Dear All,
First of all, I would like to thank to the forum and it's moderators. This is the only place in the world where people help each other without any self-interest. A big thanks to all of you. Now the success story...
General information:
1. Work Permit for 5 years from 27 Aug 2007 to 27 Aug 2012
2. worked for same employer
3. Promoted after 3 years hence change in designation
4. Family of 5 including myself, wife, 3 children including one 20 years old
5. 121 days out of country, no more than 90 days in a year.
Worries:
1. One child 20 years old completing only 2 years 9 months in the country
My daughter came to UK on dependent visa and went back India and returned UK after 15 months stay in India. After this she went India only once for 30 days.
2. I got two speeding tickets a week before applying for ILR
3. As you all know the online appointment were very difficult to find. I woke up in the night and tried, luckily I found the appointment slots at 4:30am and booked one for my self and minor dependents and another for my daughter as she was above 18. Probably I was in half sleep, while booking for SET-O appointments I booked one appointment correctly but for my daughter I selected FLR-O instead set-o. I realised this mistake 2 weeks later so called UKBA. Instead of correcting the error they just added a note in the appointments record: APPLICATION WILL BE MADE SET-O NOT FLR-O. Because of different categories, I was able to book both appointments at 11:40 on 13 Aug 2012
4. Was worried about the two payments from the same debit card within a short span of time because of banks's Froud protection system
On the big day:
for 11:40 appointment reached there at 11:00, entered in a small hall and asked to take a seat for a while. When all the seats were full at 11:20, the guard announced: Guys, it's not a good news. Biometrics are not working today. You can take this line 'A' to book the new appointment or Line'B' to go for today for something to be done today and biometrics later. My personal advice is..as you need to be here again with your families for biometrics so taking a new appointment is better but it's your call. Well, with unhappy faces everybody decided to go for line 'B' to try luck today.
Moved ahead for Airport style security check and moved ahead. Another lady was checking the appointment confirmation code and suggesting which queue you should be in. When we were in the queue a lady came out of window no. 9 and asked the guard to re announce the same suggestion to re-book but everyone ignored and ready to face the challenge. Luckily or unluckily my turn was on same window 9. She again suggested to re-book but I decided to face the nightmare. The lady checked the appointment and realized my daughter have FLR-O appointment with a note. She cancelled the FLR-O appointment and was kind enough to add my daughter's name in my appointment in spite of her age above 18. So one worry was almost over about above 18 dependent.
Questions asked: 1. Is daughter's application because of above 18?-Yes
2. Are you with same employer since you arrived- Yes
The lady stamped the payment page with a validation stamp ads asked to go on 1st floor for the payment hence moved another step upstairs towards success.
Queued at UKBA's most favourite earning window ‘payments’. I was called on window number 4 and she looked at the application forms and asked that she will combined both payments in one transaction but will provide two separate receipts for both applications as required. Another worry was over and more than 4800£ went in a single transaction. Probably, first time in my life I was glad to loose my hard earned money. Well received two receipts and asked to go to waiting area.
I was surprised to see that biometrics are working fine. I was called on window number 10 and the lady asked to submit the application forms with payment, photos and receipts and went missing somewhere after saying few words: Please wait here. Well, finally she came back after 20 minutes and returned our all passports, pics and receipts and suggested to wait for biometrics call, so we did.
I heard a long awaited voice from the speakers in the ceiling. Ticket no. 145 please proceed to biometrics window no.5 hence moved there. Biometrics done but realized that one of my daughter's date of birth is wrong. The lady realized the error by last window so she went to previous window and things got corrected but she needed to do the biometrics again. She also asked to wait in the middle section of waiting area to be called by case worker at 14:40. We waited till 5:20 impationtly but nothing was moving. I also enquired at customer service window about the delay but the man on the window has only one answer for all questions: WAIT FOR 20 MINUTES AND THINGS WILL BE FINE. CURRENTLY OUR SYSTEM IS OUT OF ORDER.
Unfortunately, system could not wake up as it was dead. At 17:35again heard the voice : Token number 145…and kids shouted YEHHH… which resulted in missing the window number which cost us another 15 minutes to be re called. At 17:50 lady called us again and apologised for the waiting narrated the following: The system is out of order. You have only option to leave all your documents and photocopies with us. The case worker will look at them ASAP and will ring you in 2-3 days. Since we had only choice, so we did as asked to do. She pit our documents in a folder and given us an acknowledgement. I also asked, what is the meaning of premium appointment. I have hell lot of documents in briefcase if you need to but now I can only submit minimum docs as per my knowledge. I do not know what more case worked want to see? She replied, if the documents are good enough, case worker will approve the application, if not you will be given an opportunity to add more documents. She also asked if I want the documents to be collected or send by post. I chose to be collected.
Documents Submitted:
1. Two Applications duly filled in including one for my daughter above 18
2. Two photos of each applicant
3. Life in UK certificate for my self, my daughter and ESOL for my wife
4. All passports [08] including old ones
5. Cohab. Documents: 5 years council tax bills and additional letter from council confirming our registration with them just for addition confirmation though it was not necessary.
6. Five p60’s. Four of them were original but 5th one was electronic printout but submitted with employer’s stamp with a covering letter proving it’s genuine.
7. 12 Bank statements, latest was only 6 days old specially requested from Barclays
8. 12 Salary slips duly stamped by employer with covering letter stating the payslips are genuine.
9. Letter from employer stating: I am working for them since 2007 and still employed with them Employer looks a continuation of my employment with them in a foreseeable future. They also stated that my promotion was in line with my same profession and is a natural progression.
10. Workpermit
11. Private medical cover letter proving 5 years continuous stay.
12. Six address proofs for above 18 dependent documents including a letter from college confirming her admission and previous education.
Of course, A set of Xerox copies in similar order.
Obviously, unhappy! But but I could not do anything other than driving back home. I kept my cell phone on high volume on 14th, 15th 16th August but in vain. On 16th Evening I wrote an email to UKBA about my case and waited on 17th, 18th 19th and 20th again in vain. On 20th evening I was about to leave my office at 17:45 and I saw an email from UKBA stating: Your case was completed on 17th and your documents are ready at ROD (return of documents) desk in Croydon. Please arrange a collection between 09:00 to 12:00. I was further confused with the meaning of COMPLETED, if this was approved or refused?
So I decided to reach there on 21st August. Question was asked, Did someone called you for documents to be collected and the answer was No brilliant, but I have an email. ( Obviously in a much polite way). The allowed me to go inside, same airport security and I was allowed in a queue for documents collection. Went to window 5 and the lady asked the same question about the telephone call and I had the same answer. She looked at the heap of folders and I could see mine easily there as a Xerox copy of the letter from my employer was at the top. She returned the documents after taking my signature. I checked all documents, case was approved, everything was in order so moved out happily and reached home. Though I was tired, wanted to take a sound sleep but it was a time to celebrate. Guess what????????????
It was my son’s birth day. While celebrating the birth day someone knocked the door. Once door opened again Guess what???????????
It was a courier delivering our biometrics.
I will be very glad if anyone can be benefited from the story . I wish you a best of luck and also wish no one have to go through the painful waiting as I have already gone through.
One more thing I missed about the Speeding ticket..
I quoted on form that I have got speeding ticket on 5th, driver identified as my self on 7th Aug and sent back. Awaiting to hear from officials. No criminal conviction. And it had obviously no impact on my case.
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