Spouse ILR evidence count metrics! Suggestions please!

British · Post by **British** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:51 am

Hi All,

My wife's ILR application appointment date is comming up next week.

We have all the evidence folders sorted out, arranged clearly, marked by years: 2005 - 2006 and 2006 - 2007.

As for the unique official sources d ocumentation, we have nine unique official sources, addressed to us in joint names, for each year and the total number of items across all unique offcials sources for each year comes to about 25 itmes (for each year).

Apart from the above, i have also a year-wise split folder of evidence of items addressed to each of us individually (total unique official sources coming to nine for each year and a total count of items across these unique official sources for each year is comming to 47 each year).

Now this has ended up as a two huge box folders and is defenitely more than what they are expecting to see.

One particular thing that is the fat count of evidence is the bank statements.

I have 24 items (of bank statements addressed individually) for each of us across 2 years (so totalling to 48 items of bank statements).

This is apart from the joint bank statements of 24 items in total that has gone into the joint documents evidence box.

Now do you guys think that it wil be OK to submit all these 48 bank statements (across the 2 years) or should i simply submit about 12 (last 6 months worth of statements across both of our statements) and just keep the rest of 36 statments with us as backup, in case they want to see all 2 years worth bank statements.

I am asking this because the evidence documents box are three in count (the thrid box of evidence being documents to prove that me and my wife were in constant contact for the 5.5 months she was away to India where we decided to have our baby delviered! plus she had medical issues in delivery as well

)), all in all more than 100 different evidence documents across all items.

My jointy addressed offcial sources include:

Council tax bill
Bank account
Electricity
Water
Gas
Life insurance
Tennancy agreement
Travel insurance
AA membership

And for Individuallly addressed unique official sources:

NHS corrspondences
City council Electorate Poll card
Bank statements
Income tax returns
TV licensing
BT bills
Car insurance policy
Business bank account statements
Credit card bills

best regards.

British · Post by **British** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:01 pm

Anybody who recently applied for Spouse ILR... can you please let me know how many documents you handed over to the caseworker. This will help me actually keep only those minimum number of items, rather than keep all of the documents across the 2 years.

My wife's appointment is tomorrow morning!

best regards.

Docterror · Post by **Docterror** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:16 pm

British, I havent ever been in the same position as you. But I might go on a rampage if I dont succeed with all the evidence that you have accumulated. While others with experience can suggest otherwise, I would go for shock and awe and submit all the bank statements even though they are not necessary and overwhelm them with the evidence. Rather them to be shock and awed than you.

Best of luck!

busubi · Post by **busubi** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:19 pm

My wife's appointment is tomorrow as well at Birmingham. We are not taking anything like the amount of stuff you describe. The only difference is that my wife has not been away, so there for no need tho explain why with all the relevant papers, letters etc.

On the SET(M) form it states ideally you need 20 items in joint for two years spread equally. So thats 10 per year. I also says that the minimum is 10 for two years so spread equally thats 5 per year.

Having said that I suppose the more the better though. If it's an appointment then as long as you can carry it, then take it if you like, but it's up to you.

we are taking 10 letters for each year
tenancy agreement
all bank statements inc savings for the last 2 years
Pay slips for the both of us last 2 years
birth certs and drivers licence
marriage cert
passports
passport sized photos

I think thats it.

British · Post by **British** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 3:20 pm

Cheers guys, that puts me in comfort now!

Thanks.

busubi · Post by **busubi** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:13 am

Today is the day for us both British. Good luck and let us know how you got on.

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:04 pm

Hi guys,

Its bad news!!!!

My wife's ILR application was not even considered and the girl at the reception was very very very very rude to us!

The moment she saw that my wife was away to India for 5.5 months, she said she was not happy to process this application and asked us to leave the office!!!!!!

The moment she said that, i asked her why she is asking us to lave the building and she replied we won;t be considered because we did not spend the whole 2 years continuously.

I explained to her that we had written a nice cover letter explainging that we decided to have the pregnancy in India (with loads of documentary evidence, including my very periodic visits to India to see my family, 1000s of Â£ of telephonic conversations, emails etc. across this 6 months!) and once we were there in India, she had medical complications (fibroids, cyst, et al) and the baby was delivered premature 6 weeks and that the doctor advised her to stay in India until the baby was 3-4 months old and so she stayed.

