Leave to remain - NOT ILR/FLR

[dilbert_fan]

Hello,

I am a foriegn national working in the UK, on a WP valid until 2009. I have been working and living in the UK since 1 year. I want to buy a property, and one of the banks were happy to give me a mortgage based on my WP, but at the last moment they want a "residency visa". They are not very clear about it, and neither am I; I always thought about the residency visa to be an ILR, which I cannot apply until I have resided for 4 years in the UK, i.e. sometime in 2008.

Does not the WP automatically give you the leave to remain in the UK, until the WP expires? Did anyone come across such a situation?

Would be grateful for any info!

Thanks!

[Kayalami]

Banks are increasingly requiring distinct residence status in the UK i.e. ILR or alternatively EEA nationality as a condition of granting a mortgage due to the amount of money involved. However there are many WP holders who have a mortgage. Explain the WP to the relevant bank official i.e. manager and that it confers employment to 2009 - this to me seems to to be the issue given your relatively short period of employment. If still a problem then shop around for another provider. Your chances of success may be limited by your credit history (on the assumption that this is your 1st time in the UK).

[EJ]

Your WP is your residency permit, a copy of that should suffice.

[bbdivo]

Sorry have to disagree your work permit is NOT your residency permit. A work permit gives you permission to work for a specific employer for a specific period of time. Your residence permit will be stamped in your passport and is issued seperately from your work permit.

[John]

bbdivo, isn't the terminology starting to get a bit confused these days? Now that a time-limited visa is liable to look like this?

[bbdivo]

Absolutely and thats probably why the issuing of work permits now falls under the IND (or is it the Home Office) In fact you'll probably find that eventually there wont be a distinction between the work permit and residence stamp.

Thing is the residence stamp/sticker is issued for a number of different reasons, and I'm sure bank's will probably be more comfortable seeing a stamp in your passport than a piece of paper that could have been printed by anyone (mine looked like that!)

[dilbert_fan]

Thanks all for the responses. I was a bit busy shopping around for some other offers;)

But, I am still interested in finding out about getting this residence permit? I searched the Home Office website, but could not find relevant information. What are the form no.s or links?

Thanks, oce again!

[Kayalami]

What form of visa issued pursuant to your Work Permit is currently endorsed in your passport i.e. is it an ink stamp, a vignette and what does it say in full to include comments and valdi from/expiry dates as applicable?

[John]

Lots of examples of various passport stamps and vignettes available by using the links on this page.

[dilbert_fan]

I have a visa vignette which mentions the following:
Valid From: Valid To:
No. of Entries:MULT
Type: VISA WORK PERMIT
Name:
Passport No.:
Observ: No recourse to public funds
Work (and any changes) must be authorised

I just noticed that there is also a ink seal, which was stamped when I cleared Immigration at Heathrow and is not very clear, but what I could make out, says "....RECOURSE TO PUBLIC FUNDS PROHIBITED"

There is something else in the front, but I am unable to make out:(

[Kayalami]

Your comments confirm the WP visa as one obtained at a British Diplomatic Post overseas = EC. Residence Permits are currently only issued by the Home Office for incountry applications. The RP is a later development (Dec 2003) due to security concerns over ink stamps. The much earlier use of vignettes for EC purposes means they are more secure. Accordingly holders of any EC do not need a corresponding RP since the EC is in effect a de-facto RP. Show the bank your WP EC and if still an issue printouts from John's link. If that doesn't satisfy them look somewhere else as I believe we are now in a buyers market (most localities).