May applicants, please respond!

[SBS]

Hi All,
I received my approval letter yesterday (26.10.04). The letter was dated 22nd October.
Thanks for a great forum and my best wishes & good luck to all of you in the queue and those of you planning to re-submit.
I can be contacted at vigithas@yahoo.com
Please feel free to ask me any help that I can do for you.
Sabesan.

[titas]

SBS did you arrange pick up by DHL or they sent through royal mail?

[SBS]

Hi Titas,
They sent through first calss mail (reached Singapore within 3 days)
SBS.

[f2k]

Titas,
all the best to you, they must have reached your application by now and i am sure the lettter is on its way. all the best to yu

[titas]

Dear All

I just received my pkg. It is APPROVED.....!!!!

[ND]

Hey titas ... Congratulations .... And all the best.

[Raji]

Congrats SBS on getting your approval.

Did anyone else hear from HO? I applied on the 11th and am hoping they assess my case soon.

R

[KV]

If SBS's case is approved (10th May application), how come website is showing 7th May date. Does that mean that the earlier assumption of people (that they deliberately put a backdated update) is true?

I have applied on May 24th and money got deducted on May 25.

KV

[MWazir]

If SBS's case is approved (10th May application), how come website is showing 7th May date. Does that mean that the earlier assumption of people (that they deliberately put a backdated update) is true?

We dont know that for sure, its just mere speculation. Please note that the 8th and 9th of May were also weekends.

I have applied on May 24th and money got deducted on May 25

Good luck!

[anishpadela]

Hi All

1. Name: Anis Padela
2. Country: United Arab Emirates
3. Submission Date: 19th May, 2004
4. Ref. No. : 18838
5. Any news from HO concerning Your case.: Nothing so far.

Rgds
Anis

[Sten]

If SBS's case is approved (10th May application), how come website is showing 7th May date. Does that mean that the earlier assumption of people (that they deliberately put a backdated update) is true?

I have applied on May 24th and money got deducted on May 25.

KV

You have made a wrong assumption .. just look on the first page of this topic, SBS wrote the fee was deducted on the 10th of May, but the application was received on the 6th of May.

My application was received on 10th and I haven't heard anything from HO yet.

[Star]

Applied 24th May
Fee deducted 27 May
Ref No. 193**
Location Pakistan
Still waiting for their response
Can any one tell how long it will take.
Thanx
Star

[f2k]

well they updated the website on Friday afternoon, and hey they have done just 3 more days. they are moving swiftly rate of 3 days a week

STEN, expect to hear from them in 3 to 4 weeks time, probably the last week of november

[bugmaster]

f2k, 8 and 9 are sat and sun. not sure if this is a big progress.

[anishpadela]

well thats true no big progress...but atleast its consistent....3 days in a weeks time...again 15 and 16 will be sat and sun so next update would be 17th, i guess

Anis

[f2k]

f2k, 8 and 9 are sat and sun. not sure if this is a big progress.

thats why i say they have only done 3 days. cause in monday's update they were doing the 7th.

[SAFFA girl]

Hi everyone

Details with regards to my application:

1. Name: SAFFA girl
2. Location: South Africa
3. Date of application: 7 May (payment deducted on 10 May)
4. Reference number: 1812*

5. Points claimed (70 points):
- Age, under 28: 5 points
- Bachelors Degree (Engineering): 15 points
- Work Experience: 25 points (I provided evidence in the form of original reference letters for graduate level work experience for 26 months: 6 months working in the UK, and 20 months working in South Africa).
- Past Earnings: 25 points (I provided a letter from my employer and a letter from my employer’s auditors).

6. Feedback from HSMP:
Received the following email from HO on the 25th of October, asking for additional information:

“We are currently considering your HSMP application. However, before we can reach a decision on the application we need some further information. If we can draw your attention to the following:

- If I can refer you to Section 2 of the HSMP application form, in order to score 25 points within this section you are required to two years graduate level work experience. The evidence provided with the application does not fully justify the award of 25 points. Therefore, please provide more detailed employer references to support your role at the company. The reference must be original or a notarised copy, it must be on employer letter-headed paper, give the start and finish dates, the position held and details of the work. Statements which only describe the person to be of good character are not appropriate. If it is not in English, please send a translation with the original.

