Immigrationboards.com - Archive

1. passport and photographs (your and dependents'),
2. latest bank statements (last 3 are enough)
3. all work permits
4. the employer letter
5. the payment (no cash)
6. Form SET(O) duly filled in

You are through. Best luck.

Get there by 7 am and you should be done by 10.30 / 11.00 am

About your question I dont think you or even HO can get a better letter.

May god give everyone employers like yours.

[ December 11, 2003: Message edited by: surreal ]

--------------------

-----------------------------------
...cut the bullshit please...

I have got my ILR today. Thanks to everyone who has helped me in the message board.

I went to HO, croydon @11 A.M went through the security checks @11.55 A.M. After the security checks went to one of the counters in the ground floor. They checked my passport and checked it against the computer by typing my recent work permit stamping number or something. Then they gave me a ticket number. Went to the first floor and paid the premium fee of £250. Then proceeded to the second floor. Waited in the second floor for my ticket number for about 2.5 hours. Ticket number called and I went and gave all the documents and said applying for ILR.

The following questions were asked.

Question 1:
Applying for ILR under work permit category?
Ans:Yes.

Question 2:
How long have you been in the UK?
Ans: 3 years and 11 months and 8-10 days.

Question 3:
How long have you been away from UK at one time.
Ans: 2 weeks and max 3 weeks on a holiday at one time.

He just glanced all documents and replied please take your seat and I will call you again.

Waited for another 45-60 mins. He Called me again and showed me the ILR stamping and gave me some instruction like you shouldn't leave UK more then 2 years and gave me a document and said this document explains everything.

That was it guys.

My passport has got a green color stamping which says "Given leave to remain in the uniteed kingdom for an indefinite period".

Now I have the following questions:

What happens to my work permit? Is it not valid anymore?

Can I leave my job whenever I want to and can I start my own company?

When will I qualify for British Citizenship?

To all the guys waiting to apply for ILR I would say this. The process was straight forward. Take all the required documents. Although they just glance they are checking for all related documents.

They have got all the details on their computer and they check details against it. So nothing to worry if you dont have all copies of your work permit.

Make sure you take something to eat I ended up starving at the end of the day. There are drinks and some snacks machine around. Take some small changes with you so you can use it for snacks and drinks.

Good Luck All and May God be with us All. Let us all Enjoy and Be Happy and live in Peace.

I dont think its so easy to get ILR. As I said in my previous post, in the ground floor they got my passport and checked it against the database in their computers whether I'm eligible for ILR before even issuing the ticket number. Then in the Interview they asked me to wait and the Immigration officer was going through the computers with my passport and documents for ages. Out of 45-60 mins waiting period for my passport to be returned 30 mins was spent by the immigration office doing lots of stuff in the computers and the stamping just took 10-15 mins to come through.

I have been through lots of things in the last 4 years. Getting the ILR in one day is like a Reward to me for all the sacrifice i have made in the last 4 years. I'm sure its the same for everyone out there and taking away this current and wonderfull ILR policy would be a disaster for all those people out there.

don't you all agree with me people?

[ December 19, 2003: Message edited by: desperado ]

Thanks for your excellent detailed summary of the ILR process. I would aggree that the immigration part is relatively easy compared to other aspects of living in the UK. It's also much easier than other countries like the USA.

I noticed your questions:

1. Regarding your WP, it is not valid anymore and it's irrelevant anyway because it has been superceded by ILR.

2. You can now leave your employer anytime and change employers or start a company. You can even take public funds, but I'm sure you wouldn't want or need to.

3. You can apply for British Citizenship once you have been in the UK for 5 years, given that you got ILR in slightly less than 4 years. (It's after 5 years in country or after 1 year on ILR, whichever is later.)

4. Having ILR doesn't entitle you to vote, unless you are from a Commonwealth or EU country. In that case you would have been entitled to vote (and required to register to vote) even before you got ILR.

Congratulations on getting ILR so efficiently!

Joseph