PEO experience

[stradivari]

I got my ILR this Tuesday. I went to Sheffield PEO. Just thought I'll post my Solihull experience.

I had an appointment with Solihull PEO last week Monday (close to home). It is true that Solihull PEO do an initial assessment before charging payment but they gave me wrong advice during that assessment saying they wouldn't be able to process my form at PEO and I would need to do a postal application. The CW even went on to say she didn't think I was eligible to apply. What a load of nonsense! Although I did not lose any money, the advice I got was totally wrong and the CW was not even willing to listen. I felt like asking her to go ahead and refuse my application and then I could appeal (my wife and I having taken a day off work and with our 1 year old with a respiratory infection)

I knew the CW was completely wrong and all my papers were completely in order. I My visa was running out end of this month and I was keen on making a PEO application (did not want the PP to get stuck for months with them). So without much hope of finding one, I started searching for any online appointments anywhere and to my pleasant surprise, there were 3 showing for this week and I took the one in Sheffield. It took the CW there just 20 min to approve my and my dependents' ILR. The downside is the CW looks at your application there only after the payment and biometrics have happened. So if you are sure of your success, go for it.

One other thing I did not know was local immigration advisers / solicitors have arrangements with various PEO in getting you slots. I would have got one for today through one such agent but would have ended up burning a hole in my pocket. Luckily I did not need it as I found one myself. Had to travel to Sheffield but the petrol cost was way below the adviser charges!! So my advice is keep searching, if anybody cancels or reschedules their appointment, those slots will be released into the system.

Good luck.

[longshift]

I got my ILR this Tuesday. I went to Sheffield PEO. Just thought I'll post my Solihull experience.

I had an appointment with Solihull PEO last week Monday (close to home). It is true that Solihull PEO do an initial assessment before charging payment but they gave me wrong advice during that assessment saying they wouldn't be able to process my form at PEO and I would need to do a postal application. The CW even went on to say she didn't think I was eligible to apply. What a load of nonsense! Although I did not lose any money, the advice I got was totally wrong and the CW was not even willing to listen. I felt like asking her to go ahead and refuse my application and then I could appeal (my wife and I having taken a day off work and with our 1 year old with a respiratory infection)

I knew the CW was completely wrong and all my papers were completely in order. I My visa was running out end of this month and I was keen on making a PEO application (did not want the PP to get stuck for months with them). So without much hope of finding one, I started searching for any online appointments anywhere and to my pleasant surprise, there were 3 showing for this week and I took the one in Sheffield. It took the CW there just 20 min to approve my and my dependents' ILR. The downside is the CW looks at your application there only after the payment and biometrics have happened. So if you are sure of your success, go for it.

One other thing I did not know was local immigration advisers / solicitors have arrangements with various PEO in getting you slots. I would have got one for today through one such agent but would have ended up burning a hole in my pocket. Luckily I did not need it as I found one myself. Had to travel to Sheffield but the petrol cost was way below the adviser charges!! So my advice is keep searching, if anybody cancels or reschedules their appointment, those slots will be released into the system.

Good luck.

Brilliant stuff.... Congrates mate.

1 question though. Why was the Solihull CW thought that you are not eligible? Any particular reason he/she was mentioning about your case?

[stradivari]

Thanks longshift. Although I am in this country for 12 years and on HSMP + Tier 1 for the past 6 years itself, I was not too bothered to apply for ILR any earlier, much earlier. Now that I am a family man, decided to do it.

Amongst different eligible routes, I decided to apply under the HSMP JR category. The fact is this is the easiest route to make your application under. The CW at Solihull said she had not seen anybody applying under that category and that I was making a 'blunder'. This is despite showing her the HSMP JR policy document with highlighted sections that apply to me. She even asked where I had obtained that document from (even though the source and date of publishing is on the document itself) and I said it was from their website. I wouldn't have an issue if she had simply said she was personally not familiar with that route but would seek help from a colleague / manager instead of making misleading statements. Even the SET (O) form has that category.

I am eligible to apply under Tier 1 and had taken all the million documents required for that route just in case. I considered whether to just apply through that route but decided against banging my head against a brick wall with that CW. Considered asking to speak and make a complaint to her manager /band 7 (who is not always there at Solihull) but let that pass.

I considered whether to apply under HSMP JR or Tier 1 or 10-year route whilst applying at Sheffield. Decided to take my same filled application under HSMP JR (it was partly taking it up as a matter of challenge and principle) and the rest as they say is history. My advice is know yourself and your application very well, be calmly confident at all times and enjoy batting the googlies (or curveball if you are into baseball) if you ever have the pleasure of meeting an inefficient CW. Good luck with everything.