Extension HSMP->Tier 1 In person appointment experience

[jalal.din]

Hi,
I got my and my dependents HSMP visa extended (tier 1) for next 3 years. Thanks everybody for all the help and quality responses to my queries. This forum was a great help indeed. Following is my experience. Sorry for adding lot of irrelevent things, I thought probably someone can get some good lesson out of it.

My current visa was going to expire in July 2009. I got an appointment for 5th of May 2009. A week before appointment I realised that figures on P45 are incorrect and don't match with payslips. I asked the employer to provide me the letter of earnings. They provided me a letter after 20 emails and similar number of phone calls. This time figures in letter was also incorrect. Luckily i realised that I can score the required points using the few payslips so I decided to use only few payslips and bank statement. Just to make sure that all the data is correct and support each other. I also overlooked the dependent policy guidance and a night before the appointment day I just got the glimpse on the required documents and realised taht I need to two recent within one month proofs for my wife's address proof. Luckily we found one bank statement. But there was no other statment for which can fall within last one month so we used NHS card which do not have any date on it but same address. I planned to pay using my debt card. Just three days before the appointment ATM machine refused to return it back to me. Sunday and monday was an off day. I moved the funds to my another bank account and was hoping that funds will be available by tuesday. Checked using ATM on monday and funds were available. But I was still worried as I never used this card ever.

My appointment was at 10:30, I left home around 8:30 just to make sure that I have plenty of time (distance to cover was 5.3 miles from colliers wood). But I forgot that its london and I am using car. Navigation system was bit old and i was new to croydon area. I coverd last two miles about 4 times in about 2 hours. Was able to find an NCP car part which was 0.5 miles away from destination. So started walking to destination while trying to get help from Google Maps and by asking pedestrians. I ended up in home office building. They told me that I am in wrong building and I need to walk further few hundered meters down to reach the whitgift shopping center and lunar house is just opposite. I seen a car park there and I thought to kick every car there but left it for some later time as it was already 10:15. There was a long queue there. When I joined it then I realised after few seconds that this queue is no for pre-booked appointments. I went towards the pre-booked premium queues. There were three queue places, two red ones and one blue one. One of the red one was empty rest of the two were jam packed with peopel with around 100 people in both queues. I was not sure which queue was right so I joined the red one. After few minutes blue queue started moving rapidly and about 15 people from middle of red queue crossed the railing and joined the blue queue. After some 15 minutes some security person annouced that blue queue is for biometrics and premium service people should be in red queue. All 15 people tried to come back to their old positions in blue queue but there was no place there so they joined the blue queue at the end. After 15 more minutes(at about 10:45) they announed that if there are any people who have appointment of 9:30 should come forward. Nobody came forward. Then they announced for 10:00. I moved forward and gone through the security gates and joined another queue. Some lady started asking for the type of visa to each person the queue. she picked me from the end of queue and sent me to a window and rest were still waiting due to their visa type. Rest of the events are as follows.

11:00 am At first window Lady asked for main applicant forms, she checked them and then asked for bank statements. She said that I don't qualify due to lack of maintenance funds. I given here two more bank statements. Then she asked me for educational degree. I told her that I alrady provided it in my last HSMP application and according to policy guide I don't need to produce it now. She said that she need it. i provided it to her and then english language proof as well. She took around 15 minutes checking documents and asked the help from supervisor one time. Then she asked for the dependents applications. She given me all documents back and issued me a tocken and asked me to pay at floor 1 and then move to floor 2 after the payment.

11:20 am. I was on payment window. This person took 10 minutes for doing something with my forms and preparing the slips and then he announced that payment slip page for one of dependent is missing. I assured him that page is there look carefully but he kept insisting that page is not there. He was able to find the page after few more minutes. When I given him the application it was nicely organised but he manage to loose the paper for few minutes. He asked me for the payment method I given him my card and then entered the pin. It litterly took four more minutes to verify the payment. this person told me that lines are slow but i was thinking that payment will be refused due to some unknow reasons. Pyment went fine. He returned every thing back to me with payment slip. I moved to floor 2. As I moved it my token was called immediately.

11:40 I handed over the complete pile with depedent applications at third window. He asked me to sit on the bench at back and he will talk to me shortly.

12:45 By hand he called me again and told me that they are done with initial checks and it is looking fine. I can go out of building for lunch and should come back around 3:00/3:15 pm. I went out and then came back around 2:30pm by showing the tocken which I got at first window.

3:00 pm I went to window and told the guy that I am back, he said ok.

5:00 pm tiered and worried but not heared any thing

6:00 pm little bit frustrated, no communication

6:30 pm Most of the hall empty by now. I went to empty window and stood there. Someone came and I requested the current status. She never came back.

6:45 pm Went to window again. Someone told me that its almost done, go to 1st floor and they will call you there. I moved to floor 1

7:00 pm I was thinking that in few minutes this place will be filled with zombies and I will also become zombie. There was about 5 people in big hall and there was no person of home office on any windows

7:15 pm One person came to a window and called two other people on two differnt windows and was trying to serve both at same time

7:35 pm A second person came and called me by his hand asked me, oh you are still waiting for your letter, here it is. I said to him that I am still waiting for the passports and other documents as well; he said that i will check it out. I checked the letter and was pleased that visa was granted for next three years but I scored no points.

