Friday 27 June 2008

Strike One...

Last night, I found, to my horror, my application for the HSMP visa had been returned. I had made a one-digit error which had stopped them from taking any money out of my account.

Shit. *You complete and utter, utter, utter, utter, utter to infinity... IDIOT!*

Not all my fault though. The application had arrived in London on the 8th of May, 8 days after I had posted it. The letter telling me that I'd made the mistake was dated the 9th of May. From there, it took SEVEN WEEKS to get back to me.

The cut-off date for HSMP applications is in three days time. I was invited in the letter to resubmit my application. Needless to say I was skeptical of the utility of this. So I rang the BIA and asked, well... was it worth it? And they said that "current advice" is that they'll accept applications date-stamped before the 30th.

I don't trust current advice. But this morning, ever the optimist, I re-posed the application with corrections, and so now must wait another two months at least, I suspect, before I'll know that they won't be accepting any more HSMP applications, and I've been sitting on my fanny, not looking for full time work because I have a job to go to in the UK, and running myself into thousands of dollars of debt, for nothing.

I have this picture in my head of about a dozen gorgeous beings, in elaborate flowing robes, surrounded by shining auras of incandescent light, lounging on various pieces of furniture made from clouds, feasting on laden platters of fruit and drinking from cups filled with red wine, all pointing their fingers at me, and laughing.

2 comments:

Jason B. Standing said...

Hang in there!! That's a real pain in the anus about getting a digit wrong :( They're sticklers for rules though, so if you do get your app in by when they say you have to, you should be OK!!

Come on! We miss you!!!!!

Jane D said...

Kat, I'm speechless... this is just hair-rasingly unfair and sooo bloody typical for british bureaucracy!! hang in there!!! I miss you here in London. I ditched my cross-stitching since I can't do it on my own (even in the company of Britain's Next Top Model) and my new flatmate is more into partying than quality time with Pride and Prejudice. :))
come back!

Jane