The British Consulates(in the states AND UK) are no longer taking any telephone inquiries regarding Visas. You have to call a 1-900 number at $2.10 per minute!
When did this happen?!
This news was posted here last summer when they announced it. And it's actually GOOD news!
It means they are making measurable progress toward the end objective, which is to close down those consulates. NYC, LA, and Chicago. And other consulates in the other fast-track countries also.
In reality, those consulates don't do anything useful any more. What little they do can be more effectively done in Croydon and Liverpool - and the Home Office recognizes this. They have put in the fast-track system - it's been debugged, and they no longer accept walk-ins, and they have been making telephone interviews since 2003. So we really don't need to waste public funds keeping ECO's and ECM's in fast-track countries. And it's being phased out - expect it to continue.
Fast-track apps will go directly to Croydon or Liverpool, possibly Sheffield. For face-to-face interviews, the plan is to use a circuit runner with a laptop - which I think is cool! The obvious advantage is that the ECO can plug in from any of the 28 British consulates in the USA rather than the 3 that issue visas now.
And as to the outsourcing and "snupy's" comment that the outsource agency might not know anything, it's helpful to remember what the people in that company did before they went into business! Three guesses what they did?
You don't have to be a genius to figure that out! So no need to feel less confident about the information. It will be higher quality. And besides, they are carrying liability insurance also.
It's not happening in the near-term, it's more like 2010 - 2012 for the last stand-down, so no need to panic, it's all very gradual. Someday the veteran spouses will be able to say, "...when I got my fiance visa, it was when the consulate in NYC was still operating, and people actually had to *go* there - yuk...".
On a broader level, it's also helpful to remember that British consulates are hurting everywhere. Some Commonwealth consulates have turned off the WHM program until 2006, and others have stopped accepting apps from people under 25 unless they have prior travel to the UK.
I hope Wishstar can make this sticky for about a week or so until everybody gets the word...
OH! And to "snupy", they will forward date an entry clearance up to 90 days in the future, so you'll be fine - just put an explanation in your cover letter. That will be $2.10 please (that's a joke
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