I successfully applied for ILR at the Croydon PEO last Friday on a SET(O) form. Like others, I've found a lot of really helpful advice on this forum – thanks very much to everyone here.
Background
I came to the UK on a working holiday originally in 2003. 5 years ago I was hired on a proper WP by my company at the time. 2 years ago I changed companies. So it's WP+WP.
Documents I brought along that the caseworker asked for:
the SET(O) form itself
photos
passports - my current one and the one with my first WP inside
Life in the UK pass letter
employer letter
last 6 pay slips (though caseworker only asked for 3)
last 6 bank statements (though caseworker only asked for 3)
Documents I brought along but never had to show:
P45 from my old job
P60s (just the last two – was all I had)
work permit letters from the two WPs
my current contract of employment
Events on the day
1) My appointment was for 12.00. I got to Croydon early just to be safe, and killed time in the shopping centre opposite. They ask you to turn up half an hour beforehand, so at 11.30 I went to the public entrance of Lunar House. You go through an airport-style scan, then you're asked to get the booking reference for your appointment off of your phone. The security guard said it should be in a text, though I never got a text from the UKBA booking system. Luckily I can get my email off my phone, so I was able to get the booking reference from the confirmation email.
2) Next you go through to a reception officer, who checks your application to make sure it's valid. I was surprised (and kinda grateful) for how thorough this was – it reassures you that you're not going to pay your money only to have your application rejected because you've screwed up something obvious.
In a way my reception officer was more strict than the eventual caseworker. After checking my passports, employment letter etc, the reception officer asked me if I had any more supporting documents from my first job. I said yes, I had my P45 and the original work permit, which satisfied him. In the end my caseworker never asked for this stuff, but I'm glad I took it along with me just in case.
3) You then go upstairs to pay your money. I paid with a credit card and it was all straightforward. Remember that they don't take cash, which I gather is a recent change.
4) Then you're given a numbered ticket and told to wait to be called by a caseworker. Be prepared for this to take a while if they're running behind – I waited for over an hour. Bring a book or something to keep yourself occupied, so you don't just sit there being nervous.
5) When they call your number you go up to your caseworker's window. They'll ask you for your application and proof of payment. Then they get to work processing your application. The way this works is simple, but boring: you sit there and pass them your documents as they ask for them. This part took about a half hour or so. I have to say that my caseworker was lovely, as were the other ones I could overhear while I waited. After going through the application, he passed back to me some of the documents he didn't need (like my extra pay slips and bank statements), and explained that they just needed to perform the security check and then my application would be approved. He told me that it could take a half hour or so, and said that he would call me back to the window when it was done.
6) After about 20 minutes he called me back, said everything was fine and I was all set. They would put the residence permit in my passport, which would take up to an hour. It was actually quicker – after about a half hour I was called up to a different window and given my passport with my shiny new permit inside.
Top tips
1. Don't panic. I always get a bit nervous doing visa stuff, but if your situation is straightforward then you really will be fine.
2. Did you have to order duplicate statements from your bank? So did I. I was initially worried about them because they said 'duplicate' on them, but as others on these forums say, they are totally fine and count as originals.
3. One of my other minor worries was that I had a brush with a bailiff last year because my flatmate at the time hadn't paid our council tax. Again, don't worry. If you've had a liability order against you, that isn't a civil judgement and you don't need to declare it.
4. These forums really are valuable, so use 'em. During my preparation I looked at these forums and paid for a 20-minute call (£30) with the Immigration Advisory Service's telephone advice line. The IAS were perfectly decent, and it was nice to have the reassurance of a community legal service, but they didn't tell me anything different to what you'll find (for free) on these forums. Thanks again to everyone who contributes.
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