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Hello everyone,

Finally it is time for me to make my ILR application.
Thanks to this board which helped me out in the long journey so far for initial Tier 1 (General) application, extension, spouse visa application and extension and I have more questions to ask now.

I am planning to apply for ILR after March 15th this year, thanks to something outside my control.
I have always been an employee (no self-employment, second jobs etc) and no arrests, court judgements etc.

This is how my absences get split into, based on my application date :

• Year 5 - 48 days (22 days work trip, 26 days paid holiday)
  Year 4 - 97 days (unpaid leave 24 days, paid leave 7 days, work trips 44 days, compassionate leave due to bereavement 9 days,)
  Year 3 - 79 days (compassionate leave due to bereavement 10 days, paid leave 24 days, work trips 45 days)
  Year 2 - 39 days (all paid leave)
  Year 1 - 23 days (all paid leave)

Now, for year 5 (back in 2011), the company that I worked for has been dissolved and no one can give me a letter on official stationery, so 22 day trip evidence cannot be given. I believe UKVI will ignore this if they can see that I was employed with that company (please correct me if I am wrong)

Year 4 (2012) is what worries me a lot, as I had taken a vacation between jobs. At the end of Year 4 and beginning of Year 3, I had to take compassionate leave to deal with a bereavement (funeral, final rites etc.)

From 2012 - 2015, I have taken work trips to a city where my previous employer's offshore partners were located, which also happens to be my home town. This worked out well for the company and me but I am worried as to what sort of proof other than the employer's letter is needed. The previous employer who sent me on these trips will give me a letter describing the nature of my role (technical consultant), the necessity for me to travel (knowledge transfer, training and software project execution) and the list of trips I had to take. I hope that this is sufficient.

I have also worked a lot of days over the weekends (was a bachelor back then) and took off days in lieu. This will also be included in the employer's letter for paid leave, though I am not sure if UKVI will accept this.

Any advice from the mods or folks who faced a similar situation recently (as I believe that this tighter scrutiny of Tier 1 ILR seems to be happening now) is greatly appreciated. I would like to know how to deal with this unpaid leave situation in Year 4.

Thanks in advance !

BL69

guys, mods please any opinion on my situation ?

I am thinking of providing proof only for work trips and compassionate leave and not providing any for paid/unpaid holidays. Would that work ? It seems to have worked in the past.

Thanks !

Hi blacklabel69,
How did your application go ? I am in similar situation. Can you please update ?

Hi there,

I went with a solicitor and I got my ILR in about 90 mins at Croydon PSC. I wanted peace of mind and felt my case was not straight forward and it worked out. Good luck with yours !