Post
by secret.simon » Tue Sep 08, 2015 12:09 pm
The answers offered above are not why the question has been inserted into the ILR forms.
The reason for the question is that quite often (not always) people have multiple claims to ILR. For instance, one could apply for ILR on the basis of LR, being on an applicable Tier and possibly as a partner and/or a parent of a person settled in the UK.
It used to be the case that if the LR failed and the refusal went to court, that the other grounds used to be brought up subsequently in court/tribunal or that the application would be varied at a later date.
What the form now does is that it requires you to list all the grounds that you could possibly get ILR together. That would give the caseworker a clearer idea of whether you may subsequently success on another ground anyway, so saving you and them time and money.
On the other hand, if you do not declare any other grounds, you would not be able to raise it in court/tribunal subsequently, due to the rules on estoppel (essentially that you can not contradict in court what you filled in on the form).