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Topic: Visa Notification by Email  (Read 4366 times)

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Visa Notification by Email
« on: July 26, 2014, 05:17:33 AM »
How unusual is it to not get notified by email whether you are granted a visa or not?

I had applied for general visitor visa several years ago to the UK and always get a notification from the NY office when they opened my package and when the visa was granted. Since then, I became a US citizen. I applied for marriage visitor visa last May and got refused due to lack of evidence. And again, I got email notifications when they opened my package and when sent my package back.

This July, I resubmitted my visa application. I got notified when when they opened my package couple of weeks ago. Today, I just got a fedex notification that my package is being shipped back with guarantee to arrive this Wednesday. I know it sound so petty, but it's giving so much anxiety not knowing what will be in my package. Whether they'll grant me a visa or not. I'm supposed to book a flight the next day as soon as I got my passport( granted that I got approved). So as you can imagine, this is the longest 5 day wait.

Has this happened to anyone?
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2014, 05:36:09 AM »
It's not unusual at all.  They do not notify of the decision for security and privacy reasons. 


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2014, 05:45:05 AM »
I recently applied to a general visitor visa and got notified by email that it was unsuccessful. But when it comes to settlement visas, you will not know until you get the package back. I have not heard different otherwise.
Online Application: July 24, 2014 Fiance-Priority
Biometrics: July 29, 2014
Packet mailed to fiance: July 29, 2014
Fiance Received Packet: July 31, 2014
* Had to wait for final bank statements for fiance.
Papers Received and Packet Mail to Sheffield: Aug 2, 2014
Sheffield Received: Aug 5, 2014
Additional Information requested: Aug 5, 2014
Decision Made Email: Aug 26, 2014
Visa Received by Mail: N/A


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2014, 06:13:20 AM »
It's not unusual at all.  They do not notify of the decision for security and privacy reasons. 
But they had on the 2 instances I applied for visa: One was granted, and the other one was refused.
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2014, 06:15:09 AM »
I recently applied to a general visitor visa and got notified by email that it was unsuccessful. But when it comes to settlement visas, you will not know until you get the package back. I have not heard different otherwise.
I see. But my visa isn't a settlement visa.
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2014, 07:17:03 AM »
If you apply to New York they will usually tell you the decision outcome in an email. However, they do not always remember to send you an email with this information, so not everyone will get one.

Sounds like whoever sent your email just didn't send the one with the decision information in it. It's really not a big deal though... Some people get no emails at all and then their visa just shows up on their doorstep.

If you apply to Sheffield for a settlement visa, the email is different and just says 'a decision has been made'. No idea why this is, although I'm guessing it's just that the generic email that has been set up for Sheffield is slightly different to the one in NYC.



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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2014, 07:52:10 AM »
I thought so. Thanks for the information.

I guess I'm just too anxious to find out whether I'll be spending the rest of the year in UK or not. I have so much stuff going on with the planning of our wedding, our honeymoon, and so on. I just couldn't bare to get another refusal as it will completely ruin everything that we planned for.

One more totally different topic (Assuming I was granted a Marriage Visitor Visa)

I understand that the visa grants me 6 months to stay in the UK. I planned on flying to UK as soon as I received my passport. We scheduled an appointment with the Manchester Registry Office at the end of August. We plan of having the ceremony end of September. We plan on going on a honeymoon trip 5 days in Paris and 4 days in Barcelona. I'm flying back to the US after Boxing Day with my hubby. He'll be on a 2 weeks vacation and he'll fly back to the UK.

My question is, is it okay to leave UK to visit France and Spain and then back to the UK given that I initially entered the UK with the marriage Visitor visa? I mean, I assume it won't be an issue since we will be married already by the time I re-enter UK. But I just want to make sure that it is ok before we move ahead with our plans.


Should I post this on a new thread?

Thanks again. This discussion board has been such a great help. I rely on it so much :)
« Last Edit: July 26, 2014, 07:57:49 AM by JaySoCal »
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #7 on: July 26, 2014, 08:13:17 AM »
I understand that the visa grants me 6 months to stay in the UK. I planned on flying to UK as soon as I received my passport.

Before you hop on a plane, just make sure that the visa is actually valid when you get it back - you don't want to arrive in the UK before the date your visa starts because you won't be allowed in!

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My question is, is it okay to leave UK to visit France and Spain and then back to the UK given that I initially entered the UK with the marriage Visitor visa? I mean, I assume it won't be an issue since we will be married already by the time I re-enter UK. But I just want to make sure that it is ok before we move ahead with our plans.

