Known by other names - ILR Skilled Worker application

Hello,

Thank you for all the extremely useful information and advice on this forum.
Please can I ask a question regarding my ILR application under Skilled Worker Route.

In the application there is this 'Are you known by other names' question.

All my ID & legal documents (passport, driving license, National Insurance...and so on) have my passport/ legal name, but at work they allowed me to add a nick name/ unofficial English name - Tommy, to my work profile.

I use this name Tommy socially and at work.

Tommy + my full legal name altogether appear on my payslips and P60.

Because my previous Skilled Worker visa applications never involved me submitting payslip, P60 or other documents which would show my nick name, I stuck with my passport/ legal name for these applications and never declared it as all the documents only had my legal name.

In the ILR application, shall I say 'yes' to the question, declare the unofficial name and explain it in a cover letter?

What's the clearest way to do this?
Thank you so much!
Appreciate your help and advice!

No. You should not declare any unofficial name, nickname or anything like that

Thanks Zimba!
Would you recommend to add a separate covering letter to explain?

tplink666 wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 07, 2025 6:50 pm

Thanks Zimba!
Would you recommend to add a separate covering letter to explain?

No!!!

Thanks CR001

I was originally thinking to just briefly mention this name used at work in the employer letter.
I've drafted as:

'This letter is to confirm that XXX (known informally at work by his English name, Tommy) has been employed by XXXXX in the United Kingdom since 29/01/2021.'

Is this unnecessary too?
I intended to only use my full legal name in this letter, but thought I would mention, as the payslips I am submitting will have 'Tommy' on them.

Am I overthinking?
Thank you!

You're overthinking.

Your legal name is the one on the passport and all the legal documents, your nickname is not your legal name and should not be declared.

I would advise against mentioning this on the application at all.

Thank you lolo2

So realistically, I should only use my legal name through out the application, which I've always done, so that's fine!

And with the payslips I submit, even though there is Tommy + legal name on them, this shouldn't be a problem because my full legal name is on them?

And I shall not address/ mention even in the employer letter?

I understand and agree with only legal name in the application.
But I just don't wanna make the case worker feel 'where did this Tommy come from'...
Or I should assume that they would know Tommy is an additional nick name used at work by default?

Thank you!!

I don't see any issues on that, UKVI will check your personal details on the passport. The payslips will be used to check you fulfil the requirements on the route: job, salary, etc. It's not needed to explain this to UKVI as advised above.

If the nickname on work documents is a concern, I would ask the employer to remove it.

I'm not an expert on data protection but the person's name is a GDPR protected characteristic. I know some people use nicknames to be called but I wouldn't be comfortable with this added to my professional or work documents.

Thanks IoIo2

I'm asking my HR if they can remove Tommy from my payslips.
If not, it also feels fine to submit them as is, as you, Zimba and CR001 advised.

Thank you so much.
Really appreciate your help

Hi,

Apologies, being new here posting questions, shall I create a separate topic if I have other questions regarding the application?

Thank you!

One topic for all questions related to the same application please.

Thank you CR001, will keep all my questions in this topic.

I have 3 questions regarding my absence:

1. I have only taken 2 days of authorised unpaid leave, due to required 10-day covid quarantine policy in my home country in spring 2022. Will I need to explain this in the employer letter, or is it unnecessary, as I didn't exceed the limit?

I intend to write:
We confirm that all absences listed here were authorised by XXXXXX, including 2 full days of authorised unpaid leave in 2022.

2. I went to Amsterdam later in 2022 for work, it was a day trip, I returned to the UK the same day I departed. The system wouldn't let me put the same dates for the departure and return. This was 0 day of absence from the UK, but I still departed and returned, is it ok to leave this one out?

3. In 2024 I went on a cruise holiday where I flew into Spain from the UK, boarded the ship a few days later and after a week, disembarked from the ship in Spain, and flew back to the UK.
The ship stopped at a few coastal towns in Italy for day trips and passengers only stayed over on the ship.
Would you think it's necessary to explain this in the 'reason for travel', or shall I simply put Spain solely in this absence?

Thank you very much, appreciate your advice and guidance!

1. No.

Read --> All you need to know about the sponsor letter for Skilled Worker route

2. That is because ONLY full days of absence from the UK will count towards the limit

3. The details of your travels are not relevant at all.

Thank you Zimba!

1. I think I will only need 'We confirm that all absences listed here were authorised by XXXXXX' in the letter.

2. Will disregard the day trip to Amsterdam as it doesn't make up any full-day absence.

3. Will just put Spain and 'Holiday' on the form for this absence.

Thank you so much for your help

Hi,

Can I ask another question for my application please?
Thank you again for your valuable advice and guidance!

Regarding 'Which countries have you lived in' in the application, I am not very sure how to answer.

A bit of the history:
[1.] I first came to the UK in 2013 to study, and continued on 2 other visas until Dec 2020, I returned home to Taiwan to apply for my skilled worker visa.

On 29th Jan 2021, my skilled worker visa was granted and I returned to the UK the day after.
And since then, I've been continuously on this skilled worker visa.

[2.] I briefly lived in the US for 4.5 months as an exchange student in 2011.

My questions:
[1.] Shall I just answer Taiwan, and I've lived there since I was born?
[2.] Do I need to mention this?


Thank you again for answering all my questions, really appreciate it

Answer: Taiwan and the US

These questions are NOT important

Thanks Zimba!
Thank you for helping me with all my questions