Consulate-General of the United Kingdom in Shanghai

list of supporting documents
Adrian Bennet

Hey mate, is it possible to confirm what documents they require to submit the application? list of supporting documents

Outsourcing at its worst!
I agree with much of the sentiments on these threads. I applied for my Ayi's Domestic Workers visa in the UK (for the 3rd year running), was declined because of the ridiculously unclear requirements. There was NO link to the VFS site from the application site, there was NO list of supporting documents required (actually when you click on the 'supporting documents' link it takes you through to a page where it describes what you should travel with on the plane to get into the UK - ridiculous!!!), there was NO one you can call in Shanghai for advice, and when I asked at the VFS office if I had all the necessary documents they said 'hand it in, pay the money to find out!!!'. So I didd and so no wonder my application was declined and money taken.

On my SECOND application (equally costly application), I was lucky enough to FINALLY have a clear list of supporting documents in my rejection letter!!! Now I finally knew what was required. I realised time was short so I spent a long time on the phone to the UK, paying some ridiculous rate / minute. We then bribed the guards at the Shanghai VFS office to get seen before our appointment date. I continued to call the pay / minute number, pleading them to expedite my application given my previous efforts / cost and they actually have no say apparently in how the home office handles applications. 2 weeks later, I broke into tears on the phone (final work day before my ayi was meant to fly to the UK with our children whilst we stayed and worked) and oh, apparently they can accelerate my application (despite 5 phone calls) but now it was too late!!!

My ayi's application was approved 2 days after she was due to leave. I had to buy a ticket on the childrens flight at huge expense. We lost my ayis flight, insurance, 2 visa application forms, more than an hour on the phone - totally about 25,000 RMB.

Thanks a lot to the British Embassy for making this such a hideous experience. I think this must be a nice revenue earner for VFS...., the more difficult the more money they make. There are certain services that should NEVER be privatised.

Passport information
I am work in China and have only three pages left in my passport. I phoned the British Consulate in Shanghai for advice on what to do for a passport renewal. I was appalled by the fact that the officer who answered the said they do not have any information on passport issues. I need to phone the passport office in the UK. I wonder then what is the role of the consulate if they cannot provide such basic advice!

Pathetic Service by the British consulate.
I reside is Shanghai and am a British Citizen. Previously the visa application process was pretty straight forward. You filled in a form, handed it in and got an appointment. Now they have a online process, which even states that they are testing it and hence is in Beta phase. It times out every few minutes. Upon filling the thing in ( on the 20th try ) you are told you will get an appointment within 10 days, then nothing happens. Then you phone the consulate and are put through to a 'consular' who's brain can clearly be not more than 2 ounces in weight. e.g she tells me that i cannot access the website URl she has given me because the 'signal' could be bad and I should try later. This is the type of moron for which the British tax payer is paying thousands of pounds to house in fancy compounds here, all expenses paid with drivers and all kids put through the most expenses schools. For housing alone the government is paying up to 9000UKP a month. This is typical of the pathetic system and the obscene amounts of money being wasted to create a totally useless system, where these idiots work a few hours a day and then are off to happy hours and "rich bored wives of consulars, with nothing better to do then waste money on Lunches" club, whilst hard working people are suffering due to complete incompetence of the brain dead morons that are being circulated from one country to another. What else can you say. God help anyone who has a problem and has to deal with this system and the morons working within these consulates and embassies.

Same Problem
Nick, I am currently in exactly the same situation as you, to make matters worse, the only helpline they have for the service is located in India and charge £1.37 a minute on top of network rate and once you get through don't know anything, just red from a script!

APPALLING SERVICE
I am a British national that has been living in China for the past 9 years. My wife is Chinese and I am helping her complete her UK visa application. We already completed a visa application last year and the system was efficient and effective.

For this current application the first thing you notice is a statement on the government website along the lines of…… “this is a new website currently being tested” That’s where the worries begin. Completing the form was straightforward, not surprising extracting payment from my credit card was the websites most efficient service. Booking an appointment…. Not possible with no alternative.

THERE IS NO CLEAR LINK FROM THE APPLICATION SITE TO THE VFS GLOBAL APPOINTMENT SITE.
When I did eventually find the appointments website address (by surfing the net), THE APPOINTMENT SITE DOES NOT WORK.

I tried the VFS website tto make an appointment at the Shenzhen, China VAC. The website states “No date(s) available for appointment” (The same message occurred when I tried Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou etc).

I then phoned the VFS helpline and after 20 minutes waiting for it to be answered I was firstly told that sometimes the VFS appointment website does not work, and then told to email a helpline and wait for a response which might take upto 2 days.

It is now 4 days since we tried to make an appointment, and another 2 days to wait for a response. This failed process is eroding my wife’s application time and causing major stress. Will we get some sort of fastrack service due to VFS failure, doubt it.

Apart from the fact that this is a very serious situation where we need an appoint
I take often highlight to my Chinese wife how antiquated the Chinese government process is for anything…… you can imagine her response on this subject.

Shame
I hope you will consider here my humble suggestion that ECOs, especially at UK consulates in China, should exercise 'justified' caution before honest, financially secure and law abiding applicants are capriciously denied entry to the UK, which otherwise is dispensed to other non-UK citizens in disheartening displays. One only needs to witness Heathrow's arrivals immigration queues to get the gist of my point.

called with an emergecy
I called up with an emergency and these idiots put you through to voice mail. My life could be in danger!!!!!!!!! you should lose your liscence or something

APPALLING INEPT AND SLOW VISA SERVICE
As an American wanting to marry a British citizen in the UK I had to apply for a marriage visa. I had to go to an office in Shanghai staffed by all Chinese who did not understand the full requirement and kept telling me the website and system were changing. It cost nearly $200 to accept the paperwork. As they wanted to hang on to my original passport and work contract, I was without these vital documents for THREE weeks and could not travel anywhere in China. God alone knows what would have happened if I had had to leave the country in an emergency. Calling them up and getting someone fluent in English who is helpful is impossible. What an incompetent government and system!

visa
I live in Auckland and a permenate resident.I need to see my daughter living in London. Where can I get visa easily in Auckland or in Shaighai.