Settlement Gold Premium Service Appointment

Just realised I posted this in Gold not priority - sorry. Too excited today!!

Haha, with reason! 

Still no decision e-mail.

We've decided that we are going to attempt to retrieve my passport and travel to the UK after Christmas to await my decision. I've e-mailed VFS to ask about this, not mentioning that I intend to travel to the UK. Hopefully I can get a clear answer as to whether I can collect it or not. It really should be a simple yes as that's part of what I paid for, but there's certainly no telling anymore. Of course I'm well aware that I'm not guaranteed an approval and that is scary, but I'm more concerned about settling my children and getting our lives back together at this point. If I'm approved, I will fly back on my own and bring it to them right away. I'm not delving too deeply into refusal what-ifs yet but we'll cross that bridge if we have to, we've been through worse.

Still no decision email here either.

However, I’m thrilled to say we arrived in the UK a few hours ago and made it through passport control at Heathrow without a hitch. They didn’t question me, so I didn’t volunteer that I have a settlement visa application pending. We didn’t see any sign of a link between UKVI (pre-decision) and the Border Force.

Spending Christmas & Boxing Day with family in the Midlands, then off to Leeds to sign a lease and interview for a job 

@Dani1983, if you can get your passport back from VFS it seems you shouldn’t have a problem entering the UK as a tourist/visitor. They did ask how long I was staying (as usual) and I said 2 weeks. Not sure what they would’ve said if it were longer. We were very anxious with the pending visa so we brought a copy of my return ticket, US mortgage statement, bank statement and pay stubs to prove I have strong ties to the US and would be going back. We didn’t end up needing any of this, but perhaps something to consider if you get an overzealous border agent?

Best wishes & Merry Christmas to everyone!

Still no decision email here either.

However, I’m thrilled to say we arrived in the UK a few hours ago and made it through passport control at Heathrow without a hitch. They didn’t question me, so I didn’t volunteer that I have a settlement visa application pending. We didn’t see any sign of a link between UKVI (pre-decision) and the Border Force.

Spending Christmas & Boxing Day with family in the Midlands, then off to Leeds to sign a lease and interview for a job 

@Dani1983, if you can get your passport back from VFS it seems you shouldn’t have a problem entering the UK as a tourist/visitor. They did ask how long I was staying (as usual) and I said 2 weeks. Not sure what they would’ve said if it were longer. We were very anxious with the pending visa so we brought a copy of my return ticket, US mortgage statement, bank statement and pay stubs to prove I have strong ties to the US and would be going back. We didn’t end up needing any of this, but perhaps something to consider if you get an overzealous border agent?

Best wishes & Merry Christmas to everyone!

Glad everything went smoothly with boarder control !!!! Merry Christmas 🎄

Spending Christmas & Boxing Day with family in the Midlands, then off to Leeds to sign a lease and interview for a job 

Yay glad you made it and can have a nice Christmas!



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However, I’m thrilled to say we arrived in the UK a few hours ago and made it through passport control at Heathrow without a hitch. They didn’t question me, so I didn’t volunteer that I have a settlement visa application pending. We didn’t see any sign of a link between UKVI (pre-decision) and the Border Force.

That's a relief, so glad to hear you didn't have any issues at the border! 

Happy Christmas and best of luck with the interview! 

Great news!  Merry Christmas!

Sorry to drop off the planet for a minute, 3 little ones and Christmas is a bit mad! @FLgator86 I'm SO happy to hear you made it over ok!!! We (I've been reading the entire saga to hubby) hope you have a lovely holiday!

Thank you so much for pointing out what I'd not even considered; proving I don't intend to try and stay without a visa. As a stay at home mom and having already sold our home (staying with my mom), I'm totally perplexed as to how I'd show I intend to leave when I'm supposed to, beyond my application and buying a return ticket. I'm worried that showing up with my UKC husband + 3 UKC kiddos and a LOT of luggage, plus not much to show for myself, it might raise some flags. 

I hope everything continues to go ok, and we hear this week anyway(or next I guess lol)!!

Sorry to drop off the planet for a minute, 3 little ones and Christmas is a bit mad! @FLgator86 I'm SO happy to hear you made it over ok!!! We (I've been reading the entire saga to hubby) hope you have a lovely holiday!

Very understandable, and I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas

Thank you so much for pointing out what I'd not even considered; proving I don't intend to try and stay without a visa. As a stay at home mom and having already sold our home (staying with my mom), I'm totally perplexed as to how I'd show I intend to leave when I'm supposed to, beyond my application and buying a return ticket. I'm worried that showing up with my UKC husband + 3 UKC kiddos and a LOT of luggage, plus not much to show for myself, it might raise some flags. 

I doubt that you'd have any issues entering with your family, if you just say you're on holiday for a month. They shouldn't have any reason to doubt you, especially if you've got previous UK entry/exit stamps in your passport. I've been in and out of the UK about 1-2 times a year for the past four years and only ever had an issue with a UK border agent once - at the Gare du Nord EuroStar railway terminal in Paris, where we went through the line seperately (lesson learned!). 

