NEW SETTLEMENT GOLD PREMIUM SERVICE in US starting 15th November

But we’re talking about the new Gold Premium Service for Settlement visas here (it’s the topic of the thread), which implies you might be able to keep your passport during processing.

It’s still unclear but it does say that one of the things included is:
“Keep my Passport While Applying”


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Wasn't one of the rules for applying that you aren't in the UK when applying or has that changed suddenly?

And damn. $1600 dollars plus travel costs to one of 10 cities for processing? Doesn't that effectively double your visa costs? (I can't remember what the spousal visa rate is today, just this year's FLR.)

And paying for a chauffeured vehicle on top of it? Why is that even an option to add?  I love that 3 cities have validated parking. Haha.     

Someone's gonna jump on that after the 15.

Wasn't one of the rules for applying that you aren't in the UK when applying or has that changed suddenly?

I don’t know if that’s an official rule or not - I’ve never seen it written down, so I have no idea.

So I don’t know whether you would be allowed to travel to the UK or not - I guess it would depend if a) you do get to keep your passport and b) if there are any stipulations regarding keeping your passport.

And damn. $1600 dollars plus travel costs to one of 10 cities for processing? Doesn't that effectively double your visa costs? (I can't remember what the spousal visa rate is today, just this year's FLR.)

Currently visa rate in USD is $2001 (£1,464)... but the $1600 also covers the priority processing and shipping fees, so it works out about $600-700 more than if you were to pay priority and shipping separately.



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Back in 1995 when I applied for my fiancée visa, it was done at the British Consulate General in Houston, where I live. They had walk-ins and scheduled appointments. They took all my paperwork and made a decision within the hour. They put the vignette in the passport themselves and sent me on my way. They didn't charge me a fee because they were always done at the consulate.

I'm wondering if it's the same but with a $1600 charge. I would think so since that's a huge amount of money.


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Back in 1995 when I applied for my fiancée visa, it was done at the British Consulate General in Houston, where I live. They had walk-ins and scheduled appointments. They took all my paperwork and made a decision within the hour. They put the vignette in the passport themselves and sent me on my way. They didn't charge me a fee because they were always done at the consulate.

I'm wondering if it's the same but with a $1600 charge. I would think so since that's a huge amount of money.


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But this isn't the consulate and they do specifically specify it includes shipping and priority service and having your app at the top of the queue.

https://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/usa/applicationcentre.html

ETA: my fovorite thing is it literally says 'top of the queue.' So British for an American company. Wait... is it American?

ETA: my fovorite thing is it literally says 'top of the queue.' So British for an American company. Wait... is it American?

.VFS Global is headquartered in Dubai, UAE, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kuoni Group, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, which belongs to the private equity company EQT. EQT is one of Europe’s leading private equity houses founded by Investor AB, Scandinavia’s largest industrial holding group and part of the Wallenberg Group. EQT funds have portfolio companies in Europe, Asia and the US with total sales of more than EUR 19 billion and approximately 110,000 employees.

http://www.vfsglobal.com/about_us/company_profile.asp

Back in 1995 when I applied for my fiancée visa, it was done at the British Consulate General in Houston, where I live. They had walk-ins and scheduled appointments. They took all my paperwork and made a decision within the hour. They put the vignette in the passport themselves and sent me on my way. They didn't charge me a fee because they were always done at the consulate.

I'm wondering if it's the same but with a $1600 charge. I would think so since that's a huge amount of money.


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VFS has updated me again with "The Gold Settlement Premium service is the same as the Priority Visa Service you purchased the only difference is that with the first service allows you to take the biometrics and it includes the roundtrip courier service as mentioned previously."

So basically like someone said previously you're paying an extra 7-800 dollars to have someone mail it all in for you.

So basically like someone said previously you're paying an extra 7-800 dollars to have someone mail it all in for you.

Ugh. That's a lot of money for just that.
Man alive! Do I completely regret not getting citizenship back when I qualified in 1999.
Now it's all so much work and so freaking expensive!


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VFS has updated me again with "The Gold Settlement Premium service is the same as the Priority Visa Service you purchased the only difference is that with the first service allows you to take the biometrics and it includes the roundtrip courier service as mentioned previously."

So basically like someone said previously you're paying an extra 7-800 dollars to have someone mail it all in for you.

I feel like you're giving us all the inside scoop!  Thanks evyf!

