Tier 2 Minister of Religion - ILR Various Questions Help Pls

[sandrofoz]

Hi all,
I will apply for ILR in a couple of weeks and I have few questions. I was wondering if I should post the questions all in one post or break them up into different topics. Not sure, so I am going to go ahead and ask it all here.

Background: I am on Tier 2 (minister of religion) visa for 5 years. My wife and daughter are on Tier 2 dependents visa for 5 years also. We came to the UK together and have always applied together (both initial and extension visas). Our current visa will expire in 07/2016. Being here for 5 years we now qualify and want to apply for ILR.

I have few questions and I would be very grateful if someone could help us:
1) It seems that there is no salary requirements for someone applying from tier 2 minister of religion. Is that correct? I cannot find anything regarding to salary to clergy on the code of practice as well. It only says that you need to be able to maintain yourself and dependents. Does anyone have some idea of how much would the Home Office think it is needed? Do I need to present bank statements?

2) Cohabitation. I know this has been asked before, but in my case the only docs I have with both our names are the Council taxes bills and the rental agreements over the 5 year period. I have all the other bills in my name and my wife has none. Would her pay slips sent to the same address work? she also have driving license that shows same address as me.

3) Do I need to bring any other document for my daughter, 7 years old, apart from her birth certificate, passport and bio-metric card?

4) Proof of English. I hope to use my IELTS certificate which I used in my previous application. The test was taken in 2010. Would that be ok?

5) I plan to apply in person in one of the Premium centers. I read it is for straight forward cases. Can I assume my case to be a straight forward one?

6) and the last question is should me and my two dependents apply together or no? The reason I would consider not applying together is that if there is problem and my application gets refused, then the two dependents also. This would imply in a huge financial loss. Would anyone recommend that I apply alone first and after I get settlement then apply for the dependents?

I think that is all for now. Thank you very much for all your help!

[sandrofoz]

Hi, given that I havent got a reply till now I wonder if I did something wrong. Could anyone from the moderators help me please? Should I break the questions in different posts?
Thank you and I am sorry for the trouble.

[sandrofoz]

Please, could someone reply. Even if it is to say that I need to change the post.
I cannot find much information on applying for ILR from a Tier 2 Minister of Religion. Rules seems to be different for this category. Please, could someone help?

[secret.simon]

You have done nothing wrong. It is just that Tier 2 Minister of Religion is a very rare visa. And most people on these forums (like me) have no experience of it. As you have mentioned, the rules are different. And I would think it irresponsible to advise you on something that I do not understand.

Most people on these forums are not lawyers, they are just people like me who have been through the immigration milestone and are sharing the fruits of our experience. But if we have no experience to share, we would rather stay quiet.

Some of the moderators are lawyers and they may step by to advise you. I do not know if you can change the subject of the thread, but you may wish to consider changing it to "Tier 2 Minister of Religion to ILR - Various questions" or similar words to highlight the precise nature of your question.

[CR001]

You have done nothing wrong. It is just that Tier 2 Minister of Religion is a very rare visa. And most people on these forums (like me) have no experience of it. As you have mentioned, the rules are different. And I would think it irresponsible to advise you on something that I do not understand.

Most people on these forums are not lawyers, they are just people like me who have been through the immigration milestone and are sharing the fruits of our experience. But if we have no experience to share, we would rather stay quiet.

Some of the moderators are lawyers and they may step by to advise you. I do not know if you can change the subject of the thread, but you may wish to consider changing it to "Tier 2 Minister of Religion to ILR - Various questions" or similar words to highlight the precise nature of your question.

+1 - am also unfamiliar with this route.

Heading of topic/thread changed now.

[Casa]

You have done nothing wrong. It is just that Tier 2 Minister of Religion is a very rare visa. And most people on these forums (like me) have no experience of it. As you have mentioned, the rules are different. And I would think it irresponsible to advise you on something that I do not understand.

Most people on these forums are not lawyers, they are just people like me who have been through the immigration milestone and are sharing the fruits of our experience. But if we have no experience to share, we would rather stay quiet.

