Sheffield Visa Section - EEA FAMILY PERMIT

[suzannecosmos]

Hi All, My partner has applied (Singapore passport) as an Unmarried partner to me, Irish passport to be with me in Jersey, CI. He has a job plus contract for his new job in Jersey already. We have been together for over 3.5 years and had a joint account whilst living together in Singapore for 2.5 years. His application has been with them now for 36 working days. Please can you help in advising how long is the max it can take ? Can you contact anybody / body to find out the status ? We are hopelessly lost of what to do Please any guidance would be wonderful. P.S. I am now in Jersey working since June and my partner is in Singapore still waiting. This is just so awful

[Bollox]

Hi Sid, byronwilliam & Irfan did you all hear anything from HO.

Hi Ajmal did you receive your passport??

What's the result ??

Regards,
Oshin

Hello Oshin

not yet. I am sitting on 87 working days (90 days for Mumbai) so waiting to finish 90 days then i will contact them by email.

good luck to all

Irfan

[KID1413]

I have checked the status and it says
Application status updated on 03 August 2017.

But hasn't got any call form visa office to collect passport
Hope get the passport soon with positive decision
Will let you know...

Where did you check the status update? This link https://contact-ukvi.homeoffice.gov.uk/ ... visastatus doesn't seem to work for me.

[KID1413]

Hello everyone,

Just giving an update. I applied for a EEA FP on July 5th. Finally today I received my passport back with the FP. My husband called from the UK and had my case escalated. I also emailed and asked for escalation. It seems to work (maybe coincidence?) since 2 days after I received my decision and my passport was ready on the same day. So to everyone who are waiting. Hang in there! Good luck!

Congrats!

We applied on June 23rd, Sheffield received it on July 6th and we just escalated our case on August 7th as it exceeded the 15 working days. On July 11th we received the email saying that our application wasn't straightforward.

[Merzit]

Hello
Guys the maximum are 120 working days.. not 15,60 or 90. 120 are. So don't be stress because we are alot of people applying for Visa in UK and the Government of England is very very quiet now, with brexit in the hands just they writing more days, they for try get more time...

[diwakar85]

I have checked the status and it says
Application status updated on 03 August 2017.

But hasn't got any call form visa office to collect passport
Hope get the passport soon with positive decision
Will let you know...

Where did you check the status update? This link https://contact-ukvi.homeoffice.gov.uk/ ... visastatus doesn't seem to work for me.

Yes it does say "decided" for my ref no
Before it used to say not recognised

[Do123]

Hi

HO office is doing this on purpose cuz of the brexit ! in straight forward cases they are refusing the visas !

In my case 60 working days have just passed. What ref number can you use to check the status ?

I have only GWF and VAF numbers ?

Thanks

[faisal3100]

Hello everyone,

I have one question. Does VFS global also take original documents with your EEA application?

Actually, last time when my wife submitted her EEA family permit application in VFS Lahore, Pakistan. They did not take the original document including "Nikah nama" (marriage certificate). She was told it is not required but when she got the refusal letter it was mentioned that she did not submit the original Nikah nama (Marriage certificate).

If they take the original documents then what should I do in this scenario and will they return the original documents with passport or before that?

Your answer/ suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thank you!

Note: I am not resided in UK or have worked in UK. We are applying from abroad.

-Faisal

Hi Faisal,

Usually your wife has to provide all the original documents and then everything is scanned and sent to the UK. However if they do take any documents they should be returned with the passport.

It's always good to make a list of the documents that you have submitted so that they can cross check what you say you have submitted and what the Visa Application Centre has sent them. When I applied for the first time I found some inconsistencies. The centre took 2 photos and kept them and said to my husband that the remaining will be scanned. From the rejection letter it seemed like only two photos were received. So it's all a bit weird especially with India where they are not very process based and tend to do things in their own way. Not sure how things are in Pakistan.

It's unlikely that they would keep the original Nikah Namah because it's a very important document and may easily be misplaced. Everything should just be scanned.

