Is this possible?

[MARM 7]

Well, as there is a likely chance my fiance will be put on AP/AR once he has his interview, we have a question.

His mother is not well so we were thinking whether it is possible that if, in the case he is put on AP/AR after interview, that he still make his trip to Pakistan to visit his mother and while there, if his AP/AR is over, is it possible for him to send his passport to the UK from Pakistan (via secure postal services of course) and have his friends/family in the UK then arrange for the SMS courier service to pick up his passport and take it to the embassy and then his friends/family also receive his passport with the issued visa and documents from the courier on his behalf and then his friends/family mail it via secure postal services back to him in Pakistan. Is this possible?

To break it down:

If my fiance gets put on AP/AR after his interview-

*He travels to Pakistan

*If while he is in Pakistan, the embassy notifies him (is it via email or phone?) that his AP/AR is over:

*He mails his passport (securely of course) to the UK

*Then the friends (TRUSTED friends of course) in the UK arrange for SMS courier service to take his passport to the embassy for the visa issuance.

*His friends receive his brown envelope and passport at home from the SMS courier service on his behalf.

*His friends send back his passport and brown envelope (securely of course) to Pakistan where he will be.

*He takes his passport and brown envelope directly from Pakistan to POE here in the USA.

I know that it will be extremely stressful to wait throughout this process if he chooses to do this, but at this point, we are just looking at this option as a possibility.

Is this scenario even possible or something that can be done?

[Nik+Heather 121]

I am not sure that the embassy knows or cares what you do with the passport before they get it or after they send it back...

However, it will be carrying documentation that he is no longer in the UK, so I think better to be up front about it. Maybe he asks at the interview?

Are you going to have to change addresses as well? Maybe you'll just have to see how they react to a "care of" line in the address. :-/

I'm sorry all your timings seem to be colliding in the worst possible way!

Edited April 29, 2009 by Nik+Heather

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Probably possible, but geez, with all the problems he's had getting his passport back...(does he even have it yet?)..I would never let it out of my sight again. What if things happened in the sending receiving? He's in Pakistan without a passport to get back to the UK to track down his missing brown envelope/visa. Would the friends be diligent in taking off work and waiting on the courier. Will they deliver without proof that he lives at that address. I had such a problem with SMS never notifying when it would be delivered. They had no record of the delivery receipt number. Spent two days calling and waiting. It was an annoying mess, but I wonder if friends would follow through if there was a mess up.

I guess it's just a priority thing...what's the most important...the function in Pakistan or getting a visa securely in hand and coming to the US finally. Sometimes we're stuck with hard choices. It's so unfortunate that you got so delayed and had to put off the interview twice.

[MARM 7]

Thanks Nik+Heather and Nich-Nick for your responses!

I was just wondering if this was a possible method. But me and my fiance both are leaning towards just waiting out AP/AR in the UK...we already have dealt with enough of high blood pressure and stress

And I am sure that if he went to Pakistan while he was expecting to hear from the embassy in the UK, he wouldn't sleep well for one night wondering about how things will work out and waiting for the passport to arrive safely in UK, then waiting to get a positive response from friends, then waiting for the passport to be successfully delivered to the embassy and back, then waiting for it to be safely in his hands in Pakistan... :wacko: its going to be too much!

Yes, his mother is unwell and his brother and sister both have weddings in Pakistan as well this summer...but I am sure that they would not want him to be under extra stress after what we have already experienced.

Still waiting for the passport visa SMS...this Friday he goes IN PERSON to the UK Home Office if it is not in his hands by then. After his interview, I just hope that he is not in AP/AR for long. 4-5 weeks we can handle, but not longer than that!

Thanks once again guys...it helps us to put things into concrete perspective when we post here on VJ and then you wonderful people offer your advice, really appreciate it! :star:

Edited April 29, 2009 by MARM

[JeremyR 8]

*His friends receive his brown envelope and passport at home from the SMS courier service on his behalf.

I think this is your sticking point. SMS require ID from the addressee before they hand over the package...

