Devastating blow!

[Buckman]

Our daughter is in the process of immigrating to the UK and has paid a small fortune for the visa applications for 14 year and her spouse. She already has a British passport so no issue there.
All was going well until today when they got an email from UK passport control notifying them that instead of a 6 - 8 week delay, the delay is now 24 weeks or nearly 6 months due to the Ukrainian situation. They have already sold their home and are presently renting. Daughter also stopped teaching end of last term.
This would mean the 14 year may not be able to start school until the mid UK school year however it also means that his school year in South Africa will be completed leaving him with one year to complete schooling. If he comes to UK to start this Sept he would have 2 years.
They are going to try an get an emergency Visa and just for him and daughter to come to the UK initially.

 

[Parksy]

That seems unfair.
While I sympathise with Ukranians fleeing the Russian invasion, surely your daughter and her family had submitted their visa applications before the war in Eastern Europe began?
Suddenly they're at the back of the queue.

 

[otherclive]

Sorry to hear of the problems affecting your daughter. I read a few days back of such a situation where married couples where being similarly affected where one was already in UK, and the spouse had applied in 2021 and still no sign of the paperwork. Like your family homes had been sold and jobs finished It’s not even as if we are processing Ukrainian refugees very efficiently either.

The problems were endemic well before the Ukraine war. The Home Office is not fit for purpose and statments re privatisation ring hollow when considerable parts of the issuing, printing and delivery of passports are already privatised. Hopefully for your family there’s a way through this morass.

A Guide to Reasons for Delays in UK Visa Processing Time 2020

Reasons for Delays in UK visa processing 2020: what to do if visitor, spouse, student, work, priority visa or Home Office ILR application is delayed?

ukvisa.blog

.

UK spouse visas: 'This admin issue has stopped our lives'

Couples tell BBC News the delays are keeping them apart, with no idea when they will be reunited.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Buckman]

Thanks Clive for very useful links. Although I do sympathise with the Ukrainians surely Britain should not be putting foreigners before British nationals?
Sadly the huge delay is going to cost the family a huge amount of money as they now only have one income and school fees are very high. Then rental and utilities plus cost of cars etc, etc.
The big concern here is that it will eat into their savings as the daughters spouse needs to show that he has access to a large amount of funds to be able to get his visa for immigration. I think it is about £16000. As they were expecting to be in the UK by mid June he had some job offers, but now cannot progress them.
A very worrying time for them and us!

 

[otherclive]

Thanks Clive for very useful links. Although I do sympathise with the Ukrainians surely Britain should not be putting foreigners before British nationals?
Sadly the huge delay is going to cost the family a huge amount of money as they now only have one income and school fees are very high. Then rental and utilities plus cost of cars etc, etc.
The big concern here is that it will eat into their savings as the daughters spouse needs to show that he has access to a large amount of funds to be able to get his visa for immigration. I think it is about £16000. As they were expecting to be in the UK by mid June he had some job offers, but now cannot progress them.
A very worrying time for them and us!

I hadn’t appreciated the potential problem re funds. If it should materialise, which I hope it doesn’t, get in touch with your MP as they often have a route into Departments far more effective than you trying to speak to someone. It helped me some years back to bring our council to heel.

PS on reflection I’d contact my MP now

 

[Buckman]

I hadn’t appreciated the potential problem re funds. If it should materialise, which I hope it doesn’t, get in touch with your MP as they often have a route into Departments far more effective than you trying to speak to someone. It helped me some years back to bring our council to heel.

PS on reflection I’d contact my MP now

Excellent idea. I have asked daughter for further details. Recently as they could not get an appointment for X rays in Durban until mid June 2022 they did a round trip of nearly 800 miles from Durban to Pretoria staying overnight in Pretoria to have the X rays done almost immediately.
Up to date they have already spent a lot of money having the two visas' processed plus they may need to get the AHC redone for the dogs if delayed. Staying an extra 4 -5 months will put a severe dent in their savings. They are also skilled workers whose skills are in demand in the UK!

