pre-existing premium centre appointment difficulties

[kvpmea]

Hi all, I am applying for ILR via the long residence route. My workplace was able to get me an appointment at a visa premium centre for Oct 1 which I need to attend. However, there seems to be no way to sensibly pay for this appointment and my application. The advice I have been given is to go through the online system, find a random appointment and pay but then turn up to my Oct 1 one. However it seems notoriously hard to find any appointments in any centre (and I am running out of time before Oct 1). Is there some other way? It is quite ridiculous that I have to go through this trouble when I already have an appointment. Does anyone know of any other way to pay? Or perhaps some tips on how to find appointments on the online system? Thanks.

[CR001]

If you already have an appointment, why not just simply complete the paper form???

Note that when your appointment was booked, your ILR fee and premium centre fee has already been paid (£2999). If you try do it again just so you can use the online form, you have to pay all the fees again (£2999).

[Djsuccess]

Hi all, I am applying for ILR via the long residence route. My workplace was able to get me an appointment at a visa premium centre for Oct 1 which I need to attend. However, there seems to be no way to sensibly pay for this appointment and my application. The advice I have been given is to go through the online system, find a random appointment and pay but then turn up to my Oct 1 one. However it seems notoriously hard to find any appointments in any centre (and I am running out of time before Oct 1). Is there some other way? It is quite ridiculous that I have to go through this trouble when I already have an appointment. Does anyone know of any other way to pay? Or perhaps some tips on how to find appointments on the online system? Thanks.

How did your workplace secure an appointment for you? As far as I know, appointments are not reserved for companies (not sure if solicitors get special treatment). Your appointment is only reserved when you book online and during that process, the full payment is taken as CR001 as explained. So if you have an appointment on Oct 1 then the fee has been paid. All you need do is download the paper form, complete it and go for your appointment with all supporting documents.
If nobody has paid for the appointment, then I guess you don't have an appointment.
Do you have the appointment confirmation? An appointment confirmation will tell you how much you have paid, date, time and venue of your appointment. If you don't have that, I doubt you have an appointment.

[CR001]

How did your workplace secure an appointment for you? As far as I know, appointments are not reserved for companies (not sure if solicitors get special treatment). Your appointment is only reserved when you book online and during that process, the full payment is taken as CR001 as explained. So if you have an appointment on Oct 1 then the fee has been paid. All you need do is download the paper form, complete it and go for your appointment with all supporting documents.
If nobody has paid for the appointment, then I guess you don't have an appointment.
Do you have the appointment confirmation? An appointment confirmation will tell you how much you have paid, date, time and venue of your appointment. If you don't have that, I doubt you have an appointment.

Solicitor do not get any special treatment or block bookings anymore.

[Djsuccess]

How did your workplace secure an appointment for you? As far as I know, appointments are not reserved for companies (not sure if solicitors get special treatment). Your appointment is only reserved when you book online and during that process, the full payment is taken as CR001 as explained. So if you have an appointment on Oct 1 then the fee has been paid. All you need do is download the paper form, complete it and go for your appointment with all supporting documents.
If nobody has paid for the appointment, then I guess you don't have an appointment.
Do you have the appointment confirmation? An appointment confirmation will tell you how much you have paid, date, time and venue of your appointment. If you don't have that, I doubt you have an appointment.

Solicitor do not get any special treatment or block bookings anymore.

Thanks CR001 for the confirmation. The way the OP described his/her situation, I don't think an appointment was booked, because an appointment is not secured if the fee has not be paid.