Ugh. That's a lot of money for just that.
Man alive! Do I completely regret not getting citizenship back when I qualified in 1999.
Now it's all so much work and so freaking expensive!

So many people in that situation, but who knew back then how things would turn out?

Massively.  EU residence cards are virtually free (£55-£65). So we are picking up their bill.

After Brexit, I do NOT see fees decreasing.  The UK could not be any more clear that they do not want immigrants and are trying to make the UK unappealing.  Cost is an easy way to do that!

Meh.  I don't think Brexit is even gonna happen.  I felt that way about a week after the vote last year, and feel it even stronger now.  Once you're in a massive web like the EU, it's impossible to get away unless you have steadfast leadership that's committed to it.  Theresa "Remain" May certainly doesn't fit that description.

If charging a few thousand dollars would help keep undesirables out of the UK, then I'd be all for it, but we all know the truth.  "Refugees" are still going to be welcomed with open arms, and they ain't gonna be coming up with the money that we all had to.  They're getting a free ride on the backs of the working people, and it isn't fixing to change.  Especially with terrorist apologists like Sadiq Khan running the UK's largest city.

C'est la vie!

And yes, this new service is indeed a way to bilk even more money out of the wallets of self-sufficient, responsible people doing things the right way.

If charging a few thousand dollars would help keep undesirables out of the UK, then I'd be all for it, but we all know the truth.  "Refugees" are still going to be welcomed with open arms, and they ain't gonna be coming up with the money that we all had to.  They're getting a free ride on the backs of the working people, and it isn't fixing to change.

Whoa. Did you *really* just go there?

I'm angry about the fees, but not at the expense of people fleeing wars and instability caused by western nations including the US and U.K. They don't want to leave home, but they sure as hell deserve a safe space to survive. And given the attitudes in most of Europe, I'm guessing they'll want to return home as quickly as possible after encountering people like you. Economic migrants from the EU are doing the same when conditions in their home country improve.

Refugees are the lifeblood of my community here in the states, they have done SO much for the low income areas and started so many businesses. Maybe if people didn't jump to so many conclusions before encountering them and writing them off, refugees would be more integrated into British communities as well.


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No offence but that's a load of nonsense.

I also think this part of the forum isnt the place to espouse such views.

Brexit will happen.

And hopefully you’ll become more educated about immigration and refugees after you are one of them.

IvJeremyLv, your views are ignorant and racist.  Might be best to start a new thread and see if anyone is up to arguing the obvious with an idiot. I might stop in to have a pop if you do.

This goes without saying - or so I thought - so let me say it.  I'm NOT talking about the good people.  I'm talking about the scumbags, the ones that infiltrate our communities and then try to kill us.  And with the open borders that come with being a member of the EU, you see what is happening in the UK.

It's so obvious that I'm referring to ones that make bombs and go blow people up; go to shopping malls and stab people; and rent trucks and plow over groups of innocent tourists.  NOT the ones that come to the US and UK to work and contribute to society.  That's why I put "refugees" in quotes.  Many are masquerading as refugees in order to infiltrate our neighborhoods.  This isn't breaking news.

You realise that most of the people who have done those things were UK citizens and many were born and raised in the UK, right? Almost NONE of them were 'refugees'.

- July 7th bombings (2005)
Attacker 1: Born and raised in Leeds
Attacker 2: Born in Bradford, raised near Leeds
Attacker 3: Born in Jamaica, moved to the UK age 5.
Attacker 4: Born and raised in Leeds

- Attempted bombing in Exeter (2008)
UK citizen born and raised in Plymouth

- Lee Rigby murder (2013)
Attacker 1: Born in London to a Christian family of Nigerian descent
Attacker 2: Born in the UK to a Christian family of Nigerian descent

- Westminster Attack (March 2017)
UK citizen, born and raised in Kent

- Manchester bomber (May 2017):
UK citizen, born and raised in Manchester

- London Bridge attackers (June 2017)
Attacker 1: UK citizen, born in Pakistan, raised in London
Attacker 2: Either Moroccan or Libyan, married to an Irish woman, living in the UK on an Irish residency visa
Attacker 3. EU citizen (dual Moroccan/Italian citizen) - moved to Italy with his Italian mother after his parents divorced

- Finsbury Park attack (June 2017)
UK citizen, white male, born in Cardiff, Wales

- Parsons Green bombing tube bombing (Sept 2017)
An 18-year-old has been charged, thought to be an Iraqi orphan refugee