Just arrived on a settlement/marriage Visa, what to do next?

[nongbkk]

Hi Guys,

New member here.

Been back in the UK for some 3 weeks now on a Marriage/ settlement visa( valid for 6months) with my future wife.

We have made our Civil marriage appointment which is scheduled to take place at our local council offices on the 27th of august, now i was wondering what is the best way to proceed with our extension of stay application, and i have a few question that i was hoping you guys would help in answering.

1. Is the correct form to use - FLR(M)
2. I assume that i can only apply for the extension after i am married? ( in 2 weeks) is this assumption correct?
3. Through experience's, what is the normal waiting period if i POST by mail my application for extension ?
4. If i decide to book an application for the premium service what, should i book now, is there a long wait for a booking?
5. regarding the PEO's, is the one in Croydon the only one offering the say day service?

As i live in Belfast, they do not currently offer the premium service, this will be up and running by end of September from what i was told.

I would greatly appreciate any reply's and guidance with this matter.

Thank you

[ElenaW]

1.yes
2. yes
3. 14 weeks
5. No

If you don't need your passport right away for travel then I would suggest sending it in via post as you will save a good £200 quid or so.

[geriatrix]

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Check with UKBA.
4. In-person appointments are not easy to get hold off, so start trying to get one ASAP.
5. AFAIK, all PEOs except Cardiff offer same day service. This said, for FLR(M) you cannot expect a same day service as you will be issued a ICFN (Identity Card for Foreign Nationals) instead of a vignette (visa sticker) in the the passport. So on the day of in-person appointment, your documents will be checked and biometrics will be collected, and upon approval of application the ICFN posted to you in due course. In other words, ICFN isn't issued on the same day!

See Applying as a husband, wife or civil partner from inside the UK


regards

[nongbkk]

1. Yes.
2. Yes.
3. Check with UKBA.
4. In-person appointments are not easy to get hold off, so start trying to get one ASAP.
5. AFAIK, all PEOs except Cardiff offer same day service. This said, for FLR(M) you cannot expect a same day service as you will be issued a ICFN (Identity Card for Foreign Nationals) instead of a vignette (visa sticker) in the the passport. So on the day of in-person appointment, your documents will be checked and biometrics will be collected, and upon approval of application the ICFN posted to you in due course. In other words, ICFN isn't issued on the same day!

See Applying as a husband, wife or civil partner from inside the UK


regards

Thanks guys for answering my questions.

Let me understand this to see if i have the correctly.

If we decide to go the premium service route, will my wife get her extended visa on the day as she has to be issued an ID card? If this is the case, when would she get her visa using the premium route? I was hoping this would be on the day of application hence paying the extra 200 odd quid ?

When we applied for your settlement visa(marriage) from the british embassey in Phnom Penh,Cambodia, finger prints were taken for my wife on 2 separate occasions firsrly for our 6 months tourist visa and then second time was when we lodged our settlement visa application which gets processed in Bangkok. Now as we have already had the finger prints taken, will there not be a record on the UK border data base?

I suppose what i am getting at is, is it worth while to pay the premium service if i am not going to get her extension on the day? The reason for asking is i want for her to be able to look for work, as this will help in her settling, making new friends and having a social network, hence the less chance of her being home sick and missing her family. the sooner she can legally work the better, as this will help her greatly in settling in the UK.

Thanks in advance guys

[ElenaW]

She will technically "get" her visa on the day of the appointment but she will get her biometric id card in the post later on. So basically, you will know if she's approved or not on the day and that's why people pay more money for the premium service.

Fingerprints need to be taken each time as that's how they verify that it's you applying in the first place.

[geriatrix]

If the caseworker is satisfied with the evidence(s) submitted and decides to approve the application without need for further verification, then the same will be informed to you (approval of application). This said, I am not sure if any document (letter) is handed over to the applicant on that day itself that states the same (approval of application / grant of visa).

The ICFN is then posted in due course (within 3-5 working days, as per UKBA website).


regards

[nongbkk]

Can anyone who has used the booking service for premium service advise how far in advance i have to make an appointment?

I have just registered with the site, but when i try to book at any location, 2 weeks from today at all locations, it says no appointments are available and to try again later... if this normal? How does online booking system work if i cannot make appointments? Is there a "secret' in using site I.E when is a good time to log and book in etc..?

Cheers

[ElenaW]

Can anyone who has used the booking service for premium service advise how far in advance i have to make an appointment?

