Question about status of approval letter

[going_dicey12]

Hi all — posting as a new topic so as to respect the sticky on biometrics and timeline. I am applying for ILR Set O. My biometrics appointment is next Friday. I am hoping (knock on wood and fingers crossed) the turnaround times for mu decision is within the average 1-4/5 working days that people have had in the timeline thread. The question is, once you have the approval letter are you then in the clear to leave your T2 sponsor employer? There is a chance that a round of redundancies is coming at some point in mid/late September. This shouldn’t really be a problem for me long term as I’ve already found and accepted an offer for a much more stable job (public sector). But the point is I’ll be cutting it very close in terms of receiving my ILR before these expected redundancies come.

The other point is that I ideally serve my notice to leave my current employer as soon as possible. So the question is, once I receive the approval letter am I I safe from any redundancy fallout or is it the point which I physically receive the BRP card? I know we’re talking a matter of days here but the situation is very tenuous so each day really counts. And separately is it okay if I serve quit as soon as I have the approval letter or should I wait until I receive the physical BRP card?

Thank you very much for your help in advance. Knocking wood and crossing fingers for everyone else on this forum, this is certainly one of the most stressful events of my life and hope to never have to go through anything like this again.

[ajitu92]

To err on the side of caution it's always better to wait until you have your BRP in your hand. With regards to your question specifically about the approval letter, I will let someone else with more experience chime in.

Just curious though, even if there is another round of redundancies in mid/late September, wouldn't you be have a consultation period? Or is that something that is already ongoing?

[going_dicey12]

To err on the side of caution it's always better to wait until you have your BRP in your hand. With regards to your question specifically about the approval letter, I will let someone else with more experience chime in.

Just curious though, even if there is another round of redundancies in mid/late September, wouldn't you be have a consultation period? Or is that something that is already ongoing?

Thanks for your reply. I guess it’s hard to think about these things rationally when you’re in the middle of a stressful situation. I have over 2 years continuous employment so, you’re right in that I do have redundancy protections. That being said we don’t know how many people will be in the round. If they do less than 20 people then no prior consultation period is required. This also isn’t the type of employer that will give people the benefit of the doubt. It’s been a great employer but they are very aggressive when it comes to these things.

[ajitu92]

No problem at all, just trying to do what I can to help. I completely empathise with your situation given that I was made redundant at the start of the year too, and have been through many sleepless stressful nights myself. You're entirely right in citing the size of the redundancy pool vs the employer's obligations, and to be honest, this discussion then starts diving deeper into employment law and not immigration law, though the immigration consequences will be felt by you. I hope everything works out well for you and I'm sure someone here will clarify the situation regarding approval letter vs BRP for you. Sorry, I couldn't help more!