u/Efficient-Meringue16

Firstly, thank you to everyone on this thread. I think I have been doom-scrolling through the posts here for far longer than I would like to admit, so I wanted to share my experience in case it helps someone else.
For context, I am 29/F, unmarried, and had my Canadian visitor visa rejected twice previously. I applied again this year with very little hope, but I received my Passport Request today! I do not yet know the validity period of the visa, but I am just very happy and relieved to have finally received the approval.

I did have one question for those who have already submitted their passports for stamping: how long did it take for you to receive your passport back after submission? I need my passport back within approximately three weeks, so the timeline is particularly important for me.
If anyone has submitted their passport through VFS Bengaluru, I would be especially grateful if you could share your experience. I have opted for direct collection from VFS rather than courier delivery, as I would prefer to avoid any additional delay associated with delivery to my residence.

Timeline
28 July: Application submitted
29 July: Received application acknowledgement
14 August: Received Passport Request
Application Process
The process itself is fairly straightforward, although it took me approximately four hours to complete the application and compile all the supporting documentation.

Despite already holding valid US and UK visas, I submitted fairly extensive documentation with my application.

For reference, the documents I submitted included:
Cover letter – happy to share the template; I have previously used substantially the same format for my Singapore and UK visa applications.
Financial documents – signed and stamped bank statements, together with a bank letter setting out details of my fixed deposits.
Investment documents – mutual fund statements/details.
Employment documents – leave approval letter, no-objection certificate, employment agreement and offer letter.
Documents relating to my host/friend in Canada – invitation/supporting letter, copy of his PR documentation, driving licence and photographs of us together.
Accommodation documents – copy of a hostel booking.
Travel history and visa documents – copies of relevant visas. I have previously travelled to the US, Morocco and Singapore and also currently hold a UK visa.
I had also travelled to the US earlier this year and am planning to travel to the UK.
Happy to help anyone who is preparing their application or has questions about the documents I submitted. And if anyone can share their recent passport stamping/return timeline, particularly through VFS Bengaluru, I would really appreciate it!

A big thank you to everyone - this sub helped me a lot in my application!

I had applied to the UK to visit London during the Christmas times and was granted a 6 month visa. Surprisingly, I thought I would be granted Visa from the date I applied, but I was granted it from October to April 2027. Its fine for me as my travel dates are in December 2026.

I applied and submitted the application on 17th July [fairly straightforward];

Booked a free appointment at VFS, Bengaluru for 21st

Submitted all the documents on 20th [Last minute around 10 pm as I was caught up with work and some document collation]

21st - Gave the biometric - very easy, took more time to reach the place, tbh

22nd - Received an email from UK Visa office that application has been received.

24- Got the email that application was successful.

In all, quite a smooth process - if anyone needs help, do let me know, happy to help out.

Hello everyone, I need some urgent help with self-uploading documents for my UK Standard Visitor visa.

I have my VFS appointment tomorrow and I am currently uploading my documents online. There is a section called “Proof of Application”, and the examples include “Access UK document checklist.”

I have downloaded the Access UK document checklist, but it says “do not sign until you are at your appointment.” I am therefore a little confused — should I upload the checklist now as an unsigned PDF, or is the checklist meant to be filled/signed at the VFS appointment and uploaded/scanned by VFS?

Any guidance from someone who has done this recently would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I (F29) am struggling to understand my boyfriend’s behaviour and honestly don’t know if I’m being strung along or if he’s genuinely confused.

We’ve known each other since school. We liked me back then and used to talk every day for 3 years and even again in college but when he asked me he was in Canada and I was India. And I said no because I didn’t know how it would work.

At 27, after years of knowing each other, we finally decided to date. He came to India, stayed with me for 5 months and we made a plan as to how this would work. We’ve now been in a long-distance relationship for about 1.5 years. In the beginning, everything felt amazing. We were serious, talking about marriage, and even planning a future where I would move continents, do an MBA, and build a life together with him in the US.

After 6 months, every 2–3 months there would be a breakup. Usually over fights, emotional overwhelm, insecurity, or him spiralling about my past relationships. I’ve dated 5 people before him; he has had 1 serious relationship. Somehow my past became a recurring issue he could never fully get over, even though he knew about it from the beginning.

At the same time, his ex would occasionally text and they would talk, which also caused friction between us. Add long distance on top of that, and things would become emotionally exhausting.

This time, around my birthday, we had another huge fight and breakup, but he patched things up again. Then right after he went back to the US, he suddenly asked for a “break to think.” Soon after that, he broke up with me again.

This time he said something that completely shattered me:
He said he loves me, but he cannot accept my past.

It’s now been a month since the breakup. I was devastated and begged him not to do this. Since then, we’ve still been talking every few days, but nothing actually changes. In our last conversation, he said he needed “a month” to think because I’m coming to the US soon. He also said he would “appreciate” if I didn’t move on, but that I’m “free to move on if I want.”

I genuinely cannot understand this behaviour.

How do you ask someone not to move on while also refusing to commit to them?
How do you plan marriage with someone, discuss meeting their family, and then suddenly become “confused” after 1.5 years?
And if my past was truly unacceptable to him, why stay, repeatedly come back, and deepen the relationship every single time?

I feel emotionally exhausted because I keep holding onto the version of us that was planning a future together, while he keeps oscillating between love and uncertainty.

I don’t know whether this is fear, insecurity, emotional immaturity, or whether he simply doesn’t want this relationship but also doesn’t want to lose me completely. Any advice would be helpful!

Hello everyone, I am trying to find an apartment which is not a matchbox near Diamond District - anything in and around 5 kms would work. I have looked around Kodihalli and the apartments are barely 500 sq feet and the rent is obnoxiously high.

Lift and Security is a must.

My budget is around 25k

Please let me know if anyone has any leads. Have been looking for almost 3 months so any leads would be nice.