We submitted a UK settlement visa through marriage on May 8, 2009. Over the past several weeks we have learned so little from the “experts” and so much from the online community. It is my intention that this post serve as a thank you to those online friends that we learned from and as information for those who will struggle in the future. It also serves as an explanation to our friends and family of the details of this stomach-churning few weeks.
Early May– We hire a lawyer to advise us through the visa process. They inform us that the process is simple and would take 15 working days.
May 8– Our application and evidence arrive at the LA processing office. We pack our stuff and get ready to move.
May 24– Our lawyers get an email from the Consulate stating that work has begun on the visa and it will take 40-45 working days. We will not learn this information until June 9.
June 8– 15 working day mark. No visa.
June 9– Lawyers send us the email from May 24th. We learn that the processing time will take 40 to 45 working days. We also learn that our lawyers knew this all along and continued to make us think it would come any day.
June 10-– After much research we learn that a visa expediter may be able to help us. We call A Briggs that morning. They pull the application that same afternoon and reviewed it for accuracy.
June 11– A Briggs re-submits the application to the LA Visa office first thing in the morning. I get a call from the consulate at 9:03 am LA time asking for a minor piece of information. By 11:30 am, we receive an email notifying us that the visa has been approved.
June 12– 9:13 am visa arrived at our front door. (Thanks for the overnight service, A Briggs!)
It was not my intention to get into all of the problems that we had with our immigration lawyer in this post. My goal is simply to chronicle our journey and advocate using a visa expediter like A Briggs. They were very good to us!
Now.. I’m off to PACK!