Mercury

Say the worst happens and your settlement visa is rejected, what can you do ?

Appeal, and waiting months is hardly a viable alternative in my case, though it obviously remains the absolute fall back position. But can you do anything before then, to address the issue in Thailand, to counter their decision, to appeal in Thailand so to speak ? If so, what can you do and are there time periods ?

I don't like to think negatively but I am sure that many who hope for the best could do with an update on the options available should the worst happen.

We're at the 6 1/2 week stage in the waiting process for our UK settlement visa decision. Whilst I think we have a very strong case and I do not fear rejection, I want to ask opinions on whether you can and indeed whether it is worthwhile submitting additional documents which strengthen your position.

Specifically I have been longer in employment and have far more funds on deposit. When we applied I had only received a few salary payments, though luckily, I am remunerated very well and have included my contract of employment and much financial paperwork. I could now add additional bank statements showing all salaries received since the application was made.

I do not believe they have even begun to look at our application. In fact, I am partially convinced that one reason why they make you wait so long is to justify the huge fees they charge. Imagine if they returned it after only a couple of days, as they do with low fee tourist visa applications; people would seriously question why they charged so much.

So my first question is whether you can actually submit additional documents. Secondly, I ask whether it would be a good idea. Additionally, if you can submit documents, forcing them to get your file out from under the gathering dust could perhaps make them look at it and grant your visa without further undue delay.

Any thoughts ?

So your partner has a UK settlement visa but you want to travel on regular short trips to Europe. What do you have to do ?

It will be impractical to keep applying for visas and we will want the ability to travel without advance planning. Now one part of me finds it illogical that someone who has been settled legitimately in the UK needs a visa to travel to Spain for the weekend but is the only solution getting a visa for Spain or a Shengen visa for a group of other countries ?

It seems madness and I hope there is a viable medium term solution until she gets a UK passport.

Just thinking ahead.

She can drive for a year but what about insurance ? All the best deals are over the net and I don't think one has sufficient options to cover a non transferable foreign license.

Can't put her on as a provisional as she'll need to drive alone. No actual car as yet so not just a case of adding her to an existing policy.

Then what about the test ? Practical I can think she might be ok after lessons but theory seems just insane to me, nevermind her !

Any stories and advice most welcome.

I know she can take the multiple choice test and I have a couple of links to that somewhere but unless I am mistaken, she could take a college course and then bypass this test. Have I understood that correctly ?

So may I ask, apart from taking this test, what course options are there available to her ?