Preparing for PEO appointment. Any advice?

[PaddingtonBear]

Can any one describe what it is like at a PEO appointment for ILR.

I'm have an appointment for ILR via a Set-M form. My husband is British. I believe that I have completed all the forms correctly and have the proper documentation.

But I am nervous and am wondering what to expect. I will go to the Croydon office.

Will there be some tricky interview / interrogation that I should prepare myself for? If so how long is the interview going to last for and what sort of question might be asked?

I'd just like to know what to expect so that I can prepare myself for the big day.

Thanks.

[John]

I believe that I have completed all the forms correctly and have the proper documentation.

Can we make sure? The reason I say that is that a new version of the form SET(M) was issued earlier this month, and took effect last Monday. So have you completed the latest version, the one that says Version 08/2008 top right of the front page? If not, download and complete that!

Will there be some tricky interview / interrogation that I should prepare myself for? If so how long is the interview going to last for and what sort of question might be asked?

To call it an interview is totally overstating what will happen at the PEO. Apart from the odd question, to clarify something, no questions will be asked. As long as you have all the correct documentation with you, it should be a very easy procedure, and ILR will be issued on a same-day basis.

Thankfully, instead of the 20 pieces of evidence previously requested, they only now want six, to confirm that the two of you live together.

[whirly]

PaddingtonBear,

Just to give you a better idea of what to expect... Here's what happened when I went to Croydon in April.

Got there a few minutes early, good since I couldn't find the entrance! Went through security screening. Directly after that is a small holding room; waited until I was invited to step forward to an open window. At the window, they ask for your application form and docs. Basically they want to make sure you have enough information before moving you to the next step. This was probably the worst bit.

Then they send you to the payments department. (This was the most painful bit!)

Last you go to the main room...tons of chairs facing a row of windows with IOs behind them. You wait until they call your number. This, if anything, is the "interview." They ask (again) for your docs, and do a lot of random silent typing. She asked me a few things to establish my identity and that was about it. (I actually had a very sweet, young girl, and we started chatting.) After a while, she assured me that I was going to get my ILR, and asked me to wait while they put the stamp in my passport.

Finally they give you your passport, ask you to make sure there are no typos on your ILR, and you're done!

All in all, it took me about 90 minutes. It helped to bring more docs than they asked for just in case (and a good book for all the waiting.)

Good luck!