ILR Documents check please

I read it as:

2.5 - how many years and months have you lived together? (i.e. 2 years and 6 months)

They have changed the question, it used to be clearer.

Thanks ksand24 for both replies

Back to my HR team it was for a January payslip and a new letter - luckily they were cool about it

Dug out my Janaury bak statement. 

Im now following your suggested January payslip onwards route

Thank heavens for people like you and this forum

I like to think im educated and hold down a good job and operate at a high level BUT this whole process like blows your brain especially the way they word things etc

Thanks again

Thanks ksand24 for both replies

Back to my HR team it was for a January payslip and a new letter - luckily they were cool about it

Dug out my Janaury bak statement. 

Im now following your suggested January payslip onwards route

Thank heavens for people like you and this forum

I like to think im educated and hold down a good job and operate at a high level BUT this whole process like blows your brain especially the way they word things etc

Thanks again

IF you're going 'back in time" to January onwards, be sure the most recent date of your pay and bank statements falls within 28 days of your application date.  If you're having trouble juggling this, it's okay to have slightly more than 6 months covered.  You can't have less, but you can give a little more to make sure you're covered.

This thread is great as I've also been preparing for ILR in Sept. However, I entered the country 5 years ago Aug 22nd...I need to renew 25 days before this date?? That bumps my timeline up considerably! My FLR is valid through Oct, so I thought renewing in Sept. would be fine??? 

This thread is great as I've also been preparing for ILR in Sept. However, I entered the country 5 years ago Aug 22nd...I need to renew 25 days before this date?? That bumps my timeline up considerably! My FLR is valid through Oct, so I thought renewing in Sept. would be fine???

The earliest you can apply is 28 days before you reach 5 years in the U.K. (for you, that’s today... July 25th 2018)

The latest you can apply is the expiry date of your current visa (for you, this is October 2018).


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Thank you! Crisis averted. We're still on track for September, then. :-D

One other question: last time we did FLR, we had a premium appt at a processing centre and it was all done the same day. But now I see there is an online option as well (is this new? I don't remember an online option 2 years ago when we did this). What are the advantages, if any, to online v. premium? How quickly do you get a response through the online method? And do you still need to go to a processing centre anyway?

Thank you!

Thank you! Crisis averted. We're still on track for September, then. :-D

One other question: last time we did FLR, we had a premium appt at a processing centre and it was all done the same day. But now I see there is an online option as well (is this new? I don't remember an online option 2 years ago when we did this). What are the advantages, if any, to online v. premium? How quickly do you get a response through the online method? And do you still need to go to a processing centre anyway?

The online option is just a different way of filling out the paper form - your options for applying are still either in person at a premium appointment, or by post.

However, we do NOT recommend using the online form. It is fairly new, the site is glitchy, we cannot see it so we can't help you fill it out, and you have to submit the application before you can even book your in-person appointment - which could be 45 working days away.

At the moment, you may find you cannot even get an appointment until October, since all of the premium centres are saying there are no appointments available for the next 45 working days (which is probably not true, but the site is also glitchy).

I would apply in the following way:

For applying in person:
- book an appointment ASAP... if no appointments show up, just keep trying every day (maybe a few times a day... trying at midnight may help) until you can get one
- you will pay the in-person premium fee (£610) and the application fee (£2,389) when you book the appointment
- you then have until the appointment date to fill out the paper application form and get all your documents in order
- attend the in-person appointment

For applying by post:
- gather your documents
- fill out the paper form
- mail it all off with the payment details and documents when you're ready

Thank you again for this! I just tried to book a premium appointment and as you predicted, there are no available appointments in the next 45 days. It never occurred to me that getting an appointment would be so tricky. I can't believe there are no appointments available 9 wks out! We even looked at two separate locations (Croydon and Cardiff) and no luck. Maybe we're heading to Liverpool....meh.

