Vaf5 family permit?

[chtahir]

Sorry just noticed the link above for complaints,
which option do I choose(website is not as easy to navigate).

does anyone have the email address I can send my complain to?
and What exactly should I /should I not say ?
as you can imagine I don't want it to have a negative affect on the application.

Thanks for your help guys, its v much appreciated.

[Jambo]

does anyone have the email address I can send my complain to?
and What exactly should I /should I not say ?
as you can imagine I don't want it to have a negative affect on the application.

See Complaints in Pakistan for contact details.

Write that you made an application under Regulation 12 of The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 - "Issue of EEA Family Permit" and such application should be dealt with priority.

You can also point them to their own guidance which states:

Priority must be given to applications for EEA family permits. Wherever possible a decision should be made at the time it is lodged or after an interview is conducted.

Complaining should not affect your application.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Btw yes and we did provide them with the TB certf. we where asked by Gerrys when submitting the application

What exactly were you asked for by Gerrys?

Is anything in writing?

Did you have to pay for it?

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

does anyone have the email address I can send my complain to?
and What exactly should I /should I not say ?
as you can imagine I don't want it to have a negative affect on the application.

See Complaints in Pakistan for contact details.

Write that you made an application under Regulation 12 of The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006 - "Issue of EEA Family Permit" and such application should be dealt with priority.

You can also point them to their own guidance which states:

Priority must be given to applications for EEA family permits. Wherever possible a decision should be made at the time it is lodged or after an interview is conducted.

Complaining should not affect your application.

I would concur that making a complaint should not affect your application. You are entitled to a free, facilitated visa issued under an accelerated procedure. Don't be afraid to complain.

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Btw yes and we did provide them with the TB certf. we where asked by Gerrys when submitting the application

This requirement would not appear to be compliant with EU (or for that matter UK regulations). EU commission advice is clear that this cannot be asked for. Thank you for bringing this issue up.

[chtahir]

Btw yes and we did provide them with the TB certf. we where asked by Gerrys when submitting the application

What exactly were you asked for by Gerrys?

Is anything in writing?

Did you have to pay for it?

Sorry for late reply, didnt have access to internet last few days.
We didnt have to pay for anything.
We where asked to hand in all the required docs for VAF5 + TB Certificate
I have a few emails which i received from Gerrys related to the application processing times.

This is what I received today:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Dear *****,

Thank you for your email. It is for your kind understanding that we at Gerry’s have no control over an application process time and duration. We will only be able to arrange collection once we are in possession of processed passport.EEA family permit application’s generally minimum process time is also 12 weeks and UKBA defines 1 week as 05 working days.


We appreciate all your understanding and trust.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

[chtahir]

I have just been in touch with my line manager at work (the person who's details we put down on the application form as point of contact) and he has told me that no one from the border agency has even tried to contact him yet!

this is very strange..

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

I have just been in touch with my line manager at work (the person who's details we put down on the application form as point of contact) and he has told me that no one from the border agency has even tried to contact him yet!

Why would they contact him?

[chtahir]

I have just been in touch with my line manager at work (the person who's details we put down on the application form as point of contact) and he has told me that no one from the border agency has even tried to contact him yet!

Why would they contact him?

Not sure but I thought they would verify my employment status with my employer.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Not sure but I thought they would verify my employment status with my employer.

To be honest with you, whether you are working or not has ZERO impact on a decision. They should not even be asking the question. And they will be really wasting their time if they call your employer for any reason.

[chtahir]

To be honest with you, whether you are working or not has ZERO impact on a decision. They should not even be asking the question. And they will be really wasting their time if they call your employer for any reason.

Oh oki,
I cant think of any other reason on why they are taking so long then.
I send an email to the British High Commission asking about the process details last week I only provided them with the reference number of the application, got reply within a day asking for more details such as the name and paspoort number etc..

Send the details back and not heard anything since then..
Also send an email to the email address provided by UKBA for complaints, no reply from them either.

mind s just completely blank now not sure what these guys are doing..

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

The timelines are outside what the UK publishes for visa applications.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/count ... %20English

If we have taken more than 3 weeks (for non-settlement visas) or 3 months (for settlement visas) to process your application, and we have not published a news story to explain the delay, you can email the Gerry's, who will forward your email to us for reply.

The settlement bit is not relevant. Delays of more than three weeks are considered to be unreasonable (EU commission guidance to member states).

You will note that the UK are capable of issuing visas within two days in Pakistan. If they can do that for others, they can do much better than the months you've had to wait.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/count ... ableAnchor

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

We didnt have to pay for anything.
We where asked to hand in all the required docs for VAF5 + TB Certificate

Does this statement include the TB test or did you have to pay a doctor for that?

[chtahir]

We didnt have to pay for anything.
We where asked to hand in all the required docs for VAF5 + TB Certificate

Does this statement include the TB test or did you have to pay a doctor for that?

We had to pay the doctor for the TB test

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Were you specifically chosen by a UKBA employee to get the TB test because, for instance, you look ill or you were coughing a lot?

Or is everyone who applies required to do the test?

How much did you have to pay for the test?

[chtahir]

Were you specifically chosen by a UKBA employee to get the TB test because, for instance, you look ill or you were coughing a lot?

Or is everyone who applies required to do the test?

How much did you have to pay for the test?

There was no specific reason,
the staff at Gerry's checks the documents before you can submit the application to ensure you have all the required docs.
and My wife was told by a member of staff at the entrance that she would require a TB test certificate else they wont submit the application.
I am not sure on exact cost of the test, I will get in touch with my wife and let you know in about an hours time

[chtahir]

Were you specifically chosen by a UKBA employee to get the TB test because, for instance, you look ill or you were coughing a lot?