Also take your refusal letter to the centre and show them that the Nikah Nama is required indeed and that they are obliged to scan all the documents you want to send through to support your application!! With my husband it was the same thing - they kept saying this is not required, that is not required! But you are allowed to submit as much evidence of your relationship as you deem necessary!

All the best

Hi Zuly

Thank you for the detailed answer.

Do they scan your documents in front of you? Here in Pakistan, they did not scan the documents. At least, not in-front of my wife.

That is why I am wondering, previously in Vfs Lahore they did not take the original Nikah Nama and my wife Visa was refused.

This time I am going to give them a lot of proofs, original Nikah Nama, original Computerised marriage registration certificate, original Apostille From Finland etc.... God forbid, if they lose these original documents then It is going to be very difficult to get issued the new ones.

In our previous application, they did not give any receiving/invoice of our documents. So, I am wondering do they give any receiving/invoice of documents which states that what documents you have submitted with our application?

Everyone is welcome to share their experience in this regard. Thank you!

-Faisal

Hi Faisal,

Really sorry for the late reply!

In India they did scan it in front of my husband.

Yes send everything you have - hopefully they will not keep any originals and if they do make sure you get them to have it in writing what they have taken from you.

All the best,

Hi,

They did not take the originals documents but they scanned from the photocopies. My wife insisted VFS, Lahore representative to at least scan the originals documents but she refused and said: " we scan only from the copies and our machine also cannot scan from the original" On top of that She asked my wife to get the photocopies of our (original colour) pictures and then she scanned from the black and white photocopy.

I am baffled and surprised. And by the way, I am curious too, how would I look like in the scanned copy of my picture taken from black and white photocopy

After replying her EEA family permit application. I also appealed the previous decision in tribunal court.

Let's see how it goes this time.

All the best everyone!

[Esperan24]

Dear Faisal,

Have u applied again, if u did than good luck,
Just for a small clarification when my documents were scanned they took all originals, even the colored photos were scanned ,only thing is greeting cards were not scanned they told to get xerox.

I am waiting for mine hope to get some positive reply.


Hi Faisal,

Usually your wife has to provide all the original documents and then everything is scanned and sent to the UK. However if they do take any documents they should be returned with the passport.

It's always good to make a list of the documents that you have submitted so that they can cross check what you say you have submitted and what the Visa Application Centre has sent them. When I applied for the first time I found some inconsistencies. The centre took 2 photos and kept them and said to my husband that the remaining will be scanned. From the rejection letter it seemed like only two photos were received. So it's all a bit weird especially with India where they are not very process based and tend to do things in their own way. Not sure how things are in Pakistan.

It's unlikely that they would keep the original Nikah Namah because it's a very important document and may easily be misplaced. Everything should just be scanned.

Also take your refusal letter to the centre and show them that the Nikah Nama is required indeed and that they are obliged to scan all the documents you want to send through to support your application!! With my husband it was the same thing - they kept saying this is not required, that is not required! But you are allowed to submit as much evidence of your relationship as you deem necessary!

All the best[/quote]

Hi Zuly

Thank you for the detailed answer.

Do they scan your documents in front of you? Here in Pakistan, they did not scan the documents. At least, not in-front of my wife.

That is why I am wondering, previously in Vfs Lahore they did not take the original Nikah Nama and my wife Visa was refused.

This time I am going to give them a lot of proofs, original Nikah Nama, original Computerised marriage registration certificate, original Apostille From Finland etc.... God forbid, if they lose these original documents then It is going to be very difficult to get issued the new ones.

In our previous application, they did not give any receiving/invoice of our documents.

-Faisal[/quote]


Hi Faisal,

Really sorry for the late reply!

In India they did scan it in front of my husband.

Yes send everything you have - hopefully they will not keep any originals and if they do make sure you get them to have it in writing what they have taken from you.

All the best,[/quote]

Hi,

They did not take the originals documents but they scanned from the photocopies. My wife insisted VFS, Lahore representative to at least scan the originals documents but she refused and said: " we scan only from the copies and our machine also cannot scan from the original" On top of that She asked my wife to get the photocopies of our (original colour) pictures and then she scanned from the black and white photocopy.

