Forty-nine days

My visa expires in 49 days. My employer is working on getting sponsorship approval for me so that I can apply for a new visa, but I don’t know if it will all happen before my current visa expires. I might be entitled to a two-month extension, giving me a bit of breathing room to apply for the work visa, but I’ve not heard back from the Home Office to confirm that.

I have just moved into a new flat with a six-month lease. I have spent nearly all of my savings. If my visa doesn’t go through, I have no job, no money, and no legal right to stay in Scotland – but I will still owe the balance of my lease (and my two-year mobile phone contract). I will be destroyed financially – and emotionally.

I am stressed. I am worried. I am frightened. I worry that my mental health and emotional well-being will be on dangerous ground if my gamble doesn’t pay off. I am fearful that losing this dream will turn my life into a spiralling nightmare.

I have to be honest and say that my world is consumed with the stresses of WhatIfs these days. I’m trying not to be doom and gloom, but I really am afraid. I know you can’t fix it. I know there is very little I can do about it at this point. But I’m trying to stay positive and I’m trying to be upbeat. It’s just hard some days. And the closer I get to 11 November without a visa solution, the harder life will be. Oh, and if I don’t get a visa, I can’t even attend my graduation ceremony, which isn’t until 23 November.

So, yeah. That’s what’s going through my mind these days. I must find a happy outlet …

6 Replies to “Forty-nine days”

  1. Oh Sweetie, that is rough. I can feel the anxiety and doubt. You are taking all of the necessary steps and doing the legwork, so God will take care of the outcome… I have faith that this will all work out. XOXOXO

    1. Thanks, Jeanne. I guess that it just gets a bit overwhelming at times. I’m sure it will work out, and there are loads of people here working on getting it done. It’s just the stress of not knowing… xx

  2. Hi Frances,
    I know it’s nerve-wracking and it feels like your future hinges on the vagaries of a soulless bureaucratic monster, and to be honest it sort of does.
    I know, you’d really hope I was going somewhere; and I sort of am.
    I’ve had a wee bit of experience with the monster (albeit all the way back in 2003/2004), and it sounds to me as if you’ve a very good chance of winning fastest granny in the Loch Ness Marathon 2040 (or thereabouts).
    It sounds like you’re going from tier 4 to tier 2, so I think your employer is simply applying to be on the sponsorship register and won’t have to do the whole “resident labour market test” for your specific job.
    To be honest unless you’re working for the local version of Del and Rodney (Trotter that is), I think you should be fine.
    Timewise, as long as your application date as logged by ukba is before your visa expiry date then you can wait it out. At least that’s my understanding.
    Anyway, I know I’m playing the most loathesome role on earth (barrack room lawyer) and you almost certainly have people who actually do know what they’re talking about, but it seems to me that you should be able to rest easy(ish) and look forward to a long and happy future in Scotland.
    Best Wishes
    Ephemera

    1. Thanks, Ephemera! Much of what you’ve said is stuff that my rational mind knows (yes, Tier 4 to Tier 2, no resident labour market test) but the problem is that my emotional mind gets so wound up thinking of the worst case scenarios that I can’t hear the rational stuff. And, I always fear that I’ve mis-read something somewhere along the line.
      I think my biggest worry is that my employer won’t get their sponsorship approval in time. And if they do, it will be a tight turn around. Of course, as you said, as long as the UKBA logs my application before my current visa expires I’m OK. What I need to do is find out if I can continue working in that case, or if I have to cease working until the new visa arrives. Must go research that I suppose …
      And don’t worry about playing barrack room lawyer. It’s actually quite reassuring to have other people tell me everything will be OK and confirm the things I *think* I understand when it comes to visas. Honestly, it’s appreciated very much!
      Frances

  3. well like you said you have done all you can do, so here is a couple things to remember…You mentioned you would be destroyed financially & emotionally if things don’t work out correctly- well they will because God will only give you what you can handle & not more! Think of it as a test of your faith & whether you believe that God will answer your prayers(to stay in Scotland) You have to let go of your worries & stress & place it in HIS hands to take care of you & then trust he will 🙂 It must be part of the Greater Plan because he wouldn’t have made the opportunities for you to get to Scotland & complete your Master’s just to let it all fail…So see, EVERYTHING will be just fine! Besides that the power of many prayers is VERY strong and you have a lot of us working for you!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    1. Thanks, Ramona. I have about 6 weeks to figure it all out I suppose. Still no word from anyone on anything, which is worrying. But I’ll keep bugging folks until I have some answers!

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