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Hi All,


I have been granted an ILR today.


Immigration Details:

Entry Clearance Date under HSMP: 8/02/2007 (valid until 8/02/2009)

First Entry to the UK: 19/03/2007

Extension under Tier1: valid until 08/02/2012

Date of application for (and grant of) ILR through premium service: 12/01/2012


Process details:

- Booked appointment online for 12/01/2012, 12:30PM

- Arrived: 11:45, not let enter and told to come back at 12:00PM

- Entered at 12:00PM

- Passed through security check in 5 minutes

- And then, waited for application validity check in the queue for 15 minutes

- The application validity check took about 8 minutes

- Sent to the payment counter and made a payment through Lloyds TSB Debit Card in 2 minutes, was assigned a token after this

- Now it was 12:30PM

- Waited until 2PM for my turn to get assigned a case worker

- The lady took about 30 minutes (until 2:30PM) to go through the application, document, and form checks and say: "I'm pleased to say that your application has been approved, please collect your passport from counter number 22 in an hour"

- Passport was ready for collection at 3:17PM, that is, in 47 minutes, with ILR sticker


Other Details:

Number of applicants: 1

Number of days of (Business + Leisure) absence from UK: 155

Longest continuous absence from UK: 45 days

First Employment: 8/05/2007 - 17/07/2007

Second Employment: 23/07/2007 - 31/12/2011 [made redundant]

Third Employment: 1/01/2012 - present

Occupation: Software Engineer


Experience at PEO:

- When then say: "please arrive 30 minutes early", then mean: "please arrive no more than 30 minutes early, otherwise you will have to wait somewhere outside in the cold"

- Security check was smooth

- There was a long wait for application validity check, only two out of ten counters were open, then guy doing the check was quiet, slow and unprofessional (he received the call on his mobile phone in the middle of application check).

- Payment process was smooth and quick

- A very long wait after payment for non-biometric ILR premium applicants, for others, tokens were moving more swiftly

- Case worker was one of the most polite public service professionals I have ever met. She thanked me several times for providing cover letters for salary and absence list and said to me that it made her job easier. She was also sympathetic to me that I was having to give her the documents one by one and asked me to hand her over all the documents and sit and enjoy

- She did not ask me any questions apart from: "has your salary been increased since your last tier1 application, I answered in affirmative (though this was not the requirement. probably, she just asked it out of curiosity)

- She also asked me if I wanted to know the correct answers I scored in my Life in UK test. I replied to her that yes I did want to know. Then she asked me to guess, I guessed 21/22 out of 24 and it was 22 actually!

- I have worked in Ericsson and submitted a letter from Ericsson. She told me laughing that she doesn't like Ericsson phones, she prefers Nokia ones

- I also noticed that she did not go through every detail mentioned in payslips and bank statements, she just randomly checked a few pages

- She was satisfied with all the documents I had provided and didn't ask for any additional document. For economic activity requirement, I had provided only 3 P60s + a letter from HMRC detailing my earnings for four years and a last P45 and she was happy with this all.

- She was NOT Caucasian English (no offence to anyone).


Please let me know if you want to know any other details.

Ciao!

Congrats. Very nice description.

I have my appointment on 7th Feb, although I entered 27th Feb 2007 and my current visa is valid till 2013.

Congrats.

Did the case worker ask you the reason for delay/gap between your entry clearance date and first entry to UK.

I am in the same situtation as you, but with a gap of 75 days between entry clearance date and first entry to UK. I am yet to apply for my ILR.

Congrats...I have entered 4 days after the EC date. so I can apply 28 days prior to the EC Date + 5 yrs.

Chakri wrote:Congrats.

Did the case worker ask you the reason for delay/gap between your entry clearance date and first entry to UK.

I am in the same situtation as you, but with a gap of 75 days between entry clearance date and first entry to UK. I am yet to apply for my ILR.

Thanks buddy! No - the case worker didn't ask a word. I think they know the new rules by now as it's been a while since this was introduced.

75 days is less than 90 days so you should be fine!

All the best

Hi all,

Congrats hsmp28122006.
That is good news, as i am also in the same boat.

My first entry clearance date in 03/05/2007
I entered UK on 04/06/2007, i.e gap of approx 32 days

So Can i apply ILR on 09/04/2012? Can anyone please confirm?

And also can any one please share the link of new rules mentioning this situation?

This is really quite helpful for me.

Thanks in advance :)
Niruv

niruv wrote:Hi all,

Congrats hsmp28122006.
That is good news, as i am also in the same boat.

My first entry clearance date in 03/05/2007
I entered UK on 04/06/2007, i.e gap of approx 32 days

So Can i apply ILR on 09/04/2012? Can anyone please confirm?

And also can any one please share the link of new rules mentioning this situation?

This is really quite helpful for me.

Thanks in advance
Niruv

Thanks Niruv! You can apply for ILR from 5th April onwards:

http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd ... &ad=28&aw=

Here is the rule book:

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... iew=Binary

Hi

Thanks for the clear and detailed description.

Though, my visa expires on Apr 2013, I was worried about the 5 year continueous period, as I came in after 73 days of visa start date

Your information confirmed me that I dont have to worry about that now.

I have one question regarding your absense count 155. Does this count includes your late entry count 45. I doubt not, but still would be good if you can confirm.

Thanks again for your detailed explanation of your case.