If it turns out we can't get a premium appointment in time in case they're all booked up, how do the postal options work? I have to mail the documents before my visa expires (Oct 1, I'm assuming, since I was granted FLR Apr 1 2016), or I need to have everything mailed off and *approved* before Oct 1? And how long is the postal turn-around? My apologies for being so ill-informed...I don't think I've been taking this seriously enough because it was so straightforward for us last time, and I'm still happily married and we meet the financial requirements yadda yadda...just figured ILR would be straightforward too. 

Thank you again for this! I just tried to book a premium appointment and as you predicted, there are no available appointments in the next 45 days. It never occurred to me that getting an appointment would be so tricky. I can't believe there are no appointments available 9 wks out! We even looked at two separate locations (Croydon and Cardiff) and no luck. Maybe we're heading to Liverpool....meh.

This is a common complaint, usually there are no appointments available anywhere in the country. But don't panic, keep trying, we have yet to see someone not being able to get one eventually. Try though the night (midnight, 3 am, 6 am) and you will hopefully find one then.

If it turns out we can't get a premium appointment in time in case they're all booked up, how do the postal options work? I have to mail the documents before my visa expires (Oct 1, I'm assuming, since I was granted FLR Apr 1 2016), or I need to have everything mailed off and *approved* before Oct 1? And how long is the postal turn-around? My apologies for being so ill-informed...I don't think I've been taking this seriously enough because it was so straightforward for us last time, and I'm still happily married and we meet the financial requirements yadda yadda...just figured ILR would be straightforward too.

As long as your application has been submitted before your current leave expires, you are protected by section 3C of the immigration rules. Your current leave and permissions are extended.
The service standard is 6 months for ILR but someone had theirs approved not too long ago in a couple of months or perhaps just a bit longer. Most everyone goes for the in-person appointment for ILR though as they just want to be done with it! 

Dear Larabee:

Thank you for your kind words. I am completely panicking now, though!!! I tried to get an appointment last night after midnight. There were dates available, but none of the appointment times would load, the site kept crashing or freezing every time I selected a date. So I completely failed to get an appointment. I'll try again tonight after midnight, and set my alarm for 3 am and try again if midnight didn't work. The available dates were through Sept. 15th. I need an appointment sometime in Sept!  Aaaahhh!!!

Dear Larabee:

Thank you for your kind words. I am completely panicking now, though!!! I tried to get an appointment last night after midnight. There were dates available, but none of the appointment times would load, the site kept crashing or freezing every time I selected a date. So I completely failed to get an appointment. I'll try again tonight after midnight, and set my alarm for 3 am and try again if midnight didn't work. The available dates were through Sept. 15th. I need an appointment sometime in Sept!  Aaaahhh!!!

Don't worry, you will get something. Keep trying and good luck! 

I've been up every night after midnight for the past several nights frantically trying to get an appointment as the website freezes and crashes or just fails to  load, and I have been setting my alarm and trying again at 3 am too. No joy to be had at all during the day, as it always says appointments all booked up for the next 45 business days during the day, with available dates only showing up after midnight (but then the actual appointment slots usually failing to load). BUT tonight my hard work has paid off and we now have an appointment date: Sept. 10th at the premium processing centre in Croydon. So huzzah for that! Now to finish assembling all our documents. Expect a forthcoming document checklist of my own soon enough. Thank you again for your help. SO relieved we have a Sept. date!!   

I've been up every night after midnight for the past several nights frantically trying to get an appointment as the website freezes and crashes or just fails to  load, and I have been setting my alarm and trying again at 3 am too. No joy to be had at all during the day, as it always says appointments all booked up for the next 45 business days during the day, with available dates only showing up after midnight (but then the actual appointment slots usually failing to load). BUT tonight my hard work has paid off and we now have an appointment date: Sept. 10th at the premium processing centre in Croydon. So huzzah for that! Now to finish assembling all our documents. Expect a forthcoming document checklist of my own soon enough. Thank you again for your help. SO relieved we have a Sept. date!!   

Great news!