- Can I also refer you to section 3. Could you please supply your last 12 months wage slips or your most recent tax return. These should be the originals or notarised copies. We should be grateful if the requested information could be forwarded to our offices by 6th December 2004, quoting the above HSMP reference number.

If you are not able to do this please let us know as soon as possible. If we have not heard from you by this date a decision will be made based on the information that you initially submitted with your application.”

I responded as follows:
1. “With regards to the additional information required:
Work experience: I have been working at my current company from 2 September 2001 as an Industrial Engineer and is still currently employed by them. So the period I've been working for my current employer is 2 years and 2 months which should be sufficient to get the points awarded for work experience. Do you then still need more information on my job held with my previous employer? Can I just submit an updated letter from my current employer?
2. Salary earned: I will get the necessary information and send it as soon as possible. I am just a little confused, as the application specify you need to supply two forms of evidence and I have supplied a letter from my current employer’s auditor, and a letter from my current employer. But I can supply the extra information required.”

HO’s reply:
“We really require more information from your previous employer. We are assessing your case as of the date it was submitted, so an updated letter from your current employer will not be sufficient. With regards to earnings, we do request 2 pieces of evidence, but we must also be certain that all income has been declared for tax purposes, and so we reserve the right to request more information.”

So that’s my current situation, busy getting the additional information together. I did not realise that the HO does not take any work experience that was obtained while my application was waiting in the queue (for 6 months!!!) into account.

Anyway, hope to write again with some good news!

Good luck to you all.

SAFFA girl

[MWazir]

SAFFA girl,
Regarding salary earned, my advise would be to also present your tax returns for the last 12 month period being considered by the case workers. If there are payslips and bank statements showing salary credits to your account, sent them too as proof of earnings. This will strengthen your case and fetch you 25 points on thatn front.

[f2k]

Just a couple of things i noted in your post. Yes the HSMP team doesnt consider any experience, earnings etc that come up the date you have submitted your application. so if you hve say 1 and 1/2 years exp, you cant submit an application with the view that in 6 to 10 montsh time when they get to your application you will have the experience or earned the required monies etc.

another thing you say they only require 2 items of refence when it comes to salary. thats true, but i think in most cases they expect either your PAY SLIPS as one of the items if not you should have your TAX returns (P60 doucment here) document from your govt tax department, a letter and declaration for the auditors is really considered as the SUPPORTING documents. a letter from the employer and the auditors could really be seen as coming from one source and hence can be said to be one in the same document

You say you started with your present employer in SEPT, 2001. so as at MAY 2004 you would have had more than 2 and half years experience (approx 32months) not 2 years and 2 months as you said in your reply to them or the 26 months you claimed in the first instance.

Finally: a couple questions
When did you Graduate?
Did you start working for your current employer b4 or after graduate?
are you applying from SA or from the UK

[Sten]

well they updated the website on Friday afternoon, and hey they have done just 3 more days. they are moving swiftly rate of 3 days a week

STEN, expect to hear from them in 3 to 4 weeks time, probably the last week of november

3-4 weeks, isn't it too much ?
As I see now they have reached 12th of May. And as people wrote here, it takes up to one week to get the package by post ...

I haven't got any news neither from HO nor from my postal address in EU yet.

What would you recommend, to call HO and ask about status of my application, or just wait a while ?

It worried me that they could send me an email asking to provide additional docs, it mistakely got into Junk Email folder (you know, Hotmail ...) and was deleted.

Is there any email address where I may request the application status information, and get a prompt reply ? During normal working hours I can call only from my office, and for some reasons I prefer not to share my UK efforts.

