It's February, now. This means that in the next four to five months, I'll be submitting an application to extend my current visa, known as FLR(m). I'm fairly certain this has a better success rate, but I still can't help but worry about refusal, and then getting deported back to America. I've gone through a lot to get here, and I don't want it getting thrown away. That's why we've been gathering things up a few months earlier. At least this time around, I'll have my husband around as moral support while we're doing all of this. Because this is definitely going to be a stressful first half of the year.
On that note, our counterpart couple LoveMyBrit recently received their FLR(m). So, that keeps me positive. They will undoubtedly 100% not see this, but I would still like to congratulate them for getting the visa. I'm so jealous, yet so happy for them!
I'm not necessarily worried about the documentation we've got. I'm more or less worried we'll get a grumpy immigration officer looking at our documents. I'm worried that this new Sopra Steria system or whatever it is will mess us about. I'm honestly not entirely sure how we'll go about this, to be honest. With the fact that the IHS surcharge has doubled, I'm wondering if it'll be better to just opt out of priority. At the same time, though, priority will give us a decision within the next day. But considering the appointments, I won't know what fees to expect. Their website doesn't explain things very well (not a big surprise - the gov.uk website is like trying to read many legal documents meshed up into one). FLR standard processing times is supposedly only 8 weeks, which isn't bad. Still, I am not sure if I would be able to handle an 8 week wait. We DO have enough for the application itself...we're just saving up for IHS now. At least, for now. The application fees will go up in April. By how much, I don't know yet. So, by the time I'll apply, I'll have to deal with two price increases. Yay. Although as painful as it is, I sort of support the IHS surcharge increase. The NHS is underfunded, I feel. They could use that extra money. Besides, at my current job, I'm not getting income taxed. So, it's only fair for me.
I'm more positive about this visa, especially since refusals are hard to see. I was especially comforted by a comment I saw on an immigration forum. To summarise it, the person basically said that the hardest part (entry clearance) was over. So, by that logic, entry clearance visas are harder to obtain (although that's obvious). Still, I just HAVE to be pessimistic. UGH.
I'm still pretty nervous about it. And stressed. Breaking out ALREADY. It's mainly the system, the finances, and the decision maker that I'm worried about. Well, I suppose I found a bit more comfort when I did some digging the other day. It was sort of like immigration officer guide notes. There was a section of it that mentioned flexibility. Like if for instance, the applicant sends a document in the wrong format, it doesn't automatically equal a refusal. That was a bit reassuring to me. Because since the immigration officers work under a government regime, I assumed their guidelines were to dot all i's and cross all t's. No flexibility or leeway whatsoever. It's nice to know that they will overlook some minor flaws in the application process.
Despite knowing all of this, and despite getting comfort from my husband, I'm still worried! Augh! I long for the day in which this visa stuff is over with. After that, the two of us can finally travel and go on our sodding honeymoon. Several years later, but hey.
In other news, we are trying to get some compensation after the mugging that my husband endured in 2017. Just the fact that he lost a tooth might be able to get us £1,000. But we'll have to see. No matter what the case, I can tell that the first half of this year will be rather financially draining.
Yay.
On that note, our counterpart couple LoveMyBrit recently received their FLR(m). So, that keeps me positive. They will undoubtedly 100% not see this, but I would still like to congratulate them for getting the visa. I'm so jealous, yet so happy for them!
I'm not necessarily worried about the documentation we've got. I'm more or less worried we'll get a grumpy immigration officer looking at our documents. I'm worried that this new Sopra Steria system or whatever it is will mess us about. I'm honestly not entirely sure how we'll go about this, to be honest. With the fact that the IHS surcharge has doubled, I'm wondering if it'll be better to just opt out of priority. At the same time, though, priority will give us a decision within the next day. But considering the appointments, I won't know what fees to expect. Their website doesn't explain things very well (not a big surprise - the gov.uk website is like trying to read many legal documents meshed up into one). FLR standard processing times is supposedly only 8 weeks, which isn't bad. Still, I am not sure if I would be able to handle an 8 week wait. We DO have enough for the application itself...we're just saving up for IHS now. At least, for now. The application fees will go up in April. By how much, I don't know yet. So, by the time I'll apply, I'll have to deal with two price increases. Yay. Although as painful as it is, I sort of support the IHS surcharge increase. The NHS is underfunded, I feel. They could use that extra money. Besides, at my current job, I'm not getting income taxed. So, it's only fair for me.
I'm more positive about this visa, especially since refusals are hard to see. I was especially comforted by a comment I saw on an immigration forum. To summarise it, the person basically said that the hardest part (entry clearance) was over. So, by that logic, entry clearance visas are harder to obtain (although that's obvious). Still, I just HAVE to be pessimistic. UGH.
I'm still pretty nervous about it. And stressed. Breaking out ALREADY. It's mainly the system, the finances, and the decision maker that I'm worried about. Well, I suppose I found a bit more comfort when I did some digging the other day. It was sort of like immigration officer guide notes. There was a section of it that mentioned flexibility. Like if for instance, the applicant sends a document in the wrong format, it doesn't automatically equal a refusal. That was a bit reassuring to me. Because since the immigration officers work under a government regime, I assumed their guidelines were to dot all i's and cross all t's. No flexibility or leeway whatsoever. It's nice to know that they will overlook some minor flaws in the application process.
Despite knowing all of this, and despite getting comfort from my husband, I'm still worried! Augh! I long for the day in which this visa stuff is over with. After that, the two of us can finally travel and go on our sodding honeymoon. Several years later, but hey.
In other news, we are trying to get some compensation after the mugging that my husband endured in 2017. Just the fact that he lost a tooth might be able to get us £1,000. But we'll have to see. No matter what the case, I can tell that the first half of this year will be rather financially draining.
Yay.