Some of the moderators are lawyers and they may step by to advise you. I do not know if you can change the subject of the thread, but you may wish to consider changing it to "Tier 2 Minister of Religion to ILR - Various questions" or similar words to highlight the precise nature of your question.

secret.simon I don't believe we currently have any moderators who are lawyers and active on the forum at present.

[secret.simon]

secret.simon I don't believe we currently have any moderators who are lawyers and active on the forum at present.

I apologise if I got the OP's hopes up incorrectly. But I was under the impression that vinny, Obie and Amber (though she has not been seen for a while) were lawyers or at least learned in immigration law as immigration advisors. And I am sure that if they have anything to contribute, they will drop by and advise the OP.

Thanks for the topic heading edit, CR001.

[Casa]

secret.simon I don't believe we currently have any moderators who are lawyers and active on the forum at present.

I apologise if I got the OP's hopes up incorrectly. But I was under the impression that vinny, Obie and Amber (though she has not been seen for a while) were lawyers or at least learned in immigration law as immigration advisors. And I am sure that if they have anything to contribute, they will drop by and advise the OP.

Thanks for the topic heading edit, CR001.

Neither Amber or Vinny are legally qualified immigration advisors and I don't know to what level Obie is...but I'm sure he will confirm. Most Mods (as I do) have disclaimers in the signature on their posts.

[Petaltop]

I have few questions and I would be very grateful if someone could help us:
1) It seems that there is no salary requirements for someone applying from tier 2 minister of religion. Is that correct?

That appears to be correct from this document. Page 4.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... as-soi.pdf

This calculator is a guide to what you will need to show under Tier 2 Minister of Religion for ILR and will link you to other information.
https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk

[sandrofoz]

Thank you very much for your reply secret.simon, cr001, casa and petaltop.
I understand the fact that tier 2 minister of religion is not common and I appreciate your efforts to help us.
Could any of you give input about the questions 3 to 6, regarding applying together or not? documents for my daughter's application and proof of English language. I think this might be the same for all the categories, isnt it?
The calculator led me to the application and the guidance, but again the application covers other tier 2 categories and doesnot make it clear what the rules for Minister of Religion is.
Again thank you for all your help.

[Wanderer]

Believe it or not I have a UK Law Degree though we never covered Immigration Law, no call for it in 1986...

Of course I don't work and have never worked in the Legal game, other than for MOJ in IT...

[Amber]

The cohabitation documents should be fine, it's not as strict as that of SET(M), you need to check the English Language requirement meets B1 and have passed LIUK (and your spouse), premium service appointment is ok, apply together and you must for indefinite leave to remain get a letter by the employer/sponsor confirming in writing, on company/official headed paper, that they still need you to be employed in the job in question/that you are still needed as a Minister of Religion and that they still hold the sponsorship licence.

[geriatrix]

I was wondering if I should post the questions all in one post or break them up into different topics.

Had you done that, you would have annoyed me, at least, immensely! Good that you decided against it.

1) It seems that there is no salary requirements for someone applying from tier 2 minister of religion. Is that correct? I cannot find anything regarding to salary to clergy on the code of practice as well.

You are correct, 245HF(d)(ii)(2) applies only to Tier 2 (General) migrant. But 245HF(d)(i) and 245HF(d)(ii)(1) do apply to you.

It only says that you need to be able to maintain yourself and dependents. Does anyone have some idea of how much would the Home Office think it is needed? Do I need to present bank statements?

It is not about the "amount" but the fact that you can maintain yourself and your dependants without recource to public funds. Bank statements covering three months preceding the application of an account where your salary is credited should suffice.

2) Cohabitation. I know this has been asked before, but in my case the only docs I have with both our names are the Council taxes bills and the rental agreements over the 5 year period. I have all the other bills in my name and my wife has none. Would her pay slips sent to the same address work? she also have driving license that shows same address as me.

Shouldn't be a problem. Read Note 8 (page 38 of 45) of SET(M) form for reference.

3) Do I need to bring any other document for my daughter, 7 years old, apart from her birth certificate, passport and bio-metric card?

Read the SET(O) form and see what documentary evidence(s) is required for dependant(s).

