Bank denied payment for ILR please help!

I applied for ILR (married to UK citizen, was on unmarried visa) before my visa expired.  But without realising, I was £19 short of having the amount in my credit card to cover the fee!  (mix up).  They sent my application back saying I need to resubmit with another form and payment but obviously it is now past the expiry date!  I phoned up and they said to add a covering letter and resubmit, but on phoning again to check, they said I was now in the country illegally, shouldn't be working, and need an immigration lawyer!  I have already submitted it again with the covering letter.  Where do I stand now?  Are they likely to refuse me?  Everything else is by the book and I have more than enough documentary evidence to show I've done everything right so far (living in the UK with my partner).  Will they treat this as a late application and refuse me, send me home?  Please help thank you!

I would speak to Vicky if I were you....I think you may be right 

Read terriponeale posts.  She had a problem where her payment for her ILR got bounced and had some difficulties afterwards...

Smiles,

Hold on...you are in for the long hall. Yes...you cannot work. No...they will not deny your application. BUT...it probably will take longer than the usual 20 days. Ours took 13 weeks...just shy of the 90 days, but our MP had told us it could take until early next year. Unfortunately at this point, there isn't much you can do.

If it is just you...or you and minor children...then you can choose to withdraw your application, return to the US and re-apply for a new FLR. Advantages...you can be back in a few weeks (I think about a month now) and eligible to work. Disadvantages...you are starting all over again on your clock for ILR and perhaps even citizenship. That was not an option for us because I had an adult daughter who would not have been allowed back in.

I had the best in Vicky. My MP was involved. And nothing helped. You simply have to wait now...for months. I know how heart-breaking all this is...and how nerve-racking. After what happened...like you I was convinced that they were going to deny us...even though both my MP and Vicky kept telling me it would be OK in the end. Feel free to PM me on your down days...but remember...we got ours (and my daughter's was anything but a simple case)...and you will get yours too...eventually.

I second what Terri says.

If it wasn't for the complications with her daughter (adult dependent) then I would have advised her to pop home to reapply for a spousal visa, and I have done this for many people in the last year.

If you do have children and you don't think you are in a position to go back to the US right now, you might decide that you would be better off applying for another period of further leave rather than ILR.  The reason for this is that, ebcause of recent case law, if you have children they cannot send you home...but they could still refuse you ILR (again, I didn't advise Terri of this as her case was unique).

If you need a hand, give me a shout.

Vicky