LR ILR - ties to the UK / supporting letter

[GrahamR]

I'm helping my step-daughter with her ILR application, which is based on 10 years of student visas (English, then Bachelors degree, then postgrad qualification). She's been informed by a solicitor that it is useful for her mother (who now has UK nationality) and me (UK national from birth) to write a supporting letter to go with her application. I can't find any mentioned online and not in the official documents. Does anyone have any experience of this, how long should it be, what sort of things to write?

Also what is the most useful information for her to put in sections D13 and 3.2 about 'ties to the UK'? She hasn't been able to work during her most recent visa - is it just enough to say "family and friends" (obviously, in more words than that) and will the Home Office care about e.g. "I prefer living here to my home country"?

[CR001]

Supporting letter from parents is not required.

The decision of her application will be based on whether she meets the requirements of the rules (legal stay, absence limit, etc.)

D13 asks about ties to Home Country, not the UK. Don't know which question you are referring to when you say '3.2' but saying family, friends and established life is better than saying 'I prefer living in the UK than my home country'.

[GrahamR]

Thanks. I realise a parental letter is not 'required', but it was suggested to her by a solicitor a few months ago in one of those 'free 1st consultation' meetings. (We're doing the application ourselves as it's a relatively straightforward case). As I couldn't find it referenced elsewhere, I was just wondering if anyone else had heard / done the same thing and whether they thought it had any effect.

Q3.2 is on p19 of the form: "If you have any reasons or grounds for wishing to stay in the United Kingdom which you have not already mentioned in your application you should do so now in the box below." After posting my query I found an earlier post on this forum which suggested saying "I want to live in the UK on grounds of long residence to continue my life in the UK." I read that as "I want to stay because I'm already here", which I wouldn't have thought would cut much ice with the Home Office. Surely it needs to be a bit more sophisticated? Or have other successful applicants used something as basic?

[CR001]

Are you sure you are looking at the correct and most recent form as I cannot see a 3.2 on page 19 of the latest form here (click)

Letter from parents if not required, unlikely it will even be looked at but if you want to submit one, then should be ok. There is no standard format for such letters because they are not required for ILR applications.

"I want to live in the UK on grounds of long residence to continue my life and work in the UK." - this should be ok then and as parent/step parent is in the UK should be fine.

[GrahamR]

Thank god I started this query - we printed the form a few months ago and hadn't realised there was a new version!! (That's what you get for not using a solicitor...) Anyway, the specific question I was referring to is now D17 (page 15) and your improved version of the previous answer that I'd read seems fair. Thanks again.

[noajthan]

Thank god I started this query - we printed the form a few months ago and hadn't realised there was a new version!! (That's what you get for not using a solicitor...)

First rule of 'UK immigration' Club is: Don't take anything for granted
Second rule - see rule number one.