ILR Woes

Hi there

Despite my efforts, could not get appointment at Solihull, so travelled to Liverpool, where I was turned away by the receptionist for not having enough evidence. I followed the list on the application and used Lola's narrative but still apparently got it wrong. Must go back next Wednesday. This time I have filed every piece of correspondence I have in my possession in chronological order. I have 143 pieces of evidence. He can sort through it if he wants. I can't afford anymore trainfare or wasted annual leave days!!

143 pieces?  how many did you bring with you the first time?  maybe you caught the person on a bad day or something....which isn't an excuse, but still. 

God luck for the next time  how much did you take with you.

We are setting up a folder for 2 years time from the minute we get back to the UK and every piece of paper work can go in it.

I think Chris is going to apply for everything and anything so he has mail at the house.

For anyone wanting more mail in both names get quotes off insurance companies for car insurance contents and buildings insurance and life insurance and private medical cover that type of thing.  All of this can be done even when your in the USA so you have post from the minute you get back. The good thing is you can get it from several different compamies and they will all need renewing and it gives you 4 pieces of paper work to start with.

I took what I thought the application said, which was 11 pieces, 3 payslips each, passports and drivers licences.

Knowing the folder with all our stuff in was back home in Warwickshire so frustrated me that I'm taking the entire contents of our bills,etc, folder, in order since we got married, sub-divided by joint correspondence, things in my name and things in his name. If they can't find the amount they need amidst that lot, I might as well buy a plane ticket home.

  I am sure you will be ok but we are just starting and I can only imagine going through it again for a 2nd time is heart stopping and worrying.

Good luck

It is very confusing the way it is worded on the website and application.  They actually require 10 pieces per year for the two years, not ten pieces total.  But I am sure what has happened to you has, unfortunately, happened a number of times. Also, don't forget that is not the calendar year, but the actually time period (1st 12 months- 10 pieces, 2nd 12 months- 10 pieces)

Best of luck, hope things go well for you and it's all sorted...

I am SO nervous about this. So nervous in fact that I haven't been able to bring myself to start sifting through my paperwork. For some stupid reason I completely zoned out about saving things in the first year. I'm sure I've got bank statements, but I tend to err on the side of throwing things out when it comes to cleaning up around the house and my hunch is that I'm going to have a mighty hard time coming up with 10 things from my first year.

I have until October to sort myself out.... 

If you haven't saved things like bills call the companies they will or should beable to send you copies of your bills for your first year I have done this before when I needed a copy of something, the bank and visa should be able to do the same but I would get onto them now about copies of the stuff you need.

Ive only been here 6 weeks, but Im starting a folder to keep stuff in!   

Good luck Carla!

If you haven't saved things like bills call the companies they will or should beable to send you copies of your bills for your first year I have done this before when I needed a copy of something

That's a good idea. Maybe I'll start ringing around.... I have bank statements and credit card but probably not much more than that. Do mobile bills count? I know for identity proof they don't.... I should have one of those though.

Most of our utilities are in dh's name only. Grrr. I think the phone bill is in mine. Sorry, just thinking "out loud" here....  

Is it 10 things PER PERSON per year? Good lord this is going to be a struggle the more I think about it.  

Is it 10 things PER PERSON per year? Good lord this is going to be a struggle the more I think about it.  

It's 10 items per year.  You can have 10 for each person, for each year (for a total of 40 documents), but I think that'd be overkill.  If you don't have 10 items addressed to both of you, you can submit a combo -- 5-6 items addressed to you for year 1, 4-5 items addressed to your DH for year 1, etc.

Carla, did you only have 11 items total?  Or 11 items for each year?

If you haven't saved things like bills call the companies they will or should beable to send you copies of your bills for your first year I have done this before when I needed a copy of something, the bank and visa should be able to do the same but I would get onto them now about copies of the stuff you need.

yes very good suggestion. When I applied for my fiance visa,we had to provide Dales bank statements,he never keeps them. So he called his bank and they sent him all his bank statements for the past year. His bank doesnt charge,I'm not sure about others.

I have a question about this now. The electric and gas is in my name,but they have Mrs.Surname on it,not my first name or first initial of my first name.Do you think it will cause a problem?

When I did this last october, I had to have 10+ items with our names jointly on them i.e. bills, council tax, bank accounts...  That also included any quotes we receive for things like travel insurance.we included about 8 additional pieces that were addressed to only one of of us. Some of mine included my pay stubs and his pay stubs, savings account we put in my name, as well as some cards that friends and family had sent us complete with the envelope.  But not only did we put in the last 3 months worth, we pulled out about 2 from when I arrived here so they would have enough to see from when I arrived to the present time.  We put each piece of information in a plastic sleeved folder and put the application in the very first sleeve with the cheque. In one sleeve would be the bank statements, in another would be the phone bills, in another the council tax... and so on. We figured the cheque itself would count as an item since it had both our names jointly on it!  Everything went smoothly with my application for ILR.

Chris and I have listened to all of this and have already started to think about stuff to apply for put in his name we have 2 joint accounts now bank and savings hsbc at this address and he should have letters here for when we get back so that will help and I have a folder ready for when we start to  save the paper work for 2 years time.

Fingers crossed we get the first visa.

I don't know if this will help but if you have a problem changing bills from one name to the other then cancel and reset up this is what we intend to do, call insurances companies for quotes on anything and everything that gives you more documents, health car household buildings that type of thing, check that some insurances companies will put both names on the cover for buildings and contents mine will once Chris is able to be here with the right visa when we are married, join or get a quote off the AA the RCA, car mot take it in turns to get the car done the bill will have either one of your names on, ask your doctor dentist to put something in the post to you reminder that type of thing, if your in the states then send a letter over with something important in addressed to both of you recorded delivery for when you get back.

Just a few ideas I hope they may be of use to anyone just starting as Chris and I are I have been racking my brains for ideas to make sure we get enough stuff together. Sad we have not even got the spousal visa as yet. But I we have to think positive and stay positive its very hard.