Very nice mate!!. Congratulation and thanks for giving us such a detailed description.

Chakri and veera, i am in the same boat as you.
I came in almost 75 days after my hsmp approval.

When are you guys due for ILR, can you confirm please. I am due in August.

Can anyone confirm, what is the earliest date i can apply for ILR?

My details are:-
Got hsmp (13Sep2007-13Sep2009)
extended to 13Sep2012.

My first entry was on 23 Nov 2007.

Hi hsmp28122006, thanks a lot for providing for such a useful information. This would help a lot of people (including myself) who are in a similar situation.

Please can you double check my dates if you don't mind ?

Immigration Details:
Entry Clearance Date under HSMP: 21/05/2007 (valid until 21/05/2009)

First Entry to the UK: 15/06/2007

Extension under Tier1: valid until 04/06/2012

Date of Application: Monday, 23 April 2012

(http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd ... &ad=28&aw=)

veera4u wrote:Hi

I have one question regarding your absense count 155. Does this count includes your late entry count 45. I doubt not, but still would be good if you can confirm.

Thanks again for your detailed explanation of your case.

You are right - it doesn't include 39 days late entry and it shouldn't include anyway!

Junaid wrote:Very nice mate!!. Congratulation and thanks for giving us such a detailed description.

Chakri and veera, i am in the same boat as you.
I came in almost 75 days after my hsmp approval.

When are you guys due for ILR, can you confirm please. I am due in August.

Can anyone confirm, what is the earliest date i can apply for ILR?

My details are:-
Got hsmp (13Sep2007-13Sep2009)
extended to 13Sep2012.

My first entry was on 23 Nov 2007.

You can apply not more than 28 days before 13 Sept 2012. So, the earliest date you can apply would be: 16th Aug 2012

Please can you look at my dates hsmp28122006 as well.

cheers,

linkers wrote:Hi hsmp28122006, thanks a lot for providing for such a useful information. This would help a lot of people (including myself) who are in a similar situation.

Please can you double check my dates if you don't mind ?

Immigration Details:
Entry Clearance Date under HSMP: 21/05/2007 (valid until 21/05/2009)

First Entry to the UK: 15/06/2007

Extension under Tier1: valid until 04/06/2012

Date of Application: Monday, 23 April 2012

(http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd ... &ad=28&aw=)

Your date sounds correct linkers. However, I don't know why your extension was granted till 04/06/2012. Was it the case that your visa was stamped on 04/06/2009?

Hi hsmp28122006, that’s what I was wondering that my extension should only be valid till 21st of May. But somehow they issued it till 04th of Jun 2012.

I went to PEO for my extension a month before the expiry of my HSMP visa and my extension was granted on the same day which was 23rd Apr 2009.

congrats hsmp28122006!!!! for your success,

I am in the same boat as you, came to the UK 33 days after the EC and i guess i can apply 28 days before my visa expires?

Can you also please share the cover letter which you are talkinga about?

thanks,

Hi,

Thanks for conforming no need to include the late entry dates.

Would appreciate if you can give us all the templates you have used like for cover letter, and for any other documents.....

linkers wrote:Hi hsmp28122006, that’s what I was wondering that my extension should only be valid till 21st of May. But somehow they issued it till 04th of Jun 2012.

I went to PEO for my extension a month before the expiry of my HSMP visa and my extension was granted on the same day which was 23rd Apr 2009.

I think you should be fine if you apply 16th April onwards. You are eligible to apply after this date..no rule discusses about visa expiry date unless you are overstaying. All the best.

vik_mad, veera4u,

My cover letter wasn't anything special. This is what I submitted in the name of cover letter:

1) A continuation sheet to include absences. I saw her having a look at it.

2) A letter with a table with my salary details of past 12 months. These were the fields: Month, Payslip "Gross" Salary, Payslip "Net Salary", "Date of Payment". She liked this simple illustration too much and told me that it made her job much much easier. She put this information into points based calculator to cross check the TOTAL figure.

3) A letter explaining I qualify for ILR as I have completed five years (minus 28 days) from entry clearance.

I didn't prepare very elaborate and many cover letters because I had enough of it during my initial HSMP and Tier1 (General) applications. Sometimes, cover letters are unnecessary. I would say keep it simple and to the point as they haven't got much time either (I could imagine this by witnessing her literally going randomly through just a few pages of my bank statements)

I will share with you guys the cover letter on Monday as it's in my office laptop and I'm at home now.

thank you buddy...
congrats!! once again.

tks,

linkers wrote:Hi hsmp28122006, that’s what I was wondering that my extension should only be valid till 21st of May. But somehow they issued it till 04th of Jun 2012.

I went to PEO for my extension a month before the expiry of my HSMP visa and my extension was granted on the same day which was 23rd Apr 2009.

Isn't that good for you ... so you can apply anytime after your qualifying period is complete, i.e. even after 21st May 2012 ??? I see it as favourable to you

Thanks sunil.suneel. yeah it looks like I can apply 28 days before 21st May 2012 which is my 5th anniversary of entry clearance.

I am planning to book an appointment for 24th of April 2012.

do you know the direct link to book for an appointment?

vik_mad: Go to http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk and on the top right corner of the page, click on my account. You need to register yourself first and then you can book and appointment online.

linkers wrote:vik_mad: Go to http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk and on the top right corner of the page, click on my account. You need to register yourself first and then you can book and appointment online.

thanks much appreciated.