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I am greatly relieved to say that my wifes ILR (SET M) Application was successful! We found out last week, via a call from our solicitor.
It has been a huge torture while the application process went on. Uncertainty, doubt and lots of stress about possibilities, constant calculating and estimating of time gone and time left.

I will detail our application below. Before I do, I would simply say this... As long as you have supplied all the necessary documents and followed the instructions on the form. Then just have faith. The system is cruel in the sense that unlike every day things like taxes, council etc, There is no simple or immediate way to communicate with the Home Office.

My wife is from Bangladesh. I was born here. We complete our two years together. We hired a solicitor (extremely good one) and I paid premium service (£1020 + £500 solicitor cost). The solicitor filled out the form and delivered the application in person at Lunar House. The solicitor dealt with all enquiries on our behalf.

We supplied all the relevant documents. Where we did go wrong was that my wife had ESOL certificates from 2 different colleges. One was Home Office approved and the other was not. Luckily for us, we included both sets with the application.

Solicitor tried 2 times to submit application. Twice Home Office said was too early. Thank God it was my solicitor and not me dealing with them as the Home Office did not just eat the fee but ok'ed the application again and again.

Premium application, immediately Home Office said they wanted a letter from the college stating course was Home Office approved. Took us a week to get that letter from the college.

After that 10 weeks of waiting... Lots of calls to my solicitor, Same answer. Home Office won't answer any questions till the application is 14 weeks old.

Our application was submitted in mid March and we got the ILR in June - 10 weeks later.

Solicitor rang me at work. And I went and picked up all the documents from the solicitor the next day.


Luckily for us, college letter aside there was no other problems with my documents, work, bank, p60 etc.

I was not happy that I paid premium service + solicitor's fee and had to wait 10 weeks. But also glad and lucky that my application fee was not taken when it was submitted to early.

I would like to thank the individuals that did help me when I posted on here.

My sincere Good Luck for everybody else.

congratualation, well done

i m in a similiar situation as u. my solicitor submitted all the documents for me in Premium service in Croydon. Everything were fine apart from they were not too happy about my wife's Esol 's letter which was out-dated, (apparently they have changed it to a new fomat on 06Apr).
we got another letter from the college and submitted it to UKBA again straight after. and now we are still waiting.....................
not even my solicitor can tell me exactly how long it will take nor there is any way to find out. so it is frustating time for us at this moment.........

Oldno7:
By the Way, did u get a letter of back-dating the time of ILR??

9588 wrote:congratualation, well done

i m in a similiar situation as u. my solicitor submitted all the documents for me in Premium service in Croydon. Everything were fine apart from they were not too happy about my wife's Esol 's letter which was out-dated, (apparently they have changed it to a new fomat on 06Apr).
we got another letter from the college and submitted it to UKBA again straight after. and now we are still waiting.....................
not even my solicitor can tell me exactly how long it will take nor there is any way to find out. so it is frustating time for us at this moment.........

My friend when things are wrong they let you know almost straight away! When you dont hear it may not be a bad thing in the end. as it means they are working on it!

Backdating what? nothing to backdate. She just has visa now saying she can live here indeffinately

oldno7:
thanks for your encouraging words

your application was delayed for about 2months i guess, so if you could get a back-dating letter from the UKBA. your wife will only have to wait 10months now instead of 12 to qualify for full uk citizenship........

9588 wrote:oldno7:
thanks for your encouraging words

your application was delayed for about 2months i guess, so if you could get a back-dating letter from the UKBA. your wife will only have to wait 10months now instead of 12 to qualify for full uk citizenship........

Ahh that, In our situation it's not a major thing to have it backdated. Sorry I did not know what you meant before.

But in regards to what I said... Look at your situation and our's. Both us and you were notified almost immediately when the Home Office found something wrong? My logic is sure if in response what we sent back was was also wrong, They would get back sooner rather then later?

The most evil part of these processes is the waiting. Lots of things run through your mind. You have to have faith in what information, documents you give the Home Office.

I am sure in a few weeks time (14 weeks max), You will get a positive reply.

oldno7:
thanks, i hope thing go well as u said. its difficult time facing all these uncertainty.

I can not really advise the PEO Solihull. I found it to be a lot nicer than the PEO Croydon - Smaller, Kinder less intimidating, less crowded, people are much less. And as others have said, is a great relief that the social worker to check on your application or refuse to leave before paying.

Relax! Course, better safe than sorry, depending on your preparation but I am worried a lot in advance they just did not really.

I was worried about the separation-related work of my partner within two years probation - I the total mass of evidence on why we should do and how we have visited and stayed in touch, and the social worker's has not even asked to see.

Hiya

Could you just run through what documents you submitted with your application.

Many thanks