I have just registered with the site, but when i try to book at any location, 2 weeks from today at all locations, it says no appointments are available and to try again later... if this normal? How does online booking system work if i cannot make appointments? Is there a "secret' in using site I.E when is a good time to log and book in etc..?

Cheers

Yes that's normal. Keep trying at different times.

[geriatrix]

See also UKBA online appointment booking system


regards

[nongbkk]

See also UKBA online appointment booking system


regards

Sushdmehta and ElenaW

I have made an online booking today, but the earliest one i can get is on the 20th of september, is this normal to wait this long? as this over a month are they that busy ?

Cheers

N

[geriatrix]

Isn't the absence of available slots until 20-Sep a proof enough?


regards

[ElenaW]

See also UKBA online appointment booking system


regards

Sushdmehta and ElenaW

I have made an online booking today, but the earliest one i can get is on the 20th of september, is this normal to wait this long? as this over a month are they that busy ?

Cheers

N

Yes very busy!

[nongbkk]

Isn't the absence of available slots until 20-Sep a proof enough?


regards

err... actually no, cause at 4 different times during the day i tried to make appointments and there was none available anywhere !! so there goes your theory...

I was asking the question as i did not know how they allocated the booking times, i was kinda thinking that maybe they released times and dates at different times that's all..

Cheers

[nongbkk]

See also UKBA online appointment booking system


regards

Sushdmehta and ElenaW

I have made an online booking today, but the earliest one i can get is on the 20th of september, is this normal to wait this long? as this over a month are they that busy ?

Cheers

N

Yes very busy!

Elenaw and Sushdmehta currently i have about 4k in my saving's account, i have a house for sale in Australia that should net me a tidy sum after paying of the mortgage associated with it, i am not claiming any benefits at all, i am currently not working ( by choice ) due to the wedding and making sure my wife's settles and gets her visa extension approval, i do not pay any rent as we are back "home" with my parents, Will it affect our application if i am not currently working?

I want to get her visa approved firstly as it will be much easier for me to find work than her, hence getting her visa which allows her to work. Can you please advise to the best of your knowledge and from previous experience if you think that i will be OK financially before i apply?

Thanks in Advance

[geriatrix]

Isn't the absence of available slots until 20-Sep a proof enough?


regards

err... actually no, cause at 4 different times during the day i tried to make appointments and there was none available anywhere !! so there goes your theory...

You missed the point and my theory!

Absence of slots .. proof enough ... that slots aren't easy to find! People around the UK keep logged on for hours clicking on the mouse to grab any slot that might appear as a result of either new appointment days being fed into the system or due to cancellations. Some get lucky and find a slot in one go and some spend days logged on without luck.

Glad to know that you were amongst the lucky ones.


regards

[ElenaW]

Elenaw and Sushdmehta currently i have about 4k in my saving's account, i have a house for sale in Australia that should net me a tidy sum after paying of the mortgage associated with it, i am not claiming any benefits at all, i am currently not working ( by choice ) due to the wedding and making sure my wife's settles and gets her visa extension approval, i do not pay any rent as we are back "home" with my parents, Will it affect our application if i am not currently working?

I want to get her visa approved firstly as it will be much easier for me to find work than her, hence getting her visa which allows her to work. Can you please advise to the best of your knowledge and from previous experience if you think that i will be OK financially before i apply?

Thanks in Advance

Please do start another thread so that more people can help you.

Is 4k all you have? It's not enough w/o also working in my oppinion. The house in australia needs to be sold and the money needs to be in your checking/savings account for it to count as part of the maintenace requirements.

[lkpone]

This said, I am not sure if any document (letter) is handed over to the applicant on that day itself that states the same (approval of application / grant of visa).

The ICFN is then posted in due course (within 3-5 working days, as per UKBA website).


regards

This is all correct and yes, you do get a letter on the day It is your proof, until the ICFN card arrives, that you have permission to stay in the UK. I have to admit, I had to read it VERY carefully to be sure that it was actually an approval letter, because it's definitely not explicit, but you will be handed an unstamped passport and a letter back if you are successful.

[nongbkk]

This said, I am not sure if any document (letter) is handed over to the applicant on that day itself that states the same (approval of application / grant of visa).

The ICFN is then posted in due course (within 3-5 working days, as per UKBA website).


regards

This is all correct and yes, you do get a letter on the day It is your proof, until the ICFN card arrives, that you have permission to stay in the UK. I have to admit, I had to read it VERY carefully to be sure that it was actually an approval letter, because it's definitely not explicit, but you will be handed an unstamped passport and a letter back if you are successful.

Great, Thanks for the update.