Those that have been following me know I have to get a visa for my other half for the Portugal part of our next trip. We were informed to return and collect the passport which we did today. We were then told that the application had been denied and that we can appeal if we want to..
The reasoning given was they were not sure my wife would leave as planned and which is kind of crazy as she has a UK visa which we have just applied to extend by 2 years. Why would she break her visa entry conditions if she is going to the UK first and has a current UK visa? Another part of the application is you are required to show proof of funds which we have more than enough. Where is the problem because logically there are none?
We are doing all of these applications legally the right way which are not cheap yet they still have the audacity to question our intentions. The trip to Portugal is only for 5 days with hotels and flights booked. My aim is to open a bank account and scout out the Algarve region to see if it is a place the family could settle down and live. The UK is not ticking the boxes for future plans as I believe it is rapidly deteriorating and do see a serious violent uprising coming.
This rejected via application does not make much sense when you consider how may illegals are being accepted yet here are genuine tourists having to now appeal their visa application which is genuine. Why would one break their visa regulations going to Portugal when the UK is seen as the prize for so many and she already has that stamped in her passport.
We now have to furnish the Portuguese authorities with more information highlighting that we own two properties here and own a business plus the family is here. My aim is to eventually buy a property in the Algarve and have EU citizenship which I already qualify for. My wife qualifies for UK citizenship via both sets of grandparents both being English and even has a right to remain in the UK stamp in her passport.
I thought this would be an automatic acceptance and not have to do all the other running around which will be submitted on Friday. I still do not think there will be a problem once all the other information has been submitted, but this is so unnecessary and common sense should also play a part in this.
Maybe they have to reject a certain percentage showing how tough their visa process is when in reality illegals are flooding across their borders. I am just seriously disappointed and I think I have every right to be considering how genuine this trip is and what we all see playing out everywhere else.
This does not make any sense considering she had a Schengen visa for the Paris trip back in July and we all returned. Surely they take this into account when assessing each application and now I guess they do not and you can kind of guess who is making these decisions on the other end and are not thoroughly checking like they should.
Each week that ticks past is sending our trip later into the year and in all honesty it is looking more like January and not December now. This year has been a shocker for trying to get any travel documents done and I have never known it to be so difficult. This is only highlighting the need to have everyone on a British passport as soon as possible because I do not trust the system and have lost all faith.
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Europe's fucked in this regard. It's utter insanity. And then those useless bureaucrats wonder why inflation remains high and tourism spend is decreasing.
That about sums this all up which is crazy.
That is bizarre! If you've had a successful visit and hold a UK visa then it ought to be almost a formality to get the visa!
I hope you get it sorted but the stress and time created by these processes is of the scale.
Perhaps Portugal is clamping down a little as unknown many people who have happily settled there in the past few years as it really does seem to be a lovely place to relocate to.
Best wishes
Thanks it is odd and very bizarre and expect to get this cleared up as soon as possible. Just the hassle like you mentioned as this is another day wasted. Good to hear from you and appreciate it.
Very odd.
These kind of decisions are entirely subjective but if you’ve provided the financial documents, evidence of ties outside Portugal including property and a business and you’ve got a history of meeting the conditions of previous visas then it’s difficult to see how they came to that conclusion.
I’d appeal and complain to anybody at the Embassy who will listen. Don’t underestimate the power of social media either. If the Embassy, the ambassador or any Portuguese official (particularly those linked to the tourist industry) have a Twitter or Instagram account then be sure to tag them while venting your frustration online. It’s a tactic that worked for me when my Mrs got a ridiculous French visa refusal. You hit the right person and all of a sudden the decision gets changed pretty fast!
Yes we are in the process of writing a letter supplying all the facts which I do believe it will be over turned. If not I will try your method or worse case scenario get a visa for another European country and travel via there or not go at all. This is not a must do trip and thought i would just tack it onto our UK trip.
Hey, you said "UK rapidly deteriorating", I would say the damage has already been done, the deteriorating part started years ago, even before Brexit.
Yes I agree this is nothing new, but has been a steady decline. An easy fix, but the people are too soft and will only change when the people realise they have no choices left. This is how it has to be and until enough people have been affected by crime like rape and murder will this change.