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Been looking at this forum for numerous of my questions related to ILR, Tier 1 etc. I would like to thank all members for keeping this forum as a beehive of information for prospective applicants.

Just would like to share my experience at the Croydon PEO where my ILR was approved on Feb 15 2013.

My case:
Me : 2008 WP 1 year + 2009-10 Tier 2 ICT + 2010-13 Tier1 General - Eligible for ILR in Feb 2013
Dependent wife : 2009-10 T2 Dependent + 2010-13 T1G Dependent

Employment history : 2008-2010 - Permanent
2010-2011 - Contractor
2011-present - Permanent

Documents prepared:
1. 12 months payslips
2. 12 months bank statements
3. P60s for 2009-10, 2011-2012 - I didn't have the rest
4. P45 for 2010
5. Cohabitation docs for my wife - NHS letter + Joint bank statements(bank1) + Individual bank statements (bank2) + Jury summons letter + Private clinic letter addressed to both of us. I tried covering each month for the last 2 years with these docs, most were bank statements!
6. Employer reference letter stating salary , dates, no long absences , intention of continued employment with them etc ..
7. Section 11L documents for period of WP + Tier 2: P60 for 2009-10, P45 2010, all payslips for the period, all bank statements for the period, covering letter stating what docs have been provided for the period.
8. Absences for 5 years - 107 days ( additional sheet used to add some items as the provided space wasn't sufficient). I also marked the page numbers with the stamps for each absence.
9. BRPs
10. Passports
11. Copies of the docs.
12. Copies of all passport pages with entry-exit stamps/ WP, T2 visa's
13. Life in the uk pass certificates for both of us
14. Photographs

On the day
Applicants : Me + Wife(dependent)
08:50 : Appointment
08:10 : Reached and allowed in : there were only 2 other customers in the waiting area
08:20 : Done with security checks
08:25 : Applications pre-checked and given token - Ground floor
08:30 : Payment completed with debit card, sat in the waiting area - First floor
08:40 : Called to a counter and asked to handover payment proof and filled application + photos, this is for biometrics. Took around 10 mins here as I had provided my work address as delivery address for BRP, so they wanted to make sure the address is correct.
08:55 : Called for biometrics
09:05 : Biometrics complete and headed to 2nd Floor where Case workers are
09:30 : My token called,
- The CW asked me to handover all documents + application. The CW asked what category I was applying under to which I replied - Tier 1 G
- He asked Employed/Self-Employed to which I answered "Employed"
- We were asked to take a seat.

09:45 : CW called us to his counter and handed over below docs
- All 11L docs, he wasn't interested in these
- P45s

09:50: CW started checking the remaining docs. He asked to if I had any more P60's and I replied I had an old one not in the relevant ILR period, he asked me to give that one as well. He didn't complain for the rest of the P60s.

09:55: CW made a final list of docs
- Life in the UK test pass certificates.
- 12 month payslips
- 12 month bank statements copies
- Cohab docs, he just took copies of the ones I provided, didn't ask for any more
- Employer letter, he kept it
- Available P60's copies
- Passport copies of visa/stamps, he just quickly went through my absences list , he was happy I had already totaled the days off for each absence in a column.

10:10 : CW said our ILR is approved and will arrive within 7 working days and printed off a letter on his printer , signed and gave it to us.

10:20 : We ensured we had all our originals back and were out of the Home office.

Good luck to all the applicants.

Congrats. I have a question. You mentioned about Work address for BRP delivery. Did you give any address proof or filled any separate form for this? In Set (O) form we put home address everywhere. Please provide bit detail on this.

@psTier1 Thanks.

They didn't ask for any proof etc. I didn't fill any other form also.

etoklem wrote:@psTier1 Thanks.

They didn't ask for any proof etc. I didn't fill any other form also.

And you didn't mention it in your Set (O) form as well? if yes, then at what point you gave your work address to them?

@psTier1

I filled in question 1.16 on page 7 of Set(O)

Name and address in the UK for all correspondence about your application if different from 1.13

etoklem wrote:@psTier1

I filled in question 1.16 on page 7 of Set(O)

Name and address in the UK for all correspondence about your application if different from 1.13

Thanks etoklem.