Well, your visa will be multiple entry so it should be okay, as long as you enter again before the visa expires.

My only concern might be that because you will already be married, you will no longer be entering the UK to 'get married'... but I'm not sure if that will actually be an issue or not (it is with a fiance visa, because after the wedding, you need to get your next visa before you travel outside of the UK, but I don't know about with a MVV).

Quote
Should I post this on a new thread?

No, please don't - it's much easier to keep track of everyone's individual situation if they keep all their questions and updates in one thread.

Otherwise you end up having to wade through loads of different threads to find each individual question you have asked.


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #8 on: July 26, 2014, 04:38:42 PM »
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Before you hop on a plane, just make sure that the visa is actually valid when you get it back - you don't want to arrive in the UK before the date your visa starts because you won't be allowed in!
That's probably a smart thing to do. Heh. Thanks for the advise.

Quote
Well, your visa will be multiple entry so it should be okay, as long as you enter again before the visa expires.

My only concern might be that because you will already be married, you will no longer be entering the UK to 'get married'... but I'm not sure if that will actually be an issue or not (it is with a fiance visa, because after the wedding, you need to get your next visa before you travel outside of the UK, but I don't know about with a MVV).

Thats my impression. That I'm already married, so technically I won't be using that visa to re-enter but rather just come in the country like a normal American citizen which doesn't require a visa. I guess I'll ask the immigration official in Heathrow if that would be the case. It won't hurt to ask right?
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #9 on: July 26, 2014, 05:07:32 PM »
That's probably a smart thing to do. Heh. Thanks for the advise.

No problem - we've just had situations in the past where people have put a travel date of a couple of months in the future, meaning their visa will be valid from that date, and then they get their visa sooner than they expected and want to travel right away... but they can't because their visa isn't valid yet.

Quote
Thats my impression. That I'm already married, so technically I won't be using that visa to re-enter but rather just come in the country like a normal American citizen which doesn't require a visa. I guess I'll ask the immigration official in Heathrow if that would be the case. It won't hurt to ask right?

Actually, it does require a visa (there's no 'visa waiver' for the UK like there is in the US). In order for anyone to enter the UK as a visitor they must have a visitor visa - the difference is whether they apply for it in advance or if they are granted it at the UK border when they arrive.

I would guess that you will be okay to re-enter the UK with your MVV visa in your passport, as it is valid for 6 months and is multiple entry.

But if it was the case that it wasn't okay, you would essentially need to 'apply' for a new visitor visa at the border - and could potentially be asked to provide your visa application evidence again to prove you were a genuine visitor (return ticket, evidence of finances, evidence of job/home to return to in the US etc.).


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2014, 06:12:56 PM »
This is from the London Embassy website:

"Question 1.  Do I need a visa to come to the UK?
Probably not.  Most U.S. citizens seeking to enter the UK for tourism need only to present a valid U.S. passport.  However, you may need a visa, if you have ever applied for and been refused a visa to the UK, been denied entry to the UK in the past, have any criminal convictions in any country or have previously violated the terms of a UK visa.  You should visit the UK Border Agency website if you need information about applying for a visa.  "


Well, I've been refused once back in May. But if they approve me this time around, on the same visa that I applied for, does it mean I have to apply for visa each time I try to enter the UK? I visit the UK fairly frequently before I got refused using my US passport with no visa. And we plan on visiting UK at least twice a year once my husband move to the US in the near future. 
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2014, 06:39:07 PM »
This is from the London Embassy website:

"Question 1.  Do I need a visa to come to the UK?
Probably not.  Most U.S. citizens seeking to enter the UK for tourism need only to present a valid U.S. passport.  However, you may need a visa, if you have ever applied for and been refused a visa to the UK, been denied entry to the UK in the past, have any criminal convictions in any country or have previously violated the terms of a UK visa.  You should visit the UK Border Agency website if you need information about applying for a visa.  "

What they are talking about here is an actual visa in your passport, which is applied for in advance. So while people from certain countries do not need to apply for a visa in advance of travel, they are still issued with one at the border when they enter the UK.

This visa will be a stamp in their passport... and although it's just a stamp and not a proper visa sticker, it is still technically a visa for the UK, because as I said, there is no 'visa waiver' for the UK - that is a US program, not a UK one.

