ILR Success Croydon PEO WP>Tier1 09/03
Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:55 pm
I have been following the forum for nealy 3 weeks now like a shark and god did it help? Couldnt have asked for more!!! So thanks to all the moderators (sushdmehta) and all other members for sharing their experiences which helped me get my ILR.
I had already chosen to go with a Solicitor(Top ones associated with this forum) coz I was worried whether me being out of work currently will affect my ILR but changed my mind coz of their lackadaisical approach! So had lost the consultation fees of £60 for which I got sent a basic check list without any specific info.(For example it just stated pay slips, bank statements w/o mentioning the period they are needed for!) so was appalling.
So IMHO I would suggest members to restrain from engaging a solicitor unless the case is really complicated (like criminal convictions etc) and make sure they agree to represent and guarantee ILR coz otherwise its just a rip off!!!
So my situation is already available in this form so wont go into details again.
Had my appointment at 3, reached at 2 so the officers let me in immediately as he reckoned it was a light day. Security was a breeze and I was asked to write the reference number from the text they sent me on the online application confirmation. Did that and another officer(Indian) checked my form to make sure its the latest version and was asked to stand in a Queue with 3 persons preceding me. After about 5 minutes I was asked to goto a counter and the office asked for the form and queried whether I was employed or self employed. I am employed (although I was a company director-see earlier posts) so mentioned I am employed.
He keyed in some info from the form and asked for 3 payslips/bank statements and LIUK test cert. He looked at my payslips as they were from Nov-Dec (I am not working from the new year) and I explained and showed the latest P45 so he confirmed that I wasnt working only for 2 months and I answered yes.He asked me whether I had P60s and I said I had so wasnt asked. He asked me to go to first floor and pay which I did in the next 5 minutes as there was no one in the payment counter.
Was given a token and asked to wait. I noticed that there were only 2 token numbers before me so reckoned would be quick. Appropriately was called within 15 minutes and the lady(british) was very friendly. She gasped at my big file and said it was " Scary" but I reassured her that it was big (everything was filed neatly )coz I had all docs for 5 years for which she laughed
and seemed very impressed
So she started by asking my form and confirmed that I had switched from Student> Wp> Tier 1. I said yes. She asked me whether I had changed employers on tier 1 I said no.
She asked me LIUK certs and asked me whether I wanted the score. She said I had full house and my wife 23 and I said sheepishly I would lower my wife's score for which she laughed and said dont do that!
I was asked 3 months payslips, bank statements ( I provided end of Feb to Nov) and she asked me whether I had any P60s. I gave her 4 years P60+current P45(was a online dload). She spoke to her colleague in the next counter wrt to the P45 and I thought she might ask y the arent proper ones but after a minute she said she is going to do a quick check on my passports and asked me to put photo copies of all the docs I provided in the box while she does the checking.( I told her that I had all photo copies when she asked for my form and asked her to request what she wanted)
I could see from the counter that there was a common area and case workers were basically scanning passports (like airport immigration) checking for genuinity/other factors which might be raised from the scan.
She came back after a couple of minutes and took the copies which were in the box by then and thanked me for providing them. She quickly glanced at the absences section(maybe for 30 secs) and seemed happy-didn't count dates etc .I had 193 absences in all including business absences and was ready to hand over the spread sheet with away dates and letter from employer listing business trips but she said all Ok , returned my token and asked me to collect my passport in 1 hour. She didnt mention that I was offered ILR so I rechecked whether the token was to collect the passport and she said yes so felt relieved although I was a bit sceptical as to why she didn't say that ILR was granted but reassured myself that everything was fine.
Time was 3pm so I was done by the time my appointment was supposed to begin! Although she mentioned I could go out but need to be back by 4.30 as the building closes I chose to wait there.
After an hour I checked at the service desk whether my passports were ready and was told they werent. So the wait continued and after 1.5 hrs (4.30 Pm) my number was called and handed over my passports..Phew!
I double checked all was fine a;though the letter mentioned they had " Extended" my stay for my wife and me I didnt panic as some other member had posted a similar thread. Asked the officer(Indian) for clarification(I had already left the counter but trekked back) and said these were templates and nothing to worry coz passports had the ILR stamp and he gave me an explanation that it was an extension BUT for an indefinite period of time which in retrospect looks logical!
Btw I had taken all docs including 5 yrs bank statements, 5 yrs pay slips, WP and Tier 1 approval papers, all contract of employments, letter of absences from employer company incorporation cert, MOA, AOA, Annual returns, Corp Tax filings, div letters, co bank statements(6 months) coz of advice to take all just in case but as mentioned none were asked
Hope this helps other members. Any questions welcome.
