Hey, thanks for your reply. Well I think that's really ridiculous, as we are all paying a big sum of money, going through the same stress, sleepless nights. I think we should all be treated the same and each application should get the same attention. Not because our application is 10 years, so they take longer to process.
I think you misunderstand. Your application is given more attention because you are applying under different rules to shorter path applicants. Each path has a different application form and requires different documents.
It takes longer to process because you have to provide many more documents than the other paths, and so there is more that UKVI have to check to make sure you meet the requirements. Plus, they have 10 years of your immigration history to go through and check.. and you will have held more previous visas than other applicants, each of which has to be checked.
For example, someone on a 2-year family path to ILR will have only held 1 previous visa, and just has to show that:
1) they are married
2) they have been living with their partner for 2 years
3) they have enough money to live off/have not claimed benefits
Someone on a 5-year work visa path to ILR will have usually only held 2 previous visas and has to show that:
1) they have been in the UK for 5 years
2) they have been working continuously in the UK for those 5 years on valid work visas
3) they have not been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 months
4) they earn and will continue to earn at least £35,000 per year
5) their company still wishes to employ them
Someone on a 10-year path to ILR has to show that:
1) they have been legally living in the UK for 10 years
2) every visa they have held in those 10 years has been valid
3) there have been no gaps in between any of your visas, and no time in the last 10 years when you did not have a valid visa
4) you have not breached the immigration rules of any of your visas
5) you have not spent more than 180 days at a time outside the UK
6) you have not spent more than 539 days in total outside the UK
7) you haven't been in prison during the 10 years
8 ) you haven't spent time in the Isle of Man/Channel Islands/ROI during the 10 years
I wonder sometime how do they process on the same day application so quickly. I assume they still have to check all the documents before they approve it.
They process them so quickly because only certain types of visa applications can be done in person - the applications that have fewer documents to check and no complications.
ILR applications based on 10 years Long Residence cannot be done in person because they cannot check the documents and issue the visa in only one day.
