After 5 years of rules changes (panic attacks when they change it) and 5 years of swimming against the tide...I have won!!!! me and my family have been granted the ILR today
at Croydon!!!! A million thanks to all the members and this forum...the wiki pedia for immigration. My appointment was at 9AM and went into usual security checks at around 8.30. The security staff were polite and very professional. After clearing that I was guided to the validation section which was more of the sanity checks. Then redirected to the First floor for payments and given the token number. I was advised to wait for the call, and then my number was called within 2 or 3 minutes. A very polite and smiling lady took my application, passports and did some checks. Then I believe she sealed something on it..I was asked to wait for the bio metrics... she was not the case worker... after some 3 or 4 minutes I was called for bio metric along with my family. All done within 15 minutes. The bio metric staff were extremely polite and very professional.
Then I waited for around 30 minutes, my number was called, there were multiple calls at the same time so it was a bit difficult to listen for your number. There was a token display system which I believe had its own mind and kept turning on and off. Slowly approached the caseworker window, greeted him and sat with my documents ready. No smile.. nothing but just glanced at me. I handed over all the originals, cohab docs and the photocopies. He went through everything in detail and started to split the things into two different piles. He took the photocopies of payslips, photocopies of bank statements, appln form, LIUK photocopy, my marriage cert and cohab documents for 2009 alone. I prepared cohab docs for 2009 to 2012 each separate and dated. He asked me for the photo copies of the cohab docs. 2009. I didn't have them, he was ok with that and told he will take copies. He then returned all the originals and asked me to wait for 1.5 hrs. Clock was showing 10.20AM...there was not much I could do but sit and wait. decided to get a coffee and yes the lady up in the second floor cafe was a bit weird
. At around 12 noon, i saw him walk to his supervisor and get something signed. He then signalled me, I went to his window. He uttered the golden words" your ILR has been successful...you and family have got an ILR and the BRP will arrive at home within 7 days. He gave me the letters, I grabbed them thanked him and checked everything and ran out of lunar house with great joy and satisfaction. Croydon PEO was busy as the day got on...but in my experience the staff were friendly and professional. snippets which I think will be helpful for others:
1. my name is shortened on payslips(HR letter explained that) and utility bills
2. I came 35 days late to my EC and applied 28 days earlier
3. A couple of passport immigration stamps were smudged and not clear
4. absence 154 days all Annual Paid leave
the list of docs that I used can be found here:
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=108136
This forum has been of immense help to me and I have no words to thank you all.....special thanks to Linkers, batesford,uksettlement,ITGraduate,joh892,Smam,singhmohit
kinds regards,