END OF TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS?

[ajani]

Hello Guys,
Going through the IND website some few minutes ago, i discovered a notice which stated that the website would be unavailable for some hours between the 9th and 10th of January.
I have a feeling that a new form might be introduced to remove the transitional arrangements.
Even if this is proven to be wrong, i am of the opinion that these arrangements will be for a short period.
I wont be taking chances, i had earlier planned to send my application on 12th January, now i will send it on 9th January.
What do you think guys?

[Spear]

Or it could be the following:
announcing the end of HSMP,
or announcing the removal of unfair retroactive changes,
or announcing that ILR will now be 6 years,
or announcing that you now need 85 points for extension,
or announcing an increase in cost for all applications,
or announcing that the age discrimination will be removed,
or ....anything your mind leads you to.

just a little humour folks

Ajani - you should ensure your application gets there before the 9th. In these times you never know whats coming.

[John]

The IND website says :-

Due to essential maintenance work the IND website will be unavailable between the hours of 2300 GMT 9 January 2007 and 0500 GMT 10 January 2007.

So could it actually be ..... essential maintenance work ??? Why suspect that it is anything else? Moving to a different server? Bigger hard disk in the server? More memory? Anything that means that the server needs to be down for up to 6 hours.

Let's not get carried away here folks. They do not need to down the server to update the content on the website!

[ajani]

John,
Do not blame my apprehension, i no longer trust this homeoffice not to spring suprises

[Rog]

Hopefully John is right and it is a routine server maintainence, but having got a bitter taste of how the Home Office can pull any unpleasent shock out of the blue we cannot but be fearful.

[John]

Again ... they do not need to down the server to update the website! The website of under constant revision, all without the server being offline.

[LondonBlonde]

ajani - I worry about the same thing. Many self employed are relying on the transitional arrangements as a failsafe.

However, I have given the transitional arrangement issue a lot of thought, and strongly believe that it will stay around for up to several years from now.

REASONS

1) Those who start up even very large and successfull businesses usually undergo a startup period which doesn't bring in much money.

2) Self employed are generally not taking solid Brit jobs away from citizens as the market for freelance and independant contract will not compete in the same way as full time.

3) Self employed are likely to start long term contractual relationships with many companies who cannot afford or cannot find full time people to do the same work. It can be easily argued that shutting down independant contracting businesses will have a greater impact to the economy than sending one full time employee back to their home country.

4) Self employed are likely to be bringing in money from outside the country (I do). Again, this makes shutting down an immigrant owned businesses bad for the economy.

I don't beleive the HO cares much about us as individuals. They see us more as a function of the economy. For this reason I think self employed are safe for awhile.

LondonBlonde

[ajani]

LondonBlonde,
I hope and pray that your optimism is right. But my instincts tell me the opposite.

[Spear]

Note however that the transitional guidelines state that you are eligible only if your previous grant of leave under HSMP was made prior to November 8th 2006. I think logically it will be around until Nov 7th 2008. For applicants after that period goodness knows what will be in store for them.