Issues with the CoA Process

It is highly unlikely that this will cause a problem.  She just needs to be honest in the application.

Vicky

The only thing that worries me now is if she has overstayed her visa (which I wasn't under the impression she had due to the rules as they had been explained to us for a 12 month multiple entry visa) will that count against her for getting her fiance visa.

I *think* I read somewhere (probably even on this forum) that overstaying does not automatically hurt your application. 

At this point, she isn't an overstayer.  But even if she were, Becca's right, it wouldn't automatically hurt the application.  As long as she leaves before her 6 months is up, and tells the truth on her application, I can't see that she'd have a problem getting a fiance visa. 

Well we have finally managed to speak to someone at the UK Border Agency with English as their first language who actually answered our questions rather than quoted the same five lines from the bit of paper in front of them.

They are withdrawing the application (made no point of confirming whether I would be refunded or not but I don't want to kick up a fuss about that until the visa is sorted). All document should be back with me by 5th of May at the latest a flight has been booked for my fiance to fly back to Chicago on an changable ticket which allows us to alter the travel dates for £70 as long as it is not on the day of actual travel.

Started getting the requirements together for the fiance visa, emailed perry visa to get confirmation back on whther the biometrics would need done again as they were done only 9 months ago for the unrequired 12 month visitor visa (got an unhelpful standard reply email back of them which answered none of our questions and confirmed the waiting time for a fiance visa is 20 working days which has stressed out my fiance again, thanks perry visa).

So all going well she should be back in the country on May 27th with plenty time for our wedding on July 25th.

She will unquestionably need to do her biometrics again.  And, when she gets her FLR(M) she will have to do them again.  Them's the rules, I'm afraid.   

Started getting the requirements together for the fiance visa, emailed perry visa to get confirmation back on whther the biometrics would need done again as they were done only 9 months ago for the unrequired 12 month visitor visa (got an unhelpful standard reply email back of them which answered none of our questions and confirmed the waiting time for a fiance visa is 20 working days which has stressed out my fiance again, thanks perry visa).

So all going well she should be back in the country on May 27th with plenty time for our wedding on July 25th.

She will have to do biometrics, it is required for the visa. And she'll have to do them again after you get married for her in country spousal visa again as part of the visa requirements.

But, as far as getting straight answers, you won't from the Home Office nor from a courier service (Perry visa who aren't allowed to give advice). The best and acurate answers you'll find here, from the people who have actually been through the process. If you use a courier to submit your documents after the bio's appointment, then she should have her visa in 24-48 hours, 20 days is for applications not done by courier.

Best of luck to you.

x-posted w/historyenne

Well if it's done that quick we will just pay the £70 and she can come home even sooner than planned which would cheer her up, I won't bother saying anything until I see it though. To many times she has got her hopes up through all this only to be told something different and bring her crashing down again.

Just so you understand that they will make the visa vaild from the date she wants to travel, so if she tells them x date & it's processed before then she still won't be able to travel until x date...does that make sense?

It does, thank you.

But basically we are within 3 months of the wedding now anyway so they can just make it valid from the first available date and she can travel as soon after that anyway.

It does, thank you.

But basically we are within 3 months of the wedding now anyway so they can just make it valid from the first available date and she can travel as soon after that anyway.

She needs to be prepared for this, though, because they will ask her what day she wants to travel.  Then they will make her visa valid for the EXACT date she specifies.  People have been caught out before because they were vague about their travel dates and ended up having to wait longer than they wanted before they could leave. 

Well she flies over on the 6th so I assume she could say that she wants it for the 12th which gives a couple of days and if they do it for that date by the 12th she could then just move her flight to the first available time following that (Say the 13th for example)?

I suppose what I am trying to say is that she can fly anytime after the visa has been granted from she doesn't have to fly on the day that the visa is granted from?

I suppose what I am trying to say is that she can fly anytime after the visa has been granted from she doesn't have to fly on the day that the visa is granted from?

Yep, that's correct

Once her visa is issued she needs to look at the date it says 'Valid From' and she can enter the country anytime on or after that date. If she has a flight that leaves the night before but doesn't land until after midnight on the date it is valid from she's fine, but if it lands early before midnight, she'll have to wait until after midnight to go through immigration.

She just can put in a cover letter that she wishes to travel immediately, so that when she receives her passport back the valid from date should be the date it was issued & printed.

Yep, that's correct

Not true...I was told my visa was issued on 17/03/08, I had my passport back on 19/03/08 but my visa 'valid from' date was 21/03/08 so I was not able to travel until that date...which for me was fine because my ticket was from 22/03/08 and I arrived on 23/03/08.

I was thinking that the question was "Can she travel after the date when her visa becomes valid" to which the answer is yes.  Of course she can't travel before the start date on the visa.