Visitor Visa - Original documents submitted as part of application and no tracking?

[elvampiro]

My relative recently applied for a UK visitor visa, but I noticed two unusual things:

1. Original document (property deed) was sent as part of the application - VFS Chennai insisted on this. Is this the standard process these days? I thought they would take away photocopies and return the originals.

2. There is no tracking any more on the VFS website and I am supposed to contact UKVI - when did this change? In the past I remember being able to track on VFS site throughout the lifecycle of application.