[KID1413]

For those of you who either called or emailed them to escalate your case after the 15 working days were over... did they send you any confirmation email? I did not get but I had the reference number for the call and the name of the person I talked to. On August 16th it will make it 30 working days since the day they received our application.

BTW, I find it funny that most people are attaching cover letters, pictures, chat logs of their wedding, relationships, train and air tickets when none of this information is actually asked in the application form. If it were that important, wouldn't they make it "official" and mandatory?

I did not include any of this because I do not believe our marriage was of convenience (we did not marry months prior to applying for the EEA FP but years before it) we lived in the UK legally on our (she had the YMS Tier 5 visa) and went back to their home country for a year just to return.

[faisal3100]

For those of you who either called or emailed them to escalate your case after the 15 working days were over... did they send you any confirmation email? I did not get but I had the reference number for the call and the name of the person I talked to. On August 16th it will make it 30 working days since the day they received our application.

BTW, I find it funny that most people are attaching cover letters, pictures, chat logs of their wedding, relationships, train and air tickets when none of this information is actually asked in the application form. If it were that important, wouldn't they make it "official" and mandatory?

I did not include any of this because I do not believe our marriage was of convenience (we did not marry months prior to applying for the EEA FP but years before it) we lived in the UK legally on our (she had the YMS Tier 5 visa) and went back to their home country for a year just to return.

None of us has a marriage of convenience. When my wife applied the first time, I also thought providing a marriage certificate is enough but her EEA family permit get refused.

Here is the extract from here refusal letter.

"You have not presented an original and translation of our marriage in the form of your Nikkah Nama. I also note that you have provided no other evidence of your marriage in the form of photographs or other documentation associated with the marriage ceremony and celebration. I note that you have resided together in Pakistan since the marriage but have presented no evidence of such co-habitation."

Best of luck!

[KID1413]

For those of you who either called or emailed them to escalate your case after the 15 working days were over... did they send you any confirmation email? I did not get but I had the reference number for the call and the name of the person I talked to. On August 16th it will make it 30 working days since the day they received our application.

BTW, I find it funny that most people are attaching cover letters, pictures, chat logs of their wedding, relationships, train and air tickets when none of this information is actually asked in the application form. If it were that important, wouldn't they make it "official" and mandatory?

I did not include any of this because I do not believe our marriage was of convenience (we did not marry months prior to applying for the EEA FP but years before it) we lived in the UK legally on our (she had the YMS Tier 5 visa) and went back to their home country for a year just to return.

None of us has a marriage of convenience. When my wife applied the first time, I also thought providing a marriage certificate is enough but her EEA family permit get refused.

Here is the extract from here refusal letter.

"You have not presented an original and translation of our marriage in the form of your Nikkah Nama. I also note that you have provided no other evidence of your marriage in the form of photographs or other documentation associated with the marriage ceremony and celebration. I note that you have resided together in Pakistan since the marriage but have presented no evidence of such co-habitation."

Best of luck!

"You have not presented an original and translation of our marriage in the form of your Nikkah Nama". I think that was crucial, if you did not present the original document and a translation (you know how they are, they like things to be in English as much as possible,) that already was indicative of something "fishy." Our marriage was held in London, actually in one of their own town halls so all that information is easily to trackable. We supplied the certified official copy.

Back to your case if an official does not see the original nor the translated and you don't provide further info like hey, we actually did have a wedding, here are the photos and no further info about your co-habitation I would be a little bit skeptical and suspicious as well (no offense.)

You have to think about this from their side and think about what are the ways they could deny your visa.

Did you apply again? If so, did you include all these documents to dispel any stigma they may have held?

Wishing you the best on your application.

[faisal3100]

For those of you who either called or emailed them to escalate your case after the 15 working days were over... did they send you any confirmation email? I did not get but I had the reference number for the call and the name of the person I talked to. On August 16th it will make it 30 working days since the day they received our application.

BTW, I find it funny that most people are attaching cover letters, pictures, chat logs of their wedding, relationships, train and air tickets when none of this information is actually asked in the application form. If it were that important, wouldn't they make it "official" and mandatory?

