Success in Croydon - 4 Sept (with long absence)

[Stace_ILR]

Thank to every one in this forum, I have read a lot of posts which helped me a lot. I thought I would post my success story, its pretty straight forward but I know a lot of people are questioning their days out the country as I have a lot in my one visa year I thought it might help.

There is a lot of posts describing how the systems works so I wont go into that. I did find it very smooth and quick I was in and out in at 8:20am and out by 11am

I arrived in the UK in Oct 06 on a work holiday visa and then in Sept 08 went onto Teir 1 visa until now

Documents handed in:
1) Cover letter explaining points breakdown
2) Completed Set(o) application form
3) Current and previous passports and BRP (I already hold 2 nationalities - My South African has my visas and I travel with my other one so I handed in all passports)
4) Life in the UK pass letter
5) Letter from employer stating my salary for the last 12 months (I did this instead of handing in pay slips)
6) Bank statements for the last year to corroborate letter from employer (I had this printed at the bank)
7) Dates spent out of the UK

These are not required but I handed them in as extra evidence
Previous Teir 1 approval letters
9) Maintenance bank account statement

Copies of 1; 3-9

As extra documents just in case I took some original payslips, P60's and a letter of employment from HMRC covering the last 5 years.

Total days out the country in 5 years - 311
Longest period out at one time - 124 days

A break down of my visa years out the country are as follows:
Visa year 1: 12
Visa year 2: 180
Visa year 3: 37
Visa year 4: 36
Visa year 5: 46

As you can see in Visa year 2 I reached the maximum days out. I was travelling during this time and was not employed. I did not provide any letters or reason to this absence and it all went through fine.

Good luck for everyone applying!

[dk2011]

Well done!

[pragneshmpatel]

Hi stace,
did you got your tier 1 from your home country?

As i am same case as you. i came working holiday visa in jun 2007. Got tier 1 from home country in oct 2008. and planing to apply ILR next month.
Did they asked anything about working holiday visa?
I am bit worried as my working holiday visa through appeal, and immigration officer at heathrow told me in my last entry that you will not get any visa extension.

[Stace_ILR]

Thanks dk2011 seen some of your comments so you were a provider in helping me

pragneshmpatel - Yes my first Tier 1 was applied from my home country (as this was during the change over from HMSP to Tier 1) I got my approval letter here but then had to go home to get my visa. They did not mention my Work holiday visa. If you were granted your Tier 1 extension and have fulfilled all your requirements since then I shouldn't see why there would be a problem. Was there a specific reason why they said you wouldn't get an extension?

[pragneshmpatel]

Thanks dk2011 seen some of your comments so you were a provider in helping me

pragneshmpatel - Yes my first Tier 1 was applied from my home country (as this was during the change over from HMSP to Tier 1) I got my approval letter here but then had to go home to get my visa. They did not mention my Work holiday visa. If you were granted your Tier 1 extension and have fulfilled all your requirements since then I shouldn't see why there would be a problem. Was there a specific reason why they said you wouldn't get an extension?

Hi stace,
I did not see any specific reason, think immigration officer did not like that i got working holiday visa in appeal.

did you got your tier 1 under HSMP judicial review?

[Stace_ILR]

pragneshmpatel - No I was under Tier 1 rules, although my first approval letter mentions HSMP, my visa was a Tier 1.

[acha114]

Thank to every one in this forum, I have read a lot of posts which helped me a lot. I thought I would post my success story, its pretty straight forward but I know a lot of people are questioning their days out the country as I have a lot in my one visa year I thought it might help.

There is a lot of posts describing how the systems works so I wont go into that. I did find it very smooth and quick I was in and out in at 8:20am and out by 11am

I arrived in the UK in Oct 06 on a work holiday visa and then in Sept 08 went onto Teir 1 visa until now

Documents handed in:
1) Cover letter explaining points breakdown
2) Completed Set(o) application form
3) Current and previous passports and BRP (I already hold 2 nationalities - My South African has my visas and I travel with my other one so I handed in all passports)
4) Life in the UK pass letter
5) Letter from employer stating my salary for the last 12 months (I did this instead of handing in pay slips)
6) Bank statements for the last year to corroborate letter from employer (I had this printed at the bank)
7) Dates spent out of the UK

These are not required but I handed them in as extra evidence
Previous Teir 1 approval letters
9) Maintenance bank account statement

Copies of 1; 3-9

As extra documents just in case I took some original payslips, P60's and a letter of employment from HMRC covering the last 5 years.

Total days out the country in 5 years - 311
Longest period out at one time - 124 days

A break down of my visa years out the country are as follows:
Visa year 1: 12
Visa year 2: 180
Visa year 3: 37
Visa year 4: 36
Visa year 5: 46

As you can see in Visa year 2 I reached the maximum days out. I was travelling during this time and was not employed. I did not provide any letters or reason to this absence and it all went through fine.

Good luck for everyone applying!

Thanks for your experience. Is the cover letter a strict requirement? If so, do you have a template I could use?

[rohankumar01]

If possible then please post example of personal covering letter