A request to supplement your file
This is not a refusal. It is a deadline.
A request means the office needs something in order to carry on with the case. It is not a decision and does not settle the outcome, but it sets a deadline, and missing it can end the proceedings.
Two dates, not one
A request usually carries two dates: the date the letter was drawn up and the date of delivery. The deadline runs from the second. That distinction decides how much time you really have, and it is the source of the most expensive mistakes.
So when you come to us with a request, the first question is about the date of delivery, not the content of the letter.
How to read the content
- Write out each point separately, even if the letter runs them together in one paragraph.
- Against each, mark whether the document is with you or has to be obtained from someone else.
- Start with the ones that need a third party, because they take the longest.
- Check whether the office is asking for a document or for an explanation; these are not the same thing.
The last point is often skipped. Some requests are not about a missing document but about something unclear in what has already been filed. The right answer then is a letter of explanation, not another attachment.
What not to do
- Do not reply partially without explanation; an incomplete reply is sometimes treated as none.
- Do not assume the office will ask again if something is missing.
- Do not leave the reply to the last day of the deadline if you need a document from an institution.
- Do not ignore a request because it looks like a detail.
What missing the deadline does
Your application can be left without examination, meaning the case ends without being considered on the merits. That is not a refusal, but the practical result is similar: you start again.
What we do
We analyse the wording of the request, establish the scope of the shortcomings and the order to close them in, prepare the submission with attachments and file it within the deadline. Once you grant a power of attorney, we handle further correspondence with the office.
This post is informational and is not legal advice in an individual case.