ILR approved in-person

Hi all,

On Monday I had my ILR approved. Woot woot! 

We brought our documents paperclipped together in a few sections:
- Application form with passport photos attached
- DH's payslips, bank statements and proof of employment letter
- My payslips, bank statements and proof of employment letter
- Documents for proof of cohabitation
- Other docs (Life in the UK pass certificate, passports, BRP, etc)

We had all our other documents from the past two years with us just in case but we didn't need any of them.

We had our appointment in Croydon at 8.20a. There is a bus stop just outside the building, a tram stop just down the road and the train station a 10-15 minute walk away. There were a lot of people waiting outside when we got there just after 8a - I'm guessing they were there too early for their appointment.

When we entered the building the security guard was talking to another couple. He asked for our appointment confirmation sheet and we pulled it out. He showed it to the couple - they didn't have their appointment confirmation email printed out and didn't seem to know what it was. I eventually saw them in the building but be sure to print that off to save the stress!

We had to go through airport-style security straight away and then go up to the 3rd (?) floor.

We walked straight to the first window where they asked for our payment sheet and my passport. We were one of the first ones in the building (the 7th according to the number we were given). We spent no time waiting so my advice: if you need to use the loo (even to freshen up for the all-important BRP photo) and you're one of the first ones in the building, go before you get started!

We then went straight to the next step where they entered our details into their system. The guy said they try to get all applications decided in 2.5 hours (which they did, but I'm not sure if that would have been the case with a later appointment).

From there, we were sent down the hall to biometrics. Our number was already flashing so we went in and got that taken care of quickly. DH came with but the guy said he could just as easily have waited outside that area at the seats.

We were then told to go to the cafe to wait. It was a big room with half airport-style seating and half tables. It was coooold. They wouldn't let us back into the warmer waiting area at this stage, so we just sucked it up.

We didn't buy anything, but the cafe sold Costa coffee with basic food, drinks and some fruit/nut bags. Behind the counter (by where the kids' play area is) there's a water fountain with a water bottle spout and a passport photo booth. Had we known this we wouldn't have brought a few bottles of water.

Our number was eventually called and we were told our application was approved. The guy didn't seem to know anything about our application. He had to ask which of us was the applicant and he had to check on his screen to see which visa we had applied for. He said I could travel before receiving my BRP... I might have problems but I would get through... and he said we did not need to tell them if/when we move house.

We asked about citizenship and he said I needed to hold ILR for a year before applying (we know that's not the case for UK-citizen spouses but we didn't want to argue with him), he told us that the time on a fiance visa doesn't count toward citizenship and he said they were really strict with regard to points on driving licences in the citizenship application (I've no idea what he was on about but he seemed to be making stuff up, to be honest). He also said the rules for citizenship change all the time so check the website before applying. He did say that he doesn't deal with those applications but he was talking as if he knew.

We were out of the building by 10.30 with no problems at all. They didn't ask us any extra questions, no clarification was needed and everything went smoothly.

Before we left we went back to the cafe and made sure we had received all the docs back. My advice: keep a list of the docs you give them. There's an inventory list on the back of the application but you don't get that back so make a copy of it or keep your own list. We used our draft application to double check we had everything before we left.

Here's a list of what we gave them in the end and what we can tell they actually looked at. We did not bring copies and we got everything back (except both of our proof of employment letters).

General application docs
- In-person appointment sheet - they asked for this when we came into the building so have it ready
- Payment sheet - they asked for this at the first window, along with my passport and BRP
- My BRP - they asked for this at the first window and gave it back so I could hand it over at the next step but it wasn't returned to me at the end of the appointment, they said they destroy it
- Both our passports - mine was asked for at the first window
- SET(M) application form - we didn't get this back and we didn't need to fill out the payment sheet in the application as we'd paid online
- 2 passport photos of me with my name on the back - in an envelope attached to the application with a paperclip
- 1 passport phot of DH - in a separate envelope attached in the same way as mine
- Life in the UK pass certificate
- Marriage certificate - this was in an envelope and it didn't look like they'd taken it out

Finances
- 6 months of my payslips and bank statements (payslips stamped by finance dept) - it didn't look like they'd done anything with these
- My proof of employment letter - this wasn't returned to us so I'm assuming they kept it
- 6 months of DH's payslips and bank statements (payslips stamped by finance dept) - these were returned completely out of order and it seemed like they'd really looked through them
- DH's proof of employment letter - this wasn't returned to us so I'm assuming they kept it

Cohabitation documents
- Dec 2012 - electricity bill (both names) - this was returned with the staple removed so they must have looked at it
- April 2013 - water bill (both names) - we couldn't for the life of us find where it was dated but says 'payment due by 1 April' and it was ok
- Aug/Sept 2013 - lease (both names)
- Dec 2013 - bank statements (separate names, one each) - DH's bank statements were returned with the staple removed and all mixed in with the other cohab docs, mine were still stapled
- April 2014 - P60s (separate names, one each) - we weren't sure if this would be ok but it was fine
- Aug/Sept 2014 - lease (both names)

We had plenty of other docs with us in case we needed them, but they didn't ask for anything.

