If you are reading this, you probably are making your way towards one of the significant milestones in your life which is settlement in the UK.
I just got my ILR application approved and I wanted to share with you, my experience of the whole process starting off with application preps through premium appointment to approval at Cardiff UKVI. I did not seek support from any agency and did all the work myself. I think the UK government website has all the information you need in it and is quite unambiguous in that anyone who can read would not need to go through a solicitor (paranoia is another matter).
I was first granted Tier 2 General visa in August 2012 following several other categories of visas (irrelevant to this post). I have been with the same company that gave me the first CoS, over the 5-year qualifying period (minus 28 days to be precise), so, guess this made my case and application quite straight-forward.
Below is the list of documents/items I submitted along with the application form SET (O)
1) Photographs: 2x latest not older than 6 months
2) Passports: 2x only the ones I had used to travel to the UK or had a UK visa stuck on
3) BRP
4) Letter from employer (format further below)
5) Life in the UK pass notification letter (a weekend of preps and you are sorted)
6) UK degree certificate and transcript
7) Bank statements: 3x recent
Cover letter (format further below)9) Payslip: 1x most recent not older than 1 month. Online payslip which I printed in colour (did not get stamped or signed by HR or anything)
10) Previous visa approval letters from the HO: 2x covering the two previous Tier 2 applications. This is not mandatory I dont think, I submitted them anyways
11) Utility bills, bank statements, council tax letters etc. covering the 5 year period: 22x. I picked a letter every 3 or 4 months. Again, this is not a mandatory requirement, but I had these, so I submitted them.
In addition to the above items I submitted with my application, I took the following along with me to the premium appointment centre and had these sort of on standby, should there be any questions from the case worker. I might have gone a bit over-the-top here...
1) Every bank statement I had received in the 5 year period
2) Every payslip I had received in the 5 year period. A couple of years ago, my company switched to online payslips, I didn't bother to print them all
3) Every utility bill I had received in the 5 year period
4) Expired passports I hadn't used to travel to the UK on
5) Tenancy agreement docs from the 5 year period
Done with the list now, I will move on to them letter formats.
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Letter from employer printed on company letterhead.
<BEGINNING OF LETTER>
UK Visas and Immigration
Home Office
United Kingdom
<DATE>
Dear Immigration Officer
This letter is to confirm that <APPLICANT NAME> is employed as <JOB TITLE> on a permanent basis with <COMPANY NAME AND FULL ADDRESS>, and will be required in this role for the foreseeable future.
Employee Number: XXX
Start date of employment: XXX
Normal working hours: XXX hours per week
Nearest applicable SOC code: XXX
Minimum annual salary for this SOC code as stated in the codes of practice for Tier 2 sponsors: £XXX
Current annual salary: £XXX <MUST BE >£35,000/->
The table below lists <APPLICANT NAME>’s paid absences from work and sets out the reasons for the same.
Date from---------Date to---------No of working days---------Reason
XXX-----------------XXX-------------XXX---------------------------Annual Leave
XXX-----------------XXX-------------XXX-------------------------- Business trip to <COUNTRY>
XXX-----------------XXX-------------XXX---------------------------Sickness
<I HAD ABOUT 50 ROWS IN THE TABLE>
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me at the address below.
Yours faithfully
<LINE MANAGER'S SIGNATURE>
<LINE MANAGER'S NAME>
<LINE MANAGER'S JOB TITLE>
<END OF LETTER>
I did all the legwork in finding out the absences. This involved going through various HR tools, hassling the HR department for the ones that weren't on the portal etc.
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My cover letter:
<BEGINNING OF LETTER>
<APPLICANT NAME AND ADDRESS>
<DATE>
UK Visas and Immigration
Home Office
United Kingdom
Dear Immigration Officer
Sub: Application for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK for Tier 2 (General)
As part of my application for ILR, listed below are the dates relevant to the calculation of 5 year continuous lawful period in the UK requirement.
1. Visa Tier 2 (General) Leave to Remain
a. Biometric Residence Permit No: XXX
b. Valid from XX XX 2015 until XX XX 2018
2. Visa Tier 2 (General) Leave to Remain
a. Biometric Residence Permit No: XXX
b. Valid from XX XX 2012 until XX XX 2015
3. Visa Tier 1 (Post-Study Work)
a. Stamped on passport XXX page XX
b. Valid from XX XX 2010 until XX XX 2012
4. Date of first entry in to the UK: XX XX 2009
5. Visa Tier 4 (General) Student
a. Stamped on passport XXX page XX
b. Valid from XX XX 2009 until XX XX 2011
Absences from the UK during the 5-year period
Year 1: XX XX 2017 to XX XX 2016
Date of exiting UK----Date of re-entering UK----No. of days----Destination----Purpose of visit----Evidence
XXX----------------------XXX--------------------------XXX-------------XXX-------------Holiday-------------Immigration stamps in passport
XXX----------------------XXX--------------------------XXX-------------XXX-------------Business trip --- ---Immigration stamps in passport
Total number of days spent outside the UK in Year 1: XX
<SAME DRILL FOR THE REST OF THE PERIODS>
Year 2: XX XX 2016 to XX XX 2015
Year 3: XX XX 2015 to XX XX 2014
Year 4: XX XX 2014 to XX XX 2013
Year 5: XX XX 2013 to XX XX 2012
Should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me on my mobile phone: XXX or at my email id: XXX@XXX.com.
Yours faithfully
<APPLICANT SIGNATURE>
<APPLICANT NAME>
<END OF LETTER>
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With all the docs in place, I made a premium appointment booking for 10:00am on a Friday at Cardiff centre making myself lighter by £2,887/-.
On the day of the appointment, I arrived at the centre at 9:30am following a 3-hour drive filtering all the holiday traffic. After a quick security check-up, I was let in. Made my way to the reception and handed over the application pack at the desk where I was briefed about the process, location of biometric booths, waiting area, toilets etc. and was given a token number. By 10:00am, I was in the waiting area with 4 other applicants (yes, Cardiff is a small and peaceful centre). At about 10:15am, I was called in to give biometrics. Following another 45-minute wait, I was called to the reception and informed of the wonderful news. They gave me back my passports and supporting documents - they had only taken the BRP, employer letter both original and copy, copy of the payslip, and copy of the most recent bank statement! By 11:15am, I was out of the centre much pleased with the experience - friendly staff, immaculate office, snack/drink vending machine, and most importantly, the outcome!
All the best...