7:40 pm The same person came back with passports and documents. He handed me over the passports with visas stamped for next three years from the expiry of old HSMP visa. When he was handing me over the payslips he looked something on payslips and took them back and started reading them. He give me back the payslips after couple of minutes.

7:45 pm I was out of building trying to find the car park where I parked the car.


Jalal

[dellfan]

Hi,
I got my and my dependents HSMP visa extended (tier 1) for next 3 years. Thanks everybody for all the help and quality responses to my queries. This forum was a great help indeed. Following is my experience. Sorry for adding lot of irrelevent things, I thought probably someone can get some good lesson out of it.

My current visa was going to expire in July 2009. I got an appointment for 5th of May 2009. A week before appointment I realised that figures on P45 are incorrect and don't match with payslips. I asked the employer to provide me the letter of earnings. They provided me a letter after 20 emails and similar number of phone calls. This time figures in letter was also incorrect. Luckily i realised that I can score the required points using the few payslips so I decided to use only few payslips and bank statement. Just to make sure that all the data is correct and support each other. I also overlooked the dependent policy guidance and a night before the appointment day I just got the glimpse on the required documents and realised taht I need to two recent within one month proofs for my wife's address proof. Luckily we found one bank statement. But there was no other statment for which can fall within last one month so we used NHS card which do not have any date on it but same address. I planned to pay using my debt card. Just three days before the appointment ATM machine refused to return it back to me. Sunday and monday was an off day. I moved the funds to my another bank account and was hoping that funds will be available by tuesday. Checked using ATM on monday and funds were available. But I was still worried as I never used this card ever.

My appointment was at 10:30, I left home around 8:30 just to make sure that I have plenty of time (distance to cover was 5.3 miles from colliers wood). But I forgot that its london and I am using car. Navigation system was bit old and i was new to croydon area. I coverd last two miles about 4 times in about 2 hours. Was able to find an NCP car part which was 0.5 miles away from destination. So started walking to destination while trying to get help from Google Maps and by asking pedestrians. I ended up in home office building. They told me that I am in wrong building and I need to walk further few hundered meters down to reach the whitgift shopping center and lunar house is just opposite. I seen a car park there and I thought to kick every car there but left it for some later time as it was already 10:15. There was a long queue there. When I joined it then I realised after few seconds that this queue is no for pre-booked appointments. I went towards the pre-booked premium queues. There were three queue places, two red ones and one blue one. One of the red one was empty rest of the two were jam packed with peopel with around 100 people in both queues. I was not sure which queue was right so I joined the red one. After few minutes blue queue started moving rapidly and about 15 people from middle of red queue crossed the railing and joined the blue queue. After some 15 minutes some security person annouced that blue queue is for biometrics and premium service people should be in red queue. All 15 people tried to come back to their old positions in blue queue but there was no place there so they joined the blue queue at the end. After 15 more minutes(at about 10:45) they announed that if there are any people who have appointment of 9:30 should come forward. Nobody came forward. Then they announced for 10:00. I moved forward and gone through the security gates and joined another queue. Some lady started asking for the type of visa to each person the queue. she picked me from the end of queue and sent me to a window and rest were still waiting due to their visa type. Rest of the events are as follows.

11:00 am At first window Lady asked for main applicant forms, she checked them and then asked for bank statements. She said that I don't qualify due to lack of maintenance funds. I given here two more bank statements. Then she asked me for educational degree. I told her that I alrady provided it in my last HSMP application and according to policy guide I don't need to produce it now. She said that she need it. i provided it to her and then english language proof as well. She took around 15 minutes checking documents and asked the help from supervisor one time. Then she asked for the dependents applications. She given me all documents back and issued me a tocken and asked me to pay at floor 1 and then move to floor 2 after the payment.

11:20 am. I was on payment window. This person took 10 minutes for doing something with my forms and preparing the slips and then he announced that payment slip page for one of dependent is missing. I assured him that page is there look carefully but he kept insisting that page is not there. He was able to find the page after few more minutes. When I given him the application it was nicely organised but he manage to loose the paper for few minutes. He asked me for the payment method I given him my card and then entered the pin. It litterly took four more minutes to verify the payment. this person told me that lines are slow but i was thinking that payment will be refused due to some unknow reasons. Pyment went fine. He returned every thing back to me with payment slip. I moved to floor 2. As I moved it my token was called immediately.

11:40 I handed over the complete pile with depedent applications at third window. He asked me to sit on the bench at back and he will talk to me shortly.

12:45 By hand he called me again and told me that they are done with initial checks and it is looking fine. I can go out of building for lunch and should come back around 3:00/3:15 pm. I went out and then came back around 2:30pm by showing the tocken which I got at first window.

3:00 pm I went to window and told the guy that I am back, he said ok.

5:00 pm tiered and worried but not heared any thing

6:00 pm little bit frustrated, no communication

6:30 pm Most of the hall empty by now. I went to empty window and stood there. Someone came and I requested the current status. She never came back.

