Time frame for legally staying in the United Kingdom

[MonkeyJuice 3]

What??? They already processed all the original forms. Your fiance is meant to be in additional processing right? What a mess. I hope they get their act together & sort this out before your fiance's visa expires.

Was thinking...even if your fiance does have to go back to Pakistan. Could he leave some ID with a friend or somebody he trusts so that they could sign for the visa for him? He could collect it on his trip back to USA.

So sorry for you guys.

[JeremyR 8]

I would imagine they simply lost it. Shouldn't happen but it does (at all stages of the K1-Embassy-AOS process). Either that or they just want to ensure that there haven't been any changes in the last 4 months and 7 days . Don't sweat it. I'm sure you've looked by now but it's a single page form with not particularly tricky questions so the 'missing' form itself shouldn't be much of a hold up and hopefully the fact that they're now verifying that nothing has changed indicates that you're getting to the end of the AP process...

[MARM 7]

What??? They already processed all the original forms. Your fiance is meant to be in additional processing right? What a mess. I hope they get their act together & sort this out before your fiance's visa expires.

Was thinking...even if your fiance does have to go back to Pakistan. Could he leave some ID with a friend or somebody he trusts so that they could sign for the visa for him? He could collect it on his trip back to USA.

So sorry for you guys.

That is what I was thinking, the DS-157 is processed before the interview date is set, and the Administrative Processing after the interview from what I know is based on the information from all those forms that one sends to the embassy prior to an interview date being scheduled. This is so confusing... the fact that they want a new DS-157 after so many months from the interview...

Oh and yes, we could do that, but I don't know if it is the right thing to do. First, his passport is with the embassy, so he will need it to travel back to Pakistan. Then, sending the passport over, and getting it sent to the embassy in London again...and I am sure if London knows that he left Pakistan because his UK student visa expired, they would wonder what his passport is doing back in the country. And as in Thayani's case, the US Embassy in London DOES NOT HESITATE to call up the UKHO and complain about a suspecting defaulter of the UK immigration system.

[Nik+Heather 121]

Well, maybe someone spilled coffee on it and it's now illegible. Maybe someone's REEEEEALLLY embarrassed about it.

Hope that with the new form in hand you can get more progress on your case, MARM.

I am thinking about you every day, and come to the UK forum first thing in the morning hoping that you have good news for us - will continue doing so.

[MARM 7]

Well, maybe someone spilled coffee on it and it's now illegible. Maybe someone's REEEEEALLLY embarrassed about it.

Hope that with the new form in hand you can get more progress on your case, MARM.

I am thinking about you every day, and come to the UK forum first thing in the morning hoping that you have good news for us - will continue doing so.

Thanks Yeah, I hope that it is something like that. Will post an update (of course ).

[MonkeyJuice 3]

What??? They already processed all the original forms. Your fiance is meant to be in additional processing right? What a mess. I hope they get their act together & sort this out before your fiance's visa expires.

Was thinking...even if your fiance does have to go back to Pakistan. Could he leave some ID with a friend or somebody he trusts so that they could sign for the visa for him? He could collect it on his trip back to USA.

So sorry for you guys.

That is what I was thinking, the DS-157 is processed before the interview date is set, and the Administrative Processing after the interview from what I know is based on the information from all those forms that one sends to the embassy prior to an interview date being scheduled. This is so confusing... the fact that they want a new DS-157 after so many months from the interview...

Oh and yes, we could do that, but I don't know if it is the right thing to do. First, his passport is with the embassy, so he will need it to travel back to Pakistan. Then, sending the passport over, and getting it sent to the embassy in London again...and I am sure if London knows that he left Pakistan because his UK student visa expired, they would wonder what his passport is doing back in the country. And as in Thayani's case, the US Embassy in London DOES NOT HESITATE to call up the UKHO and complain about a suspecting defaulter of the UK immigration system.

Hmm oh yeah, I forgot they had his passport & yes you're right you need to stick to the rules.

Fingers crossed for you.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

thought you might be interested in this article, Marm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/20...kistan-students

[MARM 7]

thought you might be interested in this article, Marm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/20...kistan-students

"Well, Pakistani students are no longer laughing. They are absolutely fuming at the British government, with many vowing never to apply for study in the UK again."

