Questions AFTER HSMP approval

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 2:00 am

Hi all,

I jsut recently got approved and I have some questions on certain things that I hope anyone who just got their HSMP application approved can answer. HEre we go:

1) Timeframe to enter UK
I have heard that I have 6 months to enter UK from the date of the HSMP approval. However, I couldn' find this fact from HO website. Thus, can anyone confirm that I really have 6 months, or even SHORTER timeframe?

2) Leave to remain
According to HO website and HSMP Guidance document, I can remain in UK UP TO 24 MONTHS after the approval. After this 24 months period, I HAVE to apply for a leave to remain to extend my stay for another 3 years. However, I've seen people applying as early as the first 12 months. Is there a change in regulations that I am not aware of?

Also, can anyone provide me with the steps of applying for leave to remain, such as documents requirements, etc.

Thanks!

yreddy · Post by **yreddy** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 5:12 am

HI,
answer to your question one is in
http://www.workingintheuk.gov.uk/workin ... o28_06.doc

guidelines doc under section
STAGE 2 APPLYING FOR ENTRY CLEARANCE that you have 6 months

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 5:21 am

Thanks, yreddy.

Do you know about #2? Anyone else?

arm · Post by **arm** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 5:27 am

Great news lanwarrior

You have 6 months to apply for EC. After obtaining EC you can enter to UK when you want during 24 month. 24 month period are started only after obtaining EC.

Good luck for EC.

Keep in touch when and how do you planing to take your EC.

Bests

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 5:45 am

Hi Arm,

Thanks for the info! I think I got my facts the other way around above. LOL!

OK, just to clarify, here's my understanding:

1) Timeframe to apply for EC
I have 6 months from the date of the HSMP approval letter to apply for EC
I.e. HSMP approval = 08/16/06; Must apply EC by 02/16/07

2) Timeframe to arrive in UK AFTER EC has been obtained
24 months to enter UK. Otherwise, the EC no longer valid to arrive under approved HSMP
I.e. HSMP approval = 08/16/06; EC obtained = 09/01/06; Must arrive in UK by 09/01/08

3) Leave to Remain
After I have arrived in UK, I have 24 months to remain and after that, I have to apply for Leave to Remain to extend my stay for another 3 years.
I.e. HSMP approval = 08/16/06; EC obtained = 09/01/06; Arrived in UK 12/01/06; Must apply LFR by 12/01/08.

Sorry for the long questions, but there are so many things I have to do prior to moving that I just want to make sure I got all the immigrations stuff straight.

BTW, I'll be applying for my EC as soon as I received my documents back. The EC is applied from US, so the website (http://www.britainusa.com/visas/article ... 8&L1=41000) state that I have to apply online and submit passport, photo, and the HSMP approval. NO MENTION on the bank statement.. which is weird.

arm · Post by **arm** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 6:36 am

You are correct for 1 and 2 questions.

BUT if you receive your EC on the 09/01/06 you have only 24 month for apply for Leave to Remain to extend your stay for another 3 years.

It is not meen that if you Arrived in UK 12/01/06 you have 24 month after arriving NO.

Your clock starts form the date when you receiving EC. Even if you arrived in 15 month after receiving EC you will have only 9 month for extention.

BTW if you arrive very late after receiving EC it may affect on your extention. Instead of 3 year you may hav 1 year.

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 7:33 am

Got it.

So the clock start on the approval of EC, not on the arrival in UK. So if I arrive 10 months after the EC approval, I effectively have only 14 months.

This is kind of a good news, though, since I delay my EC application till near the end of the year to get my company bonus. LOL!

arm · Post by **arm** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:06 am

Good luck

mag · Post by **mag** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 1:32 am

My question is:

If I apply to the HSMP visa including an offer letter that I got from an employer what would happen if the visa-application is accepted but in the mean time I decide to give-up and work with another company or not to work with the company that gave the offer letter????

From what I understand the visa is not linked to work with a specific company although it can be used as an argument to get it.

Should I prevail the right to work in the UK with anouther company for the next 6 months that I have to enter and work in the UK???

Regards...

CrystalCanada · Post by **CrystalCanada** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 4:59 am

Re: EC timeframe

I believe that you must enter the UK within 3 months of receipt, or you may have to apply for EC again considering your circumstances may have changed.

So...once you apply for EC...you should be ready to move quite quickly.

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:43 am

CrystalCanada wrote:Re: EC timeframe

I believe that you must enter the UK within 3 months of receipt, or you may have to apply for EC again considering your circumstances may have changed.

So...once you apply for EC...you should be ready to move quite quickly.

Hey Crystal,

Thanks for the info. At the very least, I can delay coming to UK by as much as 6.5 months as follow:
- Apply EC 4 months AFTER HSMP approval, since I have 6 months to apply for EC (4 months lead time)
- Move to UK 2.5 months AFTER EC approval (total of 6.5 months lead time)

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:44 am

mag wrote:My question is:

If I apply to the HSMP visa including an offer letter that I got from an employer what would happen if the visa-application is accepted but in the mean time I decide to give-up and work with another company or not to work with the company that gave the offer letter????

From what I understand the visa is not linked to work with a specific company although it can be used as an argument to get it.

Should I prevail the right to work in the UK with anouther company for the next 6 months that I have to enter and work in the UK???

Regards...

There should have no bearing. HSMP is independent of whether you have a job approved. Also, there is nothing in the HSMP application which state that you MUST have a job offer in order to get it approved.

mag · Post by **mag** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:34 pm

I see. As I thought, there is no explicit direct link between the job offer and the visa...

However....Is it a positive point that significantly increase posibilities having the job offer????

From the info that I got it is. Would you agree with this point of view?

Thnks a lot

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:04 am

Yes, it'll be very positive evidence, indeed. As you'll see in HSMP application form, there is a section that ask about what type of work you'll be doing in UK and it ask for evidence of this. THe evidence can be an actual job posting OR (better yet) an actual job offer.

mag · Post by **mag** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 12:00 pm

Thnks a lot

from_india · Post by **from_india** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 5:34 pm

Ianwarrior,

You sound very clear and methodical in your presentation.

No wonder you got the approval.

Would you please share the application that you filed? Did you use any suppliments in addition to the standard form that they have?

Your help will be highly appreciated!

Thanks,
From India

lanwarrior · Post by **lanwarrior** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 6:02 pm

from_india wrote:Ianwarrior,

You sound very clear and methodical in your presentation. No wonder you got the approval.

Would you please share the application that you filed? Did you use any suppliments in addition to the standard form that they have?

Your help will be highly appreciated!

Thanks,
From India

Thanks for the nice comment! I have created a separate thread before to list the things that I've done with my application. This is in http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=9462. Note that this just list what have worked for me and your mileage may vary.

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