IMPORTANT: End-to-end Process for Tier 1

[sangop02]

Hello Everyone

Although this is my first post in this forum, I have been an avid reader of the posts here and have gained immensely from both the questions posed and the answers given in this forum.

And now I have one. I am trying to understand how does the whole process for Tier 1 visa works from end to end. What I mean by that is trying to understand once I submit my application at VFS in India, what happens to my application next. This is my understanding and I am certain I would have got some parts wrong or missed out something. So I urge the more experienced member to guide me with this. So here goes:

STEP 1: Submit application and supporting documentation at VFS (India)
STEP 2: Application forwarded to British High Commission or UK Border Agency. I am not sure where exactly it goes to. Help!
STEP 3: Application forwarded to Integra screen for verification. Now I have been in the UK for the past 1 year and all my salary and bank documents pertain to the UK. So it should be sent to Integra Screen in the UK for verification, isn't it?
STEP 4: Once the Integra Screen verification is completed, my case is assigned to one of the case workers within UK Border Agency/British High Commission (not sure which one again)
STEP 5: Application approved by UKBA/BHC and sent back to India for stamping. Don't know who does the stamping either?

Hope I am making sense and it helps others, like me, who are not sure what happens after the application is submitted.

Thanks
Sandeep Gopal