ILR(SET O) longer waiting times in light of document return

[VENETIANBLIND]

Hello,

I am interested to find out whether anyone can offer any thoughts as to whether asking for your passport to be returned, whilst its in process, for identification/employment purposes, adds on extra time to the overall processing time?

I submit an application for ILR (SET O) postal (via UK Ancestry) on the 24th of March 2012. I requested that my passport be returned for identification/employment purposes in mid June and it was returned in 20 working days. I returned it via special delivery/signed for after 3 working days. When requesting the passport, the person i spoke to on the phone said, given that my application had already been in process for almost 4 months (I'd had biometrics already taken and submitted), that it was likely that the process would not be delayed due to withdrawing my passport.

In discussion with friends who have undergone that same process for ILR their experience, and it seems that of others generally (from looking on forums etc) is that the process takes about 5 months.

My application has been in progress now for 5 months and 5 days (calendar days), and with an important work trip scheduled for the 10th of september, I'm really very apprehensive that this will need to be cancelled.

Apparently 95% of applications are processed within 6 months, but I am wondering whether, despite what the i was told over the telephone, there is in fact a standard amount of time one could expect to be added on to waiting times if their documents are taken out of process then resubmitted?

Any help would be so greatly appreciated!

Kind regards

[VENETIANBLIND]

hello,

for anyone who is interested, or in a similar situation, I have been in contact with UKBA and apparently waiting/processing time is not extended due to documents being withdrawn from processing temporarily for identification or employment purposes if-

The application has been in process for more than a few months.
Biometrics have already been taken at the time of requesting the return of documents/passport.

Still waiting on an outcome however. Twenty one weeks and counting, eek.

Many thanks