PR: Do I need to give details outside 5 year period?

[christine761]

I am a French national and have lived in the UK since 1998. I am now applying for a Permanent Residence card.

I was employed full time between 2000 and 2006, and therefore satisfied the 5 year qualifying period during this time. Since 2006 I have been variously employed, a student, looking for work and self-employed. I do not intend to rely on post 2006 years, and it would be difficult for me to provide full records from 2006 to date. In the circumstances, do I need to answer "Yes" and give details for any of the following questions:

(a) "Have you been self-employed since entering the UK?"

(b) "Have you been a student or done vocational training since entering the UK?"

(c) "Were you a student or self-sufficient person?"

(d) "Were you in the UK looking for work during the relevant qualifying period?"

(e) "Add another period of employment in the UK".


I am filling in the form online and so I am required to give a "Yes" or "No" answer to each. Technically the answer to each is "Yes", but I do not wish to rely on them for my application.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

[alterhase58]

My first thought on reading your post: have you ever had dealings with the Home Office and got paperwork which gives you "indefinite leave to remain" (could be a stamp in a passport) - this is pre the 2006 EEA Regulations? In this case you wouldn't have to apply.

Secondly, the questions should be answered correctly, I don't think it's a choice. If you have sketchy details then provide what you got and explanations. If your early period is fully documented you should be ok in any case. HO can be / is difficult to deal with.

[noajthan]

Yes, answer the questions.
Caseworker will assess and weigh up your application, (information provided and evidence submitted), to decide if she can confirm you have acquired PR.

If you only provide evidence/information until 2006 you will probably fail.
You need to prove you have resided in UK since then and that any/all absences were within prescribed limits (so that if you had acquired PR you have not subsequently lost it).

Also worth checking old passports from 19-forgotten to see whether you were stamped into UK with ILR.
Some people were; in that case no need to confirm PR as you will be settled already.

[christine761]

Thank you both. Unfortunately I no longer have access to my passport from the 1990s, so I can't check whether it had an ILR stamp. I will provide as much detail as possible for the entire period from 1998, in order to prove that I have not lost PR.