Immigration Advice Please (ILE) Records Not Found Home Office

[YIK]

Hi there, I wondered if anyone could help or offer me advice.

I arrived in the United Kingdom with my mother to join my father from Sierra Leone on 24th June 2000. When I arrived at Gatwick Airport I was given Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE). Since my arrival I've never left the country and I've always kept my first passport with the ILE stamp, unfortunately I lost this passport in 2017. I was then advised by the Home Office to transfer the ILE visa to a No Time Limit (NTL) card.

I applied for a NTL card last year (2018), I explained the situation and provided evidence of continuous UK residence, previous jobs and photocopies of my old passport with the ILE stamp which I managed to retrieve through subject access requests. After waiting over 6 months for a decision I was shocked to receive a letter from the Home Office stating they could not issue me a NTL card because they could not find any trace of me on their systems and photocopies are not sufficient proof. I am not sure how I can further prove my ILE status I have photocopies which I retrieved through subject access requests and a police crime reference dated back from when I lost the passport.

I am desperate to get this resolved as I am unable to apply for a new job or travel, I feel stuck as I was not given a clear resolution by the Home Office. I've never left the United Kingdom since my arrival in the year 2000, I've studied until the age of 19 in the UK, I have my own residence and I've worked many jobs and currently employed. I really do not understand how I can not be on their system and why this was never flagged up during my time here.

If there is anyone out there that can provide me some advice I would be forever grateful. I've become increasingly depressed over this.

[secret.simon]

You may want to go through this thread on how long the Home Office keep records.

Also see Page 14 of the NTL guidance for Home Office caseworkers. How often have you travelled outside the UK between 2000 & 2017?

[vinny]

Since my arrival I've never left the country and I've always kept my first passport with the ILE stamp, unfortunately I lost this passport in 2017.
...
I've never left the United Kingdom since my arrival in the year 2000,...

[vinny]

How did you lose your passport with the ILE?
Who provided the copies of your ILE, via your subject access requests?

[YIK]

I lost my bag and my passport was in it. I received a full photocopy from Sports Direct I use to work for them.

[YIK]

You may want to go through this thread on how long the Home Office keep records.

Also see Page 14 of the NTL guidance for Home Office caseworkers. How often have you travelled outside the UK between 2000 & 2017?

Thanks for your response, I’ll check it out. I’ve never left the country since my arrival.

[YIK]

Since my arrival I've never left the country and I've always kept my first passport with the ILE stamp, unfortunately I lost this passport in 2017.
...
I've never left the United Kingdom since my arrival in the year 2000,...

Thanks for your response

[vinny]

This is a problem, similarly faced by the Windrush generation, when the Home Office delete their own records.

Do you have any original passports, with indefinite leave endorsements, of your parents? Perhaps they may help to corroborate your representations to the Home Office.

[YIK]

That’s exactly it! My mum has an old passport with her indefinite leave stamp but Home Office are also claiming she’s not in the system either. But she is not facing the same problem as me because she has the passport. I really don’t know what to do next.

[vinny]

I think if the Home Office cannot prove that your mother's original Indefinite Leave endorsement is a forgery, then her endorsement and the lack of Home Office's records corroborate that the Home Office have destroyed (or lost) your records, in line with their policy.

[YIK]

You're right! Thanks for your help Vinny. I will send a letter to the Home Office with my mother's details.