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ILR success at PEO Croydon (HSMP JR)

Only for queries regarding Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Please use the EU Settlement Scheme forum for queries about settled status under Appendix EU

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wunder
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Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:00 pm
Location: UK

ILR success at PEO Croydon (HSMP JR)

Post by wunder » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:26 pm

So, it is finally my turn to write 'ILR success' message :lol:
I applied under the terms of HSMP Judicial Review, so my experiences differ a little from those of Work Permit holders - hope this will be useful for fellow HSMPians.

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

I arrived to Croydon PEO at 8:15 with appointment scheduled for 9:30 (I planned to be there at 8:30, but tube and rail worked surprisingly well :wink: ).
Guard told me to come back at 9:00 - D'OH! So much for waking up early.
Eventually I was let in at 8:50.

Security check was fairly quick, and could have been even faster if not for some people keeping things in pockets when told not to :twisted:

Then queued for initial document check (separate queue for people with form SET/O: mostly people with WPs, I think I was the only one with HSMP) - about 10 minutes.

Initial documents check: asked for application form, current passport, previous passport. Got ticket number, and was sent to pay.

Payment queue: roughly 15 minutes. Paid by credit card, but person in front of me paid by cash (so it is definitely accepted).
I also had debit card, cash, and cheque with me - in case if credit card would not work :lol:

After payment was sent to the other part of the same floor, but nearly immediately called and told to go to the floor above (no idea what was that about - possibly they do biometrics there, but I'm non-biometric :roll: ).

Waited for about 10 minutes and got called by case-worker. She took the application form and payment receipt, and asked me which documents I have prepared (she did not ask for specific documents herself!).
I gave her (in addition to the application form):
- current passport
- old passport (with my initial 1 year HSMP permit)
- reference letter from the employer (standard "To whom it may concern" format with mention of role title, salary, and start date)
- 4 payslips (from the last 7 months; I was unemployed several times in 2009 so had only 1 payslip in the last 3 months)
- 10 months of bank statements (including statement for the last month that was printed and stamped at my local bank branch; in total about 6 salaries in statements; I marked salaries with post-it notes for convenience)
- police certificate
and that was it (no P60s, no old statements). Then I was told to wait for 40-60 minutes.

40 minutes later case-worker lady called me, told me that I was granted settlement 8) 8) 8) and that I need to go to the other floor (to "non-biometric customer service" window) to collect my passport (oh, and she gave me documents back, obviously). Imagine how happy I was... I mean, I shouldn't have worried that much because I knew I fulfilled all criteria, but still - you never know what may happen.

Went to customer service, waited for about 20 minutes and got my passport (and ILR leaflet basically confirming that there is no more limitations, that no more police registration needed, etc).

And that was it. 15 minutes later I was in the train to London Bridge, a new permanent resident of this country :D

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

Total time:
2 hours and 20 minutes from entry to exit.

Experience:
Very good - everyone at PEO was very polite; people know what they are doing, and visitors are literally guided from window to window to speed up the process :wink:

f2k
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Post by f2k » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:40 pm

Congrats Wunder. I see you didnt risk going for ILR exactly 28days early.

wunder
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Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:00 pm
Location: UK

Post by wunder » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:41 pm

Yes, I postponed it for 3 days. Or is that 4 days? :shock: :lol:

kamalin10
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Posts: 147
Joined: Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:25 pm

Post by kamalin10 » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:56 pm

Heeeey! Well done you! Many happy returns to the new resident! :D

Thanks for the idea with cheque! These bloody cards just stop working when you most need them! I’ll bring my book with me and will split amount to credit and debit cards so I can pay with either of them.

So, what did you wear and did you go out while waiting?
My appointment is at 9am so it might be even quicker than yours :)

Did she check or say anything about your police registration certificate? You have mentioned that you have moved a lot – so did i. well, 5 times to be exact. I’m bringing ALL my docs with me just to prove that I actually lived at those addresses.

I qualify to apply on the 4th (calculated by HO over the phone) but I’m going there on the 5th. I’m leaving for holidays shortly after that and I’m thinking of bringing e-ticket just in case they decide that I can wait for ILR a while longer ;)

kiranchinnu
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Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2010 2:47 pm

Re: ILR success at PEO Croydon (HSMP JR)

Post by kiranchinnu » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:21 pm

wunder wrote:So, it is finally my turn to write 'ILR success' message :lol:
I applied under the terms of HSMP Judicial Review, so my experiences differ a little from those of Work Permit holders - hope this will be useful for fellow HSMPians.

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

I arrived to Croydon PEO at 8:15 with appointment scheduled for 9:30 (I planned to be there at 8:30, but tube and rail worked surprisingly well :wink: ).
Guard told me to come back at 9:00 - D'OH! So much for waking up early.
Eventually I was let in at 8:50.

Security check was fairly quick, and could have been even faster if not for some people keeping things in pockets when told not to :twisted:

Then queued for initial document check (separate queue for people with form SET/O: mostly people with WPs, I think I was the only one with HSMP) - about 10 minutes.

Initial documents check: asked for application form, current passport, previous passport. Got ticket number, and was sent to pay.

Payment queue: roughly 15 minutes. Paid by credit card, but person in front of me paid by cash (so it is definitely accepted).
I also had debit card, cash, and cheque with me - in case if credit card would not work :lol:

After payment was sent to the other part of the same floor, but nearly immediately called and told to go to the floor above (no idea what was that about - possibly they do biometrics there, but I'm non-biometric :roll: ).

Waited for about 10 minutes and got called by case-worker. She took the application form and payment receipt, and asked me which documents I have prepared (she did not ask for specific documents herself!).
I gave her (in addition to the application form):
- current passport
- old passport (with my initial 1 year HSMP permit)
- reference letter from the employer (standard "To whom it may concern" format with mention of role title, salary, and start date)
- 4 payslips (from the last 7 months; I was unemployed several times in 2009 so had only 1 payslip in the last 3 months)
- 10 months of bank statements (including statement for the last month that was printed and stamped at my local bank branch; in total about 6 salaries in statements; I marked salaries with post-it notes for convenience)
- police certificate
and that was it (no P60s, no old statements). Then I was told to wait for 40-60 minutes.

40 minutes later case-worker lady called me, told me that I was granted settlement 8) 8) 8) and that I need to go to the other floor (to "non-biometric customer service" window) to collect my passport (oh, and she gave me documents back, obviously). Imagine how happy I was... I mean, I shouldn't have worried that much because I knew I fulfilled all criteria, but still - you never know what may happen.

Went to customer service, waited for about 20 minutes and got my passport (and ILR leaflet basically confirming that there is no more limitations, that no more police registration needed, etc).

And that was it. 15 minutes later I was in the train to London Bridge, a new permanent resident of this country :D

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

Total time:
2 hours and 20 minutes from entry to exit.

Experience:
Very good - everyone at PEO was very polite; people know what they are doing, and visitors are literally guided from window to window to speed up the process :wink:
congrats wunder

Jk2007
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Post by Jk2007 » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:27 pm

Congrats Wunder!!


kamalin10,

You mentioned that you qualify to apply on the 4th (calculated by HO over the phone). Is this 28 days before 4 years? What is your arrival date in the UK? Just want to know how HO calculates the qualifying date.

wunder
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Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:00 pm
Location: UK

Post by wunder » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:35 pm

kamalin10 wrote:These bloody cards just stop working when you most need them!
In my case it was pointless as my credit card worked, but better to be safe :roll:
kamalin10 wrote:So, what did you wear and did you go out while waiting?
Well, not the tracksuit for sure, I was joking about that - I don't think I even have one :lol:
Trousers from the formal suite + long-sleeve T-shirt + jacket (I hate formal shirts and try to avoid them as much as possible).

I stayed in - read a book. The weather today is hardly welcoming.
There is a refreshment kiosk right there on the floor, so no need to walk out.
kamalin10 wrote:Did she check or say anything about your police registration certificate? You have mentioned that you have moved a lot – so did i. well, 5 times to be exact. I’m bringing ALL my docs with me just to prove that I actually lived at those addresses.
The only thing mentioned was that the certificate will be cancelled if I will get ILR - nothing else. I lived in 4 places in 4 years - but I wasn't asked for any address proof (to be fair my current address was on employer's reference, payslips, and bank statements - so enough proof I guess).

Good luck! :)

diago_nelson
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Posts: 118
Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:07 pm
Location: London

Re: ILR success at PEO Croydon (HSMP JR)

Post by diago_nelson » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:41 pm

Congratulations !!!

wunder
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Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 2:00 pm
Location: UK

Post by wunder » Thu Feb 04, 2010 4:41 pm

Jk2007 wrote:You mentioned that you qualify to apply on the 4th (calculated by HO over the phone). Is this 28 days before 4 years? What is your arrival date in the UK? Just want to know how HO calculates the qualifying date.
I called them last week for clarification and was told that the exact calculation is up to case-worker but the person on the phone thought that most likely they will count first day after the end of your 4/5 year period as the 28th day (so basically it is 27 days, not 28 ).

vito0514
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Post by vito0514 » Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:01 pm

wunder wrote:
Jk2007 wrote:You mentioned that you qualify to apply on the 4th (calculated by HO over the phone). Is this 28 days before 4 years? What is your arrival date in the UK? Just want to know how HO calculates the qualifying date.
I called them last week for clarification and was told that the exact calculation is up to case-worker but the person on the phone thought that most likely they will count first day after the end of your 4/5 year period as the 28th day (so basically it is 27 days, not 28 ).
UKBA answer to the Freedom of Information (FOI) request N 68215 (http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h ... ming-68215):
"The guidance advises applicants not apply any earlier than 28 days from the date they are due to complete the required period for settlement (five years for work permit holders). As such providing the date you submit your application is not more than 28 days before this date it will not negatively affect your application. If you submit an application for settlement more than 28 days before you are due to complete the required period, your application is likely to be refused on the basis of not having completed the period required."

