had a look at the FoI link I make it 17 mins per app based on an 8 hour day that is fully used 18 ECO,s x 144 hours (8640 mins) x 21 working days = 181,440 mins devided by 10500 apps per month = 17.28 mins thats not really maintainable though this does include all visa apps from a vast area some of which might be easy pass/fails not requiring very long compared to settlement visas for example
This adds weight to making sure that your visa application is presented in a well organized manner so that the Case Officer can flick through without too much effort.
Ohhhh Here we go Have you taken into account Staff on holiday? With that amount of staff one or two Will always be on leave Staff on a rest room mission? Possibility of illness? Getting a coffee? Chatting to a colleague? Looking for a file? Adjusting their seat? And a dozen other things that may hinder a timed visa process. I allowed for these things I've worked in offices all my life And I've seen inflated time sheets Come across my desk in the past I quite often view job vacancies online in the Philippines , and I must have seen a dozen occasions where adverts are placed to recruit ecos from the area, Why? Is their a regular staff shortage ? Which does not form part of the Statistics that is referred to in The file I posted? I can also say that when we attended the Embassy to fill in forms etc prior to our Ceremony, we sat in the waiting room at the visa section, One elderly English guy was there before us, All are given a number and then called to the corresponding officer The room filled and emptied twice Before the English guy stood and lost His cool at the officials Complaining he had not even been seen yet and had been there two hours He was vociferous and rightly so Only then did a manager take him into the small private room on the right of the waiting room to deal with him. So inefficiency is inherent, because of workload,and as such corners are cut This is the real world we live in not an ideal world espoused by an foi official Who only looks up the details Probably on a different continent And has little understanding of reality And, that official bless her, is located I believe in Leicester in the UK. It is not mere chance that 4 out of 5 Philippine visa refusals were reversed on appeal, It is also a statistic that out of 10500 Average per month, 8400 , or 80% Are not reviewed by ecms,at all. For example, On I think it was our second or third application , I provided 6 months payslips, Numerically and chronologically Listed. I also provided my latest p60 Part of that refusal was because the Eco said one payslip was missing, And as such were allowed to calculate net I and three others who counted them Are still adamant all were provided. On another application, Our schoolboy mistake refusal by an Eco Was one that did not get reviewd, How many others like us are left to bear the cost and pain and suffering that Was avoidable? My payslips clearly stated gross He added net, then called it gross No amount of training as stated in the foi Reply can account for errors, Although saying everyone is continually trained makes us all feel better, It just ain't so. I tried to factor these in to prove a point, It would have been easier for me Not to post the response I did, But I have nothing to hide, I stand by what I said Sorry if this sounds cynical Two years of dealing with faceless Unaccountable officials who hold sway On real people's lives , Makes me wonder what can and can't be believed in any answer or decision they make. I wish you all well Regards Steve
Steve having taken 3 years to do the European version Im no lover of the muppets in the FO of any nationality I love your FoI and wanted to give it the most generous interpretation possible as often when stats are used they tend to reflect an agenda (nothing to do with what your saying) and its often better to present the most conservative case possible to not be accused of massaging the numbers Im hopeful your request will help others in the future on for example judicial review or appeals Knowledge is Power cheers for the work
Your both very kind And we genuinely thank you On a lighter note What on earth is she going to make of our weather? Now that really does concern me Regards Steve
Glad to hear that you are sorted, and your plans have not been thwarted. She might find the weather chilly but I think that's rather silly. Turn the central heating higher, throw a log onto the fire.
I only did a quick calculation which was nearer your figure than the 5.5 minutes. But almost a £1,000 for 17 minutes? Surely the government must be making a profit even if it does now include the Biometric Residence Permit? All the gathering of documents is done by VFS Global and we have to pay for that as well.