[f2k]

Sten,
sorry got names mixed up there Sten, i meant to say Star's reply should be back in 3 to 4 weeks times. seeing that you applied on the 10th they should have reached your decision by now (last week) so depending on your location you could actually get the letters this week. i am not sure what the email address is.

[MWazir]

What would you recommend, to call HO and ask about status of my application, or just wait a while ?

Since your application was recieved by the 10th, it is either already processed or will be done very shortly. What was the date payment was deducted? You can call up the HO and ask for the decision in case you dont want to wait until the postals arrive.

]It worried me that they could send me an email asking to provide additional docs, it mistakely got into Junk Email folder (you know, Hotmail ...) and was deleted.

I havent used Hotmail in a long time now, but cant you go to preferences (or options) and change the settings of your junk email. So even if you recieves emails into your junk folder, they stay there until you delete them. Also hotmail should allow to specify the level of tolerance. Keep that low for a few days. That should alleviate your fears.

Is there any email address where I may request the application status information, and get a prompt reply ? During normal working hours I can call only from my office, and for some reasons I prefer not to share my UK efforts.

You may or may not get a prompt reply by email and it would still be best to call them up. If you do not want to call up from (or during) your office hours, then can you take an early lunch break and call from outside the office?

Details as per their website


If you have a case specific enquiry, please contact the HSMP team:

By telephone: 0114 274 3306
By fax: 0114 274 3103
By e-mail: hsmp.workpermits@ind.homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

By post:

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme
Level 4
Milton House
Charter Row

Sheffield
S1 4NX

[SAFFA girl]

Hi f2k

Oops, I see I gave some wrong information! I actually started my current job in South Africa in September 2002, not 2001! Sorry about that, mate. Just some background with regards to my application:

I graduated at the end of 2000, then took a year and a half off to travel and work abroad. I went to the UK on a working holiday visa and after doing some temporary work I had a permanent job (which I quit after six months so that I could travel a bit more). To summarise:

End of 2000: Graduated
Jan 2001 to May 2001: Temporary work in UK
June 2001 to beginning of Dec 2001: Permanent work in UK (6 months)
Dec 2001 to June 2002: Temporary work and travel in UK
Beginning July 2002: Return to South Africa
September 2002: Started working in South Africa
May 2004: Applied for HSMP (with 20 months experience in SA). I applied from South Africa.

So that’s my story…basically I am combining the two sets of experience to claim my 25 points for experience!

Just a question: Worst case scenario…..if my application is rejected after I submit the additional information and I submit a new application….am I at the back of the queue again and is it going to be another 6 month’s wait? Or is it better to appeal? This has probably been answered already a dozen times in previous posts! So let me start reading…;-)

Will keep you posted on any response from HO. Good luck and keep the faith!

[MWazir]

Just a question: Worst case scenario…..if my application is rejected after I submit the additional information and I submit a new application….am I at the back of the queue again and is it going to be another 6 month’s wait? Or is it better to appeal? This has probably been answered already a dozen times in previous posts! So let me start reading…

Yes, that will mean you will be back of the queue again and it is going to be another 6 months wait. It will probably be much longer this time.

It would be better to appeal. However note that any additional documentation should compliment the documentation already provided.
Evidence to claim points other than those already claimed for when applying will not be considered.

[f2k]

did you submitted letters of reference from BOTH employers? if you did then i dont see what the problem is on that one. the important thing will be the contents of both letters (have to mention start dates, that the jog was a Graduate level job, finish date, etc.). the one problem i might foresee there is that they say that "time spent in 'illegal' employment" while in the uk will not be considered. seeing that you worked 'proffessionally' while on a WHM visa, b4 they changed the rules might be have an effect on your six months that you were there. that is if they have a way of finding out.

In as far as salary is concerned that should not be too difficult, if you can gather up all your payslips for the year preceeding your date of application (May 2003 to April/ May 2004) as well as your tax certificate for that year. also interesting to note, try and have a look at the exchange rates at that time that you applied, cuase this might be crucial if your earnings were on the "borderline".