Visa valid from date you tell them =(

GUH!!

OK I didn't realize the visa would be valid from the date I told the lady who called from the consulate... I just thought it would be valid from when they approved it. I bought a plane ticked that is 3 days before the visa is valid... I hadn't bought the ticket yet cause I hadn't been approved, I was being a good girl etc.... now I dunno what the deal will be. I emailed the consulate and expect it will be a few days before I hear back, I am hoping I can either:

A) go anyways cause it won't matter being it's 3 days or
B) send it back, get a new stampie thing and then go =)

                                   dumb
Anyone else do something ^ like this etc blah blah blah (isn't crying YET!)

I think you need to change your ticket to depart later than the visa start date.    You definitely can't go earlier than the date.  I don't know if they will change it but I doubt it because they are very clear that you can't enter before the start date.  When I was at the counter at the consulate the lady asked me what date and I was a bit unsure, and she said 'make sure because you can't leave before this date!' 

well it would have been nice for them to make that clear when they asked me what date I was departing. I will wait to hear from the consulate.

I need to fly in on the date that the ticket was bought for, for more than one reason, I am hoping they will be able to change the visa, it does say in the email to check it over for mistakes etc, so they must be willing etc. If I have to pay a little bit extra to send them the visa and get it changed and get it back it is fine, I have a month. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

But if they asked you the date you were departing, then how come you are flying on a different day than what you had told them? 

It says to check for mistakes but that means like your name is spelled wrong or your passport number is wrong.  The date of the visa isn't a mistake - it's what you told them. 

Do a search on here - I think this has happened to other people, but I think in the end they've all had to change the ticket.  Sorry about the situation. 

they asked when I planned to depart, I did not have a ticket yet, we had planned the 24th because that was the cheapest ticket we had found around the dates we were looking at. The lady did not inform me that in saying I was planning on traveling the 24th that that is the date my visa would be valid from. I just assumed it would be valid from the date it was approved. I could have sworn I saw that around somewhere.... since I didn't specify that I wanted the visa date postponed etc.

since I didn't specify that I wanted the visa date postponed etc.

You did, sort of, when you said that you would be traveling on the 24th.  Most of the time the consulate will post date the visa to start on or around the date you put in the application.  I'm with geeta- I don't think you have much of a chance of getting it changed if it wasn't a mistake on the consulate's part.

Unfortunately, I think the others are right.  Technically, they did as you asked.

Funny though, your situation, considering I asked and wanted a specific date, and they dated it a week before the date I asked for. 

Hope it all works out for you!

I didn't ask them to make the visa valid from the date I planned to travel if they had said that's what they were going to do on the phone I would have said I prefer to have it valid sooner.

I do appreciate everyone's posts and advice on here though. I have decided I am just going to wait and see what the consulate send me in a return email I realise it could be days before I hear back.

We have looked into changing it and if that's what we end up doing well... guess it was a $600 lesson.

I was really really upset but I decided what's done is done, and what really matters is that soon I will be with my DF, the rest is just chaff.

(huge hugs to ya all)

I don't know what else you have to change but to change the flight shouldn't cost that much.  You can always try to get the visa date changed, as you said, but since she told you that the visa would be valid from the 24th I doubt you'd get your way.  When I picked my visa date, they made it out for exactly the day I said, as I was warned.

The flight is non refundable, and none changeable without a massive fee... basically my best option would be to cancel it, loose the money and buy a flight on a day that my visa will still be valid for. I have looked into it.

I also looked into taking the first leg of the flight and just canceling the second half of the flight, spend a few days in germany as I have never been there then taking a flight from germany to birmingham which is like 200 bucks. I will look more into this to make sure I can do it etc. I have never been to Germany, my grandmother was from there =D

She did NOT tell me that the visa wouldn't be valid until the date I told her I planned to go, she just asked what date I planned and I told her, and said I didn't have a ticket but that was when we were looking to go. and I wasn't warned that the visa would start being valid the day I told her on the phone. I didn't even think of asking her if that were the case as mostly I have heard they are valid for date of issue unless you ask them to postpone the date it starts at etc.

Others have said a date they planned to go and had the visa issued at different lengths before the date they said.

They may not change it etc, I know that... it's just somewhat frustrating, if she HAD told me ok I will make the visa valid as of the date you say you planned to travel I would have told her to make it valid a week or two before that as I hadn't gotten the tickets yet as I WAS warned not to do.

I am ok with how things are, and things happen for a reason, I hope they will change the date if not then I will deal. heh I am an overly emotional person and am actually proud that I only shed a few tears instead of break into complete gloom and doom hysterics so LOL who knows maybe that's the reason this happened heheh

Live and learn eh?

It doesn't make sense.

If they asked when you were going to the UK, and you gave a date and then they used the date you gave them, then how can you be unhappy about it?

Whenever possible they will try to optimize the arrival date to the visa start date because it allows you to maximize your time in the UK on the amount of leave granted.  It's a world-wide policy. 

But the way I read this thread, it's like you're saying, 'When will I be in the UK?  OH!  you  mean *that* UK?'  Which indicates you were asleep at the wheel.

Not a big deal, but it's worthwhile to remember that when they ask somebody about dates, it's not a social conversation.  The vignette machine needs to have a start date keyed in or it won't work.

It is probably cheaper to change the ticket than to cancel the flight.  I have changed tickets to/from the UK before and it only cost me $100.

In any case, it should be cheaper to change the ticket than to cancel, lose that money, and buy another ticket.

What ever you do Calamity Jane....if you cancel your ticket and get another one and your looking for a cheap ticket..DON'T FLY IN VIA DUBLIN - trust me its not worth it 

DON'T FLY IN VIA DUBLIN - trust me its not worth it 

Tell me more please.   

To Beaver's mum:  documentation headaches.  And big-time doings on Marsham Street...

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=47165.0

I'll post a reminder this evening.....