Tier 2 General - Lost Return Envelope!

[jetmistry]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience. This is the third time in 5 years I've applied for a UK visa from New Zealand so I'm pretty familiar with the whole process, but this is the first time I've been contacted by the Manila processing hub saying they don't have my return courier envelope!

Country of Application: New Zealand
Visa Application: Tier 2 General & Dependent (sent together)

Timeline:
30 July 2015 - Applications delivered to UKVI Auckland's Private Bag address
14 August 2015 - Email received from MANILVisaInfo@fco.gov.uk with the standard wording:

"A decision has been made on your application and your documents are being returned to the Visa Application Centre (VAC). You will be contacted again by the VAC once these documents have been received and they are ready for you to collect. If you have chosen to have your documents couriered to you, these will be despatched by the VAC once they have been received."

17 August 2015 - Another email received from MANILVisaInfo@fco.gov.uk for both applications stating the following:

We write to you in relation to the email you received from the UKVI-Manila Visa Hub on 14 August 2015 advising you that your documents have been despatched.
Kindly disregard the said email as we are unable to despatch your passport to the courier since you have not provided a self-addressed prepaid courier envelope (of the appropriate size) for us to send your documents back to you.
Please provide a self addressed prepaid courier envelope (of the appropriate size) for us to send your passport and any original documents back to you once a decision is made on your visa application. We recommend that you use a trackable service, but regret that we cannot accept Registered Post envelopes.


We definitely included a return courier bag with our application as we have the labels to prove it. It was exactly the same size as the one the applications were sent - so i'm interpreting the above as Manila's excuse for losing them.

18 August 2015 - New Return Envelope delivered to UKVI Auckland's Private Bag address

Its now August 21st and I'm yet to hear any word from Manila if our passports are on their way back.

Any one else been in this situation? if so are you able to tell me how much of a delay you experienced. I'm pretty mad that they lost my return envelope in the first place.

[jetmistry]

Update to this for anyone that is interested:

21 August 2015 - Received the following email from MANILVisaInfo@fco.gov.uk:

Please be advised that we have now received the courier envelope you have sent. Your passport and documents have been despatched from the UK Visas and Immigration, British Embassy in Manila on 21 AUGUST 2015. We advise all applicants in New Zealand to allow at least 3-5 days before tracking their documents via the Local Post

So our passports are on our way back in the second return courier envelope - however still no clues as what the outcome of the applications are.

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience. This is the third time in 5 years I've applied for a UK visa from New Zealand so I'm pretty familiar with the whole process, but this is the first time I've been contacted by the Manila processing hub saying they don't have my return courier envelope!

Country of Application: New Zealand
Visa Application: Tier 2 General & Dependent (sent together)

Timeline:
30 July 2015 - Applications delivered to UKVI Auckland's Private Bag address
14 August 2015 - Email received from MANILVisaInfo@fco.gov.uk with the standard wording:

"A decision has been made on your application and your documents are being returned to the Visa Application Centre (VAC). You will be contacted again by the VAC once these documents have been received and they are ready for you to collect. If you have chosen to have your documents couriered to you, these will be despatched by the VAC once they have been received."

17 August 2015 - Another email received from MANILVisaInfo@fco.gov.uk for both applications stating the following:

We write to you in relation to the email you received from the UKVI-Manila Visa Hub on 14 August 2015 advising you that your documents have been despatched.
Kindly disregard the said email as we are unable to despatch your passport to the courier since you have not provided a self-addressed prepaid courier envelope (of the appropriate size) for us to send your documents back to you.
Please provide a self addressed prepaid courier envelope (of the appropriate size) for us to send your passport and any original documents back to you once a decision is made on your visa application. We recommend that you use a trackable service, but regret that we cannot accept Registered Post envelopes.


We definitely included a return courier bag with our application as we have the labels to prove it. It was exactly the same size as the one the applications were sent - so i'm interpreting the above as Manila's excuse for losing them.

18 August 2015 - New Return Envelope delivered to UKVI Auckland's Private Bag address

Its now August 21st and I'm yet to hear any word from Manila if our passports are on their way back.

Any one else been in this situation? if so are you able to tell me how much of a delay you experienced. I'm pretty mad that they lost my return envelope in the first place.