I did not include any of this because I do not believe our marriage was of convenience (we did not marry months prior to applying for the EEA FP but years before it) we lived in the UK legally on our (she had the YMS Tier 5 visa) and went back to their home country for a year just to return.

None of us has a marriage of convenience. When my wife applied the first time, I also thought providing a marriage certificate is enough but her EEA family permit get refused.

Here is the extract from here refusal letter.

"You have not presented an original and translation of our marriage in the form of your Nikkah Nama. I also note that you have provided no other evidence of your marriage in the form of photographs or other documentation associated with the marriage ceremony and celebration. I note that you have resided together in Pakistan since the marriage but have presented no evidence of such co-habitation."

Best of luck!

"You have not presented an original and translation of our marriage in the form of your Nikkah Nama". I think that was crucial, if you did not present the original document and a translation (you know how they are, they like things to be in English as much as possible,) that already was indicative of something "fishy." Our marriage was held in London, actually in one of their own town halls so all that information is easily to trackable. We supplied the certified official copy.

Back to your case if an official does not see the original nor the translated and you don't provide further info like hey, we actually did have a wedding, here are the photos and no further info about your co-habitation I would be a little bit skeptical and suspicious as well (no offense.)

You have to think about this from their side and think about what are the ways they could deny your visa.

Did you apply again? If so, did you include all these documents to dispel any stigma they may have held?

Wishing you the best on your application.

Thank you so much!

I try to explain my case. We had attached original marriage registration certificate. It is an official document which get issued on the behalf of "Nikah Nama." It is totally traceable (computerized/database record). And in my case, my marriage registration certificate was also certified by "Ministry of foreign affairs" and also by Norwegian embassy.

You might don't know about "nikah nama". Nikah nama is a document which is signed by bride and groom at the day of wedding. Actually, we also showed the original English version of our Nikah nama but VFS, Lahore representative returned this document by stating you dont need this one. (When you have English version then translation is not required)

My wife was ok as we had already provided the original marriage registration certificate.

Anyway, My wife has applied again. Now marriage is also registered in Finland. we have attached the official document from Finland as well.
Attached our Joint bank account statement to prove both of us addresses (residing together).
photos including marriage celebration and over the period of six months where I resided in Pakistan with my wife.

We have reapplied and also appealed the previous decision.

[sidkapure]

Hello Everyone.

I am still waiting and sitting on 100'th day. What shall I do? I called the UKVI and they were least interested said they will escalate and yeah decision isn't made.

I've reached out to MP as well. But no luck yet.

Anyone waiting as much as I am?

Good Luck all.

Sid

[Bollox]

Hello Everyone.

I am still waiting and sitting on 100'th day. What shall I do? I called the UKVI and they were least interested said they will escalate and yeah decision isn't made.

I've reached out to MP as well. But no luck yet.

Anyone waiting as much as I am?

Good Luck all.

Sid

Hello Sid
Similar time line.
Emailed to UKVI last week and they have escalated. I have asked for the time frame after escalation but no reply. I have also wrote to MP and been told that her office has raised the issue and have to wait for 20 days otherwise I can contact her again.
I have also complained to SOLVIT and they said that UKVI is overworked and give them time till September otherwise they can contact them afterwards.
This whole UKVI SHEFFIELD move is a joke.
I think we all should hire one lawyer and take UKVI to the court.

[sidkapure]

Hi Bollox,

Yes you are right the move to Sheffield is a joke. I have been applying visa to Sheffield for last 10 years and they always take this much time. Not always overworked. They don't care about applications and this is truth.

Please tell me a little bit more about Solvit. How long until they replied to you. How did you approach them? Was it you or your partner who approached them because I am Non EEA and my partner is EEA national.

Thanks and Good Luck.

Sid.

[Bollox]

Hi Bollox,

Yes you are right the move to Sheffield is a joke. I have been applying visa to Sheffield for last 10 years and they always take this much time. Not always overworked. They don't care about applications and this is truth.

