ILR postal application experience

[set(o)_22July2011]

My Passport arrived yesterday, settlement application approved, I can now fly out to Australia on Monday for my family holiday!

Summary:

Application Set (O) 5 years Work Permit, no dependents
Posted - 22nd July
Received by UKBA - 25th July
Acknowledgement - about a week later
Chase Letter sent – 24th October
Expedite Fax Sent – 17th November
Expedite Email Sent – 23rd November
Work HR dept received a call from 24th Nov confirming some details on the form
Stamped and Posted 2nd Class recorded delivery on 24th Nov
Received 28th Nov
Total = 18.5 weeks

Useful Details:

Rang UKBA 0870-606-7766 who confirmed that this was being processed by Liverpool office and gave me the following address:

Indefinite Leave to Remain Processing
UK Border Agency
The Capital
New Hall Place
Liverpool
L3 9PP

Letter Sent requesting Update - 24th October (approx 12 weeks after application). No response, so requested Fax Number for Liverpool office:

Fax: 0151-213-2910

Was advised by a friend (who had decided to apply in person) that the waiting time was approx 3 weeks for an appointment at the Liverpool PEO. As I had tickets to travel to Australia booked to depart on the 5th December, I then booked an appointment on 7th November for the 1st December. This was planned as a contingency in case I needed to re-apply in person.

Fax Sent Requesting Expedite - 17th November (approx 16 weeks after application). No response.

Rang UKBA 0870-606-7766 on 22/11 and simply said “I am calling for an update on my Set(o) application, would you like my passport number”, gave her my passport number and she immediately told me that my application status was “Pending Decision”. This proves that they can be helpful when they want (or if you get a nice person).

23/11 - Emailed the SettlementOpspolicy@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk as suggested by another member and requested an expedite attaching a copy of my flight booking receipt, requesting for the application to be expedited.

25/11 – Called HR dept who informed me that they had received a call the day before (24/11) confirming some details on the letter that they had sent supporting my application. Someone must have been looking at it.

25/11 – Called 0870-606-7766 and asked for an update on my application. As usual got the unhelpful reply that it had not been 6 months since my application so could not provide an update. I pointed out that the policy was 3 months when I lodged my application, but she just spent 5 minutes arguing with me as to why she could not provide an update, and I would have to write in. Asked to speak to a supervisor. Supervisor was originally quite cold, but explained the story that I had booked tickets, had written, faxed and emailed asking for an expedite and so far I had had no response. She then put me on hold, came back and said that it had been posted back to me on the 24/11 second class recorded and gave me the tracking ref.

Passport arrived on 28/11.

Suggestions for others:

1. DO NOT APPLY VIA POST. It is not worth the stress and worry, or the time required to chase the application. If you know that you will definitely not need your passport for 6 months then fine, but otherwise DO IT IN PERSON.
2. If you want an update then keep calling. Eventually you might get a nice person who gives you an update in 30 seconds rather than arguing for 5 minutes as to why they cannot give you an update. NB: The supervisor said that this is because they do not have the resource to deal with the number of queries requesting an update. My thought is maybe they should put more resource into processing applications in a timely manner then this would reduce calls requesting an update.
3. I am not sure if letters or faxes work, try them, but they seem to go into the abyss… probably scanned onto a correspondence system and put into an in-tray for someone to get to in 6months time.
4. Try the email address SettlementOpspolicy@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk as suggested by another member. If you can attach proof as to why you need it to be expedited and ask for the email to be forwarded to the case worker then this might work. In my case, either this was picked up and actioned and my Visa approved within 48 hours of sending the email or by some coincidence my application finally reached the top of the pile and was processed. I don’t think that the people who work there don’t care, its just that they have a big back-log and no enough resource to get it done. If you can tug on the heart strings and present a good case directly to the case-worker then you might get somewhere.
5. STAY POLITE, but firm. Being rude or abusive is not going to get you anywhere.

Suggestions for UKBA:

1. Implement a web-based system where we can check the status of our application using the reference details. This would avoid calls to the call centre.
2. Openly publish on your website the average time for different types of applications - this should be updated weekly. This would enable people to make an informed decision as to if they have the time to apply in person, or want to apply at a PEO.
3. Allow a postal application to be withdrawn and resubmitted at a PEO, and the applicant should only have to pay the difference between the postal application and the PEO application. This will avoid people loosing their application fees and having to pay again in full.
4. Allow an application to be processed without holding a passport for the duration of the application processing. As the applicant retains the same immigration status during the processing period, then there is no reason why the passport needs to be retained by the UKBA. For example, the applicant sends in the application, (with a photocopy of their passport if required), UKBA process it, when it is approved they send a letter asking for the passport, the applicant sends it in, UKBA put the visa into the passport (and complete any other final checks on the passport) and send it back to the applicant. Simples.

[jami]

Very useful input for all concerned.