Wednesday, October 28, 2009

I've now entered the world of British bureaucracy.

As of 1 November, my UK Ancestry visa expires and instead of heading back to my homeland, I've applied for an extension on my visa. I dutifully filled out the application, ensured I filled out the forms correctly and most importantly, sent the Home Office a cheque for £465. I then sent off my application via Royal Mail. For those outside the UK, the Royal Mail are currently in a huge dispute and were on strike last Thursday and Friday (and may now be on strike again very soon). Of course, I could have made my visa application in person - for a mere £665 - but despite what the Daily Mail says, I'm not one of those plush immigrants sponging off the system, who has that kind of cash. (Seriously, fuck the Daily Mail).

On a related note, how lame is it that I need to pay EXTRA for "special delivery" to ensure that my mail gets to its destination?! Seriously, Royal Mail, that's your JOB - delivering letters and boxes from point A to point B; how does it get away with charging EXTRA!?

Anyway, I'm now in immigrant limbo, waiting to hear back from the British Bureaucratic Gods as to their decision on my livelihood.

8 comments:

PurestGreen said...

Oh do I know the land of government red tape. I hope to be able to apply for my British Citizenship within the next couple of years, and then (and only then) will I relax and lose this fear I have that they will kick me out. My indefinite leave to remain cost about £800, plus I had to take the living in the UK test. I wish you much luck with all the paperwork madness.

Prairie Girl Wanderer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Prairie Girl Wanderer said...

wish you all the best on your visa extension. i wish i could have came over with an ancestry visa, but my only my great-grandparents were born in the UK. I had to apply twice for my YMS visa, silly application process

Jennifer said...

Purest Green - I can't wait to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and take the citizenship test. How was it? Did you have to study? For that price, I better start saving now!

Squirmy Popple said...

I feel your pain - I'll be in the same position in a few months! Good luck!

David T. Macknet said...

Oh, the bureaucracy! And here's me, doing a PhD in Information and Records Management! Woe!

At least it's good for 10 years, right? So, at £56 / year, it's pretty cheap?

Relying on the Royal Mail = crap. We've had a letter take 6 weeks to get to us from New York, and a package get to us in 4 days from Connecticut. There's no sense in it, so we've said to stop sending us mail.

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