Time frame for legally staying in the United Kingdom

[MARM 7]

is there a possibility that it will come tomorrow, marm?

Yes Lisabette, there is a possibility that it may come tomorrow or Monday. The Home Office is not giving us any information about it, they are much worse than USCIS in terms of customer service. But we still have emailed the embassy today and asked for a 2 week extension for the interview date. Last time we asked for an extension, the embassy took two days to respond (we sent them the email on a Mon, they got back to us on a Wed). Hopefully the embassy can get back to us with a response on Monday. Either the passport should show up by then or the embassy should get back to us, otherwise my fiance will show up on Tuesday for his interview--and then we will deal with what he faces there.

[mr and mrs 187]

i hope it comes tomorrow. and that he can just go to the interview on tuesday. jesus. this is getting ridiculous. again, i am amazed by your ability to keep it together under these circumstances.

today would have been just about perfect IF he had gotten the passport.

it'd better come tomorrow. you hear me, mailman guy/girl? TOMORROW.

[MARM 7]

i hope it comes tomorrow. and that he can just go to the interview on tuesday. jesus. this is getting ridiculous. again, i am amazed by your ability to keep it together under these circumstances.

today would have been just about perfect IF he had gotten the passport.

it'd better come tomorrow. you hear me, mailman guy/girl? TOMORROW.

<to mail man> yeah, listen to Lisabette!

Honestly it is not as easy at it seems to keep our cool and not melt under the frustration and waiting...but thank God we are stronger than this! No UKBA or any other authority can dictate our lives...this has always been our attitude and we do not depend on any immigration, but I really hope that all our waiting so far and our patience pays off ASAP!!!

[mr and mrs 187]

yeah yeah yeah. im sure youre faking it. but i really do not think that many people could hold up with the courage that you and your fiance have in this kinda shitty situation.

my highest regards, and my best wishes to you both.

<waiting for really good news>

love,

me.

[MARM 7]

quick update: Saturday April 25,09: No passport.

One day left for it to show up (Monday), if not, thank God we emailed the embassy for an extension yesterday, hopefully they will get back to us ASAP, on Monday!

Have a great weekend everyone!

MARM

[mr and mrs 187]

okay. im starting to think you are a robot, marm! how do you handle all of this so well?

the is for you.

okay. so we wait for monday.

[MARM 7]

okay. im starting to think you are a robot, marm! how do you handle all of this so well?

the is for you.

okay. so we wait for monday.

we have a deadline in mind...and if by that deadline this stuff is not sorted out, we have other plans. That is how we are handling all of this. Thanks for the star, but if it weren't for the support of VJ members like you, we would be lost and definitely would have reached the point of insanity by now!!!

[MARM 7]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, one bright side to postponing the interview is that the Medical results will be at the Embassy by the time my fiance goes to the interview, so no delays there!

[mr and mrs 187]

there is ALWAYS a bright side. : )

[MARM 7]

No passport as of today either.

We can't help wonder why in the world the passport still has not arrived...my fiance's UK student visa extension has been approved since early last week! And he has his new biometric ID card to prove it! I guess the Home Office is just slow (and too cheap to do next day delivery) in sending his documents/passport back.

Waiting for a reply from the embassy now!

Does anyone have an idea/any advice for us...I mean there is nothing that we can do at the moment, we emailed the embassy on Friday with a request for extension of the interview date and hopefully we should get a reply from them today. But in case we do not get a reply from them today, what will happen to my fiance's interview appointment for tomorrow? I mean he obviously can't show up without a passport as the embassy has clearly stated, and we have called and emailed the embassy in regards to an extension on Friday.

I guess we are worried about whether they might penalize my fiance for not showing up at tomorrow's interview appointment (if he doesn't get a reply to the interview extension email today). What are the chances of his file being written off as "neglected" or what will happen? Any information anyone could offer would help!

-MARM

[Nik+Heather 121]

My vote is to go to the interview. Bring all available forms of ID and their copies! If he gets in, then he can explain his situation and make his case.

Maybe you'll get lucky and be asked for more evidence (the passport) and when it arrives he just sends it in? *crossed fingers* Maybe not...that does sound a bit far fetched.

I don't think that not even attempting to make the appointment is an option. If the security guys outside won't let him in, I would hope that they wouldn't see a request to have a record of him attempting to attend the interview be kept.

Murphy's law states that the passport will arrive JUST after the latest time it would have been useful...

Keep hanging in there, Marm, you guys will be together and this behind you one day!

[MARM 7]

Thanks Nik+ Heather, we also agree that he will show up for the interview at the embassy tomorrow-regardless of whether the passport arrives or not. If we get a reply from the embassy today extending the interview date, then its no problem, but otherwise he will be there, and if security does not let him in even after him explaining his situation and showing all IDs possible (besides passport) then that's that. At least he showed up. We are taking everything one at a time, as every step unfolds we weigh our options and determine to do all that is possible from our side to speed up the process and adhere to all the rules and regulations. Will post an update if we get a response from the embassy today via email for extension of the interview date or about what happens when my dear fiance shows up at the interview tomorrow.

[MARM 7]

Thanks to KAT&Allie, I called DOS (don't know why the heck I did not think of that myself) and they told me that my dear fiance's interview is rescheduled for May 12th!!! :dance:

They sent out packet 4 on Friday!

Edited April 27, 2009 by MARM

[JeremyR 8]

Phew!

I was just going to post this idea I had. I guess it doesn't matter any more but I'll post it anyway - if he had gone to the embassy with his driver's license (which is considered 'proof positive' ID in the UK, btw, so it may have been enough to pass the checkpoint) and then he'd been denied entry, perhaps it would have been possible to insist on a 'receipt' showing he wasn't permitted to enter? At least it would show the IVU that he had tried to attend in good faith...

I guess it's all hypothetical now anyway so it doesn't matter but I did ponder about that this morning

[MARM 7]

Phew!

I was just going to post this idea I had. I guess it doesn't matter any more but I'll post it anyway - if he had gone to the embassy with his driver's license (which is considered 'proof positive' ID in the UK, btw, so it may have been enough to pass the checkpoint) and then he'd been denied entry, perhaps it would have been possible to insist on a 'receipt' showing he wasn't permitted to enter? At least it would show the IVU that he had tried to attend in good faith...

I guess it's all hypothetical now anyway so it doesn't matter but I did ponder about that this morning

Thanks JeremyR! Really appreciate that you took the time to think and post about a solution for us. We were thinking of him taking his driver's license as well as his newly issued UK Resident Permit Biometric ID card (due to the new scheme for electronic-chipped IDs for non-UK citizens on LPR in UK) of which also I am sure they would have taken without questions asked, but of course not without explanations of why no passport and added stress for both of us and no guarantee that IVF wouldn't just mark him "neglectful" if he wasn't successful in presenting his case or even entering the embassy. Thank God for VJ...I did not even think of calling DOS today, I was just expecting an email response from the embassy and then worrying about what to do if we could not get an interview date today, but thankfully KAT&Allie called DOS for their rescheduled date which reminded me to call DOS as well...and now we are composed and definitely hopeful that the passport will be in on time since now there is no reason for it not to show up.

Thank so much again for your kind thoughts and suggestions, we appreciate it very much!!! :star: