Immigrationboards.com

Hi all,

I have questions about section 5 & 9.

In section 5 I’m asked to fill in any absences from the UK since I’ve entered. I came to UK in 2001 and I simply don’t remember the exact dates. Where should I call to find out the exact dates?. What should I do if I won’t find the exact dates, should I leave the days’ boxes empty?. I'm concerned about the details as I have fillings that HO turned the application into a 'book' for a reason!

In section 9 I’m asked to show my activity since I’ve entered UK. And again I’m concerned about the years before 2004 ( as Poland joined the EU in 2004). I was a student of English College, had some savings and worked for some catering agency which doesn’t exist anymore. Should I even mention the catering agency?. The last thing I’m concerned about is that they ask for comprehensive sickness insurance if I was a student. I’ve never heard about it before, it was in 2001/2003 when I was a student, is it even relevant?

Many thanks,
Marzena

You do not need to provide your entire history in the UK, as that's what it sounds like you're doing. Just pick any 5 year window in the UK that you were legally resident and that you have good proofs for. What absences are we talking about here, short holidays? If so, just write that on the form and that you don't remember the dates you took holidays but your absences were definitely less than 6 months per year.

I was hoping I was wrong but the application is quite misleading. It states ' Have you had any absences from the UK since you entered?'. Well it doesn't say ' since you first entered the UK' but still I found it confusing.

Thank you for your reply.

You do not need to remember every absence since the beginning of your residence in the UK. All that is important for PR is that you were continuously exercising Treaty rights for a period of 5 years (any 5-year window of your choosing) and that absences in that 5-year period amount to no more than 6 months per year, although you are allowed one single absence of 12 months for important reasons like childbirth and illness. This is all you have to prove.