The forum has been very helpful and through it I prepared for the application. The details of my day below. I have provided all the details which should hopefully help.
Applied using SET O Work Permit with partner, did not include baby as I am doing MN1 form
10.30 - arrival, airport type security, etc.
10.40 - Token taken
10.50 - Desk 1. The first thing I was told was that the biometric system was broken and that it was not possible to give me a result on the same day. The lady said i had the choice of going home and booking a new appointment or paying money on the basis that they would not give me a decision. I decided to pay the money and get my documents processed. The lady asked for my SET O Form, Employment letter (checked SOC Code, pay), life in the UK, filled something on her PC and on a paper, then gave me a form to sign saying i was going to pay before my application was considered. Once I signed, she gave me a token to go and pay.
11.00 - Desk 3, payment taken. £2066 - the made a phone to the bank and the bank asked some security questions and I authorized.
11.05 - Desk 3 Case Officer. I was again told of the IT issues and that a decision could not be taken on the same day. The lady was very very polite and professional. She asked for SET O form, passports and employment letter. I offered here the detailed list of documents I had but she told me "you are very organised sir, go and sit down and I would call you if i need anything else". Asked me if I had only been with one employer and I said Yes.
11:20 Desk 3 - Case Officer - called me and took life in the UK and partner's passport and told me she had finished her checks but there was no biometric. Advised us to go out and come back in 1.5hours. I asked her if everything was OK and she advised all was OK but she could not give the decision without the biometric - this was understandable, in case your fingerprints pull up a surprise!!!
13.00 We returned and saw the case officer, who advised there was on biometric and unfortunately we had a choice of going home and either returning to liverpool the following week or doing the biometric at a post office (she said this would mean your application may take time if I went to the post). On hearing this I cried internally, thought of my hard earned cash i had just paid for a same day service, etc). But i smiled to the lady and asked her again if after the biometric we will get the ILR - she said yes.
She gave me standard letter with my name saying a decision could not be taken on the same day, etc.
I took the letter and sat on the desk and still could not believe that the I just paid £2066 for no service, spent a lot of money to drive to Liverpool, stay in the hotel with the family, etc and I had to do it again the following week.
13.10 - I was called again and asked to return the letter i was given and told the biometric is back on and I may be able to do it
13.20 - biometric for the wife and I
13.32 - biometric complete, all original documents returned while the case worker waited for the biometric to come through on my screen
14.04 - Case worker call me and advised biometric all OK and ILR granted. She gave me a letter which had my name and said my biometric card will be in the post.
That was it.
USEFUL TIPS
Other than the biometric and IT issues that frustrated me, the staff were very good and professional. the process would have taken <30mins if there were no IT issues. Though the staff where professional and told me about the IT issues I only had the thought of my money gone in my head and also was only interested in hearing that magic word "granted"
I was only asked for SET O form, Life in the UK (for partner and me), my employment letter, payslips and bank statements, passport and partners passport.. No cohabitation documents were asked and I was very well organised fill with all sorts of documents. this was slightly annoying though
I wrote my employment letter using the template on sticky and modified it to suit. I added details such as my employer only gives online payslips and those provided (stamped and signed) were authentic. I started 4days after my WP as approved while still on a student visa, it took 6weeks for the visa to be granted. So in my employment letter I stated " Kumar has been employed with company XXX under WP RefXXXX and UK Residence Permit (in my passport) since the XXX May 2007 to present. The ILR qualifying period is based on the date the visa was stamped in passport so providing anything outside this date was not relevant
In the last year, I had hassled my employer to do Technical Change of Employment (twice - one for change of company name and once again after the SOC Code was moved to a higher salary). I think this was useful because they UKBA had all this information their system and i am sure the case officer was looking at them when she asked the questions. It is very important to start preparing for this early.
I prepared a letter of absences which the company signed but it was not asked for.
Happy to answer any questions and good luck to everyone.
