Thread for Outland LONDON, Non UK Applications!

[salsaadani]

Hey everyone! I'm so glad I found this thread for non UK applications / non visa exempt applicants! It's good to find more people in the same boat as myself!

I have a question and I hope that anyone who is / has been in a similar position as myself could advise. I am currently in the UK on a student visa, and my course is due to end this summer. My husband is sponsoring me from Canada, so my application is being processed in London. The application was received in London in February and on April 23rd went to 'in process.' However, because my course will end soon I will need to travel back to my home country and live there until the PR is approved and I can move to Canada to be with my husband.

My question is about changing my address - what have people in a similar situation to mine (having to leave the UK while their visa is being processed) done about their addresses? Did you change your address to your address in your home country? Or did you change it to another residential address of say a friend or relative here in the UK? And if so, do you think that may have slowed down the processing of the application?

I'm worried that if I change my address to my residential address in my home country, the application may get sent to my home country - and it takes a lot more time to process it from there. If anyone could advise on what the best thing to do in this situation is I would be really really grateful!

Many many thanks in advance!

 

[blueboom]

Welcome! A lot of us have been in this situation. It's not likely that London will transfer your file to another VO, especially because you've already gone into process. It's at their discretion, but they really don't like to do it. You don't have to worry about that much.

When does your student visa expire? There are some complications you could run into, the biggest one being that if you are requested to appear at an interview, it would be conducted in London and you would presumably need a visa to return to the UK (unless you are visa exempt to the UK). Your PR visa also has to be issued by the VO processing your application, so your passport would need to go to London.

As for updating your residential address, you absolutely have to inform CIC when you move from country to country. You can, however, appoint your spouse as your representative and change the mailing address to a Canadian one. The good news is that they mostly communicate by email so very rarely does anyone receive anything by mail. In theory the only regular mail correspondence for non visa exempt applicants would be when the passport is submitted and returned for issuing the visa, and, at the time of submitting, you can specify a mailing address for the return of the passport too.

 

[salsaadani]

Hi blueboom! Thanks a lot for your reply. Actually my student visa expires in May 2014. However, I'm a PhD student and have already submitted my thesis and am waiting for my viva. So although my visa is theoretically valid for another yr, once I have got my degree, there is a chance that the university will inform the UKBA that I have finished my course and to cancel my visa :s what I am intending to do though is to apply for a tourist visa as soon as I leave the UK, so that I can come back if needed. In that case, when the passport is requested, couldn't I just go in person?

Appointing my spouse as my representative sounds like an interesting option which could potentially save us a lot of hassle. Do you have any idea how we could do that / what procedures we would need to take?

Thanks a lot blueboom!

 

[blueboom]

Hi blueboom! Thanks a lot for your reply. Actually my student visa expires in May 2014. However, I'm a PhD student and have already submitted my thesis and am waiting for my viva. So although my visa is theoretically valid for another yr, once I have got my degree, there is a chance that the university will inform the UKBA that I have finished my course and to cancel my visa :s what I am intending to do though is to apply for a tourist visa as soon as I leave the UK, so that I can come back if needed. In that case, when the passport is requested, couldn't I just go in person?

Appointing my spouse as my representative sounds like an interesting option which could potentially save us a lot of hassle. Do you have any idea how we could do that / what procedures we would need to take?

Thanks a lot blueboom!

If you're able to get a visa to return to the UK and you have the funds to support yourself, you won't have any of those problems I mentioned! I honestly have no idea if universities inform UKBA of anything, so I'm afraid I can't help you with that one. Being physically present in the UK would be the best option, though for some it's not feasible.

 

[AfShe]

ALHAMDULILAH ALHAMDULILAH ALHAMDULILAH (THANK GOD)

We finally received our passport request today!!!

Thank GOD my husband and I can now leave for Canada together, InshAllah!!!

Thanks to everyone here on this forum, it definitely makes this process a little bearable...

and for all still waiting, hang in there, the process will end soon...

 

[blueboom]

ALHAMDULILAH ALHAMDULILAH ALHAMDULILAH (THANK GOD)

We finally received our passport request today!!!

Thank GOD my husband and I can now leave for Canada together, InshAllah!!!

Thanks to everyone here on this forum, it definitely makes this process a little bearable...

and for all still waiting, hang in there, the process will end soon...

CONGRATS!!!! I am SO happy for you!!

 

[blueboom]

My husband's passport was received by London.

 

[AfShe]

CONGRATS!!!! I am SO happy for you!!

thanks!

 

[AfShe]

Hi everyone,

ALHAMDULILAH the Ecas has now changed to decision made for my husband!! we submitted his passport last Thursday on May 9, 2013. I didn't check ecas over the weekend but I'm assuming that it has changed today and not over the weekend...

Can someone please update the spreadsheet? Also, under the "Notes" section of spreadsheet, please remove "waiting since 222 days"... thanks!

 

[blueboom]

Hi everyone,

ALHAMDULILAH the Ecas has now changed to decision made for my husband!! we submitted his passport last Thursday on May 9, 2013. I didn't check ecas over the weekend but I'm assuming that it has changed today and not over the weekend...

Can someone please update the spreadsheet? Also, under the "Notes" section of spreadsheet, please remove "waiting since 222 days"... thanks!

That's fantastic!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 

[AfShe]

That's fantastic!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

thanks!

 

[aliasif83]

Hi
I applied on August 2012, In november LVO requested my CSQ, I have applied for CSQ and Forward the copy of CSQ to London Visa Office in February 2013, after then i haven't received any update so we decided to contact Local MP so we contacted and MP called to london visa office and ask the status they said they have start working on my application from 10th May my wife PRC Renewal was in process which is granted last month thats why they stopped processing my application. and MP said call back to me after two weeks so i will contact LVO for Application Status.

Any Idea of Duration from now

Thanks

 

[srehal]

Hi Guys,

Just to update you all with my situation, file went in process Feb 14, 2013 after our interview on the 13th of Feb. We are still waiting for the background checks to be done. We were asked to submit a new police certificate as the old one had expired. We have our fingers crossed that everything should happen soon!!! Anyone know how long it takes for background cheques for non visa exempt sponsorships?

Thanks and Good luck,
Sonia

 

[Sweden]

Hi Guys,

Just to update you all with my situation, file went in process Feb 14, 2013 after our interview on the 13th of Feb. We are still waiting for the background checks to be done. We were asked to submit a new police certificate as the old one had expired. We have our fingers crossed that everything should happen soon!!! Anyone know how long it takes for background cheques for non visa exempt sponsorships?

Thanks and Good luck,
Sonia

there is no standard answer. Background checks depend on the nationality of the applicant, how many countries he/she has lived before, where he/she has lived before, and how willingly the authorities cooperate with CIC on background checks. So - can go from 1 month, to... anything else.
Good luck,
Sweden

 

[blueboom]

Ok. My husband's passport was received on the 8th of May. We emailed London two days after asking if they received our self addressed envelope. They said they haven't received the passport, never mind the self addressed envelope, and we emailed London back with copies of the confirmation of delivery and the signature of the person who signed for it. They said it's probably in their backlog and they should issue the visa in one to two weeks. I emailed them on Friday because it was more than two weeks since they received it and we haven't received anything. They haven't responded yet, which is fine because there was a bank holiday on Monday. We've hit three weeks now since they received the passport and we haven't gotten anything in the mail.

Does anyone have any advice? I don't want them to refuse the application if they claim we never sent the
passport within 30 days (which is Saturday!). I am thinking to send an email tomorrow reiterating that we sent the pp, have the confirmation of delivery and want to know if they found it! I just hope they give people some leeway because of the strike.