Yes, UK referees ( in case of emergency) , they haven't asked for Indian ones.

Never mind Dave

I should hurry and get them back, although I remember last year it was stating 10 days processing time and we received ours within a week. I think they are giving the worst case scenario by stating 15 days but better safe than sorry

Hi Mr Confident get them back pronto annx

It was a real "I don't believe it moment" !
I was half way through grouting the bathroom floor when the postman delivered, but I kept cool and carried on before the grout went off !
Forms now retrieved, modified, resubmitted, printed off and posted back.
Ah well, keeps the mind active, better than Suduko.
Now, as we are due to go in 4 weeks time it's fingers crossed.
Anyone ever tried Torquay in November ?

You'll be fine now Dave, as I said earlier I think 15 days is the very worst case scenario.

it was stating 10 days processing time and we received ours within a week. I think they are giving the worst case scenario by stating 15 days but better safe than sorry

There wasn't a post strike looming last year !!!!!!
However, as they have to give a weeks notice before striking (hopefully) I am still confident.
The P.O. are claiming they are short of revenue, I just helped with an extra £10.80 !

hi all from an ecstattic smudger2 and grannypat. sent for visas last friday. arrived at hayes monday and hey presto got them back this morning so 4 day turnaround. so glad to have them back. the only advice i can give to anybodyelse about to do their visas is:-

1. fill in all the boxes that you can . if they ask the questions then they want an answer and put NA in the ones that dont apply not just if you dont feel like answering it.
2. read the question carefully.
3. have all the info ready to fill in the form online. hotel address etc.
4. when you have finished make a copy of the completed form so you can use it next year to answer the same questions that you answered this year as the form dosnt seem to change much and the only thing you will have to worry about is the name and full postal address of the accommadation you are staying at.
5. we used the hotel manager and our rep at our hotel address as refs for india and father and son in england.
6. if you pay the online return service it can come back by royal mail or courrier. ours came back courrier. we was not in to recieve them so i left a note on the door of my house asking if they would get the man accross the road to sign and take them in. they insisted on id for myself but i had left my photo driving licence with the man (forward thinking) and their was no problems.

all in all a very painless operation unlike last year at birmingham so WELL DONE hayes for a first calss service and very quick

smudger2 and grannypat

Excellent advice from Smudgwer 2 and Grannypat although it failed me on 4) as I used last years application to base mine on when I didn't fill in referees!!!
I have a feeling Mumbai and other incidents have drawn attention to the fact that a contact in emergencies is useful to have. It's a shame that they don't make the point clearer as "referees " sounds like something someone needing a serious VISA ( ie not tourist ) would need.
I agree and think it might be a better idea at the moment to pay the fee and let VSF decide how to send your passports back ( ie post or courier) rather than provide pre paid envelopes for registered mail. That way if there is a strike it minimises the chances of you not getting them back.
Should have thought of that this morning

ah well............

Does anyone know how far in advance you can book an appointment to attend the Wilton Street office in London after filling in your form online? I am fortunate that I work in London and propose, as last year, presenting in person. I do not wish to apply for my visa until late October/early November because I want it to be valid until end of April. However, with the postal strike looming, I can only imagine attendance in person will increase. If I could book the appointment now for, say, 1 months time, it would ease my mind. Something tells me you cannot do this - but does anyone really know. I have sent them an email but who knows when they will reply - probably after I leave!

I did book an online appointment last year but did not pay attention to how far in advance you could get an appointment (because it did not matter!).
Candybabe

Very good advice from Smudger2! Just one more thing to add, do remember to sign your form!!! In all the excitement of having managed to fill in the form online and then download it people do miss off signing it in the very small space at the bottom of the form.

squigs.
at least its better than signing it and then them saying it dosnt look anything like it as happened to me last year but hey ive got mine back this year but i had to practice for 4 mins before i sent it
smudger2

We are going thru to Edinburgh on Monday for our Visas

so pleased got our passports back thursday,so pleased with the quick turn around ,visa office received them monday so got them back in 4 days
very impressed

hello does anyone know if it at all possible to actually pick up your visa the same day if you go in person or will you be given an appointment to come back
many thanks

ron-watford
I can't see where you've had a reply to this - but the answer is 'No'.

You can hand your application in to a number of places and they will return it by special delivery.

Or you can hand your application in and collect it - but not on the same day. NB - not all places allow you to collect in person.

Or you apply by post (only to Hayes) and get it back by post.

I'm not sure if there's a 4th option - post your application and then collect it in person.

We sent ours off on Monday so they would have got them at their office on Tuesday ....and im so happy to say we got them back on Sat morning ...so from the day they got them to the day we got them back again it only took 5 days that was the quickest we have ever got them and to think they had to come back to Ireland im more than pleased ........Goa here we come

Posted mine Thursday, signed for Friday, but office closed for Indian holiday. Status changed to received on Monday morning, and changed to under process Monday afternoon. Wednesday showed as being handed over to Royal Mail. Received a text Thursday morning to say DX Secure would deliver between 8am and 6pm that day. Arrived home from work to find a delivery card, phoned the number and arranged to collect from a DX office nearby on the Friday. Received a text message Thursday evening to say it was there and ready for my collection. Drove to the pick up Friday lunchtime, ripped open the envelope. HURRAH, visas in place . Only one weeks worry this year instead of the usual 2 or 3. Maybe we should take back all the things we said about VFS last year?

visa,s handed back to Royal Mail today 6 days including weekend that's called
excellent sevice
annx

HELP!!!! Just received visa application forms back for my 2 neices who are travelling to Goa with me,the reason for the return is due to no information on their father as their mother is a single parent does anyone know what I have to do for the visas to be accepted.PLEASE help as we are due to travel 15th of this month

Hi Franny, did you put NA under details for father?

Hi squigs yes I did all that but for some reason it wasnt accepted.I rang the office today & I need a copy of the birth certificates & a cover note from the parent.Just hope I get it in time.