4) Proof of English. I hope to use my IELTS certificate which I used in my previous application. The test was taken in 2010. Would that be ok?

Read Q6 of this topic. Your wife is subject to 319E(g) so she will also need to meet the English language requirements. How old is your daughter?

5) I plan to apply in person in one of the Premium centers. I read it is for straight forward cases. Can I assume my case to be a straight forward one?

Uncomplicated immigration history, no breach of laws during stay in UK, and possession of all required documentary evidences usually means straightforward case.

6) and the last question is should me and my two dependents apply together or no? The reason I would consider not applying together is that if there is problem and my application gets refused, then the two dependents also. This would imply in a huge financial loss. Would anyone recommend that I apply alone first and after I get settlement then apply for the dependents?

Anyone not confident of success of settlement application because of ineligibility or non-compliance to immigration rules in preceding years should avoid including dependants in the SET(O) application for cost reasons. Else, one should include any dependants.

And, don't forget the Life in the UK Test.

[secret.simon]

you need to check the English Language requirement meets B1

Sorry to be a pain, but Amber, the initial Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa and its extension(s) require a B2 English test. Is it definitely relaxed to B1 for ILR? Just wanted to clarify.

[geriatrix]

you need to check the English Language requirement meets B1

Sorry to be a pain, but Amber, the initial Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa and its extension(s) require a B2 English test. Is it definitely relaxed to B1 for ILR? Just wanted to clarify.

See 245HF(f), then FAQs, Guidance: Knowledge of life and language in the UK, Appendix KoLL.

[sandrofoz]

you need to check the English Language requirement meets B1

Sorry to be a pain, but Amber, the initial Tier 2 Minister of Religion visa and its extension(s) require a B2 English test. Is it definitely relaxed to B1 for ILR? Just wanted to clarify.

See 245HF(f), then FAQs, Guidance: Knowledge of life and language in the UK, Appendix KoLL.

Hi, from the reading I kind understood that I am ok applying with a B1 certificate, despite the fact that for I was required to use a B2 certificate when I applied for Tier 2 (minister of Religion).

[sandrofoz]

Thank you all for the help with the questions, specially to sushdmehta for the detailed answer.
My daughter is 7 years old.

Allow me to add one more question. We have 2 other children that were born in the UK and following advice found in the immigration board we wont include them in our IRL application as they can apply for citizenship after we receive our ILR.
The question I have is, do we need to mention about them during our application for ILR?
Thanks again,

[sandrofoz]

Thank you all for the help with the questions, specially to sushdmehta for the detailed answer.
My daughter is 7 years old.

Allow me to add one more question. We have 2 other children that were born in the UK and following advice found in the immigration board we wont include them in our IRL application as they can apply for citizenship after we receive our ILR.
The question I have is, do we need to mention about them during our application for ILR?
Thanks again,

Hi there, it would be really helpful if someone could give any insight on whether I need to mention about my children in the application or not.

I also read that we need to bring copies of the documents with us. Would that mean I have to provide a copy of all the payslips, bank statements and letters? Just asking because 5 years payslips would mean a lot of copies.
thank you again.

[sandrofoz]

Please, could anyone give so light here. I am filling the form SET O and came across the questions bellow. Do I need to fill these in if applying from a Tier 2 Minister of Religion?

You must complete all four of the boxes below if you are applying as a work permit holder; a Tier 2 (General) or a Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) migrant – (Your employer will be able to provide you with these details)
SOC code (or nearest applicable which best describes your employment)
Current rate of pay (hourly rate or annual salary)
Number of hours this salary is based on
Number of weekly hours
Rate of pay for this SOC code stated in the codes of practice (hourly rate or annual salary).

Thanks for you again,

Sandrofoz

[sandrofoz]

Please, could anyone give so light here. I am filling the form SET O and came across the questions bellow. Do I need to fill these in if applying from a Tier 2 Minister of Religion?

