Tobs
Dear Readers
I am frustrated about the very recent changes of the British High Comission for the visa requirements.
In fact, I am EEA citizen and I have been living in the UK for almost 5 years. I started my family in the UK, my son was even born in the UK... and I loved living there.
Today, I do have to shake my head about the way England is dealing with their European (EU-)partners and citizens!
For what reason does suddenly (since about July 2009) a valid family member of an EEA citizen - even with a valid PR status in one of the EEA countries (Germany) - has to apply for a visa to visit the UK???
Is the High Comission UK completely out of their mind?
For the last years, until about 2008, we have been travelling to the UK frequently... and there was never the requirement for my wife to apply for a visa, since she has a proper PR status for Germany. Last week I learned that this has changed.
Additional I realized that there is even nobody from the UK Embassy involved in visa matters! It is agencies instead!
These 'agents' are not willing to communicate with individual consideration. They purely operate visa matters as a business (which it is... for them). In Germany, there are JUST 3 agencies in total, which means that the average applicant has to travel significantly far (about 300km). Furthermore visas are handled standardized... and a average time to issue a visa (remember: for an EEA PR!!!) take up to 3 weeks!!! If you have questions, you have to call a call center number: 1 call costs 20 USD! And the given answers won't be satisfying, since they are purely standard answers (out of a catalogue).
We, as a EEA family, have to deal now with this kind of agency for UK visa to be able to travel to the UK... and the reason is, that one person of this family has JUST a full PR status and NOT a European citizenship!
Is this UK's understanding of European relationship and 'counrties growing together'?
This behavior is completely un-acceptable and extremly discriminatory!
I can just hope, that somebody from High Commission UK is reading this to re-think about these changes and/or that the EU should re-consider UK membership!!!
I am frustrated about the very recent changes of the British High Comission for the visa requirements.
In fact, I am EEA citizen and I have been living in the UK for almost 5 years. I started my family in the UK, my son was even born in the UK... and I loved living there.
Today, I do have to shake my head about the way England is dealing with their European (EU-)partners and citizens!
For what reason does suddenly (since about July 2009) a valid family member of an EEA citizen - even with a valid PR status in one of the EEA countries (Germany) - has to apply for a visa to visit the UK???
Is the High Comission UK completely out of their mind?
For the last years, until about 2008, we have been travelling to the UK frequently... and there was never the requirement for my wife to apply for a visa, since she has a proper PR status for Germany. Last week I learned that this has changed.
Additional I realized that there is even nobody from the UK Embassy involved in visa matters! It is agencies instead!
These 'agents' are not willing to communicate with individual consideration. They purely operate visa matters as a business (which it is... for them). In Germany, there are JUST 3 agencies in total, which means that the average applicant has to travel significantly far (about 300km). Furthermore visas are handled standardized... and a average time to issue a visa (remember: for an EEA PR!!!) take up to 3 weeks!!! If you have questions, you have to call a call center number: 1 call costs 20 USD! And the given answers won't be satisfying, since they are purely standard answers (out of a catalogue).
We, as a EEA family, have to deal now with this kind of agency for UK visa to be able to travel to the UK... and the reason is, that one person of this family has JUST a full PR status and NOT a European citizenship!
Is this UK's understanding of European relationship and 'counrties growing together'?
This behavior is completely un-acceptable and extremly discriminatory!
I can just hope, that somebody from High Commission UK is reading this to re-think about these changes and/or that the EU should re-consider UK membership!!!