 

[Dustydog]

Sorry to hear this news. There is no excuse and certainly I cannot understand what the Ukraine problem has to do with this. Makes you wonder who has got it right , those crossing the Channel illegally😵‍💫.
I agree your MP may be able to help. Also a lot of the National newspapers Problem Solvers take up cases like your daughters.
Eg Kate Morley problem Solver Daily Telegraph.
or Daily Express and Daily Mail. Their journalists have access to some very important people in HMG who don’t want embarrassing stories. Not a technically good route but when needs must could pull the right strings.

 

[Buckman]

Thanks for the input and words of consolation. Obviously this issue and delay has caused them and us a lot of stress especially the daughter as they are now in limbo. She is a big worrier so hopefully it will not impact her health.

In addition to OC's info about contacting our MP, DD excellent idea regarding newspapers so I guess for the first time in umpteen years I will need to go out and buy some newspapers.

Do the problem solvers appear every day or only on certain days? Perhaps they have website links.

 

[otherclive]

Thanks for the input and words of consolation. Obviously this issue and delay has caused them and us a lot of stress especially the daughter as they are now in limbo. She is a big worrier so hopefully it will not impact her health.

In addition to OC's info about contacting our MP, DD excellent idea regarding newspapers so I guess for the first time in umpteen years I will need to go out and buy some newspapers.

Do the problem solvers appear every day or only on certain days? Perhaps they have website links.

Local BBC/ITV news might be interested in covering such a difficult situation for you and your family.

 

[Beachball]

Hope you see your daughter and family soon so life can move forward as you all wish

 

[Buckman]

Listening to the news this morning and taking into account what was being said, I really think that someone should take note of the phrase " Charity starts at home"!
We do sympathise with the Ukrainians as I was in a similar position many years ago.

We managed to get a doctor's letter regarding our current situation and it has been submitted to UKVI and surprisingly they responded to the letter over the weekend stating that they will look into it. They then sent a second email to the daughter this morning confirming again that they are investigating it so maybe things will start moving.

We also contacted our MP outlining the situation and she has sent a letter to the relevant department.

 

[Dustydog]

Let’s hope you get a result very soon.
Working from home or not shouldn’t be an excuse for the inordinate delays you guys have suffered. The phrase excuse “Because of Covid” is no longer relevant.

 

[Buckman]

Due to incidents like this is why the daughter and family want to get out of SA as soon as possible. Although this incident did not take place near them, friends of theirs had a similar incident happen to them in Pinetown which is not far away. Their friends were lucky that only the vehicle was stolen and that they were not shot.

These sort of incidents and similar are a regular occurrence every day! About two weeks ago the daughter was diverted from her normal school run as two murders had occurred along one of the roads.

Despite submitting medical evidence via a Doctor's letter regarding OH's current medical condition plus mine and that we had already lost one daughter last year etc, it was deemed that it there were insufficient grounds for compassionate circumstances to be considered!

Annoying people who applied for ancestral visa after daughter's spouse and son application have has their visas granted. Daughter's should have applied for ancestral visa for son as he is entitled to it as grandparents and forefathers all British. As their passports are being held and have been held for over 2 months they cannot even travel to Eswatini (Swaziland) to see our son to say goodbye.

Sorry for the rant, but needed to get it off my chest.

 

[Dustydog]

Really sorry and sad to hear this very frustrating news. Is there anything your MP can do to pull a few strings? That’s why we have MPs and they know we vote for them😵‍💫😵‍💫.
Being cynical they’d do better buying a rubber dinghy and set sale from Calais. I hope between all of you you can sort a swift result to this tragic circumstance. Hard to believe it’s happening in the 21st Century.

 

[Buckman]

Really sorry and sad to hear this very frustrating news. Is there anything your MP can do to pull a few strings? That’s why we have MPs and they know we vote for them😵‍💫😵‍💫.
Being cynical they’d do better buying a rubber dinghy and set sale from Calais. I hope between all of you you can sort a swift result to this tragic circumstance. Hard to believe it’s happening in the 21st Century.

All I got from our MP for whom we voted was I will pass it onto the relevant department. Not even sure if she did pass it on as heard nothing more. I have written a second letter last week since then and heard n othing back, but early days I guess.

 

[Raywood]

Have you tried the personal appointment route. My nephew needed a passport quickly, and was able to visit an office to get one. This can often mean a long trip, he had to go to South Wales from Teesside, and I heard of one person going from Manchester to Glasgow.

