ILR and NO TIME LIMIT

[joyce234]

I need advice and would appreciate any help. This is the problem:

My partner who I live with came to the Uk 18years ago on a visitor visa and then applied for asylum which was granted (exceptional leave to remain)in 1993. In 1998 he applied for his settlement but was told then that he had to wait till 2002 before he can apply as the law was changing then. However, he applied for a travel document in 1999 and he was given a travel document with the following stamped on it:

'THERE IS AT PRESENT NO TIME LIMIT TO STAY IN THE UK'

He had interpreted this to mean indefinite leave to remain. However, he recently applied for a travel document (as the old one has expired and he wa unable to get a passport from his country), but the HO replies that he is not qualify as he has no leave to remain in the first instance. My questions are these:

1. Is No Time Limit different from indefinite leave to remain
2. Does it mean he has been living here as illegal immigrant
3. Can he now apply under the long residence rule given the fact that he had been here for almost 19years
4. Are there other options for us to explore as I am worried about this whole thing. In my own case, I have a five-years workpermit which will be expiring in 2011.So I am not really affected but worried that my partner may be ask to leave the country and this would seriously affect our child and me as well.

Many thanks for your responds

[Mr Rusty]

This doesn't quite hang together.
He can't have been granted full refugee status if he was only given ELTR, which would be for a time-limited period. If he was rejected for settlement, he can only have been granted a further time-limited period, or refused any form of LTR, so I don't understand how he can suddenly have transmuted to NTL status.
Are you sure he's told you everything? Were you together before 1999?