The other difference is that an advance-issued 6-month visitor visa is multiple entry, while a 6-month visitor visa stamp issued at the border is only single entry, so if you leave the UK, it becomes invalid and you have to 'apply' for another one to get back in again.

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Well, I've been refused once back in May. But if they approve me this time around, on the same visa that I applied for, does it mean I have to apply for visa each time I try to enter the UK? I visit the UK fairly frequently before I got refused using my US passport with no visa. And we plan on visiting UK at least twice a year once my husband move to the US in the near future. 

Yes, as you have now had a visa refusal, you should not attempt to travel to the UK again without applying for a visa from the US in advance. So, you will need to apply for a new visa every single time you wish to travel to the UK from now on.

You can attempt to enter without applying for one, but chances are that because you have a visa refusal, you will be refused entry to the UK and sent right back to the US on the next plane.

As it says on the UKBA website:

Quote
Check if you need a UK visa

What passport do you have?
USA

What are you coming to the UK to do?

Tourism, including visiting friends or family

You won’t need a visa to come to the UK

However, you should bring the same documents you’d need to apply for a visa, to show to officers at the UK border. (this is what I mean by 'apply' for a visa at the border - you may be asked to provide all the documents you would send for an advance visa application because you still have to prove you meet the visa requirements as a visitor)

You may want to apply for a visa if you have a criminal record or you’ve previously been refused entry into the UK.


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2014, 04:36:07 AM »
I've been to UK 5 times in the last 2 years using my US passport. Now I have to fork up £83 + shipping each time I come visit? That sucks :(

Will ordering a new passport to have a clean slate help? I was told that they don't keep track of individual passport so there's no knowing if I've been refused once.
« Last Edit: July 27, 2014, 04:40:10 AM by JaySoCal »
Applied Marriage Visitor Visa - May 26, 2014
Biometrix - June 02, 2014
Visa Granted - June 23, 2014
Arrived in UK - August 02, 2014
Married - October 10, 2014
Left UK - December 27, 2014
-----after much consideration, we decided that its best to settle in the UK for the mean time----
Applied Civil Partnership Visa - January 29, 2015
Biometrix - February 03, 2015
Packet Received by Sheffield - February 06, 2015
Assigned to an ECO - February 12, 2015
Decision made. Visa was shipped back - March 06, 2015
Packet Received - March 09, 201


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #13 on: July 27, 2014, 07:10:11 AM »
I've been to UK 5 times in the last 2 years using my US passport. Now I have to fork up £83 + shipping each time I come visit? That sucks :(

Yep.

I feel your pain. I travelled to the US visa-free for many years, and then I made a stupid mistake in 2007 and got a DUI. Now I will never be allowed to enter the US without a visa for the rest of my life (and I'm banned from entering Canada until at least 2017 (as it is a felony there), and will need a visa to visit Australia as well).

And each time I apply for a US visa, it costs me over £200 - about £100 for the visa application, then there's the police certificates, special US passport photos, travel to London for a visa appointment, possible hotel stays in London etc.

Quote
Will ordering a new passport to have a clean slate help? I was told that they don't keep track of individual passport so there's no knowing if I've been refused once.

Nope, because all of your information will be in their electronic system.

All your passports are linked together through the system, so when they scan your new passport, all your immigration history is accessible.

If you try to enter the UK on a new passport, pretending you don't have a visa refusal, and they realise this because it shows up in the system, you can be banned from entering the UK for 10 years for trying to use deception (lying to UK immigration).

It's much, much easier just to apply for a visitor visa before you travel.


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Re: Visa Notification by Email
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2014, 12:03:36 AM »

Yes, as you have now had a visa refusal, you should not attempt to travel to the UK again without applying for a visa from the US in advance. So, you will need to apply for a new visa every single time you wish to travel to the UK from now on.

You can attempt to enter without applying for one, but chances are that because you have a visa refusal, you will be refused entry to the UK and sent right back to the US on the next plane.


That is not necessarily the case in all circumstances. I was denied a PSW visa back in 2012, and have traveled probably 8 times to the UK for pleasure and work since that refusal. Usually I get stopped by the border agent, they ask me a few questions, I explain the circumstances and my appeal, and they've always let me come through. It usually takes me 15 minutes more at the border crossing than a normal tourist.

I asked the UK border agent about my passport being flagged in their electronic system, and he said that after a few years time, I'd no longer be flagged. The more times I come and go (in the timeframe I say I will), he said the more I'd be trusted as less of a risk. Now I am applying for a Tier 2 visa and then this shouldn't be much more of a problem.


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