You must complete all four of the boxes below if you are applying as a work permit holder; a Tier 2 (General) or a Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) migrant – (Your employer will be able to provide you with these details)
SOC code (or nearest applicable which best describes your employment)
Current rate of pay (hourly rate or annual salary)
Number of hours this salary is based on
Number of weekly hours
Rate of pay for this SOC code stated in the codes of practice (hourly rate or annual salary).

Thanks for you again,

Sandrofoz

Hi all, apart from the question above, could anyone help me with the following? On the session 12 in the form set O it is listed the documents I need to submit with my application. It looks like the Tier 2 minister of religion falls on the 12C sub category, but I am not sure because it says in the title: Employment not requiring a work permit.
would that be the case? Please could someone help?
Thank you again.

[sandrofoz]

Hi there,
We`ve got our ILR yesterday.
We wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who contributed with helpful information and advice. Thank you for taking time to help others!
This forum and the advice we got here made a big difference and helped us get everything we needed for the application. Thank you!!!

[sandrofoz]

Hi all,
Just want to leave here some information that might help anyone who plan to apply for ILR coming from a Tier 2 Minister of Religion. We applied and we granted our ILR in Liverpool last November. The process was fairly quick and hassle free.

1. Category - Tier 2 (MInister of Religion)
2. Number of dependents: 2
3. Total cost: 6700
4. PEO branch- Liverpool
5. Documents provided - See list bellow.
6. Absences more than 180 days in any of the qualifying years - No
7. Any Additional Comments.
List of Documents Provided:

1. Application Payment Sheet

Sections 1 and 2 – Applicant and Dependant Details
1. Passports
2. Biometrics Residence Permits (1 for me and 1 for each of my dependants)
3. 1 Marriage Certificate with Certified Translation
4. 1 Birth Certificate with Certified Translation

Section 4 – Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK
1. 2 Life in the UK Test Pass Certificates (1 for me and 1 for my wife)
2. 2 Secure English Language Test Certificates – Level B1.1 (1 for me and 1 for my wife)

Section 5 – Home and Finances
1. 1 Letter from my employer confirming my continuous employment status and pay
2. Bank Statements covering the last 4 months
3. Pays slips covering the last 4 months (4 for me and 4 for my wife)
4. 1 Letter from employer confirming the authenticity of the online payslips printouts

Section 6 – Immigration History
1. 1 Letter from employer confirming business travel in the last 5 years

Section 8 – Photographs
1. 6 Photos with full name on back (2 for me and 2 for each dependant) attached to the application

Section 11 – Additional Documents
1. 2 Certificates of Registration with the Police (1 for me and 1 for my wife)
2. Cohabitation Evidence
a) Spouses UK Driving Licence
b) Council Tax Bills for the last 3 years
c) Spouses P60 for the last 2 years
d) Letters from GP confirming registered address
e) United Utility water statement
f) Royal Mail redirection letter
g) Chaucer Direct Car Insurance Policy
h) House Tenancy Agreement
i) Letters from hospital and GP

The answers i received in this post were really helpful. So read it.
It is worth mentioned that as a minister of religion you dont need to fill the SOC related questions in the form SET O. Just leave it blank.

Blessings to all,

[karollc]

Hi, thanks for your helpful information

just one question
I am on tier 2 minister of religion as well
I am going to apply next week in person
you stated bank statement covering 4 months but the application form do not require it.
Do I need to have it?

Thanks
Karol

[sandrofoz]

Hi, thanks for your helpful information

just one question
I am on tier 2 minister of religion as well
I am going to apply next week in person
you stated bank statement covering 4 months but the application form do not require it.
Do I need to have it?

Thanks
Karol

Hi Karo,
I am not sure if it does require it, but it says that you need to show that you are able to support yourself and any dependent. So, I added the bank statement to show that I had the funds (salaries) coming in every month. I also had a bit of savings there which I think kind of helps to clear any doubts on our financial ability to maintain ourselves.
I didnt say but I took a whole bunch of documents (all my payslips, bank statements, P60s, employment contract, etc) with me just in case. Didnt need anything else apart from what I enclosed initially, but better to be safe than to be sorry.
Pray it goes well with you!

[karollc]

Thanks for replay
Did you apply based on 5 years or long residence
As I am applying under 10 years route.