6:45 pm Went to window again. Someone told me that its almost done, go to 1st floor and they will call you there. I moved to floor 1

7:00 pm I was thinking that in few minutes this place will be filled with zombies and I will also become zombie. There was about 5 people in big hall and there was no person of home office on any windows

7:15 pm One person came to a window and called two other people on two differnt windows and was trying to serve both at same time

7:35 pm A second person came and called me by his hand asked me, oh you are still waiting for your letter, here it is. I said to him that I am still waiting for the passports and other documents as well; he said that i will check it out. I checked the letter and was pleased that visa was granted for next three years but I scored no points.

7:40 pm The same person came back with passports and documents. He handed me over the passports with visas stamped for next three years from the expiry of old HSMP visa. When he was handing me over the payslips he looked something on payslips and took them back and started reading them. He give me back the payslips after couple of minutes.

7:45 pm I was out of building trying to find the car park where I parked the car.


Jalal

Hi Jalal
Thanks for posting your experience in detail. You said that your Visa is going to be expired in Jul 2009 but you went for Early extension. Could you please let us know from which date your extension has been stamped. And were you not asked by the Case Worker the reason for coming early for the extension.

Regards

[jalal.din]

They havn't asked me for the early extension rasons. My visa was extended from the date of expiry of old one. i.e. my new visa is until July 2012.
There was another person who was on work permit. His work permit visa was going to expire in July as well. But they granted him tier 1 till May 05 2012. Case worker explained him that if old visa type is HSMP then it is extended from the date of expiry.
regards,
Jalal

[psdesai]

Hi Jalal,

Thanks for the detail description. Two questions
(1) . Did they do a quick check with your employer (if you know) when you were waiting for your visa in the waiting room?
(2) When you 1st enter what did they asked for the appointment reference. For eg. reference number , name , dob etc
thx

They havn't asked me for the early extension rasons. My visa was extended from the date of expiry of old one. i.e. my new visa is until July 2012.
There was another person who was on work permit. His work permit visa was going to expire in July as well. But they granted him tier 1 till May 05 2012. Case worker explained him that if old visa type is HSMP then it is extended from the date of expiry.
regards,
Jalal

[jalal.din]

(1) . Did they do a quick check with your employer (if you know) when you were waiting for your visa in the waiting room?

I only provided the postal address. There was no phone number or email address on cover letter or address details. But there were some detailed contact details on payslips itself. I don't know if they contacted my employer HR department.

(2) When you 1st enter what did they asked for the appointment reference. For eg. reference number , name , dob etc
thx

On first window the last question lady asked me was the appointment reference number. Nobody asked me my dob, name etc.

[psdesai]

great stuff Jalal. Appriciate it . Thanks man.

One more request.. If poss. and if you dont mind could you find out from your employer that did they have enquired? pm if you wish

Thanks a lot

(1) . Did they do a quick check with your employer (if you know) when you were waiting for your visa in the waiting room?

I only provided the postal address. There was no phone number or email address on cover letter or address details. But there were some detailed contact details on payslips itself. I don't know if they contacted my employer HR department.

(2) When you 1st enter what did they asked for the appointment reference. For eg. reference number , name , dob etc
thx

On first window the last question lady asked me was the appointment reference number. Nobody asked me my dob, name etc.

[jalal.din]

hi,
Its very hard to find out. Its very large setup. Most of the HR functions is outsourced to several organisations. We contact them on phone and they never reveal data to anyone until unless employee provides a written conscent. I never provided such letter to Home Office. Now I think that I should have provided them just incase if they wanted to make a check with employer.
regards,
Jalal

[psdesai]

Thats fine I understand it.
Thanks for the quick replies.

hi,
Its very hard to find out. Its very large setup. Most of the HR functions is outsourced to several organisations. We contact them on phone and they never reveal data to anyone until unless employee provides a written conscent. I never provided such letter to Home Office. Now I think that I should have provided them just incase if they wanted to make a check with employer.
regards,
Jalal

[daveee]

Can anyone else confirm that you need to show the degree again?

I've sent mine back home thinking I surely won't need it again

[psdesai]

although they ask ( as per experience of some of the users) you can show it the guidance note which says that if you have presented this in your initial applicaiton then its not necessary.

Can anyone else confirm that you need to show the degree again?

I've sent mine back home thinking I surely won't need it again

[push]

Hi,
I also overlooked the dependent policy guidance and a night before the appointment day I just got the glimpse on the required documents and realised taht I need to two recent within one month proofs for my wife's address proof. Jalal

Where did you see that??
Did you take your dependents to PEO?

[push]

Can anyone else confirm that you need to show the degree again?

I've sent mine back home thinking I surely won't need it again

Read the Guidance note. Its clearly stated in it.

[saayinla]

Hi,
I also overlooked the dependent policy guidance and a night before the appointment day I just got the glimpse on the required documents and realised taht I need to two recent within one month proofs for my wife's address proof. Jalal

Where did you see that??
Did you take your dependents to PEO?

Thanks for pointing this out, I ve never come across such information in the guidance note.