Tags
British Airways, Delhi, Emirates, flight, international trade centre, Nehru Place, Scotland, UK, UK visa, VFS, VFS global, Visa, visa stamp
Once I laid my hands on the passport (read the previous post ‘Getting an Indian Passport’), I had more form-filling to do – the online visa application. Bad part is that the visa application form is quite elaborate, good part is that it can be done in parts and saved. So, I had just a little to do after I got the passport and the whole aim was to get an appointment at VFS (http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/India/) on the same day. It was 24th of January, a Friday. Again I was about to face a weekend! Once the application was filled in completely, however hard I tried I couldn’t select the same day for my appointment as the date itself was grayed on the calendar shown on site. I could select 27th or any day after that!
As I was a first time applicant for UK Visa I was not allowed to opt for a fast track processing or any of the other services offered by VFS. You must have traveled to UK or Schengen Countries in the last 5 years to avail of these great services which help in getting your Visa much sooner. In fast track service you may get it even within 2 days after applying. Yes, you definitely need to pay extra for that even if you are eligible. Desperately I tried calling up VFS customer service to coax them to give me an appointment for the same day, but in the evening ‘Prime Time’ as they call it – that is after working hours. I had to ask for that time as my travel time to Delhi was about 2 hours. Though they were willing to accommodate me at 4pm, they weren’t giving me the option to avail ‘Prime Time’. Again I was not eligible for that service! I couldn’t have made it to the VFS office by 4 pm after catching a flight from my place and hence I had no choice but to book for an appointment only on the 27th. It was the second time a weekend troubled me!
I tried to relax on 24th and 25th and left for Delhi on Sunday, the 26th as my appointment was at 8 am the next day. I had plenty of documents with me. I read and re-read the requirements on VFS website as well as many other websites and blogs. The bottom line is that you need to prove your identity, so you need to carry the originals for the same and the second part is that you need to prove it to them that you have enough reason to come back to India and not likely to look for work or extend your stay in the UK.
I woke up early on the 27th and I was ready to go by 6.30am. I was not too sure how long it was going to take to reach the International Trade Centre at Nehru Place and so wanted to err on the right side. I got into the cab right then and I was at the VFS office a good one hour early! To err on the earlier side is good as you have enough time to eat and drink! But, it wasn’t to be – none of the restaurants, tea-stalls were opened and I walked into VFS office at 7.50am (that is when they let you in – just ten minutes before your appointment time) hungry and tired!
Let me tell you that you face some youngsters at this VFS office and they are like dummies. Not that they are, but their job is such. No offence, but they are more like a ‘post-box’. They do not ask for any particular document or any relevant information. If you give them just one document, they are fine with that, if you give them a hundred; they aren’t going to say ‘No’! So, you need to know what are relevant in your case. The person I sat across looked like a mere boy of 18yrs or so, smiling and approachable, but no other help! I handed over quite a few as I didn’t want to miss out on anything. It is better to provide more than less I suppose, especially for the very first time. My documents included my identity proof, residence proof, marriage certificate, the invitation from the Organisation in UK who were conducting the course, the document giving proof of sponsorship and a whole lot more! I also included two printed sheets explaining why there is urgency in the matter and why there was a delay in applying for a Visa. Will that help the Visa officers to give a stamp within 5 days for a first time applicant? I just had to hope!
Once I submitted my originals, they were all put in a file with their cover page and with that I was required to go to the bio-metrics section. Here, the person I met seemed to be a lot more professional. I was asked to look at a logo on the wall which hung just half a feet below the ceiling. There were two semicircular globe-like structures, one just above the logo and one on the roof. I guessed it must be the retina scan. Apart from that they took my photograph and my finger prints. Here, they check and double-check your name and your date of birth. Everything was done and I walked out with a single sheet with a reference number and other details. I was to keep it safe till it is time for getting the documents back.
By 9 o’clock, I was out of the building and again the hunger pang which must have been deep down surfaced with a vengeance. I walked into a restaurant, ordered for a coffee and a sandwich. Later I took a cab to the UK Embassy to try my luck further. I was hoping I could talk to some Officer over there. There was not a chance. All I could do was to drop a printed letter requesting an appointment with the Visa Officer. I waited outside for a while, but the security guard told me kindly that there was no point waiting over there. I left after watching a few classy vehicles enter the Australian Embassy on the other side.
I went home two days later, spent a couple of days and got back to Delhi on the 2nd of February with my bags packed ready to fly to UK. I had no choice but to be prepared to fly out anytime. I wasn’t to give up easily. As I did not hear from them till the 2nd, I went to the embassy again on the 3rd to try my luck. It was fruitless!
I was to catch a flight to UK at 3 am on the morning of February 4th. That meant that I was to reach the airport by 3rd night. But I had no information the whole of 3rd. Another colleague of mine who was also attending the course with me, left that night.
I decided to wait just one more day as I still had a chance to catch a flight on 4th evening and be in UK on time for my course to begin. I was told by my organization to take all the chances possible to reach UK even if I was going to miss some part of the course. 4th dawned and with that hope rose again. I think humans are capable of hoping against hope! The morning did not bear any good news, afternoon too slipped by painfully with no news, no message and no email from VFS.
At 3pm, I gave up hope . . . I called up my organization, told them it is a negative and advised them not to standby to book the tickets. I called up my husband and talked to him for a while. We both resigned ourselves to the fact. Then I decided to take a nap so as to bury the disappointment.
As I was getting under the blankets, I got a message on my mobile. It simply said, ‘your passport is ready for collection at the VFS office!’ I couldn’t make out whether the Visa is approved or not. I gave a quick call to my office, asked them to standby. Told my husband the news, called up my husband’s colleague and then within minutes he came by and I jumped into his car. While we rushed towards the VFS office at Nehru place, too many thoughts were rushing through me. One thought stood uppermost – the thought of a seal on the passport. Was I going to be disappointed?
After an hour of agony, traffic and anxiety, I reached VFS office. I was given a big sealed packet. I opened it and hunted for the passport among my huge pile of documents. My heart was beating at break-neck speed all this while. As I opened up my passport, I saw a blank first page and slumped back in the chair. Finally, the reality was hitting me in my face. No stamp! No visa! In that second, everything seemed to crumble . . . my hope, my dream travel and my dream destination!
While I was battling through these emotions, for some reason, I was flipping through the passport. I thought I saw something in one of those pages. I flipped through again a little slower this time and there it was! Right in the middle of the passport, my Visa to visit UK and thereby, my dream destination, Scotland!
I rushed down to the vehicle, informing everyone concerned of the good news. Many things happened while we drove back to get my luggage and head to the airport. My husband was fixing the last details of my itinerary, my colleagues were trying to book the tickets and tie up for my pick up over there at UK. I was meanwhile trying to figure out how to get a travel card. My phone just wouldn’t stop ringing! All these were happening around 5 pm on 4th evening and the initial idea was to catch the 9.30pm Emirates flight. But, after a while everything eased a bit when I told there were no tickets available for that particular flight and hence I was to catch the 3 am British Airways flight, the same flight I was to catch the previous day!
Now I had time to breathe a bit easy, take a refreshing shower, re-pack my luggage and more than all these, I had time to open my passport again to have a better look at that beautiful, shiny stamp. Right in the middle!