Update

Received BRP at work address on 20th February. I think the courier guy handed it to my work mail room. Mail room staff had secured the envelopes. Mail room called my extension and I collected by signing. I am guessing, the signed acknowledgement will be given to the courier guys when they come the next day. I think providing work address is better instead of risking missed deliveries. Most work places have arrangements with couriers and hence more reliable I think ..

Do we really need cohabitation proof for 2 years when applying for ILR on a Tier 1 (General) basis?

I was of the understanding that it is required when you apply for ILR on marriage basis. Can you please clarify?

Tier1immigrant wrote:Do we really need cohabitation proof for 2 years when applying for ILR on a Tier 1 (General) basis?

I was of the understanding that it is required when you apply for ILR on marriage basis. Can you please clarify?

@Tier1immigrant

Please see Section 11A, point 7 of the Set(O) form. It applies to all categories..

Many congratulations and thanks for sharing this information.

My situation is similar to you and need one clarification. I was in Tier2(ICT) and then got my Tier1.

In Tier2(ICT) I sent for 1 month holiday to India in an unpaid leave and its impossible for me to get any letter from the Ex. Company to support.

In your case, did you get a letter from your previous company before you had left the same.

Moreover, you mentioned they kept the employer letter with them. Is it the latest one or the old one which explains the annual leave.

Sorry about such a complicated question, but it will really help me to understand the rule more clearly.

Thanks,

manisankarmani wrote:Many congratulations and thanks for sharing this information.

My situation is similar to you and need one clarification. I was in Tier2(ICT) and then got my Tier1.

In Tier2(ICT) I sent for 1 month holiday to India in an unpaid leave and its impossible for me to get any letter from the Ex. Company to support.

In your case, did you get a letter from your previous company before you had left the same.

Moreover, you mentioned they kept the employer letter with them. Is it the latest one or the old one which explains the annual leave.

Sorry about such a complicated question, but it will really help me to understand the rule more clearly.

Thanks,

I have similar question. I am a Tier 2 and will be applying to Croydon next month. I have hired a solicitor and he said I don't need a employer letter as my leaves outside UK was less than 180 days. But in this forum everyone claims that for a Tier 2 employee employer letter is required for any number of absentees. But the solicitor claims otherwise and said he has many successful Tier 2 applications without providing letter. So were you asked for this letter by case worker.

What is the date on your BRP card?

Did you calculate your eligibility date 28 days from entry date or expiry date?

Congratulations. That was quick. You submitting all the documents, CW must have been very happy. Interesting to note that CW asking for P60s for a Tier 1 ILR application.

manisankarmani wrote:Many congratulations and thanks for sharing this information.

My situation is similar to you and need one clarification. I was in Tier2(ICT) and then got my Tier1.

In Tier2(ICT) I sent for 1 month holiday to India in an unpaid leave and its impossible for me to get any letter from the Ex. Company to support.

In your case, did you get a letter from your previous company before you had left the same.

Moreover, you mentioned they kept the employer letter with them. Is it the latest one or the old one which explains the annual leave.

Sorry about such a complicated question, but it will really help me to understand the rule more clearly.

Thanks,

@manisankarmani
Thanks.
Sorry about the late response. I didn't get any letter from my previous employer and my CW was not not interested in anything in WP + Tier 2 period, he returned all the docs straightaway. He was only interested in the last 12 months income.( I just contacted HR of my previous company and informed them that they might be contacted by UKBA for referencing to which they agreed).

purplepple wrote:What is the date on your BRP card?

Did you calculate your eligibility date 28 days from entry date or expiry date?

@purplepple
The date on my BRP card is 15th Feb 2013 which was the date my PEO appointment was.

Yes, I applied approx 20 days in advance, my 5 year completion would be on March 8th 2013.

Kevin24 wrote:Congratulations. That was quick. You submitting all the documents, CW must have been very happy. Interesting to note that CW asking for P60s for a Tier 1 ILR application.

Thanks @Kevin24. He was one of the quick ones on the day! He basically just made sure my 12 months income was ok. P60's he just asked them ( he didn't check any of them, may be just for records! I didn't have all of them as well and I told him that , he asked me to provide "whatever" I had)