I hope everything continues to go ok, and we hear this week anyway(or next I guess lol)!!

Ditto! Though now that I'll be able to keep my licensing appointment in London and have a job interview as a bonus, I feel like the pressure's off a bit. It sucks I'll have to pay for another set of tickets just to claim my BRP but that's life. As much as I regret this experience with VFS and feel like we were ripped off - I'm grateful I was able to keep and use my passport. That's assuming I haven't invalidated my application by entering the country and there are no post-decision delays/issues with getting the vignette.

On a related topic, we saw this article in The Guardian this morning with quotes from whistleblowers about the UKVI being in a 'constant state of crisis.' This excerpt is pretty upsetting, if found to be true:

A source from the UK Visa and Immigration Unit (UKVI) has alleged that caseworkers have been ordered to kick applications for spousal visas “into the long grass” because they can make more money for the directorate by processing student visas. Spousal visas, also known as settlement visas, cost more than student visas but take much longer to process.

The source also claims visa applications are routinely labelled “complex” or ”non-straightforward” by staff – a term which excuses the UKVI from adhering to their standard processing times – it is, the source claimed, “just a euphemism for ‘there’s more profitable stuff we could be doing’”. Paying hundreds of pounds for priority services to try to avoid delays on decisions is a “waste of time”, they warned applicants.

Full Article here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/25/asylum-offices-constant-state-crisis-say-whistleblowers-home-office

WOW for some reason I'm not so shocked it's really all about money in the end isn't it ☹️ It just sucks so much for  people who just genuinely want to be with their families

Hope everyone had a good holiday!

I doubt that you'd have any issues entering with your family, if you just say you're on holiday for a month. They shouldn't have any reason to doubt you, especially if you've got previous UK entry/exit stamps in your passport. I've been in and out of the UK about 1-2 times a year for the past four years and only ever had an issue with a UK border agent once - at the Gare du Nord EuroStar railway terminal in Paris, where we went through the line seperately (lesson learned!). 

Thanks, that's very reassuring! I'm starting to feel so backed into a corner by all this that I'm more and more willing to take the risks.

That article though! Unreal. They really must not want us eh?

I've still not had a decision e-mail. Nor has VFS replied to the e-mail I sent them Friday.

The moment I hit post, VFS replied that I can get my passport any time and that they do not know about whether I can enter the UK. They suggested I contact the consulate and reminded me they'll need my passport back when they receive a decision.

This e-mail was surprisingly courteous and direct and actually admitted not knowing something. Whoever replied oddly left out their name in the signature though (as in "Sincerely," then blank). Certainly may be nothing but I find it interesting.

I suppose I will be collecting it by the end of the week. I am so nervous suddenly!

The moment I hit post, VFS replied that I can get my passport any time and that they do not know about whether I can enter the UK. They suggested I contact the consulate and reminded me they'll need my passport back when they receive a decision.

This e-mail was surprisingly courteous and direct and actually admitted not knowing something. Whoever replied oddly left out their name in the signature though (as in "Sincerely," then blank). Certainly may be nothing but I find it interesting.

I suppose I will be collecting it by the end of the week. I am so nervous suddenly!

I know it's a bit of a long shot but I'm hoping for a decision for you before then!

Yeah... that article is pretty disheartening. When we write to our MP about the gold premium VFS scam, we'll definitely quote it.

Glad you heard back from VFS and that you can get your passport back afterall. Definitely a risk that you'll have to turn right around to come get the vignette... BTW don't worry about having tons of bags - you'll go through passport control before baggage claim   

I doubt that you'd have any issues entering with your family, if you just say you're on holiday for a month. They shouldn't have any reason to doubt you, especially if you've got previous UK entry/exit stamps in your passport. I've been in and out of the UK about 1-2 times a year for the past four years and only ever had an issue with a UK border agent once - at the Gare du Nord EuroStar railway terminal in Paris, where we went through the line seperately (lesson learned!). 

Thanks, that's very reassuring! I'm starting to feel so backed into a corner by all this that I'm more and more willing to take the risks.

I'll be honest, I would not recommend doing this.

From experience of advising on the forum for the last 11 years, I would say that a one-month stay with your kids and husband, who will not be returning to the US with you, plus no job or home of your own to go back to, would be a BIG red flag and I would advise against trying it.

Visiting the UK for a short, temporary visit, when you have a family, job and home back in the US, is usually fine, but staying for 1 month, with your entire UK citizen family who are moving to the UK in tow, when you don't have a spousal visa yet, is entirely different.

The reasons they would have to doubt you:
- your husband is moving to the UK, so you may be tempted to stay with him and not return to the US
- your 'job' is a stay-at-home mom, but your kids are moving to the UK, so you won't have a 'job' to return to in the US and may be tempted to stay with them and not return to the US
- you've just sold your home, so you have no home to return to, so you may be tempted to just stay in the UK and not return to the US.

Your only saving grace might be your pending spousal visa application, but since as far as we can tell you aren't really supposed to enter the UK while it is pending, that could be a dodgy reason too (i.e. you might have issues being allowed in if you mention it, and/or you might be tempted to just not bother returning to the US to pick it up).