REFUND OF IHS payment

[John Green]

My wife from Moldova received the spouse visa a week ago. However, because her personal circumstances changed, she is now not going to use the visa.

I assume I don't (as the person paying) get a refund of the cost of the visa.

But the IHS - she never used the NHS, clearly. How do I get a refund of the IHS?

[CR001]

You don't get a refund of either the application fee or IHS fee as the visa has been issued.

She does realise she would have to enter the UK within 30 days as that is the validity in her passport?

[John Green]

Her personal situation has dramatically changed since the visa was issued. I am not a happy man at all about this (my many posts being made precisely to get her this visa), but there is now no chance she will use the visa before 14 November, when it was issued to. Or probably within any extension period.

[CR001]

When would she be in a position to travel?

[John Green]

The problem is that I think she wants to remain in Moldova. I don't want to explain the reasons, though you might guess a few possible ones. There is a huge split because of all this, and frankly I feel like I have wasted the time of a lot of people.

[CR001]

If the marriage has 'broken down' for example, you have an obligation to inform HO, particularly as a visa has been issued already. Link to form below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... nsent-form

[Casa]

You haven't wasted our time. No all visa applications result in a happy conclusion.

[John Green]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the support. We have chatted, my wife and I, since this and we have now agreed that she should make the effort to live here in the UK with me as her husband. So there is no estrangement. Like many new immigrants, she was (and to a degree still is) somewhat concerned about what future awaits her in a new country, but she is now willing to give it a go.

A quick query. She has to get the Biometric Residence Permit at my local post office within 10 days of her arrival. Now according to the post office video on the process, she needs to supply a letter that she received from the UKVI (the UKVI 11 letter). Plus her passport with the visa and vignette on it.

However, the video also claims that she needs to bring with her to the post office "a personal barcode letter" that was supplied by UKVI. What exactly is this please?

This is the post office video:

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/foreign-nat ... nce-permit

[Casa]

Isn't there a barcode on the UKVI 11 letter?

Are you aware that your wife MUST enter the UK within 30 days of the visa being granted

[John Green]

Yes to the 30 days (I've been on this forum long enough to know that one (LOL))

But no there is no barcode on the letter, which is the issue. And the UKVI 11 letter only says she needs to bring that letter with her and her passport with the spouse visa and the vignette. They (unlike the post office) make no mention of this other requirement.

[CR001]

The barcoded letter is likely the biometric enrollment letter for applications made WITHIN the UK.

She only needs the letter you mention and her passport.

[John Green]

You're right. I just phoned the post office. If she had her biometric information taken in Moldova, which I believe she had to consent to in order to get the spousal visa, this will not apply. Pity the post office video overlooked this.