Here my story goes....
Immigration history: HSMP-March/2008, Tier1-March/2010
Monday, left home at 7:30AM, booked a taxi in advance, me, wife and two kids left for Croydon PEO, arrived at 8:10AM. It was particularly windy day, I have even got something into my eye and was walking as one-eye pirate all day, have you ever seen person crying out of one eye only? Yes, that was me.
Anyways, hanged around Whitgift Shopping centre which is opposite PEO. The appointment was at 9:15AM so we got inside at around 8:50AM.
Due to applying via representative, we did not taste all delights of applying in person. All was done by the representative. A bit disappointed as we were preparing for this day but it did not feel like it. I have not got to speak to anyone there apart from biometric guy who kept asking whether my daughter is she or he
. We left PEO after that and didn't need to get back as biometrics came through well. Kids were playing on the seats while we waited for biometrics, it was noisy, with a few families and kids running about it felt more like waiting area at the airport, long corridor, rows of metal seats.....Seems most of delays are caused by biometric data appearing on the system as CW has to wait for them before he/she can proceed with application.
I have not provided any copies as there were literally hundreds of pages and that would be total waste. When received originals back, I have noticed that CW went through few of them only, needed for processing application only:
bank statement pages with salary records only
employer letter
pay slips
absences' schedule
couple of cohab docs
Word of advice: try to get employment letter stating that you are still required or something like that. I think it would give them a strong ground for approving your application.
There was a long discussion around non-work related absences, particularly if you left shortly after your very first arrival. I had to leave after 1.5 month since arrived for the first time and was away for 32 days. I put it as Holiday - Family Visit. And our assumptions proved to be correct, you are safe if you are below the limit.
That was pretty much it.
For those struggling to book an appointment for family, book any day and place you can get and then you will be able to re-book it without re-entering all information. Log into website 10-15 mins before midnight, go to your account, provided you have booked an appointment already, press re-book, run simple search for PEO you need (no need for specifying dates) and go back to search page, choose your options and wait till around 12:15AM and then fun part, press search button, it will crash, keep refreshing (F5, enter), be patient, in about couple of minutes (or so, remember be patient) you will get a hit and will see lots of appointments. That's where re-schedule will come handy.
Got our BPR cars today, similar to driving license but with chip.
If you have any questions, please... and as for now I wish you all the best with your applications.
AM