Jk2007
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Post by Jk2007 » Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:29 pm

vito0514 wrote:
wunder wrote:
Jk2007 wrote:You mentioned that you qualify to apply on the 4th (calculated by HO over the phone). Is this 28 days before 4 years? What is your arrival date in the UK? Just want to know how HO calculates the qualifying date.
I called them last week for clarification and was told that the exact calculation is up to case-worker but the person on the phone thought that most likely they will count first day after the end of your 4/5 year period as the 28th day (so basically it is 27 days, not 28 ).
UKBA answer to the Freedom of Information (FOI) request N 68215 (http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/h ... ming-68215):
"The guidance advises applicants not apply any earlier than 28 days from the date they are due to complete the required period for settlement (five years for work permit holders). As such providing the date you submit your application is not more than 28 days before this date it will not negatively affect your application. If you submit an application for settlement more than 28 days before you are due to complete the required period, your application is likely to be refused on the basis of not having completed the period required."
Thanks very much for the link. The answer from the example clarifies very well.

So, using http://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html, one needs to enter the start date + add 4/5 years, and then substract 28 days, the resultinng date is the qualifying date!

I have taken a printout of the reply from HO in the above link as an useful supporting document.

kamalin10
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Post by kamalin10 » Thu Feb 04, 2010 8:21 pm

i arrved on 1st April 2006 and my visa was valid from 15 March 2006.

person on the phone said they count from the date of arrival so the earliest i can apply is 4th of March 2010 for 4 years.

so it seems to me that the count the day of application (or appointment) is the 29th day after arrival.

i've booked the 5th just cos it's Friday :D but otherwise i'd go on the 4th :lol:

coolwp
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Post by coolwp » Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:23 am

Congratulation Wunder!!

Wonderful :D

wunder
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Location: UK

Post by wunder » Fri Feb 05, 2010 1:31 pm

I want to thank everyone who helped me with my questions over the years - I was an occasional visitor here since at least late 2004* (when I made my first HSMP application) and without help of this forum I wouldn't be where I am today! :)

* - I wasn't wunder back then.

ben78
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hsmp ilr

Post by ben78 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:18 am

HI

Just wanted to check with you whether the right form for online appointment for ILR after HSMP 4 years JR is the SET(O) excluding long residency. Its not clear what the long residency means, is it some other category of application??

Secondly, I have lost the original of the HSMP extension approval for 4 years, but have the copy of the same. I also have the original HSMP approval letter. Is it necessary to have the original letter for the extension form as well? If that is the case, is there any way of getting another original? I had contacted the home office who seem to think, there is no other way?? probably the guy i spoke to didnt know it - you know how these 'call centres' work. Whether the reply you get is right or wrong depends on sheer luck, unfortunately....!!

Last but not the least, I had started off with a work permit from July 2005 and issued the first 1 year HSMP in Feb 2006, which has been extended to Feb 2011 the next year, which is my valid visa. I have been fortunately in continuous employment all the while. So am I right in assuming that the work permit would be counted as well, when considering my eligibility for ILR, meaning I could have applied for ILR in July 09. (HSMP jr). OR does the JR include only the period I was on HSMP??

If I was eligible from July 09, will they consider that too in my application, and predate my ILR when they stamp, IF THEY ISSUE ME AN ILR??!!!! I did not apply in July 09, since I was not sure whether I was eligible or not and had always thought that I would have to wait till Feb 2010 before applying for ILR. Is there anything I could possibly do now to get them to include my workpermit as well and predate the ILR, if at all I am eligible.

I would have asked this forum all these questions earlier on, if I knew about this helpful online group, ON TIME!! BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.... Thanks in advance for your replies to my complex questions!!!

Have a good day.

Cheers
Ben

wunder
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Post by wunder » Sun Feb 07, 2010 6:06 pm

ben78, please do not multi-post - you've been answered in other threads already!

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Post by ben78 » Sun Feb 07, 2010 7:24 pm

Apologies Wunder. I thought different topics were led and answered by different experts. I am sorry, didnt mean to abuse the system. Sorry.

kamalin10
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Post by kamalin10 » Mon Feb 22, 2010 8:39 am

wunder

just a quicky - did you complete payment details section on the ILR form? if yes, did you pay with the same card?

i'm gonna put my MasterCard details but in case i can't use it - is it ok to use a different card to the one mentioned on the form?

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