SET (O) q 7.11 - Please Help

[rakeysh.patel]

All,

First of all, apologies as this question has been raised number of times in the past 3 months or so. Question 7.11 in SET(O) form reads:-

How long have you lived in the UK?

While most of an opinion that this should reflect the time spent (in the UK) on Qualifying Criteria. So for instance, as I am on T1(G), this will be 4 Years and 9 Months. However, I initially entered the UK in 2003, finished studying in 2007 and went back (I had visa until 2008). I returned to the UK (on my last student visa) almost a year later and question is whether I should answer his question as:-

A) 10 Years and 4 Months

OR

B) 4 Years and 11 Months

Has anyone got policy guidance on this or may be got an advice from professional/solicitor?

Thank you for your valuable inputs and apologies once more for bringing this up but I am sure that many like me (initially a student and converted into T1/2) would benefit from this.

Best

[leon92]

I put the actual period (in your case 10 years) and got my ILR yesterday

[rakeysh.patel]

Thank you leon92. Only reason why I am ted concerned is during that 10 years of tenure in the UK, there was an instance when I was away from the UK for almost a year. And I do not want this to be taken into account when considering my application which is based on a completely different qualifying period! There are mix responses from the members on this forum as to what this needs to be!

[rakeysh.patel]

Just spoke with UKBA on the call (contact centre). I have been told to include Time A (in my case, 10/2003-11/2007) + Time B (in my case, 11/2008-02/2014) = 9 Years 4 Months. With that, provide an additional cover letter to highlight how these period is made up of. I think this as the most reflective solution and will opt for this. At least I will have a back up of my call (as all calls to UKBA are recorded) and will not have to mention my 1 year of absence from the UK either.

[shivuk]

I am in a similar but slightly different situation:

I lived in the UK in the following periods:
(i) From Oct. 1996 to Sept 2000 (previous stay – student visa): 3years 11 months
(ii) From March 2009 to date (current stay – Tier-2): 4 years 11 Months

Should I include my previous stay in my answer and give reason for my long absence?

I would be grateful if someone help me with this query.

[rakeysh.patel]

I am in a similar but slightly different situation:

I lived in the UK in the following periods:
(i) From Oct. 1996 to Sept 2000 (previous stay – student visa): 3years 11 months
(ii) From March 2009 to date (current stay – Tier-2): 4 years 11 Months

Should I include my previous stay in my answer and give reason for my long absence?

I would be grateful if someone help me with this query.

That is what I have been told by UKBA staff on the phone at least and that is what I am going to do as well. I will carry with me a letter outlining how in my case 10 years have made up off, in case if case worker needs to know. I will not list any absence for a year I was in India as it was not part of my continuous stay in the UK and questions reads as "how long have I lived in the UK". This question is certainly open to interpretation of one's own view. I would just hope CW be careful enough to consider my cover letter. My real problem is, when I went back on Nov'07 I had valid Student Visa which I used when I returned in Nov 08.

I wish the form had been more explicit one way or the other!!

[shivuk]

I phoned to the Home Office contact centre. They told me to include only my current stay : From March 2009 to date (current stay – Tier-2): 4 years 11 Months and ask me to provide a covering letter for my previous stay:From Oct. 1996 to Sept 2000 (previous stay – student visa): 3years 11 months.

I did get an email reply from home office confirming that - but they did not ask me to provide any covering letter.

So I did not give any covering letter and mentioned only my current stay. I had our ILR approved yesterdat in Cardiff PEO without any trouble.

[rakeysh.patel]

Thanks mate. You happen to have a copy of that email u can plz fwd? I will pm u my email add. Thanks