Pakistan high commission uses Gerry's for issuing visas. Living in Berkshire, they recently opened office in Hounslow, which is great as you don't have to go to East London office anymore.
That's where joy ends!!
Considering it's Pakistan visa office, one think it should have been in a reasonable office location. WRONG!. It's in a small, perhaps couple of hundred square feet, old clothe shop on a very small parade. They event did not bothered to change the board outside. Awesome!!
You will have difficulty locating visa "shop" if you have an image of a big country like Pakistan A nuclear power. So to avoid that hassle and obvious embarrassment I have attached shop photo below marked in red!!
Please rest assured that any number listed on Pakistan high commission website, or Gerry's website for visa information, nor any email on both websites are ever answered. Funnily enough, high commission have listed mobile numbers on the website which aren't answered and you cannot leave a voice mail as mailbox is full and don't bother sending text YOU will have same great response as above! Mean they don't give s**t about your!!
After miserably failing to get hold of anyone either at high commission or gerry's, you will have to dig for information yourself from the websites. Hopefully this will put end to your misery.. NO!
Information on the websites are misleading .. Shocked? don't' be! After all it's coming from Pakistani authorities.. You should have saw that coming!!
High commission website says their visa offices are open Mon to Sat, Gerry's says Mon to Fri.. Gerry's wrong. They are open on Sat as well, from 9 to 1 pm. Forms are different on both sites just download from high commission website, that looks bit better. Now the million dollar tricks;
1- You will need consent form signed by both parents if applying visa for your kid. So if you going alone to visa office, make sure you have that, otherwise Pakistani mentality will make sure you don't get entertained at any cost and sent back rudely to fix this problem which is not anywhere in the information leaflet (in fact, there is no information leaflet!!).
2- If you have Pakistani passport, whether expired or not, must take it with you. That is the secret they will try to hide from you at any cost.. because if you don't. you will end up paying more than double fees. So if you have it, take it, or pay the fees in region of £140.
3- Culture is typical Pakistani, so make sure take everything you can think off in terms of documents, plus cash at least £150, No, not to bribe, for visa fees, they don't accept credit cards!
4- There is plenty of off-road parking around, so help yourself.
Finally, if you have lived long enough in the UK and used to meet and greet, forget about it. THE visa application collector (at least the one I saw) make sure, he treat you like you are in the Kala Shah Kako and applying for driving licence!
Enough said!
Hope you find this information useful.
