ILR Long Residency – The Low down on the down-low………

[heretic]

Firstly I am not suggesting that there is any sort of closet-homosexuality going on in the Ho but here is my experience re recent visit to the Ho……….

I came to the UK in ’98 and so qualified under the 10 year Long Residency rule……..

I applied a few days ago via Croydon PEO and received the long awaited ILR……….I am so happy………

Here is my experience – which might help some…

My situation………..I came to the UK to do my Masters finished this course Joined another college for a second Masters then went on to WP – Changed to another employer still on WP and then on to HSMP (per Nov 06).

I was a bit nervous as this is such a major thing for me and I am sure for a lot of us……..I decided to carry as much information as possible although I didn’t have any info in relation to my student days – except for the degrees and transcripts……….Also I had done a subject access report as one of the stamps on my passport was after the preceding visa had expired. The SAR settled it as the Ho had received it before its expire….

My mind-set was that the form (Set O) does not ask me to carry anything besides my passport and the Life in the UK test and I will try and stick to this as much as possible.

I had done a spreadsheet that detailed my visa start date and end date with the page number of my passport where it was stamped as I have 2 passports (expired and current) and a lot of stamps. I also did one for the holidays so in case if asked where the stamp was I could tell them where to look.

On the day I told them (Lunar House has changed a lot) I have an appointment and they showed me to a queue where I stood for approx 20 mins and then shown to a counter where my application was checked for completeness. Initially the guy was curt but after he had checked the application he loosened up a bit (may be coz he saw my application as very straight forward), which is what he told me a few times and also told me I got 24 out of 24 in my Life in the UK test – he also asked me if I was carrying details of my finances as they might ask……….he directed me to a payment counter where it took no more that 10 mins…………..by approx 9 I was in the waiting area awaiting my ticket number.

Bang on 9 the windows started to open and without further-ado my ticket was called………..

The caseworker asked me to pass the application form, payment receipt, appointment letter (given when the initial screening is done) and the Life in the UK result certificate…….

I did so and sat for 15 mins after which he said that this will take at least 2 hours to check and that I should come back after such time and he will call me on the same counter. I had noticed that he was writing the start and end dates of my visa on a piece of paper so I offered him my spreadsheet before I left and he took it.

I came back after 2 hours and was let straight up and sat opposite the counter waiting for the caseworker to appear which he did after 5 mins or so………..He started by saying we have good news for you and that we are granting you ILR……….I said thanks cheers and was asked to come back after an hour or so to collect my passport from the customer services deck………..which has a bell – once rung a caseworker appears gives you the passport asks you to check it for any obvious errors and read the letter which detail the ‘terms’ of the IRL and then you can leave…………

Note I was not asked to show any other document besides what was asked on the form - not even my finances which is the most I would think they should ask for - why some people show their attendance certificates of courses is beyond me!

I think the service at Croydon PEO is greatly improved since I last went there i.e. perhaps in 2000. They are very professionally behaved and are very courteous to us and you never get the ‘u scum of the earth – immigrant’ attitude from them at all which I think used to be the norm in the early days……….

Saying that I still feel £950 is a bit too steep…………………but is not a bad price to pay for something so invaluable……….

[jes2jes]

Congratulations.

As you rightly said, the 10 year application only requires evidence of your stay in the UK and LITUK test. Obviously, if you had lived here for 10 years, you might have a source of income to sustain you (which makes sense) unless of course you are a dealer of some sort! But bear in mind that, they do not ask for a lot of documents because they know that, only a fraction of the Immigrant population willl qualify to leave in the UK for 10 years anyway.

[iceman010899]

Hi,

Did you get a letter with the ILR confirming the ILR. If so, did the letter have the BIA letterhead ?? Thanks.

[heretic]

Not as far as I remember - I will go home and check but as far as I remember it was on plain paper and I was told that they were the terms of the ILR............so merely information.......