Or is everyone who applies required to do the test?

How much did you have to pay for the test?

It cost her around 4500 PKR (around £4), so that not much
its just that she had to wait for hours in the queue at the test center and the test center is not really close to her house either so it was a whole stressful day for no reason

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

We didnt have to pay for anything.
We where asked to hand in all the required docs for VAF5 + TB Certificate

Does this statement include the TB test or did you have to pay a doctor for that?

We had to pay the doctor for the TB test

Irrespective of the actual cost, it should not be asked for.

This is the organisation that does the tests for UKBA.

http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/1524

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Note the advice people get when applying for family permit in another country (in this case Spain). Very different to what Gerry's are telling you.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... 9&start=40

[chtahir]

Note the advice people get when applying for family permit in another country (in this case Spain). Very different to what Gerry's are telling you.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... 9&start=40

It seems like every country has their own rules and processing times,
in some places people are getting Family Permits granted within days and others in weeks just wondering why in Pakistan they are taking months, its just a joke. I have written about 4 emails to the email address mentioned on UKBA website for complaints and not even received one single reply.
its like a dead end..not sure what else I can do now.

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

If you just make a general complaint, I suspect they will ignore you. If you quote the law, then they may take you more seriously.

[EUsmileWEallsmile]

Note the advice people get when applying for family permit in another country (in this case Spain). Very different to what Gerry's are telling you.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... 9&start=40

It seems like every country has their own rules and processing times,
in some places people are getting Family Permits granted within days and others in weeks just wondering why in Pakistan they are taking months, its just a joke. I have written about 4 emails to the email address mentioned on UKBA website for complaints and not even received one single reply.
its like a dead end..not sure what else I can do now.

The rules are identical no matter where one applies. Whether the rules are being applied properly everywhere is another matter.

Gerry's email timescales are relevant to settlement visas issued under the immigration rules (12 weeks). Yours does not come under that category. They are quite simply incorrect in their emailed response.

The law says that a visa must be "An EEA family permit issued under this regulation shall be issued free of charge and as soon as possible" regulations 12. You will note from the links I shared with you that they are capable of issuing visas more quickly than the timescales you have waited.

Now this doesn't help you very much in terms of hurrying things up. The only advice I can give you is not to take no for an answer and quote the law back to them.

[chtahir]

If you just make a general complaint, I suspect they will ignore you. If you quote the law, then they may take you more seriously.

The rules are identical no matter where one applies. Whether the rules are being applied properly everywhere is another matter.

Gerry's email timescales are relevant to settlement visas issued under the immigration rules (12 weeks). Yours does not come under that category. They are quite simply incorrect in their emailed response.

The law says that a visa must be "An EEA family permit issued under this regulation shall be issued free of charge and as soon as possible" regulations 12. You will note from the links I shared with you that they are capable of issuing visas more quickly than the timescales you have waited.

Now this doesn't help you very much in terms of hurrying things up. The only advice I can give you is not to take no for an answer and quote the law back to them.

Yup, I was thinking the same I quoted the law as you guys provided on this website and tried to email them everyday as they did not reply.

finally got a reply today stating that they cant provide me with any information as I am the 'Sponsor' and not the applicant so by UK privacy laws they are not allowed to provide me with any details .

I have forwarded the same email to my wife and she will now send it to them using her email account..

[Directive/2004/38/EC]

Yup, I was thinking the same I quoted the law as you guys provided on this website and tried to email them everyday as they did not reply.

finally got a reply today stating that they cant provide me with any information as I am the 'Sponsor' and not the applicant so by UK privacy laws they are not allowed to provide me with any details :(.

I have forwarded the same email to my wife and she will now send it to them using her email account..

I get annoyed at these people. So I would probably do the following.

I would write back to them.

Explain to them that you are not interested in getting any information about your wife's application. But you insist that they process it quickly, as they are legally required to do.

Point out that you are an EU citizen and that their failure to process your wife's EEA FP is drastically restricting YOUR ability to exercise you right of free movement.

UKBA has not, as they are legally required to do, processed her visa "as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated process". UKBA is required, legally, to give her "every facility". UKBA also have guidelines that EEA FP should be issued, unless there is a good reason to delay, on the day of application.

And ALSO have you wife send them a pointed email!

[chtahir]

Yup, I was thinking the same I quoted the law as you guys provided on this website and tried to email them everyday as they did not reply.

finally got a reply today stating that they cant provide me with any information as I am the 'Sponsor' and not the applicant so by UK privacy laws they are not allowed to provide me with any details .

I have forwarded the same email to my wife and she will now send it to them using her email account..

I get annoyed at these people. So I would probably do the following.

I would write back to them.

Explain to them that you are not interested in getting any information about your wife's application. But you insist that they process it quickly, as they are legally required to do.

Point out that you are an EU citizen and that their failure to process your wife's EEA FP is drastically restricting YOUR ability to exercise you right of free movement.

UKBA has not, as they are legally required to do, processed her visa "as soon as possible and on the basis of an accelerated process". UKBA is required, legally, to give her "every facility". UKBA also have guidelines that EEA FP should be issued, unless there is a good reason to delay, on the day of application.

And ALSO have you wife send them a pointed email!

Yup very very annoying indeed...
My wife has send an email to them pointing the law and asking them politely to hurry up with the process, not sure if it will have an impact as these people are very stubborn and inconsiderate of others feelings and rights. I guess I will wait till end of next week and then maybe get a lawyer involved to take some legal actions..