Another HUGE change for UK settlement applications

All supporting documents needs to be sent to Sheffield.

Thanks for posting this, very helpful.

Just perusing through the document the applicant still has the option of having the settlement visa application scanned at the VFS Manila, sending the supporting documents to Sheffield appears to be an option.

I have included a link to the VFS site as this gives more information on the scanning option which I am sure most people will avail to.

Another money making option for the UKVI

http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/philippines/user_pay_services.html

Is this the same Sheffield govt office where about 10 tons of unprocessed documents were found stacked up a year or two ago ?

Interesting - does this mean that case officers who handle such applications are based in Sheffield? I had thought that it would be UKVI staff esconced in the British Embassy in Manila who did this work.

I have a feeling that this optional service of scanning documents by VFS won't last long, as the whole purpose of Sheffield is to ensure no fake documents are being submitted....

VFS is trying to make money by this optional service, but they can't for long...

Well it does appear to be a little messy, I'm sure we will hear soon enough on the forum if there are any pitfalls.

Does this mean that the docs my fiancée will submit (TB results and ielts results) will have to be sent to me to submit along with all my relavent docs. ?

anything that means we dont have to send important original documents to the filis can only be a good thing.

Me and the wife handed in all our docs on March 15 at the VFS in Manila ...which gives me more confidence in the process.

Its always been my understanding that ECO in the British Embassy are the ones who make the decisions .

Never had any previous issues with getting my docs returned .

My advise would be to avail to the scanning service offered by the VFS office, more money in the pockets of the VFS and UKVI.

British embassy in manila doesn't even have power to renew British passports... what a joke is this!! what is the purpose of embassy then if their own citizens living abroad have to send application to UK for passport renewal....

You're right, I always think to myself when I'm working abroad that I hope I never have to use the services the British Embassy provide, I once had my passport stolen in Brazil and it took six weeks to get a new one.

This is fascinating. Setting aside the new arrangements was it always the case that VFS in Manila forwarded the supplementary documents to the UK for processing? If so that would seem massively bureaucratic - with huge volumes of papers having to be sent by courier to Sheffield or wherever.

No the documents were sent to the British Embassy in Manila. The VFS in Manila merely serves as a collection point.

For some reason more services like this appear to be coming back to the UK.

Thanks

Thanks Tim -- I read too much into @prolife's comment about what the Embassy staff can handle.

Kris's (@inaroiles ) application was submitted online on 21 February - with her VFS appointment on 9 March. This suggests that her case will be processed in Manila and not Sheffield.

I was perusing the internet to try and find information on why UK visa services are returning to the UK and found this, nothing to do with what I was searching for but relevant to us folk all the same. Basically if you leave the UK for over 2 years and you are the holder of the ILR you have to apply for a "returning residence permit" at a cost of £405 (no surprise with the fee).

https://www.gov.uk/returning-resident-visa

Yes, you're application will be being processed in good old Manila.

Interesting to see what happens with the British overseas diplomatic functions over the next couple of years, our embassies do seem to have been run down / sold off a bit recently, Brexit might change that.

Not that there is much likelihood that passport renewal will become any easier.

I see that almost a year ago that UK visas from Pakistan have returned to Sheffield in the UK, this must be a ongoing reshuffle of services.