Please tell me a little bit more about Solvit. How long until they replied to you. How did you approach them? Was it you or your partner who approached them because I am Non EEA and my partner is EEA national.

Thanks and Good Luck.

Sid.

Hello Sid

It's better if your partner(European) approach them. They replied to me in 2 days time. They don't have much power but certainly they can raise the issue on your behalf.
It's online form on their website.

Irfan

[sidkapure]

Thanks Irfan, I will try that.

Good Luck to you.

Sid

[Enka2018]

Hello everyone.
Same here waiting from past 4 months almost 100 working days. Complained every possible authority but nothing worked.
Immigration doing this on purpose. Completely long delay and baseless refusal to EEA family member.

Don't know what to do with them...

[TP1982]

Hi all,
I am also in a similar position most of you, awaiting HO in Sheffield to respond.
- My wife applied from Albania (max processing time 30 days)on 09 June.
- non straightforward email received
- We escalated on 24 July.
- After 15 days (14 August) we called and the reply was: ' We don't know when HO will respond to you, the EEA family permit applications have been on hold for some time. Call again, maybe in 15 days'. ....Very vague response isn't it!!

Has anyone received a similar response?

Wish you best of luck
TP

[Do123]

Hi all

I am also one of the "lucky" ones. they refused my wife's FP within 14 days first time on very ridiculous things like missing whatsapp history for a very short period and couple of other very baseless arguments.

I have applied again and its over 3 months now without a reply from HO. seems like they are trying to delay or refuse that is their first priority when it comes to EEA FP right now.
Don't know what to do have also escalated, contacted the MP. no reply.

We should do something together. I mean UK is sill in EU at least till marts 2019 and rules haven't changed. Lots of cases are straight forward and should be given FP very fast.

[Bollox]

We should do something together. I mean UK is sill in EU at least till marts 2019 and rules haven't changed. Lots of cases are straight forward and should be given FP very fast.

Hello

Yes we should all get in touch with pro EU MPs and should also consider taking UKVI to the court. They are playing with our future and violating our right to family.
Please feel free to throw in your ideas. We need collective action.

[Mihai]

Hello, my wife also apply for EEA Family Permit on 24th of April from Manila Philippines and on 13th of May we got the "not been straightforward" mail. Waiting since then and no answer. Did not try to contact them since i saw on forum is a waste of time and money to do so. Reading for months the status of Sid and Bollox and i knew i was also one of the "lucky one" and knew what to expect.But now since i read that they wait over 90 days i start to consider cancelling application and reapply using priority service after reading on the website of the VFS Global , the company the uk uses for visa applications from Phillipines , here is the website : https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/philippines ... es.html#11. I'm just scared i'm going to wait over 100 days like you guys and this is so very sad

[Mihai]

Hi again, after i check my account where i make my application i notice that my status changed from Completed to In Active and none of the buttons are clickable like before. I did some research on many forums and i found this comment : "You should login into the visa4uk website where's you apply for the visa and at the bottom where it normally says completed if it says in active then I guess they've started on the case". It give me a bit of hope now, so i will wait a bit more. I also pay for mail to see what they will say about my visa, maybe i get some good news. I will tell you if something happens. Best of luck to all
Applicant:
M******* R******
Reference:
GWF043******
Travel Date:
15 May 2017
Application Started:
31 Mar 2017
Status:
In Active
Next Step:
Other
Family Member of an EEA National
Application Completed
Declaration Signed
Book Appointment
Pay for Application
Register at Commercial Partner
Print Application

[hachel]

We should do something together. I mean UK is sill in EU at least till marts 2019 and rules haven't changed. Lots of cases are straight forward and should be given FP very fast.

Hello

Yes we should all get in touch with pro EU MPs and should also consider taking UKVI to the court. They are playing with our future and violating our right to family.
Please feel free to throw in your ideas. We need collective action.

Hello guys,

I think a first step could be to talk to the medias. Nowadays people tend to react when their public image is at stake.

We could gather some stories and try to get in touch with a newspaper. You all have seen the case of the two adopted kids of an NHS surgeon and his british wife right ? HO reacted quickly and now they have a decision.

Cheers