But she was very rude and said she was not ready to listen or read any cover letters and simply asked us to go!

Then i asked to speak to a supervisor and she asked us to go to another counter.

The lady there did not accept to any of our explanations and simply said that anything more than 3 weeks of absence means the spouse visa probabtion period has been violated and my wife did not deserve the ILR

We just had to come back - no other go!

We will now apply through post to see if a discretion can be excersiced and possibly my wife will atleast get a 6 months extension of her spouse visa.

Anyway, i would have made huge money by then (in another 6 months) and i am planning to emigrate back to India for good with my family!

I don't want to go around begging for an ILR or FLR again, for my wife in future after an initial 6 months. Its just not worth it being in this country anymore. especially with an immigration system that has complete dis-respect for one's freedom / rights to personal decisions.

In spite of explaining that we decided to have delivery in India for medical reasons, they simply treated us in a disgraceful way.

One more FLR for that 6 months gap and that's probably it! We will emigrate back to India, where, as a family, we have full freedom to decide stuff about our family's interests and don't have to consult immigration department!

OK - enough of my moaning

. For others who are applying in person for spouse ILR, remember that if you or your spouse has been away for more than 3 weeks (even as holidays, and that is exactly what the supervisor lady told us!!!!!), it will be treated as Outside the rules case and will be rejected for breaking the spouse visa UK stay requirement and hence can only get an FLR.

Good luck to all and I hope at least busubi would have been successful today!

Docterror · Post by **Docterror** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:11 pm

British, that is indeed terrible news. I really dont know what to say and dont think words will be of any comfort to you at this point in time.

Hope you find the serenity in you to cope with this horrible setback.

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 1:49 pm

Cheers Docterror. Yep, i will take a while to digest this

since i had spent soo much time meticulously documenting stuff and every day i used to put myself in a caseworker's shoes and reviewed our documentation and i was pretty happy with it!

Anyway!

As for our future, i guess our decision will be to windo up our business here and take my talent and skills and consultancy across to India, rathe than to take insults and still fill Gordon's treasury chest!

I have been here for 7 years and my family has been here for 2 years (well of course excepting that 6 months, for which we have been insulted at HO

) and we have enjoyed our stay in the UK for a while.

Time to pack our bags for a nice future in India, i guess!

So its time to get that shiny, green-ish OCI visa sticker in my British passport

Ha!

yankeegirl · Post by **yankeegirl** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:09 pm

Sorry to hear that British. Try applying through post. A friend of mine had been out of the UK for a period of about 3 months during her period of FLR (related to taking care of an ill parent) and she was approved. I *think* they only look at the most straight-forward cases in person; all others are to be applied through post. Just make sure everything is explained in the cover letter, and any medical records, etc detailing your wifes complications and the doctor's advice that she should remain longer that what you had anticipated. Good luck!

Docterror · Post by **Docterror** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 2:32 pm

British, nice to see you still are trying to cheer yourself up and cracking jokes even in such a time! Had it been me, I would be looking for a gun to go on that rampage in the HO I told you about.

I will still be looking out for you in the news just in case you do snap and take up my idea... and call me Jabi

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:23 pm

Cheers Jabi!

clairey · Post by **clairey** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 3:43 pm

Hi British,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation

it's so unfair. Unfortunately these people who get a small amount of power tend to not listen to reason. I hope applying through the post works for you.

We've got an appointment for my husband's ILR at Lunar House on Wednesday - and now I'm getting really nervous, The idea that someone who has never met us can judge our marriage freaks me out. I'm just so scared we don't have enough evidence.

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:01 pm

Good luck to you and your husband, Clairy

A generic questionto all: Now that we are deciding to not stay for long in UK, do we have an option to simply apply for an FLR(M) directly, say for 2 years if possible, other wise for that just 6 months, instead of again trying to apply for ILR through post?

If that is possible, can i try to go in person to on eof the PEOs again and apply for FLR(M)?

In the FLR (M) application forms it says that the application in person will be dealt with only for straight-forward cases - even for FLR (M)??? I don;t understand this.

