My details:
Work Permit Stamped : 14 May 2007
Date of entry to UK : 09 Sep 2007
Tier 1 (General) Stamped : 12 June 2008
Tier 1 (General) Extension: 21 June 2011
Below are my absences from UK for the 5 year period from the date of application.
Year To Date From Date No. of Days outside UK
Year 1: 21-03-2013 22-03-2012 38
Year 2: 21-03-2012 22-03-2011 28
Year 3: 21-03-2011 22-03-2010 133
Year 4: 21-03-2010 22-03-2009 88
Year 5: 21-03-2009 22-03-2008 30
My appointment was at 12:00 and it took only 10 minutes for the case worker to approve my case. The only question the case worker asked was about the 5 year period that my application is based on (was it on Work Permit or Tier 1?) and for which I answered Tier 1.
Please note I am applying after 5 years and 6 months and all my absences above were during Tier 1. The only documents I was asked during the appointment were:
SET(O) Form
2 Photographs
Passport and Biometric Resident Permit card
Life in the UK Test certificate
12 month payslips
12 month bank statement
I wasn't asked any questions about absences and no proofs were submitted. I did carry below documents incase the case worker asked:
5 year P60
Employment history from HMRC
Payslips during holidays
Letter from employer explaining the annual leaves taken.
I also offered an absence sheet giving the number of days outside UK, entry/exit dates and respective page numbers from the passport. Also in the bank statement I did highlight the line where my salary was credited. Whenever each document (original) was handed over to case worker I did give a photocopy as well. Case worker quite liked this and did convey her thanks.
Overall it was a nice interactive session with case worker discussing my current job, future plans etc...I quite liked it. No tension at all
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
So the final quote is "Make your application as simple as you can. Do not make it complicated by giving lot of documents. You may keep it, but give it only when requested"
Cheers!