^^^This statement echoes my fiance's thoughts...his UK student visa extension took from Nov-April to get approved, but he got the actual passport back in June, even though it was approved in April, so a total of 8 months...just to get a one year extension, which he had 4 months left of when he received the extension approval, and now that is ending in Nov 09, and we are not even thinking of applying for another extension, it is not an option for us and hopefully he will get the K-1 visa long before the expiry of his current extension. It is a sad situation, and it is not because the UKBA has put in place security measures like AP/AR for USA visas, it is because of poor organization, poor implementation procedures, and poor training of these new people under the supposedly "revamped" student visa system in the UK.

Edited September 21, 2009 by MARM

[MARM 7]

Update:

Yesterday, DOS:

Case has been approved but transferred to NIV unit from the IV unit for quicker processing...approved but waiting on administrative processing to be complete. The transfer from IV unit to NIV unit caused the request for the new DS-157. He sent his new DS-157 via email attachment (weird request by the embassy via email asking to email the DS-157 as an attachment...stupid of them to say because the DS-157 is not in savable format, however we managed to obtain a savable version from a fellow VJ member) to London on Friday Sept 18, 09, but according to DOS, it hasn't been put in the system yet.

^^^All of the above info is from a DOS representative.

Today, we get a copy of the letter my congressman's staff worker wrote to DOS (and she has helped us all along, but this time she messed up!). I called to let her know she wrote the inquiry incorrectly, and she told me that she already has the answer for it and that it doesn't matter that she worded the inquiry incorrectly(it DOES matter!) the reply is "pending administrative processing, there is no time limit, and the I-129F does not expire while K-1 is in AP"...we explicitly explained the situation to the staff worker at the congressman's office, that we need information regarding what will happen if end of Nov 09 rolls around and my fiance's K-1 visa is not issued but his UK student visa expires and he has to leave the UK...the staff worker worded her inquiry to DOS as, "....worried that her husband's (I can't beleive she wrote husband when he is my FIANCE) visa will expire while his visa is in in administrative processing..." This statement makes NO SENSE to me, so how would DOS know how to respond properly? Especially since I have had detailed conversations with this staff worker, I don't know how she messed up this inquiry. So anyway, the staff worker said she would call DOS and get back to me, but she said, "I am pretty sure he can stay out of status in the UK while his K-1 is processing. But I will call DOS and get back to you on that" WTH???? NO HE CAN'T! And I don't know if she will get back to me because she forgot about the first phone call inquiry she said she was going to make for me.

I still did not hear back from the embassy when I emailed them asking what is going to happen to the K-1 visa processing if his UK student visa expires and he has to leave the UK. And today, DOS reps tell me it is still in administrative processing.

So I don't know what to believe except pray and hope that it really has been approved and that it will be issued soon!

[JeremyR 8]

<sigh> Sorry it's all so confusing.

I wouldn't rely on the embassy receiving the form by email if I were you, as you said, that sounds like a most unusual request. If the DOS don't show it as received in a couple of days, I'd be inclined to follow it up with a copy via Royal Mail Special Delivery (because it has proof of delivery). I think the address is Immigrant Visa Unit, 5 Upper Grosvenor Street, London, W1A 2JB (from my old Packet Three forms). Although you would presumably address it to the NIV unit now, with a covering note, LDN number, etc. In fact, in your shoes, I might be inclined to do that anyway because in the covering note, you could mention what your case worker wasn't able to express properly and know that it will (probably) be read...

If you don't mind me asking, which state are you in? If it happens to be GA, I can pass you the contact details of an immigration case worker with a congressman's office who helped my wife expedite my I-129F and chased up my delayed EAD for me. She also liased with London (read: she hounded them) to speed up my interview a bit - she's good.

Edited September 24, 2009 by JeremyR

[MARM 7]

<sigh> Sorry it's all so confusing.