Sinec we only want an FLR (M), not just to fill gap, but to let my wife remain here with me, would that be considered as straight-forward case?

busubi · Post by **busubi** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:44 pm

I'm gutted for you British, It seemed like you really went to town putting that application together. You must be furious!?
Clairey i wouldn't worry to much about evidence. as long as you have the minimum requirements you'll be fine. But it seems quite clear from British and limey That your partner can not leave the country for no longer than a few weeks.

Again British. Gutted

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:06 pm

Cheers busubi. Yes, ia am very dissappointed.

Since they claim they take all these abscence from UK as outside rules, i don't understand why SET(M) (in section 6, note 4) asks the applicant to explain why she was away form UK and provide evidence of contact with her spouse?
I collected so much evidence, including all of my 4 visits to India in that 5.5 months

.

How did your wife's application go? Please tell me she got the ILR. Let's have some good news for today Please Please.. i think i am hearing you say your wife's ILR was successful!

Go on , say it! Please.

limey · Post by **limey** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:10 pm

British: I'm very sorry to hear that you did not get ILR. You were much better prepared than my wife and I with all teh documentation you provided. I think you have been treated disgracefully by the HO. What better reason could someonehave for being out of the country than having a baby!

The upper limit for the number of days out of the UK during FLR is a lot longer than 3 weeks!!!

You can apply for the FLR thru the post. Also, if you have British citizenship it may be possible to use the Family Permit route? But I am doing this using my Irish citizenship.

busubi · Post by **busubi** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:35 pm

That's a point British it does say any periods of absents should be explained, not any absents should be taken as, that's it you fail apply by post at a later date when you wife's visa has already expired and we can charge you a whole lot more. OH don't make any holiday plans for this year!

Yes It was a successes but considering the out come of yours i didn't want gloat.

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:41 pm

Yes It was a successes but considering the out come of yours i didn't want gloat.

Very nice of you there, busubi!!!

Defenitely, i am happy for you guys!

As for my wife, i am just thinking of applying for FLR(M) by post, not sure if she can apply for that though (and we have decided not to go for ILR (ever again!!!)).

I have created a new topic on that question, so i can see what my options are now!

Here:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=14293

busubi · Post by **busubi** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:46 pm

Thanks British Thats very admirable

I'll move to the new topic

Rambo · Post by **Rambo** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 6:48 pm

I am sorry to hear about that.

For your info, my wife and I applied for her ILR in person at Lunar house Croydon.

My wife was abroad for 11 weeks! We went on an extended holiday for 11 weeks and arrived back in the UK 2 weeks before her 2 year spouse visa ran out. Also we did not have sufficient letters in her name.

I phoned up beforehand and was told absences under 90 days per year should be ok.

We got the ILR on the same day. So there should be hope for you if you explain yourself fully for a postal application.

Or why don't you hire a good immigration lawyer to process your application?

British · Post by **British** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:11 pm

Cheers Rambo.

As for documenattion, wow! we had a nicely written cover letter describing all the points in there - i iwll post that cover letter contents later somtime.

But, as for posting out an ILR application:

In spite of the posts recommedning me to send out an ILR application in post, i want to stay away from that idea, since there seems to be some trick being played by HO in these cases.

Please refer to my comments as what i gather fomr limey's experiences here:

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=14244

Or why don't you hire a good immigration lawyer to process your application?

Oh no! I have seen several cases in this forum where the so called immigration lawyers, have literally screwed up teh cases very badly.

We are fine on our own!

I am now looking at the option of FLR(M). The only question is whther it is allowable for my wife to apply.[/quote]

reverend · Post by **reverend** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:10 pm

Hi Rambo,

Can I ask how many bits of evidence you had (how many with both names and how many with one or other names)? My wife has her ILR coming up in July, and I an a bit short of joint name evidence in the first year.

Thanks

rev

busubi · Post by **busubi** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:40 pm

Appart from bank statements we had no joint named stuff. As long as you both have letters for the same address, you'll be fine.

reverend · Post by **reverend** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:27 am

thanks busubi

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Spouse ILR evidence count metrics! Suggestions please!

Spouse ILR evidence count metrics! Suggestions please!