I am planning to apply for ILR as a Tier 1 General holder in June and am preparing for the same. I had a few questions on how to fill the form properly (Sorry for the long post. Hope people can understand my nervousness in this important step):
1) Section 6: Immigration History: Question 6.1: When did you (the main applicant) first enter the UK?
What date is the right one to mention here? This refers to the date of your first entry into the UK at the beginning of the period of stay on which this application is based:
I got my first Tier 1 General visa in 2010, and did come to UK right away. However, my continuous residency broke. I want to claim ILR based on my entry in UK in May 2012. The question is, should I answer this question with date from April 2010 or May 2012?
2) Section 1, Applicant Details: Question 10: Home Office Reference: What should I fill here? I don't have a reference number. Should I fill the number for my biometric card ?
3) Section 5: Home and Finances -- Question 5.3: Are you working in the UK?
I recently started working for an international company that needs me to be in Austria from Monday to Friday. We (I and my family are resident in UK). So, how should I answer this question? The confusion is related to next part of question 5.3 i.e. . It only asks you to provide pay details "If So" (i.e. only if you are working in UK). Unless I enter the pay details, I will not be able to justify how we take care of expenses (specially related to rent etc. that I filled in question 5.1 and 5.2). I have enough income, just don't know how to show it here in this section.
4) Section 5: Home and Finances -- Question 5.6: Related to above question, 5.6 only allows you to show details of income already shown in answer to questions 5.3
5) Section 6: Immigration History: Question 6.2: Since then have you had any absences from the UK? If yes, give the dates you left and returned to the UK and the reason for the absence in the spaces below. List all absences however short and in date order. If you need more space, continue on a separate sheet and enclose it with your application
I have many trips and the whole list will not fit in the table of absences in the form. For additional absences, do people use the same format as this table? I have seen some very elaborate formats on this forum that have more columns (including calculation of absent days). Which is the right one to use? Also, in this table, should I list the trips where I leave on one day and come back on next day (resulting in “zero” days of absence)?
6) Section 6: Immigration History: Question 6.3: What evidence has been provided to support the reasons for all absences from the UK?
Which box do I check if I have to write a personal letter as evidence of absences from the UK? I don’t think my absences are related to “compelling and compassionate” reasons. It was more holidays and visiting family while I was still looking for work in UK. Even under “Other”, the box says that only the evidence of compelling or compassionate reasons must be listed in this box.
Is there any recommended format of personal letter anyone can share to explain my non-work related absences? Essentially, I have taken a few trips while I did not have any UK based work. For these, I am planning to write personal letter.
7) Section 6: Immigration History: Question 6.12: Please give the dates of any absences spent outside of the Crown dependencies (Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey) and the UK.
Do I need to repeat the whole list of absences from UK again under this question? (Since the question asks for absences from both Crown Dependencies and UK)
Thank you for all your help and I really appreciate your time!
Cheers.




