I am so lucky to be a citizen of Australia; I am so lucky to live in the UK; I am so lucky to have travelled and lived in the USA. I am so lucky to know that I have rights as a civilian, and that these rights are protected. The right to know 'why' things are done the way they are in the democratic system that I live in, and also the empowered feeling I have to affect the system, if I think and can prove to others that there is something not exactly 'fair' or 'right' or pertaining to 'rule of law'.
Okay, so this is how I genuinely feel right now. And here is my problem:
I need to have my UK VISA renewed - I have received a new Certificate of Sponsorship from my employer, I have filled in the application on the UK website, and (of course) I like to think I'm an easy case. But, (there's always a but), I have heard/read/been told, that the processing time when mailing in your application form and ancillary documents can be at least 2 months. For circumstances not in my direct control, I can only submit my application by post 6 weeks before I have to travel on business. Damn. However, there is an option to take the 'premium' option (you pay an extra 300 pounds, above the already hefty 500 pound application processing fee), and you are directed to a website whose irony still amazes me. On this particular page you are asked to fill in dates when you are free to come into a UK border agency centre (one of seven), and submit your documents in person and consequently receive a decision much sooner. You pick and choose in your naive honesty a suitable range of dates, and centres closest to yourself, and then click 'next'. The irony in this whole process is that of course, you quickly realise that there are no appointments available for any days (at all), in any of the centers (gosh - you're even willing to travel to Belfast from London). The lovely/polite message telling you:
"We do not have any appointments available for your preferred dates and locations."
Feels like a spit in the face...
You are resourceful, so you call up the next morning to find out how it is possible (if at all) to make an appointment for the 'premium' service? You are politely told that a single 'days worth' of appointments (you are told which day they are up to) is released at a 'random' time between 5pm and 9am (the next day)... So it's luck of the draw. You ('event' - I'll explain later) feel this is defining unfairness, but you cannot pin-point exactly why. Why the cryptic messages on the website then? Why not just be direct and tell people this information - does the agency need the revenue from the calls lodged to be told this?
Anyway, okay, so, you prepare yourself to log into that now 'stupid' website and madly check all the date/location combinations...(Okay, so here is where I own up - reference to 'event' explained: after a week of this stupidity, I 'just' successfully secured an appointment. I say this because in all fairness to human nature, it is likely that my 'zeal' (awww...stinging sense of humour? ;)) in writing about this has died down somewhat. However, I am not finished with my story, and I remain curious to understand a few things in the nature of this process...)
So, in this whole painful process, agonizing about the possibility of securing an appointment, still getting paid at work, the deep 'unfairness' feeling I get when I think about the process of appointment bookings, the duration your travel documents will be with the UK government - and you unable to travel... I don't understand something... I do not understand why (if you are able to receive this in the first place), you cannot during this interim period travel on a concurrent passport. Why? Why will my whole application process become void/invalid the moment I leave the country? Why does the UK govt have me by the throat when my documents are being reviewed? Why are my basic human rights to travel... let me rephrase that: my basic human rights to see my family, to help my family and friends when/if they are in need (and happen to be outside of the UK)? Why are my basic human rights to freedom of choosing how I spend my free time, and conducting my work where it will be most effective impinged upon? - simply because the UK govt are processing my VISA extension?
Why? It does not seem fair. Perhaps because I do not understand something - perhaps it is a national security risk to allow me to travel out of the country while my documents are in possession of the UK govt? Perhaps I'm missing something important? (and here I am not being ironic - I am sincere when I say that perhaps I am really missing a bit of information that will answer my question, and give me that 'ah' feeling when curiosity is reasonably satisfied.)
Anyway, the point to this protracted story is that I intend to find out 'why'?
And I'll let you know.
Okay, so this is how I genuinely feel right now. And here is my problem:
I need to have my UK VISA renewed - I have received a new Certificate of Sponsorship from my employer, I have filled in the application on the UK website, and (of course) I like to think I'm an easy case. But, (there's always a but), I have heard/read/been told, that the processing time when mailing in your application form and ancillary documents can be at least 2 months. For circumstances not in my direct control, I can only submit my application by post 6 weeks before I have to travel on business. Damn. However, there is an option to take the 'premium' option (you pay an extra 300 pounds, above the already hefty 500 pound application processing fee), and you are directed to a website whose irony still amazes me. On this particular page you are asked to fill in dates when you are free to come into a UK border agency centre (one of seven), and submit your documents in person and consequently receive a decision much sooner. You pick and choose in your naive honesty a suitable range of dates, and centres closest to yourself, and then click 'next'. The irony in this whole process is that of course, you quickly realise that there are no appointments available for any days (at all), in any of the centers (gosh - you're even willing to travel to Belfast from London). The lovely/polite message telling you:
"We do not have any appointments available for your preferred dates and locations."
Feels like a spit in the face...
You are resourceful, so you call up the next morning to find out how it is possible (if at all) to make an appointment for the 'premium' service? You are politely told that a single 'days worth' of appointments (you are told which day they are up to) is released at a 'random' time between 5pm and 9am (the next day)... So it's luck of the draw. You ('event' - I'll explain later) feel this is defining unfairness, but you cannot pin-point exactly why. Why the cryptic messages on the website then? Why not just be direct and tell people this information - does the agency need the revenue from the calls lodged to be told this?
Anyway, okay, so, you prepare yourself to log into that now 'stupid' website and madly check all the date/location combinations...(Okay, so here is where I own up - reference to 'event' explained: after a week of this stupidity, I 'just' successfully secured an appointment. I say this because in all fairness to human nature, it is likely that my 'zeal' (awww...stinging sense of humour? ;)) in writing about this has died down somewhat. However, I am not finished with my story, and I remain curious to understand a few things in the nature of this process...)
So, in this whole painful process, agonizing about the possibility of securing an appointment, still getting paid at work, the deep 'unfairness' feeling I get when I think about the process of appointment bookings, the duration your travel documents will be with the UK government - and you unable to travel... I don't understand something... I do not understand why (if you are able to receive this in the first place), you cannot during this interim period travel on a concurrent passport. Why? Why will my whole application process become void/invalid the moment I leave the country? Why does the UK govt have me by the throat when my documents are being reviewed? Why are my basic human rights to travel... let me rephrase that: my basic human rights to see my family, to help my family and friends when/if they are in need (and happen to be outside of the UK)? Why are my basic human rights to freedom of choosing how I spend my free time, and conducting my work where it will be most effective impinged upon? - simply because the UK govt are processing my VISA extension?
Why? It does not seem fair. Perhaps because I do not understand something - perhaps it is a national security risk to allow me to travel out of the country while my documents are in possession of the UK govt? Perhaps I'm missing something important? (and here I am not being ironic - I am sincere when I say that perhaps I am really missing a bit of information that will answer my question, and give me that 'ah' feeling when curiosity is reasonably satisfied.)
Anyway, the point to this protracted story is that I intend to find out 'why'?
And I'll let you know.
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