Got my HSMP 4-year extension this morning!! Pleased as punch!
Here's my timeline:
Visa due to expire 02-11-2006
19 Aug - Application sent in by my agent.
23 Aug - Case reference number generated.
26 Aug - Acknowledgment letter with ref number received.
01 Sep - Urgent Treatment form faxed; Reason: Schengen visa appointment for scheduled business trip to Germany in early October. (the Schengen rules require you to have minimum 3 months validity on your UK residence visa, beyond the end of the planned trip)
05 Sep - Caseworker phoned my agent in the morning saying that the payment department had just notified him that my credit card payment was declined. (I don't know why that happened... expecially after the acknowledgment letter had clearly said "payment where applicable has been processed"...???) Anyway, my agent arranged to collect the docus back through a courier that afternoon, and the application was re-sent the next day (6 Sep), with payment in postal orders this time.
12 Sep - Passport endorsed with UK Residence Permit (Limited Leave To Remain) till 2nd Nov 2010 at WPUK Moorfoot.
14 Sep - Docus received at my home, by Royal Mail recorded delivery, 10 am.
Total time taken - door to door: 26 days / receipt to stamping: 22 days
Observations:
1. PAYMENT: Postal orders seem to be the most fail-safe and quickest way. Bought in cash over the counter at any Post Office branch, they will come in two units (£250 + £85). A surcharge of about £16 has to be paid on top.
2. DOCUMENTS: Besides the completed application form, 2 photos and passport, I sent in the original WPUK approval letter, my job offer letter, recent confirmation of employment with my business card stapled to it, 6 months payslips, 5 months bank statements, P-60, NI number confirmation letter and tenancy agreement.
3. ECONOMIC ACTIVITY: My job is in my field of expertise, though the salary is not very great (£20k p.a). I did not have/show much savings when I applied, but the regular credit of salary backed up by documentation seems to have been enough.
4. TIME IN UK: I got the EC in Mumbai, India, in Nov 05, entered the UK in mid-Jan 2006 and have been working continuously since end-Jan. At the time of extension application I had spent 7.5 months in the UK (7 of which in employment).
5. URGENT TREATMENT FORM: I don't know if it helped very much (took 14 days to get my docus back after faxing the request), but who knows? Maybe would have taken longer without it, and I had a valid reason, so it was worth a try.
6. USING AN AGENT: I suppose I could have made the application myself, but I figured that an extra £293 (what my agent UK Working Ltd charged me) was not a big price to guarantee 4 years' peace of mind. They also collected and re-sent the app when there was a problem with my payment, and kept me updated on the progress. I recommend them for a reasonably-priced service.
www.ukworking.com.
Hope the above will be of help to other applicants.
Thanks and good luck to all!
S