HSMP experience:lived in multiple countries before applying

[prashant_2_hsmp]

Dear All,

I am sharing my experience of HSMP. My case was little complicated but I turned out successful. I have gotten visa for 2 years already. This forum was of immense help throughout the application process and I feel that I owe it to all you guys. Thanks a lot for your support!

I applied under the HSMP scheme & not the Tier 1. The application process for me was a learning experience. I spent a lot of time before which I could smoothen out things. I thought I would write this down for those aspirants who had the case like me where before application, some one has lived in different countries.

Guidelines are there in HSMP guidance document but it got a little tricky to calculate past earnings. If the moderators feel, that this is not relevant information, please feel free to inform me and I shall delete the post. But I believe it might help someone.

My Application Background.

I landed in Singapore from India on 19th of May, 2007. I decided to apply for HSMP in Dec, 2007. At this stage, I had worked in 2 different countries in a period of 15 months preceding the application date. I applied from Singapore on 10th December, 2007.

Period preceding 15 months: 10th September, 2006- 10th December, 2006

My whereabouts during this time
10th September, 2006 – 11th October, 2006 (India)
12th October, 2006 – 19th November, 2006 (UK – went on TWES visa for my Indian employer)
20th November, 2006 – 18th May, 2007 (India)
19th May, 2007 – 10th December, 2007 (Singapore)

Points on age, English and Education were straight forward to claim.

Tricky bit for me was calculations of past earnings. In my application I presented that out of the last 15 months, I was in India for 8 months and hence considered my Indian salary and band D for evaluation. I calculated earnings for 8 months and then prorated it to 12.

All well and straight forward up till now! However, if you look at the above dates in the 8 months I considered, for period 12th October, 2006 – 19th November, 2006 I was in UK, not in India.

I went on a training on TWES visa. For getting me TWES my ex-employer had shown to British high commission that I would be given a salary. But like a lot of Indian firms they gave me daily allowance and accommodation but I didn’t get any salary in pounds. Now as per the category of my visa, it should have been counted as employment in UK.

The situation became tricky for me and utterly confusing also. I did not want to conceal any facts neither did I want to not show my Indian salary as the source of calculations.

So here is what I did.
1. In my cover letter I HIGHLIGHTED that my stay in UK was extremely short and it should not be counted a secondment but a training/business trip only.
2. I obtained a letter from my ex-employer certifying that I didn’t work in UK, drew no salary, paid no tax and went to UK only for training.

It worked!

I went through HSMP as well as EC with these documents. They key to note:

1. When I sent my initial application for HSMP approval, I sent a notarized copy of my passport and declared truthfully that I had been to UK in those 8 months for which I calculated income for.
2. I sent enough proofs which showed my arrival and living in singapore.
3. I stated the assumptions of my calculations and displayed my calculations in a nice excel sheet with all possible labeling.

I am happy that such a lot of hard work paid off. I hope the above information helps someone.