boingboing

Hi,

My Thai wife has just got her visa but unfortunately the Entrance Clearance Officer has processed the wrong date. The intended date of travel stated on the application form is clearly 8 November which I have double-checked to make sure but for some reason the start date on the Entry Clearance vignette is 5 October.

How do I best rectify this error?

BritInParis

Can you move your travel plans forward a week?

boingboing

No unfortunately not. We have flight tickets for the 23rd November and I will be resigning from my company on 20 November. There must be some way of correcting this error but how? I have thought about my wife going back to VFS in Bangkok to see how this can be resolved.

I know we can extend the vignette but that is more administration headache and I don't see why I must pay to rectify a mistake made in Sheffield.

Failing a quick resolution we may just have to travel for a few days this month then return to Thailand until 23 November after she has picked up her Residence Permit but again a lot of inconvenience and expense involved.

BritInParis

Try sending an email to [email protected] and CC in [email protected]

boingboing

Hi,
Thanks.

I sent an email ([email protected]) to the paid service less than an hour ago using a previous exchange of emails on queries and surprisingly got a quick reply but the response was next to useless and the respondent clearly didn't read my email. The only relevant bit was to apply and pay for a replacement Vignette with a link that just takes to to the visa application page with no indication where the link is if any. Would you have any idea how and where one can apply for this?

I'll resubmit the email again and this time to the 2 email addresses you have provided.

I thought the stress of all of this would have ended once getting approval but no!!

BritInParis

The paid email address tends to just give copy and paste standard words. Let us know how you get on.

boingboing

Another question. If we take a short trip this month to collect the BRP card and come back to Thailand, how long can my wife remain in Thailand after the issue of the card. In other words is there a time limit for taking overseas trips during the validity of the BRP card? We will still have business to sort out and might require remaining in Thailand until January 2019.

BritInParis

Technically there is no time limit but you should be spending the majority of your time in the UK. Spending two to three months in Thailand won’t be a problem so long as the rest of the year is spent in the UK.

boingboing

Although I raised an enquiry on 3rd October with [email protected] which was acknowledged on 6 October, I also informed the next day on 4th October that we will travel within the visa validity period (20-24 October) purely for the purpose of picking up the BRP card and to not consider making any changes including the BRP collection date. I don't want there to be any complications and inconvenience in any process to correct the visa start date. The acknowledgement email of 6 October commented that my email enquiry would be passed to the relevant team.

What I don't want at this stage is for them to cancel issue of the BRP card to be collected from 12 October and a wasted journey if they were to consider reviewing the visa start date despite my follow up email not to do so, Not sure what the printing process and timescale is for issuing the card .In the event that the card doesn't turn up at the Post Office from the given date what are my wife's options? I understand that the visa is a multiple type so could we return to Thailand to sort out urgent business before flying out again before 4 November? Also my wife still has a multiple 5 year visa expiring in May 2019 so could she travel outside the UK and re-enter using that visa if she doesn't have the BRP card or is that not acceptable?

Hope my explanation makes sense.

BritInParis

If your wife’s IED was 5 October but your request wasn’t acknowledged until 6 October then presumably it’s already been issued. Where did you get 12 October from?

boingboing

Just to recap and clarify.

On the application form I stated an intended date of arrival in the UK of 8 November but the Entrance Clearance visa has a start date of 5 October to 4 November. I did initially question why the visa didn't start from the 8 November in an email of 3 October.

Concerning BRP, the standard letter (dated 28 September) was issued with the passport and confirmation of visa success indicating that the BRP can be collected from 12 October. I want to make sure that this BRP card will definitely be ready for collecting when we are in the UK from 20-24 October.

I sent an email on 3 October to query the visa start date and an acknowledgement was received 6 October that the matter was to be passed onto the related team. I don't want this to hinder collection of the BRP.

Other questions asked. Can my wife enter the UK more than once without the BRP before 4 November as it seems to be a multiple visa? In addition could she re-enter the UK after 4 November without a BRP but use her 5 year visitor visa that expires in May 2019?

BritInParis

Sending conflicting emails probably wasn’t a good idea but it’s done now.

Your wife will need to collect her BRP when she travels to the UK. Her visitor visa will be void now.