Delay in visa renewal

[saravananwise]

Dear All,

I am working in Hong Kong. Ima working for the same company for the past 5 years. I had visa upto May 20, 2009. I had applied for visa renewal on May 7th 2009 with the employer letter with full details like my position in the company and my salary details. When i applied they given me the letter and asked me to collect the visa on 29th May. When i went my case officer came and told visa is not ready and need to process so he needs more time. When i asked time limit he told he cant told once ready he will call me back. So i came back.

I waited for 15 days and again i went again i got the same reply. Case officer had given me his contact number. After 1 month time (After June 7th) i tried calling him, no reply no one attend the call. After that i waited for 1 month and called on July 3rd. A new person picked up the phone and told me that my case officer was moved out of the department also she told she is the case officer for me thereafter. She collected my application details and told she will call me back, she called me back and she also given the same reply that the visa is not ready once ready they will call back.


Again i went in person on 8th July 2009. My new case officer came and told me the same that the visa is not ready once ready she will call me. When i asked how long it will take, she replied dont know but once ready she will call me.

Now iam much worried, almost 3 months is nearing after my application. I have lot of things to process based on the visa, i have to decide my child school shifting, my house contract is expring by july end. Because of Visa iam loosing many opportunity in my company also.


Does any one in this forum have such experience, is there any way i can know the exact status of my case from immigration.

I believe as my visa was approved for 3 times, this time renewal should not be problem.

Pls help and guide me in this.


Thanks & Regards
Steve.

[rapid_jap]

Did you ask them the reason for this delay? On thw website they state 4-6 weeks is the normal processing time but since it is already past that period, you should first ask them for a reason.

[rapid_jap]

One other point that struck me is the delay in processing could be due to swine flu, high season for visa processing for teachers coming to HK... but whatever it is, you need to know once it's past 6 weeks..

[saravananwise]

Thanks for your replay. When ask them for reason they are not giving any proper replay 1 time they are telling assessment is going on another time she is telling waiting for some documents, when i asked what document she needs i can provide. Then she is telling the document is to come from her department only.

I dont know what to do, much confused and worried.

Steve.

[rapid_jap]

Just call them and talk firmly saying this is 2.5 weeks past the normal processing time and that you need to get the updated passport in order to make a business trip which your employer has been waiting to schedule. Tell them when you submitted the app., you never imagined it would take so long since generally, HK immigration dept. is very efficient but now the delay is causing you a lot of problems at work..

Try and see what happens..when you talk, also say explicitly it's your 4th renewal

[Load Toad]

Wouldn't it be a good idea to get the company sponsoring your application to contact Immigrassi to find out what the delay is?

[PDLM]

I've certainly never before heard of an Employment Visa renewal with the same employer being anything other than straightforward and quick. I can only imagine either that ImmD has some issue regarding your employer (is there any reason they might think that they are less than bona fide?) or that there might be some objection from another part of the HK Government (have you, for example, become "known" to the police?).

[saravananwise]

Dear all,

Thanks for your comments.

1) One of our director applied for dependent visa for his wife. I only placed that application on 6th. On 17th he got letter from immigration asking some documents like house contract copy and his bank statement copies.

2) I dont have any police record or police case upto today anywhere in HK as well in my hometown.


Will it be a good idea, sending a letter to my case office, stating that change of my daughters school,my house contract renewal and my office things.

Pls guide me,

Steve.

[Football16]

It is always best just to communicate with them in writing as they make it clear in word and action that they don't want to hear from people but to take everything in writing. It is much like a legal process where they determine that only written submissions are acceptable and not oral arguments.

Every time I have heard of people calling them, it is a botch up and seems to stretch out the time like they are punishing the callers or something.

Put it in writing and stay off the phone. To a bureaucrat anything in writing means they have to deal with it... a phone call just pisses them off.

[saravananwise]

Thanks for your replay, i will make a letter with all attachments like my old visa copies , employer letter copy and their letter copies and handover them tomorrow itself.

Steve.