Tier 1 - Postal ILR - Timelines

[ViperWiper]

I sent an emauil to LSECSU - not expecting a response - but lets see - the email below, if someone wants to use it


Dear Sir/Madam,

I am currently in the UK on Tier1 (General) visa and I need your help with an outstanding issue with HO.

I applied for indefinite leave to remain on 21st Dec 2008 and I have not received any update on the application other than the acknowledgement letter that you sent giving the reference number and the fact that the application fee has been deducted from my credit card. Further, at the time of application the 'waiting times' section on your website indicated that the application will be dealt with in 14 weeks, it has been about 16 weeks since I applied and I have no response.

Further, the metrics that you have on your website on the processing times has not been updated for well over a year now, is it possible to get it updated, to just have some indicator as to till what date (the date of application received) all backlog has been cleared, this will give one a sense of processing timelines.

Based on the timelines that HO had published for processing the application, I had made some travel plans, is there any way that my application can be fast tracked given that I have already waited for 14 weeks and need to travel. I am sure you will be able to appreciate the fact, that it is not possible or practical for me to cancel my application as I am a Tier1 migrant and I can only apply through post and also given the cost involved, it should only be fair that my application is dealt with and my passports returned.

Please let me know who I should contact to:
- Get the most upto date status on my application
- Get my application fast tracked.

Thanks and regards,

I received a reply from HO - but it does not help me much


Dear Customer

Please note that we can accept a complaint on the grounds of delay once an application has passed it's fourteen week target date. However making a complaint on the grounds of delay will not speed up the processing of the application. Please advise if you wish to proceed with a complaint.

Please note that the Customer Service Unit only deal with complaints, we do not deal with urgent treatment requests. You will need to call the Immigration Enquiry Bureau on 0870 606 77 66 to ascertain how to make an urgent treatment request.

thanks

XXXX XXXXX
North East, Yorkshire & the Humber Region
Customer Service Unit
UK BORDER AGENCY
Vulcan Steel (Level 4)
PO Box 3468, Sheffield.
S3 8WA
Fax: 0114 207 2906
CSU Email: neyhcustomers@ukba.gsi.gov.uk

[ViperWiper]

Hey Winduser,

Any update on your application?

Thanks,

VW

[winduser]

no, no update. i received a letter from the home office though - response to my complaint... apologies and not much else... they confirmed that my application is under consideration though... no information on how long it might take..

[ViperWiper]

Thank you ViperWiper...!

I emailed earlier today my local MP and cc London & South East CSU and the Home Office Matthew Coats.

As soon as I hear anything I will post it here..

Hey Winduser,

any updates on your end? Any response from HO or your locla MP - I wrote to my MP and got no response - then I went to his website and found the follwoing comment
"Andrew has refused to be silenced on the issue of migration"

So looks like he won't be looking at helping out migrants in the near future

I got a response from a researcher who works for my local MP - he has asked for the HomeOffice reference number to follow it up with HO

[ViperWiper]

Hi.

I received my passports today with ILR stamped - the ILR was granted on 17th Apr.

After 4 months, I got my passports back and my ILR has been delayed by 3 months.

Thanks,

VW

[bsbs]

Hi.

I received my passports today with ILR stamped - the ILR was granted on 17th Apr.

After 4 months, I got my passports back and my ILR has been delayed by 3 months.

Thanks,

VW

Great news. Congrats..

[winduser]

heya... i got my passport back today with ILR stamped on 23 April... Thank you guys for all the support and good luck with your applications!

[bsbs]

heya... i got my passport back today with ILR stamped on 23 April... Thank you guys for all the support and good luck with your applications!

Congrats. I have just crossed 10weeks mark. Just hoping for the speedy processing.

[erutku]

heya... i got my passport back today with ILR stamped on 23 April... Thank you guys for all the support and good luck with your applications!

contrats!

My update: I'm still waiting. MP wrote me back and requested my details (although most of it with the reference has been sent on first letter) I sent the details last week. HO didn't reply to the complaint at all.

[alexsh1]

Ok, well this is my update on ILR

I have been on HSMP for 5 years so booked an appointment at Croydon on 20th Jan. However, bacause I have changed my passport 2 years ago and do not have the old one, my application was not initially accepted and I was advised to apply by post. So...

The application was sent - 13th March
Confirmation letter received - 16th March

I have enclosed an urgent treatment letter as I already have to travel business wise, but I do not hope it would help. They say on the website "do not plan any urgent travel arragements". Does 4 months in case of the guys who just received their applications seem urgent? I do not think so. I also had to cancel my holdiays in May.

