SET(O) Success @ Solihull - with Visa Gap
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:01 pm
Hi,
First of all, I should thank all the members of this forum who have been sharing their experiences which actually gave me a courage and confidence to go ahead and apply mine.
My case was NOT straight forward. Though my two work permits (2+3) are overlapping I had a visa gap between two ECs when I changed my employer.
This was discussed here
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=57961
Appointment:
I booked an appointment with Solihull PEO for 07-March at 10.30 and reached there 45 minutes earlier. After a simple security check they issued a token and asked me to wait. The staff were extremely polite and helpful.
While waiting I was just looking through different wall posters there and one was very interesting which has step by step procedure of all applications at Solihull.
Steps are
• Book an appointment over phone or online
• Arrive and Wait till you are called
• Attend the Interview(this is where the case is decided)
• Pay the fee
• Collect the passport
Everyone knows these things but the point I am trying to make here is they process the payment only after the case is decided. This is very official because they have written this clearly on the wall. I have had my previous experience at Croydon where they process payments straight away.
Coming back to my story I was called after 15 minutes to the counter and I had started feeling very nervous already.
My case worker was a woman in her 50s and polite again.
At this moment she only asked my application form and passport. She spent couple of minutes on her computer typing details from my form and put the form aside.
She then took my passport landed straight into my first EC page and started typing again. I was literally praying that she should miss out the gap.
But after couple of minutes she had a look at my second EC and said there is a gap. I thought the game over but did not want to give up so told her the second work permit was approved before the first visa expiry. She looked at the passport again and not fully convinced. She asked my first work permit and had a look. She asked the reason why I did not submit my application on time .I said i had a family emergency.
She noted something down on her form and discussed this with the other case worker sitting next to her. But still they were not convinced and asked me to wait for couple of minutes because she wants to check this.
As the PEO is very small I could see what was happening inside. She walked away from the desk and started having a chat for couple of minutes with the guy wearing a proper UKBA uniform and he signed the form she had.
Then she came back with the smiling face and said its ok.Thank god thats what I am waiting for.
I was then asked for LIUK test certificate, employer letter and last three months payslips.
Once she had them she said i will be granted ILR and proceed for the payment and asked me to collect the passport after an hour.
That’s it guys I paid and left the building the case working process only took 20 minutes. Went back after an hour my passport was ready to collect.
Checked the passport and left the building with happy ending.
Documents Submitted:
• First Work Permit
• LIUK Certificate
• Employer Letter
• Last three months payslips.
No P60s
No Bank Statement
No proof from previous employment.
First of all, I should thank all the members of this forum who have been sharing their experiences which actually gave me a courage and confidence to go ahead and apply mine.
My case was NOT straight forward. Though my two work permits (2+3) are overlapping I had a visa gap between two ECs when I changed my employer.
This was discussed here
http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=57961
Appointment:
I booked an appointment with Solihull PEO for 07-March at 10.30 and reached there 45 minutes earlier. After a simple security check they issued a token and asked me to wait. The staff were extremely polite and helpful.
While waiting I was just looking through different wall posters there and one was very interesting which has step by step procedure of all applications at Solihull.
Steps are
• Book an appointment over phone or online
• Arrive and Wait till you are called
• Attend the Interview(this is where the case is decided)
• Pay the fee
• Collect the passport
Everyone knows these things but the point I am trying to make here is they process the payment only after the case is decided. This is very official because they have written this clearly on the wall. I have had my previous experience at Croydon where they process payments straight away.
Coming back to my story I was called after 15 minutes to the counter and I had started feeling very nervous already.
My case worker was a woman in her 50s and polite again.
At this moment she only asked my application form and passport. She spent couple of minutes on her computer typing details from my form and put the form aside.
She then took my passport landed straight into my first EC page and started typing again. I was literally praying that she should miss out the gap.
But after couple of minutes she had a look at my second EC and said there is a gap. I thought the game over but did not want to give up so told her the second work permit was approved before the first visa expiry. She looked at the passport again and not fully convinced. She asked my first work permit and had a look. She asked the reason why I did not submit my application on time .I said i had a family emergency.
She noted something down on her form and discussed this with the other case worker sitting next to her. But still they were not convinced and asked me to wait for couple of minutes because she wants to check this.
As the PEO is very small I could see what was happening inside. She walked away from the desk and started having a chat for couple of minutes with the guy wearing a proper UKBA uniform and he signed the form she had.
Then she came back with the smiling face and said its ok.Thank god thats what I am waiting for.
I was then asked for LIUK test certificate, employer letter and last three months payslips.
Once she had them she said i will be granted ILR and proceed for the payment and asked me to collect the passport after an hour.
That’s it guys I paid and left the building the case working process only took 20 minutes. Went back after an hour my passport was ready to collect.
Checked the passport and left the building with happy ending.
Documents Submitted:
• First Work Permit
• LIUK Certificate
• Employer Letter
• Last three months payslips.
No P60s
No Bank Statement
No proof from previous employment.