My BRP was delivered Wednesday around noon (so two days after our appointment). I was asked for ID (I used my passport) and the guy checked it quite carefully. I brought it in to work the next day for HR to copy for their files.

If anyone's got question, just let me know!

Thanks to ksand, KFdancer & OldHarpy for their help with my documents checklist! 

Congratulations TravelingFrog! 

And thank you for posting your experience in detail.  It will certainly make it easier when I get to go through the same process in.....

*counting on fingers*

Ummmmm...... er.....

*adding in a few toes*

.... a good few years yet.   

I had to laugh at your experience with Mr. Know-it-all, who blithely and confidently fed you a bunch of BS - I've met a few of those in my time too (haven't we all?).  Why can't they just say something like, "I'm not sure about that, you might want to ask....."  or  "I'm not certain, let me find out and get back to you"? 

It's funny when you know better, but people like that just cause a lot of problems for those who don't know better.  Something like all those visa lawyers I keep reading about around here.   Grrrrrr!

Anyway, a hearty, and well earned, congratulations to you and Mr. TF!   

Congratulations !!

Yeah, it sounds like that guy had no idea what he was talking about . Also sounds a bit like he was trying to scare you with the requirements, lol.

Congratulations!

Was the clueless guy your actual case worker?  If so, that doesn't instil much confidence, does it?

Congrats! I had mine done that Tuesday. My time up to the appointment wasn't smooth as DH didn't have all his paperwork, so I wanted to add two things as you gave a lot of helpful details to assist other people.

- if you run across a problem - lost document, needing to print something off there is an internet cafe about a block away. I don't know the name of it but if you are standing with your back to the Lunar house, across the road is a brown brick church. Go down the road the church is on - left road not curving. You come to a bunch of stores at the end of the street. The internet cafe is a tiny one a few shops down on the right. Look for the ton of mobile phones they are trying to hock. I forget the prices, but we paid about 3 pounds, got two copies and were able to use the net for 5 minutes. (We could have used it up to an hour for our price I believe)

-second - if you find yourself in the cafe inside Lunar House and they have the red velvet cake. Get it. We had two slices. It is dead on. Not like the ones you find in the store here.

Was the clueless guy your actual case worker?  If so, that doesn't instil much confidence, does it?

I know, right?  Heh.

Congrats!

Thanks, Travelingfrog! After getting burned with the 8 month wait before I'm planning to go in person, so it's helpful to read a detailed experience. Congrats!

Can I just ask? What sort of provision is there to travel directly after approval?

Planning my in-person later next month (Jan) however I have a number of business trips commencing the week directly after my appointment. I can only assume I would not have my updated BRP card by the time I need to fly out. Is there an approval letter that will grant me re-entry and what have you should I pop out of the UK to globe trot before my ILR-BRP shows up in the mail?

Best to start a new thread. 

Hopefully you will have your BRP before you go.  If not, you really shouldn't travel.  It's not worth it.  But if you are a rebel, have someone overnight the BRP to you to reenter.  And if you don't do that, prepare to sit for an unknown length of time at the border to either be allowed in (usually happens after a lengthy wait and a lecture) or potentially returned to where you travelled in from.

Congrats TravelingFrog and ExpatX!  Unfortunately, I had to go the postal route (mailed it a week ago), but keeping my fingers crossed the wait isn't as bad as the FLR wait was for a group of us two years ago!  LOL!

Thanks everyone!

Seattlite - the guy did say I could travel before getting my BRP but it wasn't advisable. We KNOW he was wrong on other things he said, so I'd take that with a grain of salt. Best to wait for your BRP. My appointment was Monday morning and the BRP came at noon on Wednesday (of the same week). You will get a letter saying your ILR has been approved but I'm not sure it's good enough to get you into the country without a lot of hassle.

luckyjinx and Fallgall - I'm not sure your wait can be any longer than last time. Fingers crossed it's a speedy approval.

