Another Misplaced Application... Thanks Vulcan House

I'll add more details as I'm able, but I'm on my phone now and fisgured I'd least say hello and raise my hand.

Apparently I'm in the same boat as marenleigh - I applied (for the second time) from the US for a spousal settlement. Application started late February, standard time since I had already been declined once, priority wouldn't have done much, and come to find late May that my BRP is available at the location it was supposed to be at.  No decision email, letter, phone call - just the BRP notification.  Spouse checked in person and sure enough it's there.

After numerous calls, escalations, and pleas to the spouse to contact their rep, I'm still sans passports (I sent my expired one too) all my private documents with all sorts of sensitive data, and of course the 2.5 year overpriced visa.

What is going on at the home office?!? I see me, and two others in the span of two weeks missing their stuff?!? Maybe calling the MPs isn't enough, in America we use the news to hold our government agencies accountable but I'm not sure how well that works in the UK...

Also for future folks doing this whole mail order ukvi / vfsglobal visa garbage with the UK- some sort of monopoly exisists with VFS, even though nothing I could find explicitly says so, you must use them as your courrier.  Prepaying a Royal mail international package or FedEx does not fly.

Funny how Americans always fret over large govt and bureaucracy where in the UK it seems this private sector bedsharing is causing a few of us excessive grief. Ironic, don't ya think?

Also for future folks doing this whole mail order ukvi / vfsglobal visa garbage with the UK- some sort of monopoly exisists with VFS, even though nothing I could find explicitly says so, you must use them as your courrier.  Prepaying a Royal mail international package or FedEx does not fly.

Funny how Americans always fret over large govt and bureaucracy where in the UK it seems this private sector bedsharing is causing a few of us excessive grief. Ironic, don't ya think?

Hi TheDude, Really sorry to hear about your predicament.
 
While  vfsglobal  is the only way to purchase priority service if you choose to use it, (which incidentally you could have done even with a prior refusal) you are under no obligation to use them for shipping your package. You can go directly to UPS to send it then create an account for the return of your documents.

VFS Global is UKVI's commercial partner. The shipping they offer is UPS fixed-price, pre-paid shipping.

You do not have to use VFS Global shipping labels - you can send your documents by UPS or DHL yourself and then provide online shipping account details for your account to be charged for the return.

You can send your documents TO Sheffield using FedEx if you want but they will not return them using FedEx as Sheffield have had problems using them in the past and so stopped accepting FedEx labels.

While USPS shipping is allowed, I would never recommend using it as it is unreliable and not tracked once it leaves the US.


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Funny y'all say this, when they said they wouldn't reach a decision until I purchased it through VFS. 

Like I said there's no explicit requirement, they said it for whatever reason.


The bigger issue is my application and everything is still lost; let's hope the MP can help sort things since these 7$ emails and 2$ a minute phone calls accomplish absolutely nothing.

While USPS shipping is allowed, I would never recommend using it as it is unreliable and not tracked once it leaves the US.

I'm not recommending them either, but USPS does have options for tracking an item internationally. I used their Priority Mail Express International to send my application for a Transfer of Residency to HM Revenue & Customs last month and was able to track its progress to delivery.

It was slower and about the same price as UPS, but I had somehow forgotten your advice to avoid USPS.  It did work out okay for me this time, but I've had other items sent USPS or Royal Mail take a loooong time.

I'm all in with the advice to avoid using USPS for this stuff if possible!

Funny y'all say this, when they said they wouldn't reach a decision until I purchased it through VFS. 

Like I said there's no explicit requirement, they said it for whatever reason.


The bigger issue is my application and everything is still lost; let's hope the MP can help sort things since these 7$ emails and 2$ a minute phone calls accomplish absolutely nothing.

Exactly. As you have found out, you were misinformed. The helpline is anything but helpful.

On the bright side, if your BRP is there then at least you know you have the visa. 

Hope the MP gets it sorted quickly.

Apparently I'm in the same boat as marenleigh

I guess the good news is that marenleigh's was uncovered, probably thought the prodding of an MP.

Hoping the same for you, and quickly! It must have been an excruciatingly long wait for you.

Here's to another week having no idea what's going on at the HO; it's silly.

First the OPM breach, now this with all my docs missing.  Geeeeze

Alas, my packet was found.  What a clown show, can't wait to partake again in 2.5yrs.

Timeline:
App Started: 28 Feb 2017
Biometrics: 06 March 2017
Refusal to accept FedEx: 7 Mar 2017
Decision Letter: Never received
Decision Email: Never received
BRP Site Info Email: 24 May 2017
Calls to HO: First Two Weeks of June
Call to MP: 16 June 2017
Packet Dispatch Notice:22 Jun 2017
Receipt of Packet: TBD, probably Monday
Total time (including weekends): 108 days

UK Visas and Immigration Budget: £800 million, Staff Numbers: 8,000, Not being able to effectively and in many cases fairly review applicants: priceless.  Good luck to everyone here, first round at the pub is on me.  Cheers~

Glad it showed up! Hopefully they'll sort out their process and others won't have to suffer as long as you did, but if they do, it does help to know they're not the only one.

Congrats on progress! Did they say if it's an approval or do you have to wait for the package to get back to you?

Thank goodness! As you know the BRP is waiting for you, you know you have your visa!

Alas, my packet was found. 

Why "alas", that's good news, surely?

Your packet is on it's way back to you and you already know the BRP is waiting. 

Thanks, sure enough my packet just arrived.  Had two visas in it, so they did kindly give me a newer Visa and "x" out the other.

I'm excited, appreciative, but boy it's hard to override those emotions when frustration is present.  Finally, I can be back with my spouse......