Hello Folks...

I have a few questions I was hoping I could get answered...

Last January, I met a British national while he was on vacation here in the states...We fell hard and started a long distance relationship...Last May I moved to London to live with him on a trial basis...It was a success and last week we came back to Massachusetts to be married in front of my elderly mother, some family and close friends...

We completed the on-line visa application and decided to retain A Briggs (in NYC) to handle the application processing and delivery to the consulate...A Briggs has been very negative in their approach to the processing of settlement visas and has led me to believe that our one year relationship and subsequent gay marriage may not move the consulate to issue a visa...They have also stated that I cannot personally deliver the application to the consulate myself...and furthermore...Should the consulate decide to issue the visa, it will take at least 30 days, and possibly as many as 90 days...

I had to quit my job to go to London last summer, and so now I find myself stuck in the states, with no income (other than my husband's support) and no idea of how long I will have to set-up here and how long it will be before I can be with my husband again...

Can anybody offer some advice as to what the truth is and any recourse I may have??? As you can well imagine, I am very upset about this information and very fearful as to how our future will unfold...

Thanks in advance...

Without hearing A Briggs actual concerns, it would be hard to give you any advice or further information. If they are saying that a one-year homosexual relationship is not enough to receive a Civil Partnership Visa, then they are wrong. If they are saying there are other issues, then let us know what they are and perhaps we can speak to them.

What I am concerned about is that you say you "moved" to London to "live" with your partner...This language could raise some red flags as I assume you were in the UK as a visitor and as you describe it, you were not just visiting which is technically breaching the rules of your visa, but this is mostly an issue of semantics, I suppose.

As far as the timeline quoted - they are correct. A Briggs used to be a visa expediter agency that could hand deliver the application for you, but expediters are no longer allowed, so they will not be able to speed up the timeline for you. Really, there is little need for agencies such as them any longer. If you do not want to wait the 12 weeks it can take to hear the decision on your visa, you will have to pay for priority service offered by WorldBridge when you complete the application online (bypassing A Briggs all together).

I have paid A Briggs an expedited visa fee...$324.00...I was under the impression it was the same as using WorldBridge and that the confirmation was sent to Briggs directly at which point they submit it with the application and documentation...Not really sure why I paid it if they can't speed up the process...But, it doesn't sound like WorldBridge speeds it up any either...So why is this still offered and why does the UK website say that 53% of all settlement visas are processed within 3 business days???

I feel like I'm being scammed on all sides...

When I applied for my visa, I used an expeditor (not A Briggs, but another similar service) and was approved in under 24 hours. The $150 fee I paid my expeditor was for them to deliver the application in person at the consulate, essentially putting my application on the "top of the pile". However, as far as I know, expediters are not able to do this any longers, so I am not sure what you are getting for the $324.

Paying Worldbridge does speed up the process, but not as much as the expediters used to.

Seeing as though you have already paid and retained them, why dont you call and ask for clarification?

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Blog: www.beyondthequeen.blogspot.com

I paid them $175 to go over my documentation and make sure all my I's are dotted and T's crossed...I paid $324 presumably to WorldBridge via Briggs to go to the top of the pile...

Still...I am getting quotes of 3 weeks to 3 months...

Wish the UK Visa website would update their information on processing times, so I could have been more prepared for this type of wait!!!