As soon as I cross 13 weeks, I shall write letter to any MP/Body/Complaint department. I have been dealing with HO for 9 years and they have never been THAT SLOW. I still remember time when I had to queue at Croydon, but all extensions/new applications were free of charge. Now you pay almost 1k and you do not know when you application is accepted for months. Absolutely ridiculous

[alexsh1]

Just hoping for the speedy processing.

There is little hope mate particularly for recent applicants.
I am now passing 7th week...and I am not expecting to have my application back before 14th week at best.

They have changed the time on the web-site from 13 weeks to 6 months not just because...

[ViperWiper]

Ok, well this is my update on ILR

I have been on HSMP for 5 years so booked an appointment at Croydon on 20th Jan. However, bacause I have changed my passport 2 years ago and do not have the old one, my application was not initially accepted and I was advised to apply by post. So...

The application was sent - 13th March
Confirmation letter received - 16th March

I have enclosed an urgent treatment letter as I already have to travel business wise, but I do not hope it would help. They say on the website "do not plan any urgent travel arragements". Does 4 months in case of the guys who just received their applications seem urgent? I do not think so. I also had to cancel my holdiays in May.

As soon as I cross 13 weeks, I shall write letter to any MP/Body/Complaint department. I have been dealing with HO for 9 years and they have never been THAT SLOW. I still remember time when I had to queue at Croydon, but all extensions/new applications were free of charge. Now you pay almost 1k and you do not know when you application is accepted for months. Absolutely ridiculous

Hey Alex,

I hope you get your passport soon, I am not discouraging you from trying your MP, complaint etc - but I tried all of those avenues and have not heard anything as yet - BTW, I got my passports back last week.

I think the HO is just on a go-slow, so that the number of people getting ILR is reduced - by using the delaying tactics for ILR and consequently delaying (and hence reducing)the number of people getting BC.

The only logic will be that when the statistics are done, the govt. is not damned by the number of people who have been granted ILR/BC, and they are hoping that by the time they can no longer delay, new rules will be in place to help them delay ..... I guess its only 'fair' as self-preservation and surivival is what the govt. is thinking of, and I don't blame them.

[aaanjoo]

Hello All,
I have a different story to tell. I was on WP+HSMP+Tier1 and got my ILR in 2 months through postal app.

How?
Myself and my friend (Also on WP+HSMP+Tier1) applied for ILR in Feb 2009 through postal app. We both had travel plans in June/July.
HO updated their website stating that they will take upto 6months for ILR postal app processing and they will also take Tier1 -ILR app in person. So we both decided to withdraw our app and to take in person appointment.
We both fax HO on different dates in a week for withdrawal clearly mentioning "Urgent treatment required otherwise Withdraw" and with our reasons for urgent treatment. I wrote in my fax to process my app as soon as possible so that I can attend my brother's wedding in first week of July.

My friend got his passport back within 48 hours of fax without any ILR stamped on it. I got my passport back in a week's time with ILR stamped. My ILR was issued next day of my fax date.

My conclusion, it really depends on the person/group who handled my fax and application. I don't think HO even looked at my or my friends app before deciding which application they would like to process. In my view my friend's case iwas more powerful then me!

Good luck to you all.

[alexsh1]

Hello All,
I have a different story to tell. I was on WP+HSMP+Tier1 and got my ILR in 2 months through postal app.

How?
Myself and my friend (Also on WP+HSMP+Tier1) applied for ILR in Feb 2009 through postal app. We both had travel plans in June/July.
HO updated their website stating that they will take upto 6months for ILR postal app processing and they will also take Tier1 -ILR app in person. So we both decided to withdraw our app and to take in person appointment.
We both fax HO on different dates in a week for withdrawal clearly mentioning "Urgent treatment required otherwise Withdraw" and with our reasons for urgent treatment. I wrote in my fax to process my app as soon as possible so that I can attend my brother's wedding in first week of July.

My friend got his passport back within 48 hours of fax without any ILR stamped on it. I got my passport back in a week's time with ILR stamped. My ILR was issued next day of my fax date.

My conclusion, it really depends on the person/group who handled my fax and application. I don't think HO even looked at my or my friends app before deciding which application they would like to process. In my view my friend's case iwas more powerful then me!

Good luck to you all.

I would call it pure luck. What if you did not get with Visa? Paying again another 1000 pounds and going to Croydon?

[aaanjoo]

Like I said, my intention was to withdraw and I knew the circumstances of withdrawal. Nowadays it’s not easy to get Croydon appointment for an ILR applicant with dependants. I have an appointment in Sheffield in May, which I will cancel today!

Hello All,
I have a different story to tell. I was on WP+HSMP+Tier1 and got my ILR in 2 months through postal app.

