Danger
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Perth,Australia
Posts: 126
Danger
Can anyone tell me who or which office I need to speak to ASAP as my wife and british kids are in fear of their lives in Venezuela..
We are waiting to apply to get them back to the UK,but now I cannot wait anymore very bad thing are happening over their.
Any advise appreciated.
We are waiting to apply to get them back to the UK,but now I cannot wait anymore very bad thing are happening over their.
Any advise appreciated.
#2
Re: Danger
Have you tried the British or Australian embassies? Maybe DFAT (department of foreign affairs and trade).
I don't know for sure... but that's where I'd start. Maybe your local MP's office can give some advice.
I don't know for sure... but that's where I'd start. Maybe your local MP's office can give some advice.
#3
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Perth,Australia
Posts: 126
Re: Danger
Just feel so useless now!
#4
Re: Danger
The telephone number for the consular section at the British Embassy in Caracas is +58 (0) 212 319-5800. The 24 hour FCO helpline is +44 20 7008 1500.
If your wife is Venezuelan however then the help they can offer will probably be limited.
If your wife is Venezuelan however then the help they can offer will probably be limited.
#6
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2010
Location: San Diego, California
Posts: 9,729
Re: Danger
Have you thought of returning to Australia which is where you lived until August 2013 if it is as bad as you say.
#8
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Location: Perth,Australia
Posts: 126
Re: Danger
Could all of us get a flight to Malta and stay with my wife's sister and then I go back and forth to the UK. How long could we do that for?
#11
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 837
Re: Danger
Your kids can go anywhere you can as they are British, I guess they could even get consular support themsleves (which leaves open the question of what the consul does about unaccompanied minors and/or the third-country mother. Given that she is a commonwealth citizen she would usually get support but NOT in her country of nationality - so not in Venezuela)
As for Malta - your wife is entitled to join you in any EU country other than the UK and stay as long as you are there, if you are lving and working there then she can work too. As an Australian she wouldn't need a visa to enter any Schengen country (including Malta) so there will be no problem with an airline insisting on seeing a piece of paper in her passport before letting her board (thus saving the time to apply for a family permit).
Exactly what the legal status would be for the period where you were in the UK is probably questionable - but right now I'd say: get her out of Venezuala and into another country. Then work out what to do longer term. Maybe you could even officially set up shop in Malta as a subcontractor to your UK business?
Exactly what the legal status would be for the period where you were in the UK is probably questionable - but right now I'd say: get her out of Venezuala and into another country. Then work out what to do longer term. Maybe you could even officially set up shop in Malta as a subcontractor to your UK business?
#12
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Danger
I was intrigued as to what is going on in Venezuela. I thought that things would be looking up since the death of Hugo Chavez...it seems that I was wrong:
http://www.channel4.com/news/venezue...colombia-drugs
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/One%...b_4807273.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_4822371.html
Today's news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26283971
http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...rotests-police
Emiric; I hope you manage to get your wife and kids out quickly. Is it possible to get them to one of the nearby Caribbean islands and then later fly them on a direct flight with BA or Virgin to the UK? I would imagine that if they go through the US your wife may need a transit visa?
http://www.channel4.com/news/venezue...colombia-drugs
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/One%...b_4807273.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_4822371.html
Today's news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26283971
http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...rotests-police
Emiric; I hope you manage to get your wife and kids out quickly. Is it possible to get them to one of the nearby Caribbean islands and then later fly them on a direct flight with BA or Virgin to the UK? I would imagine that if they go through the US your wife may need a transit visa?
#13
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Perth,Australia
Posts: 126
Re: Danger
Your kids can go anywhere you can as they are British, I guess they could even get consular support themsleves (which leaves open the question of what the consul does about unaccompanied minors and/or the third-country mother. Given that she is a commonwealth citizen she would usually get support but NOT in her country of nationality - so not in Venezuela)
As for Malta - your wife is entitled to join you in any EU country other than the UK and stay as long as you are there, if you are lving and working there then she can work too. As an Australian she wouldn't need a visa to enter any Schengen country (including Malta) so there will be no problem with an airline insisting on seeing a piece of paper in her passport before letting her board (thus saving the time to apply for a family permit).
Exactly what the legal status would be for the period where you were in the UK is probably questionable - but right now I'd say: get her out of Venezuala and into another country. Then work out what to do longer term. Maybe you could even officially set up shop in Malta as a subcontractor to your UK business?
As for Malta - your wife is entitled to join you in any EU country other than the UK and stay as long as you are there, if you are lving and working there then she can work too. As an Australian she wouldn't need a visa to enter any Schengen country (including Malta) so there will be no problem with an airline insisting on seeing a piece of paper in her passport before letting her board (thus saving the time to apply for a family permit).
Exactly what the legal status would be for the period where you were in the UK is probably questionable - but right now I'd say: get her out of Venezuala and into another country. Then work out what to do longer term. Maybe you could even officially set up shop in Malta as a subcontractor to your UK business?
Thankyou Englishguygoinghome.
Thats eased my mind a little and i will look into subcontractor idea.
Thats my priority to get them home.
Thanks again for your help.
#14
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Perth,Australia
Posts: 126
Re: Danger
I was intrigued as to what is going on in Venezuela. I thought that things would be looking up since the death of Hugo Chavez...it seems that I was wrong:
http://www.channel4.com/news/venezue...colombia-drugs
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/One%...b_4807273.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_4822371.html
Today's news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26283971
http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...rotests-police
Emiric; I hope you manage to get your wife and kids out quickly. Is it possible to get them to one of the nearby Caribbean islands and then later fly them on a direct flight with BA or Virgin to the UK? I would imagine that if they go through the US your wife may need a transit visa?
http://www.channel4.com/news/venezue...colombia-drugs
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/One%...b_4807273.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014...n_4822371.html
Today's news:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26283971
http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...rotests-police
Emiric; I hope you manage to get your wife and kids out quickly. Is it possible to get them to one of the nearby Caribbean islands and then later fly them on a direct flight with BA or Virgin to the UK? I would imagine that if they go through the US your wife may need a transit visa?
Yes its got worse and worse out there obviously when my family first arrived it was nowhere near like it is.An illegitimate government that makes their own rules as they go.
My wife has been sending me videos that the media do not get hold of and they ere terrible.They even shut down Twitter so as the news would not get out.
Yes getting them to one of the Dutch Islands would be my second option.We have return tickets via Miami which the dates need to be changed if American Airlines are still taking that route.
Thankyou so much for your reply.
#15
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Danger
Otherwise your wife will need to apply for a Transit 'C' visa in her Venezuelan passport.
http://travel.state.gov/content/visa...r/transit.html
It seems crazy to need a visa or visa waiver to transit through an airport in the US (even if it's the same terminal!) but they do this in the UK and other countries too. Perhaps it's in case they decide not to take their connecting flight or the onward connection is cancelled due to weather or mechanical delays etc. and can't be rescheduled quickly.
I was at a British Airways desk at Newark airport, New Jersey a few years ago. A family was checking in and flying with BA to Cyprus and had their connecting flight via the UK. They were passport holders of Guyana....however they didn't have transfer visas and were denied boarding! They were told that they'd have to go to the British Consulate in NYC to apply for visas....understandably they were hopping mad
Tbh if I were you I'd get the family out imminently; they must be very frightened. If their AA flight to Miami can't be rescheduled for the next few days, I'd get them out to Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao and then see if they can get on a flight after some R&R to Puerto Rico or Miami or even Amsterdam on KLM.
Good luck to your family