tier 2 General applying for ILR (requirements are confusing)

Hi all.

I was wondering if you can help me with my questions regarding an application for ILR.

I am on tier 2 general migrant visa and have been here since sep 2010. I applied for another employer after 3 years with my old company and have been with my new employer since jan 2014. I will be applying for ILR in sept this year but I just have a couple of queries regarding the requirements:

1. What is this Police registration certificate highlighted in the checklist? Is this the same with CRB?
2. Do they really need my birth certificate?
3. Does the letter/document from the employer need to be one month from the time I will be lodging my application? Where can I find the SOC code?
4.I passed the IELTS before being granted an entry clearance almost 5 years ago. Do I need to take another exam to prove my English skills?
5. The absences outside the UK need to be listed. Do I need a list of my annual leaves from my previous employer as well as my current employer? OR does it not need to come from them as long as I haven't been out of the UK for more than the time allowed?
6. Can I take the Life in the UK test now? I heard it doesn't expire. Is that right?
7. Do I still need P60's or were they an old requirement from before?

If anyone can give light to these issues, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Albert

1. What is this Police registration certificate highlighted in the checklist? Is this the same with CRB?
No. CRB is different. The police registration is required for certain nationals, which are endorsed on their visa.
If you did not see any endorsement in your Tier-2 BRP then you don't need this. Check your country is not in this list. You are fine then.
https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-police


2. Do they really need my birth certificate?
No

3. Does the letter/document from the employer need to be one month from the time I will be lodging my application? Where can I find the SOC code?
Yes.
SOC is found here
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 4_V0_6.pdf

4.I passed the IELTS before being granted an entry clearance almost 5 years ago. Do I need to take another exam to prove my English skills?
No need.

5. The absences outside the UK need to be listed. Do I need a list of my annual leaves from my previous employer as well as my current employer? OR does it not need to come from them as long as I haven't been out of the UK for more than the time allowed?
The absence letter is needed from your previous employer as well. But this is not always possible, and I have seen people in this forum had applied successfully without one.
So, if you can get a letter, better get it.
If not, write your own letter and back it up with payslips, bank statements and P60s. Basically, you need to prove that whilst you were absent from the UK, you were still in your company payroll and those absences were paid absences. Thus, no break in employment had occured.

6. Can I take the Life in the UK test now? I heard it doesn't expire. Is that right?
Yes. Do it straight away. It avoid lot of hassles later.

7. Do I still need P60's or were they an old requirement from before?
Well. P60's are not mandatory. But, as I mentioned before, it proves your continous employment. So, if you got it, submit it.

Thanks so much for the reply cfdman. Greatly appreciate it! I just have some follow up questions below, if you don't mind.

cfdman wrote:1. What is this Police registration certificate highlighted in the checklist? Is this the same with CRB?
No. CRB is different. The police registration is required for certain nationals, which are endorsed on their visa.
If you did not see any endorsement in your Tier-2 BRP then you don't need this. Check your country is not in this list. You are fine then.
https://www.gov.uk/register-with-the-police


2. Do they really need my birth certificate?
No

3. Does the letter/document from the employer need to be one month from the time I will be lodging my application? Where can I find the SOC code?
Yes.
SOC is found here
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... 4_V0_6.pdf

4.I passed the IELTS before being granted an entry clearance almost 5 years ago. Do I need to take another exam to prove my English skills?
No need.

5. The absences outside the UK need to be listed. Do I need a list of my annual leaves from my previous employer as well as my current employer? OR does it not need to come from them as long as I haven't been out of the UK for more than the time allowed?
The absence letter is needed from your previous employer as well. But this is not always possible, and I have seen people in this forum had applied successfully without one.
So, if you can get a letter, better get it.
If not, write your own letter and back it up with payslips, bank statements and P60s. Basically, you need to prove that whilst you were absent from the UK, you were still in your company payroll and those absences were paid absences. Thus, no break in employment had occured.
-I have printed a copy of the annual leaves I took for the three years with my previous employer but it doesn't come in a letter. It's just a print out from their website which I can still access for some reason but it's not really "official looking" if you catch my drift. Would this suffice? Or do I need a letter from them detailing all my annual leaves? Also, I have been off work for more than 3 months now coming from a recent bereavement of a loved one (still getting full pay and was told by my boss I could take as much as 6 months). What document shall I provide in this case? Would this disqualify me at all?

6. Can I take the Life in the UK test now? I heard it doesn't expire. Is that right?
Yes. Do it straight away. It avoid lot of hassles later.

7. Do I still need P60's or were they an old requirement from before?
Well. P60's are not mandatory. But, as I mentioned before, it proves your continous employment. So, if you got it, submit it.

Cheers for all your answers and guidance!

Looking forward to your reply.

splitbrainexperiment wrote: -I have printed a copy of the annual leaves I took for the three years with my previous employer but it doesn't come in a letter. It's just a print out from their website which I can still access for some reason but it's not really "official looking" if you catch my drift. Would this suffice? Or do I need a letter from them detailing all my annual leaves? Also, I have been off work for more than 3 months now coming from a recent bereavement of a loved one (still getting full pay and was told by my boss I could take as much as 6 months). What document shall I provide in this case? Would this disqualify me at all?

Well, the requirement, as per the ILR guidance note is that you should submit a letter from your employer detailing your absences. So, I amnot very sure whether they accept the "print-out" (or "official looking", whatever you call it).
How about you ask a letter from your previous employer stating that whatever print-out you have got is an authentic one and the list details all you leaves as per their record? That could make your case strong. I would rather not risk it by taking only a print-out from office website.
Regarding your paid/authorised absences, I think you will be fine as long as the employer declares that in thier absence letter.
Also, to be sure, you should also carry the payslip/bank statementsfor those months you were absent ( I believe, by absent you mean absent from UK. If you took leave and stayed inside UK, you dont need to bother about it at all).