Is there anything I can do?

My husband has been offered a job at a company and has been asked to start as soon as possible, once his FLR (m) is here.  He is worried that they will get fed up of waiting for his visa and replace him with someone who can start sooner.  We sent off the FLR (m) on the 1st of August.

So my question is this.  Is it possible to write to the Home Office stating his passport number and tell them that we are waiting on his FLR m to be returned and that he has a job interest ( can also provide a letter as proof from company ) and we are waiting for his visa so he can start this new job straight away? or would this be a bad idea?

He is desperate for this job.

My experience...and what I have been told by my MP as well...is that they do not expedite anything unless a death is involved. Now my case is ILR though.

AFAIK, no, there's nothing you can do but wait.  This is why they offer in-person appointments for FLR and ILR applications (at a price, of course) - you walk in with an application and walk out with a visa.

Point though...those appointments are only for simple applications though. So even if someone needs their visa/passport quickly, that may not be an option for them.

We thought it would be fine for us to wait as we did not expect this job oppertunity to become available...it was not forseen at the time  It was a out of the blue type of offer.

We thought it would be fine for us to wait as we did not expect this job oppertunity to become available...it was not forseen at the time  It was a out of the blue type of offer.

Not that it helps much, but I'm in the exact same situation!!  I wasn't expecting to get an interview OR an offer before my visa came back, and now I'm stuck in a waiting game .  It's annoying, because had I KNOWN I was going to need an expedited service, I might've considered an in-person app, but considering that offer only came AFTER the application was posted, it's now impossible to turn-around and expedite it, y'know.  On a personal note, I find it annoying that applications in-country take 3-4x as long as out-of-country...is it just me, or is this a bit backwards? :-(

(P.S., as much as I don't want to admit it, I have a sneaky suspicion apps will take slightly longer because now is prime holiday-taking time, and UKBA is likely a bit shorter-staffed than usual at the moment.  Sucks, but that's life.  If it's anything like the Gov't department I work for, they don't get extra people in to cover the gaps.  I'm still praying for a miracle.)

We thought it would be fine for us to wait as we did not expect this job oppertunity to become available...it was not forseen at the time  It was a out of the blue type of offer.

I'm not criticising your decision - just pointing why there's no way to expedite the postal method.  The Home Office has already provided an expedited option - the in-person application - and feels no need to make any further concessions.  it sucks for folks like Aless and Terri who are now waiting for their passports in order to change jobs, but as far as the HO is concerned, they've brought the situation upon themselves.     The HO = not well known for empathy.

I'm not criticising your decision - just pointing why there's no way to expedite the postal method.  The Home Office has already provided an expedited option - the in-person application - and feels no need to make any further concessions.  it sucks for folks like Aless and Terri who are now waiting for their passports in order to change jobs, but as far as the HO is concerned, they've brought the situation upon themselves.     The HO = not well known for empathy.

So true...again, personally I find 20 working days to be an extraordinary length of time to determine straight-forward applications...other Government departments (including my own) have a 15 working day standard.  If foreign Embassies can do it in less than 10, then surely the in-country facility should match or exceed that?  Anyway, we're getting in to the realm of policy rather than practicality, and I'm just going to make myself miserable.

FWIW, and that's not much, every in-country application I've made has taken EXACTLY 20 working days (my FLR(IGS) and my COA).  Good news to LuckyCuz, who has just hit that marker, but not so much for me as I'm a good two weeks away from that :-(.

Me and my wife are in the same boat, as we sent off our passports on 22nd July for my FLR(M) and have a trip to Egypt coming up soon and it looks like we may not be able to go on it.  I know it's not as serious as a job offer, but it is a major pain nonetheless.  Also I am keen to get a new job, but as I'm sure you all know the agencies won't have any of it until the visa arrives

I'll keep you updated as to when I receive it back, but it should be a straightforward app (no convictions, both in full-time employment, had all letters, bank statements, etc.).  I love it when you ring them and they say '4-14 weeks' turnaround time!

If it's any consolation, it may be worth telling his employer exactly what the situation is and that there's loads of us good folks on this forum who are going through the exact same thing.  If he's out of work then it's completely understandable for you to send it in as a postal app in order to save some dosh, especially as you weren't expecting such an opportunity to present itself.

Yes its our FLR (m) we are waiting on. We just hope it comes soon as times are getting extreamly tight now as he can not work at all until that arrives. 

I hope to god it won't be 14 weeks  we will be skeletons by then!

Maybe we should all keep eachother posted to our progress 

Seeing people that sent theirs off in July is actually making me MORE nervous!!  I might just stay away from this thread and pray for a small miracle

I know what you mean.  I thought it would come back quickly as it was a straight forward application.

No kids or convictions ect...

Sorry to make you nervous  :\\\'(

I did get caught stealing a White Sox hat when I was a kid, so that may be what's holding up my app.  And why White Sox? I'm a Boston fan..

Sorry to make you nervous  :\\\'(

I did get caught stealing a White Sox hat when I was a kid, so that may be what's holding up my app.  And why White Sox? I'm a Boston fan..

Hehe...that reminds me of my husband getting rejected for something because he pushed a kid when he was 11.  Oh, the banality.

Perhaps they've all been issued and Royal Mail is just playing a sick joke on all post from UKBA?  Haha...

It's 6 to 8 weeks, and that is that.  No way of speeding it up.

Vicky