How?
Myself and my friend (Also on WP+HSMP+Tier1) applied for ILR in Feb 2009 through postal app. We both had travel plans in June/July.
HO updated their website stating that they will take upto 6months for ILR postal app processing and they will also take Tier1 -ILR app in person. So we both decided to withdraw our app and to take in person appointment.
We both fax HO on different dates in a week for withdrawal clearly mentioning "Urgent treatment required otherwise Withdraw" and with our reasons for urgent treatment. I wrote in my fax to process my app as soon as possible so that I can attend my brother's wedding in first week of July.

My friend got his passport back within 48 hours of fax without any ILR stamped on it. I got my passport back in a week's time with ILR stamped. My ILR was issued next day of my fax date.

My conclusion, it really depends on the person/group who handled my fax and application. I don't think HO even looked at my or my friends app before deciding which application they would like to process. In my view my friend's case iwas more powerful then me!

Good luck to you all.

I would call it pure luck. What if you did not get with Visa? Paying again another 1000 pounds and going to Croydon?

[alexsh1]

Hey Alex,

I hope you get your passport soon, I am not discouraging you from trying your MP, complaint etc - but I tried all of those avenues and have not heard anything as yet - BTW, I got my passports back last week.

I think the HO is just on a go-slow, so that the number of people getting ILR is reduced - by using the delaying tactics for ILR and consequently delaying (and hence reducing)the number of people getting BC.

The only logic will be that when the statistics are done, the govt. is not damned by the number of people who have been granted ILR/BC, and they are hoping that by the time they can no longer delay, new rules will be in place to help them delay ..... I guess its only 'fair' as self-preservation and surivival is what the govt. is thinking of, and I don't blame them.

Hey ViperWiper,

Congrats with your passport. Yeah, I I feel it might not help, but the problem is I cannot just sit back and wait till someone at the HO is arsed to get my application done. We all need to give these guys a hard time.
From the time perspective 6 months is way too long for me as my grandfather is very ill and I need to see him before its too late.

As I said before, I have been dealing with HO for the past 9-10 years and their service is not getting better. Its getting more expensive and more documents are required, however, its not improving.

Anyone has any more suggestions? MPs/Complaints what else?

[bsbs]

I haven't see it personally but most probably I got my passport back with ILR today.

HO received my application: 16th Feb 2009

It was a straight forward case. I am working with the same organisation from the beginning. Initial 4.5 Years with WP and then switched to Tier1.

Couldn't apply for the same-day-service due to my Tier1 status.

[alexsh1]

I haven't see it personally but most probably I got my passport back with ILR today.

How do you know that you got the passport? Tracking?

[bsbs]

I haven't see it personally but most probably I got my passport back with ILR today.

How do you know that you got the passport? Tracking?

I didn't see the passport as i was in the office. In the letter it was written Extension was approved so i was not sure. It's ILR stamp only.
best of luck to all you guys, waiting for the ILR

[alexsh1]

I didn't see the passport as i was in the office. In the letter it was written Extension was approved so i was not sure.

Congrats! You are the first person to make it within 2.5 months.
Normally, its 3-4 months plus....

[bsbs]

I didn't see the passport as i was in the office. In the letter it was written Extension was approved so i was not sure.

Congrats! You are the first person to make it within 2.5 months.
Normally, its 3-4 months plus....

thanks. yes i am lucky. my son's passport or birth cert are required before 15th may for his school admission.

[sinova]

My case. It took 3 months
HO received 5th Feb.
Passport stamped on 27 Apr and received 6th May.

[alexsh1]

My case. It took 3 months
HO received 5th Feb.
Passport stamped on 27 Apr and received 6th May.

You are one of a very few people then. Congrats mate

[Jalexa]

Background:
The 2nd reading of the new Borders Citizenship & Immigration Bill takes place on 2nd June 2009. The Bill will make it harder for migrants to settle in the UK.
The Govt. made clear that it intends to apply the harsh changes to migrants already in the UK. We are fighting to ensure that the new Bill does not affect those already here with Limited Leave to Remain.

How does it effect?
At the time the changes, anyone with Limited Leave to Remain in the UK.

How can you help?
WRITE to your MP (via letter or email). Please ensure two things:

1. Print and enclose (or attach if emailing) the briefing located at:
http://www.londonelegance.com/transpond ... iefing.pdf

2. Write a brief cover letter explaining your concerns. i.e. explain how it would affect your life if the new rules are applied retrospectively and increased the time it takes for you to become settled in the UK (i.e. get you permanent residence or citizenship). In other words, a brief hardship statement.

Deadline:
2nd reading is Tuesday 2nd June 2009.

If you haven't already written to your local MP about this, please do so now.
Thank you.

[alexsh1]

Anyone has any updates please? My application status is still unknown, its been 2 months and 10 days