday to file Flr

[tboy555]

Thanks for that info Confused - I phoned PEO Croydon on the weekend and were told we would be refused as our English test was no longer valid, so we didn't visit them on Tues as planned (I didn't want to risk spending the whole miserable day down there and losing my £800 if I got a particularly miserable person behind the desk)
My wife retook the test on Tues, passed and we are now hoping that we get the certificate before Nov 11th when we are due to visit, wait for it, the PEO Belfast, which was the only one with availability before her visa run out.

What a joke!

I've raised the issue with my MP and made a formal complaint to UKBA. I will be seeking reimbursement of my extra costs through the court on the basis that the FLR is a continuation of the process started throguh fiancee visa; If it is not, then why must you take English test at fiancee visa stage, it would just be the same as a visit visa?!?! They should have allowed a longer timeframe to allow Fiancee visa holders (i.e. the full 6 months since the rule changed) to complete their process.
Wish us luck. Cheers!

[Terpe]

...............What a joke!
I've raised the issue with my MP and made a formal complaint to UKBA. I will be seeking reimbursement of my extra costs through the court on the basis that the FLR is a continuation of the process started throguh fiancee visa; If it is not, then why must you take English test at fiancee visa stage, it would just be the same as a visit visa?!?! They should have allowed a longer timeframe to allow Fiancee visa holders (i.e. the full 6 months since the rule changed) to complete their process.
Wish us luck. Cheers!

Good for you tboy, it really is an absolute disgrace. I get the feeling that someone somewhere screwed up.
If you get any response would be good to hear.

[Dedworth]

Thanks for that info Confused - I phoned PEO Croydon on the weekend and were told we would be refused as our English test was no longer valid, so we didn't visit them on Tues as planned (I didn't want to risk spending the whole miserable day down there and losing my £800 if I got a particularly miserable person behind the desk)
My wife retook the test on Tues, passed and we are now hoping that we get the certificate before Nov 11th when we are due to visit, wait for it, the PEO Belfast, which was the only one with availability before her visa run out.

What a joke!

I've raised the issue with my MP and made a formal complaint to UKBA. I will be seeking reimbursement of my extra costs through the court on the basis that the FLR is a continuation of the process started throguh fiancee visa; If it is not, then why must you take English test at fiancee visa stage, it would just be the same as a visit visa?!?! They should have allowed a longer timeframe to allow Fiancee visa holders (i.e. the full 6 months since the rule changed) to complete their process.
Wish us luck. Cheers!

mayt@parliament.uk

[tboy555]

Well, we finally got flr

After a day trip to Belfast - it was very quiet in the office there and the whole thing took less than 2 hours - Half an hour of that was the girl checking with her boss whether they could accept my copy bank statements on HSBC paper (which had been fine at our fiancee visa stage) - she asked me to go back into central Belfast and get a signed letter from the bank! But in the end she spoke to her boss and common sense prevailed (is this a verified first for UKBA?).

Just need the biometrics card to arrive now. As an aside we had a lovely time in the Crown pub in Belfast after we were done (nearly missed flight back!)

And now to go after UKBA for recovery of my additional costs.....