I don't think the guy who told us our application was approved was the same guy who actually processed it. He had to check the screen to see which visa was being approved and he had to ask which of us was the applicant and which was the sponsor.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for such a thorough post on your in-person ILR appointment, TF!

I'm attending my appointment tomorrow, and have gone through this post numerous times.  I've got everything bundled up nicely, similar to how yours was arranged.

Just two quick questions:

1.  Is there any particular reason your DH's payslips had to be stamped by his Finance dept?  My OH's payslips are all digital, so I've got his print outs...hadn't really thought this could be an issue until just now..

2.  For the "Proof of Employment" letter, did you get your companies to provide something specifically for this purpose?  It doesn't seem like a requirement in the application itself.  I'm submitting A) My offer letter (dated June 2014), which has details of my pay, title, department, who I report to, and is signed by HR, and B)  my OH's letter (also dated June 2014) indicating that he'd been given a promotion, with his new pay rate, title, department, etc.    I figured each of these documents (along with all our payslips for the past several months (6 months-him; 4 months- me(started in Sep)) would be sufficient to prove that we're employed.  Do you agree, or did I miss something...

1.  Is there any particular reason your DH's payslips had to be stamped by his Finance dept?  My OH's payslips are all digital, so I've got his print outs...hadn't really thought this could be an issue until just now..

All the digital payslips we'd printed off on our own we had stamped by the finance department at our companies. Mine just used their usual return address stamp and she also signed them just to be safe. That goes for non-original bank statements so we did the same for non-original payslips even though there is no actual original (they're all electronic).

2.  For the "Proof of Employment" letter, did you get your companies to provide something specifically for this purpose?  It doesn't seem like a requirement in the application itself.  I'm submitting A) My offer letter (dated June 2014), which has details of my pay, title, department, who I report to, and is signed by HR, and B)  my OH's letter (also dated June 2014) indicating that he'd been given a promotion, with his new pay rate, title, department, etc.    I figured each of these documents (along with all our payslips for the past several months (6 months-him; 4 months- me(started in Sep)) would be sufficient to prove that we're employed.  Do you agree, or did I miss something...

Others have said the confirmation of employment letter wasn't necessary, but they kept both of ours, so I'm not sure.

To answer your question, the letter included:
Annual salary (and how long we've been at that rate)
Job title
Length of employment
Type of employment (perm or contract)
Manager's name and contact details

We didn't submit our contracts or offer letters. We did have them with us but they didn't ask for them. DH had just changed jobs a month or two before our appointment but they didn't ask for anything extra. The payslips are enough to show you're employed. We're under the old rules, so if you're under the new rules, it might be different for you.

Good luck PS!

Thank you. The unstamped electronic pay printouts didn't seem to be an issue, as my application has just been approved. (YAY!)  

I'm not sure if this is always the case--but as we had included his original promotion letter, and my pay stubs are all originals (the perforated paper kind), I'm guessing that helped.  t probably also helps that I earn a sufficient amount to cover the entirety of our rent and bills without his income..

It looks like only the past 3 months of both of our payslips were looked at, and only the past month of our joint account and my accounts (Current, Cash ISA) were looked at.  He doesn't get paper statements, so we provided an official "Account Transaction Details" report printed by his bank from 01 Aug 14- 15 Jan 15 -- this was definitely looked at, as the 20 page report was haphazardly scattered throughout all other pieces of evidence upon receiving it back.

If anyone else reading this is applying in person soon, maybe the following experience might help you plan your day/decide to attend earlier:

My appointment was scheduled for 11:20am, and we arrived at Lunar House at 11:00. We were let in and  went through security and reception like Travelling Frog discussed.  The Costa in the waiting room wasn't open today (maybe it's closed on Saturdays?).  We waited until 12:50 to be called to Registration, where my details were logged into the IT system.  From there we waited in a separate (red) waiting area for about 30 minutes to be called in for Biometrics and hand over the application.

The lady who took my biometrics said it would take 45 minutes for a case worker to make a decision regarding my application.  Feeling peckish, we went out to pick up some snacks from Sainsbury's.  We got back to the waiting room at 1:50, and waited until 3:10 to be called to pick up our application/get the result.
 
All in all, we were there for ~4 hours, but 4 hours is a whole lot more convenient than ~6 months! We've got our next trips in March (Paris for the weekend) and May (Brother's wedding in NH), so definitely feeling relieved that we'll make it to the latter!

YAY!!

Now onto citizenship!

<Edited for clarity>

Woohoo! Congrats PickledSakura!

Glad it all went well.

It's a nice feeling to have visas over and done with. Now just on to citizenship. Feels like it will be a walk in the park compared to everything else.