I wouldn't rely on the embassy receiving the form by email if I were you, as you said, that sounds like a most unusual request. If the DOS don't show it as received in a couple of days, I'd be inclined to follow it up with a copy via Royal Mail Special Delivery (because it has proof of delivery). I think the address is Immigrant Visa Unit, 5 Upper Grosvenor Street, London, W1A 2JB (from my old Packet Three forms). Although you would presumably address it to the NIV unit now, with a covering note, LDN number, etc. In fact, in your shoes, I might be inclined to do that anyway because in the covering note, you could mention what your case worker wasn't able to express properly and know that it will (probably) be read...

If you don't mind me asking, which state are you in? If it happens to be GA, I can pass you the contact details of an immigration case worker with a congressman's office who helped my wife expedite my I-129F and chased up my delayed EAD for me. She also liased with London (read: she hounded them) to speed up my interview a bit - she's good.

JeremyR, your support is ever so much appreciated

My fiance and I were thinking of following up with a printed out DS-157 today. Twice, DOS reps said to wait until Friday because London is "really busy and slow". So I guess we wait until Friday and then Monday send out the printed DS-157 to the embassy via Special Delivery...just hope Royal Mail isn't on strike .

I am in the state of Illinois. Could your GA immigration case worker help us? That would be marvelous, although I know that most of the time they refer people to the workers of their respective states. Both Senators and Congressman in the state of IL weren't much of a help...the congressman's worker tries to be, but she gets it all confused . The other two, Senators' case workers are too busy being "courteous" to their congressional liaisons as they tell me that I can't ask them to make another inquiry unless 60 days have passed from the first one.

I would really appreciate if you could pass on the contact details of the immigration case worker who helped you both out. It couldn't hurt to ask if she could help us out. We are at the point of desperation, because technically speaking, my fiance has exactly 2 months and 1 week from today until he is out of status in the UK and MUST LEAVE. And no one is understanding how important it is that we receive the CORRECT, NECESSARY information from DOS and London.

Please PM me, if you can, with the contact details. It will be GREATLY appreciated

Thanks so much in advance!

[JeremyR 8]

Please PM me, if you can, with the contact details. It will be GREATLY appreciated

You've got a PM

[MARM 7]

I contacted the case worker today, so let's see what she says when she gets back to me.

In other news (lol)

Mystery solved! The reason I was told that my fiance was approved on Sept 16, 09, is because that is the day his case was moved from the IV unit to the NIV unit for visa issuing. I guess after they do something with the DS-157 is when they will issue his visa. As of today, the DS-157 has not been put in the system, so I guess I will have my fiance mail it out tomorrow via Royal Mail Special Delivery!

Oh and this info was given to me by a DOS rep...it wasn't easy getting this info from her, I had to ask a million questions and tell her I knew the dates of such and such events that have been entered into the system so she knew that I know that they can see things such as dates and other info and that she needs to tell me.

Edited September 24, 2009 by MARM

[Gemmie 142]

It sounds like good news, Marm. At least he's out of security checks and now waiting for someone to physically issue the visa. Hopefully once they get that DS-157 (assuming they haven't already got the electronic copy and are just taking ages to put it in the system), they can release the visa for GOOD!

Also, your congressman's staff worker has no clue.. I can't believe she told you that he's allowed to be out of status while his K1 is processing. It's a US visa, not a UK one!

[MARM 7]

It sounds like good news, Marm. At least he's out of security checks and now waiting for someone to physically issue the visa. Hopefully once they get that DS-157 (assuming they haven't already got the electronic copy and are just taking ages to put it in the system), they can release the visa for GOOD!

Also, your congressman's staff worker has no clue.. I can't believe she told you that he's allowed to be out of status while his K1 is processing. It's a US visa, not a UK one!

Thanks for the support as always Gemmie!

Yes, we are hoping that his the case, that they are just waiting on his DS-157. So he sent one out (again) but this time via Royal Mail Recorded Special Delivery, so that we have the piece of mind that it has been actually received by a person. I called DOS later today and they said that London is really busy which is why they have not but the emailed one in the system yet...which is just a guess, and we can't afford guessing anymore, since my fiance has 2 months until his UK student visa expires!

And yeah, the congressman's staff worker hasn't a clue what she is talking about. If she gave her information out to someone else whose UK FLR(S) was already expired, that person would be in cuffs with the UKHO! They have a zero tolerance for over-stayers, especially students from East Asian countries!