Thanks again!
I had already chosen to go with a Solicitor(Top ones associated with this forum) coz I was worried whether me being out of work currently will affect my ILR but changed my mind coz of their lackadaisical approach! So had lost the consultation fees of £60 for which I got sent a basic check list without any specific info.(For example it just stated pay slips, bank statements w/o mentioning the period they are needed for!) so was appalling.
So IMHO I would suggest members to restrain from engaging a solicitor unless the case is really complicated (like criminal convictions etc) and make sure they agree to represent and guarantee ILR coz otherwise its just a rip off!!!
So my situation is already available in this form so wont go into details again.
Had my appointment at 3, reached at 2 so the officers let me in immediately as he reckoned it was a light day. Security was a breeze and I was asked to write the reference number from the text they sent me on the online application confirmation. Did that and another officer(Indian) checked my form to make sure its the latest version and was asked to stand in a Queue with 3 persons preceding me. After about 5 minutes I was asked to goto a counter and the office asked for the form and queried whether I was employed or self employed. I am employed (although I was a company director-see earlier posts) so mentioned I am employed.
He keyed in some info from the form and asked for 3 payslips/bank statements and LIUK test cert. He looked at my payslips as they were from Nov-Dec (I am not working from the new year) and I explained and showed the latest P45 so he confirmed that I wasnt working only for 2 months and I answered yes.He asked me whether I had P60s and I said I had so wasnt asked. He asked me to go to first floor and pay which I did in the next 5 minutes as there was no one in the payment counter.
Was given a token and asked to wait. I noticed that there were only 2 token numbers before me so reckoned would be quick. Appropriately was called within 15 minutes and the lady(british) was very friendly. She gasped at my big file and said it was " Scary" but I reassured her that it was big (everything was filed neatly )coz I had all docs for 5 years for which she laughed
and seemed very impressedSo she started by asking my form and confirmed that I had switched from Student> Wp> Tier 1. I said yes. She asked me whether I had changed employers on tier 1 I said no.
She asked me LIUK certs and asked me whether I wanted the score. She said I had full house
and my wife 23 and I said sheepishly I would lower my wife's score for which she laughed and said dont do that!I was asked 3 months payslips, bank statements ( I provided end of Feb to Nov) and she asked me whether I had any P60s. I gave her 4 years P60+current P45(was a online dload). She spoke to her colleague in the next counter wrt to the P45 and I thought she might ask y the arent proper ones but after a minute she said she is going to do a quick check on my passports and asked me to put photo copies of all the docs I provided in the box while she does the checking.( I told her that I had all photo copies when she asked for my form and asked her to request what she wanted)
I could see from the counter that there was a common area and case workers were basically scanning passports (like airport immigration) checking for genuinity/other factors which might be raised from the scan.
She came back after a couple of minutes and took the copies which were in the box by then and thanked me for providing them. She quickly glanced at the absences section(maybe for 30 secs) and seemed happy-didn't count dates etc .I had 193 absences in all including business absences and was ready to hand over the spread sheet with away dates and letter from employer listing business trips but she said all Ok , returned my token and asked me to collect my passport in 1 hour. She didnt mention that I was offered ILR so I rechecked whether the token was to collect the passport and she said yes so felt relieved although I was a bit sceptical as to why she didn't say that ILR was granted but reassured myself that everything was fine.
Time was 3pm so I was done by the time my appointment was supposed to begin! Although she mentioned I could go out but need to be back by 4.30 as the building closes I chose to wait there.
After an hour I checked at the service desk whether my passports were ready and was told they werent. So the wait continued and after 1.5 hrs (4.30 Pm) my number was called and handed over my passports..Phew!
I double checked all was fine a;though the letter mentioned they had " Extended" my stay for my wife and me I didnt panic as some other member had posted a similar thread. Asked the officer(Indian) for clarification(I had already left the counter but trekked back) and said these were templates and nothing to worry coz passports had the ILR stamp and he gave me an explanation that it was an extension BUT for an indefinite period of time
which in retrospect looks logical!Btw I had taken all docs including 5 yrs bank statements, 5 yrs pay slips, WP and Tier 1 approval papers, all contract of employments, letter of absences from employer company incorporation cert, MOA, AOA, Annual returns, Corp Tax filings, div letters, co bank statements(6 months) coz of advice to take all just in case but as mentioned none were asked
Hope this helps other members. Any questions welcome.
Thanks again!