isabel

Does anyone have any recent experience with an American getting a student visa to the UK? My daughter is going to grad school and in the process of applying for her visa but has made two mistakes - one she sent in application before getting her fingerprints, not realizing she needed to send in the "receipt" from the finger printing with the application (it said to send in the application within two week of getting the fingerprints, which she did, she just did it before instead of after getting the finger prints thus not including the receipt). And second, she sent a copy, not the actual passport.

So my question - is it likely they'll just ask her to send the missing things, or will they likely reject her application and make her start all over?

Also, does anyone know about a way you can pay extra money to go in person and get it done in one day. The 'not-so-helpful' guy we talked to (for $12, you can't call them for free) made reference to such a thing but has not emailed the info as he said he would. The first 'not-so-helpful' lady (for another $12) just said she had to wait till they either rejected her application or asked for the additional info. We are just worried that she'll run out of time. She is scheduled to leave in four weeks.

Finally - any one have some secret phone or email that we can't find to contact people.

sam86

I'm not American, but I did go through the student visa process last year. In my experience, people's experiences vary a great deal when it comes to things like this. I think what the not-so-helpful lady said is probably accurate. Many embassies contact the applicant requesting the needed documents, but others do not. When did she apply?

Has she sent the finger print receipt now? She could call and ask if she can send it in with the reference number of her application.

I think the actual passport not being sent is the much bigger problem.

I don't mean to freak you out, but there is a possibility that the application will be rejected. American friends of mine from last year had their's rejected when they did not submit one document or the other that was required.

tipsygus

My only comment is why ask on a travel forum. These are questions that can only be answered by the British Consulate or Embassy where your daughter made her application. Whatever was said here would carry no weight what so ever with the UK Border Agency. Why would there by any secret phone or email number, everyone has to go through the proper channels.

sam86

Also, have her contact her university - they all have a department dealing with international students and visas. Explain everything to them, they may be able to help, especially with contacts within the embassy.

sam86

tipsygus - there usually are secret phone numbers and emails. I'm saying it from experience.

And I think isabel is doing everything she can.

sam86

Another thought isabel, about getting it done in one day - if there is nothing about this on the UKBA website, then there is no such procedure available for student visas.

Alec

It's called Premium Service for Tier 4 student visas. Usually a same-day service. Fee is $100 + taxes. Details at:
https://www.visainfoservices.com/Pag...=Services_PAGE

isabel

Thanks for your replies,

The question about "secret" phone numbers - I was being sarcastic using the term "secret" but yes of courses there are unpublished phone numbers and email addresses for all kinds of bureaucracies - government agencies, banks, doctors, etc. and often times people get these numbers and are willing to share them. That's what I was hoping for. And people on this forum are frequently helping each other with things like this. In fact there was a question similar about a year ago.

Alec - thank you for the link, unfortunately it says "timed out" so no info. However since I posted the question I found this webpage: https://visainfoservices.com/Pages/A...anagement.aspx Does that look like the same thing?

sam - we did call (two $12 phone calls) and ask if she should sent the finger-print receipt and the actual passport now and they said no, wait till we hear from them. I'm just trying to have a plan B if they don't just tell her to send the missing documents.

It's just so frustrating, my daughter did make mistakes but I admit now that I've looked at it that the UK visa process and websites are much more confusing and complicated than other similar places. She got visas to study and work in France twice and it was much easier.

sam86

The UKBA is seriously messed up, but it is better this year than it was last year from what I'm hearing. They took 10 weeks to give me my visa, and even then I had to use 'secret' contacts to get my passport back.

Good luck!

Alec

Go to WorldBridge site, choose USA as your country, and click Additional Services from LH menu.

isabel

sam - well now you are really making me worried. Could you elaborate on why they didn't give you your passport back with the visa ( I thought that was the whole point) and why it took ten weeks. My daughter's university didn't even send her the necessary info to fill out the application till less than two weeks ago, so total of less than 6 weeks before school starts. They say it takes 10 days, not ten weeks.

sam86

Isabel, I wasn't applying from the US but from Pakistan. That hugely complicates things in these matters. You don't need to worry = ) They gave me my passport back eventually, with my visa. It had been sitting in their office gathering dust for 9 weeks. Long story.

The system in the US is FAR more streamlined and efficient and faster because there are fewer checks.

That said, keep calling and pushing them should you need to.

Alec

Most student visa applications in US are sorted within a week or two, though exceptionally they can take longer. If they do reject your application, reapply using the Premium same-day service for lodging your application following biometrics, and you should get your visa within a day, provided you submit all the required documents.

isabel

Thanks, Alec do you know if she'd have to do the biometrics a second time. She just did that yesterday. I think it says it has to be within two weeks. So if takes more than two weeks to find out that the first application is rejected , and then make the appointment for the same-day service would she have to do the biometrics again? It's so complicated. It would help so much if they just let you talk to a real human who knew what was what.

PalenQ

well just call your local major university's Study Abroad office or the British Embassay or Consulate and get the definitive answer.

isabel

Pal - there is no local university. It isn't study abroad, it's grad school. The two times she did study abroad through her home univ as an undergrad she never had any problems (one UK, one France). I kind of doubt the British Embassay would have the answer to a technical question like that. But possibly it's worth a try.

sashh

isabel

there have been and continue to be huge problems ih the UK with people getting visas to studey and then working instead.

these seem like two firly simple mistakes, and that should be obvious to the embassy / consulate staff.

Don't put another application in - that looks like a scam, just wait to hear.

Contacts are on this link

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/co...ontactcentres/

the other websites were not UK government onesw - even though one claimed to be 'official'

UK government websites are all ".gov.uk"

The UK border agency's i=unlisted number is + 44 151 672 5626

Odin

"these seem like two firly simple mistakes, and that should be obvious to the embassy / consulate staff"

It's not a simple mistake to not send in the supporting documentation such as the original passport / fingerprint receipts or whatever when it states these are required on the application. Consulate staff are not usually helpful or smiley or into the customer service thing - of any country. If the rules are followed in the first instance, the application goes alot smoother.

Incorrect applications usually result in a rejection.

lizziea06

They will nearly always reject incorrect applications. My Visa is a Tier 2 and I had Emigra managing the process. My friends who have gone through the process of Tier 1 or other visas without agency support have had their applications rejected for quite time errors. They ca nbe pretty cranky here about that.

sashh

Odin I'll rephrase then

These mistakes do not scream, "I want to be an iledal immigrant - i'm providing fraudulant documents" they do scream "I've made a mistake"

How exactly does your post help the OP?