Application Fee declined by Bank - What now???

[Travelbug]

1) FLIR (BID) Application sent 23/01/2012 by Special Delivery
2) Attempted charge of £550 by the Home Office 25/01/2012 - rejected by
the Bank due to them freezing my credit card account.
3) Old visa expired 26/01/2012

I have had no communication from the Home Office thus far.
I have tried calling 0870 606 7766 and couldn't get through to anyone.
I only discovered the bounced payment by speaking with my bank. According to the bank my account was unfrozen on 27/01/2012.

What are my options? Will the home office make another attempt to bill me or will they send my application straight back? Will they give me the option of reapplying from here or will I have to leave the country? I'm from Australia and live in London.

Worried sick...

[derlin]

1) FLIR (BID) Application sent 23/01/2012 by Special Delivery
2) Attempted charge of £550 by the Home Office 25/01/2012 - rejected by
the Bank due to them freezing my credit card account.
3) Old visa expired 26/01/2012

I have had no communication from the Home Office thus far.
I have tried calling 0870 606 7766 and couldn't get through to anyone.
I only discovered the bounced payment by speaking with my bank. According to the bank my account was unfrozen on 27/01/2012.

What are my options? Will the home office make another attempt to bill me or will they send my application straight back? Will they give me the option of reapplying from here or will I have to leave the country? I'm from Australia and live in London.

Worried sick...

It is likely UKBA will return your application to you, stating we cannot process your application because application fee was not received. That's the standard procedure nowadays. Before 2008 or 2010, UKBA tended to write back and in some cases phone the applicant asking for payment while still keeping the application.

Yes! They will send the application back to you. And, no they won't ask you to leave the country though they expect non-holders of valid residence visa to leave the country. So file your application back immediately you receive it. Ensure, you accompany it with the appropriate application fee.

[Travelbug]

And, no they won't ask you to leave the country though they expect non-holders of valid residence visa to leave the country.

Hi, thanks for the reply. As I stated my visa expired last week and thus no longer valid. So I'm confused by your comment above. Will I have to leave the country or be given some kind of extension period to reapply?

[Greenie]

what was your immigration status before you applied?

[Travelbug]

I was on a UK Ancestry visa. I first arrived in March 2007 and lived here for 3.5 years, went away for 1 year, then came back in October 2011.