 

[Buckman]

Have you tried the personal appointment route. My nephew needed a passport quickly, and was able to visit an office to get one. This can often mean a long trip, he had to go to South Wales from Teesside, and I heard of one person going from Manchester to Glasgow.

That is only available if you are living in the Britain. They were willing to pay for the Priority service, but that has been stopped while they deal with Ukrainian visas.

Daughter who has the British citizenship is now trying to get back grandson's passport as he can come over as her dependent as he needs to start school over here.

Terrible the way familes are being forced to split up due to the issue with the Home office delaying issue of family visas to immediate family of a British citizen as daughter's family are not alone by a long stretch!

 

[Buckman]

A glimmer of hope. Yesterday they were contacted by UKVI and asked to pay the £1700 for NHS in case medicla treatment was needed. Hardly seems fair, but it has now been paid.
Unlikely UKVI would ask for the payment unless the Visas are about to be granted so hopefully good news in the next couple of days. They have sold just about all their furniture and have their suitcases packed.

 

[otherclive]

A glimmer of hope. Yesterday they were contacted by UKVI and asked to pay the £1700 for NHS in case medicla treatment was needed. Hardly seems fair, but it has now been paid.
Unlikely UKVI would ask for the payment unless the Visas are about to be granted so hopefully good news in the next couple of days. They have sold just about all their furniture and have their suitcases packed.

Fingers crossed. Perhaps the MPs input has done something. In my experience when an MP submits a constituent‘s issue to a Ministers office it does focus attention far more than would be the case if the constituent had written directly to the department and marked their letter FAO the minister. In that case it just goes into the mail system unless it’s deemed sufficiently important to perhaps bring media attention to the minister.

 

[Buckman]

Good news is that daughter is arriving on Wednesday as she has a British passport. Her spouse and our youngest grandson are still waiting for family visas to be approved.

Here comes the crunch. The eldest grandson was not going to come with them and was going to stay in South Africa. However due to a change in circumstances he has decided to come and applied for an ancestral visa a few weeks ago. It has been approved and he is coming in September!

Not sure why UKVI is so intent on splitting up families?

 

[Dustydog]

At last some good news 🤞🤞🤞
Hopefully all happy families very soon.

Not sure why UKVI is so intent on splitting up families? Because they are part of the Home Office. Work from home culture 🤪🤪😉😉

 

[Buckman]

At last some good news 🤞🤞🤞
Hopefully all happy families very soon.

Not sure why UKVI is so intent on splitting up families? Because they are part of the Home Office. Work from home culture 🤪🤪😉😉

Thanks. Checked airport parking charges for short stays and nearly collapsed! Daylight robbery springs to mind! Oh well only happens once every few years.

 

[otherclive]

At last some good news 🤞🤞🤞
Hopefully all happy families very soon.

Not sure why UKVI is so intent on splitting up families? Because they are part of the Home Office. Work from home culture 🤪🤪😉😉

If it was “ working from home” it shouldn’t be a problem but it’s more like “ quiet quitting” these days. ☹️

 

[Jcloughie]

Thanks. Checked airport parking charges for short stays and nearly collapsed! Daylight robbery springs to mind! Oh well only happens once every few years.

I fully agree. In about 2011 a group of my students had been in the Philippines doing charity work. We got them to Heathrow no problem. But when I investigated picking them up I got a shock. I would be driving a van for the luggage, and a colleague would take the mini bus. The van was, as you say, expensive, but the mini bus was too high for the barrier. So they wanted £70 to put it in a coach park. Best part of £100 for both. I could have claimed expenses, but we tried something else. We went to the drop off which is above arrivals and told the group to come upstairs. All went well until a copper in a tow truck came. My female, colleague was sweet talking him and as it was a charity mission, he was softening. Then a car turned up trying the same pick up thing. The copper said, “there's a mini cab, I hate them” and went off to get him leaving us alone.

Strange how things happen.

Birmingham are OK for collections.

John

 

[Dustydog]

Still cost me £6.00 in the multi storey awaiting family arrival at Birmingham . Sign of the grab what you can society🤬