Qualifying Date or When to apply for ILR

[sachin_d_hsn]

Hi team,
Greetings.

I need advise when is the earliest I can apply for ILR as per the below :


Visa Type : Tier 2 Skilled worker (single employer)
Visas of 3 years to start with and then an extension for another 3 year.

Date of Issue on 1st BRP : 5th Feb 2020
1st Vignette Date : 24th March 2020 ( Could not travel due to global travel ban during Covid)
2nd Vignette : 15th Sep 2020
Arrival in UK : 15th October 2020


Considering the above
1. When is the earliest I can apply for ILR ?
2. Can I claim the Covid concession(more than 180 days absence), however I dont have any travel ticket cancellation proof. ?

Thanks in advance.

PS: I did try to go through some of the posts but did not get clear answer for my case.

[zimba]

1. Your earliest eligibility date can be 5th Feb 2020 + 5 years - 28 days, assuming UKVI exercises discretion in your favour

When to apply is not that critical.
Read: Applicants can benefit from the date of the ILR decision

2. Discretion is strictly up to the UKVI and there is no specific guide or rule that says how they exercise this. However, the chances of them applying such discretion in your case is high

[sachin_d_hsn]

Thank you Zimba for the response.
I had a read through the link. So I could apply now .

However I am not clear on the date of decision clause , does this means I need to wait for booking my biometrics appointment ?

I am planning to apply via priority route (5 days after biometrics for decision), hence when is the earliest I can book the biometrics appointment.

Apologies if the questions sounds silly.

Thanks in advance.

[zimba]

The logic of it is that you will book your biometrics appointment on or after the earliest date of your ILR eligibility. This just ensures that your date of ILR decision will always be on and after it. This guarantees that you are certainly eligible for ILR whenever the caseworker is about to decide your ILR application. The type of visa service/processing (standard, priority, super priority) will be irrelevant, as no application is processed or decided unless you enrol your biometrics