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Still waiting for the passport visa SMS...this Friday he goes IN PERSON to the UK Home Office if it is not in his hands by then. After his interview, I just hope that he is not in AP/AR for long. 4-5 weeks we can handle, but not longer than that!

So have you talked to SMS about where it is? I called them so much that I do know they can figure out where it is by the intended delivery address, even without a valid receipt number. They also called the driver to find out where he was and reported back...(a) truck broke down and back to shop so no more deliveries that day, ( b ) rainstorm delaying him, ( c ) stuck on the motorway in traffic, (d) should be there in 30 minutes....etc.

Edited April 29, 2009 by Nich-Nick

[*julez* 124]

*His friends receive his brown envelope and passport at home from the SMS courier service on his behalf.

I think this is your sticking point. SMS require ID from the addressee before they hand over the package...

My husband's packet was delivered to his father without incident.

[MARM 7]

Still waiting for the passport visa SMS...this Friday he goes IN PERSON to the UK Home Office if it is not in his hands by then. After his interview, I just hope that he is not in AP/AR for long. 4-5 weeks we can handle, but not longer than that!

So have you talked to SMS about where it is? I called them so much that I do know they can figure out where it is by the intended delivery address, even without a valid receipt number. They also called the driver to find out where he was and reported back...(a) truck broke down and back to shop so no more deliveries that day, ( b ) rainstorm delaying him, ( c ) stuck on the motorway in traffic, (d) should be there in 30 minutes....etc.

You know, honestly it is quite ridiculous...the Home Office refuses to give out any information whatsoever about when they dispatched the passport. They keep telling my fiance that they cannot offer any information until 14 weeks have passed from his biometrics---what they DO NOT understand is that my fiance has already been approved and granted his student visa extension and the fact that he received his biometric ID card last week on Thursday with all the info about his approval on it! And the UK Home Office website/email service is obviously of no help...because they clearly state that the biometric card follows the passport within 7 days of receipt of the passport. They state the same thing when they email. So we are thinking they did it the other way around for him: the biometric card first, and the passport within 7 working days afterward, so that means by this Friday he should have his passport. And how did we figure out it is delivered through SMS? By contacting other people who have applied for extensions. We don't really know how to track it with SMS because we do not even know for sure if the UK Home Office has dispatched it. However, this Friday, we are planning on him going to the UK Home Office in person to collect his documents---although they denied him this service on the phone, the website states that it is a possibility and the only way to find out if it works is for him to actually go there, which he will on Friday if no passport by then.

And thanks JeremyR and *julez* , so this means that my fiance will have to be at home at least, if not he must give his ID to someone to present on his behalf for the passport/brown envelope. We will stick with him being there to avoid any further stress or worries.

Edited April 29, 2009 by MARM

[JeremyR 8]

My husband's packet was delivered to his father without incident.

Interesting. I was asked for ID... As far as I know, SMS' delivery network is made up of private contract couriers (i.e. not direct SMS employees) so maybe it depends on the policy of their local delivery agent too...

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

SMS knocked on our door at 6.50am and shoved the grey plastic envelope at me. Didn't sign for anything, wasn't asked for any ID.

[NickyMcMillan 0]

I think this is your sticking point. SMS require ID from the addressee before they hand over the package...

No, I was not asked for ID. I've had lots of deliveries from sms over the years (they deal with seetickets as well) never once was I asked for ID. Though right enough, they say it is required.

[Laura+Tom 2]

I think it depends on the delivery person to whether they ask for ID. For example, when delivering Recorded and Special delivery the Royal Mail should ask to see ID however more often than not they don't. It's the same when picking up said parcels from the depot. It depends on the person. So saying you weren't ask to produce ID doesn't mean someone else won't be.

Edited April 30, 2009 by Laura+Tom

[Stinky Monkey 1]

I was asked for ID I showed my bank card

[VisaJourneyLady 33]

I was asked for ID - I told them, you're holding my bloody ID in that envelope. The accepted a credit card.

[MARM 7]

I was asked for ID - I told them, you're holding my bloody ID in that envelope. The accepted a credit card.