Anomalies in HSMP Process - (Must Read)

[drewchad]

I finally received my passport back & have FLR until December 2005. So my HSMP mission is now complete, or at least on hold until extension time next year.

I would like to share some of the anomalies encountered and overcome in my application, use this information at your Peril:

1) My earnings were solely through a limited company. I sent in a copy of my SA100 (personal tax return) which still hasn't been processed by Inland Revenue. So it looks as if UK earnings aren't checked with Inland Revenue.

2) Neither of the referees I used to prove work experience were contacted.

3) The company that I procured a job offer from, to speed up my application, was never contacted to verify its legitimacy.

4) I sent in an FLR application without having received my HSMP decision. This was because my WHV was expiring. There was a period of 2 days between when my WHV expired & when I received my HSMP approval. I received my FLR with no queries about this at all.

5) I used the "Other" option on the urgent form, stating: "I need to show my employer I have the right to legally work in the UK". It seems from my experience, & a few others on this forum, that anyone can get away with using the other box.

[Chess]

It is surprising that some of the 'short - falls' were not picked up. Caseworkers are normal human beings just like any of us and they tend to use 'gut' feeling or experience when dealing with cases..


I think if I recall correctly, youy are a NEWZEALAND nataional - so from the historeical commonwealth countries - so HO will assume that you are honest and that everything is in order....


...unfortunately, had you been from say Nigeria, Pakistan or even Bangladesh, then your applicaytion could have been scrutinised further - I am just guessiong...


..as you rightly said, anyone should take your experiences at their own peril.


BTW, HO will have a second bite of the sherry come renewal time

However, as applications increase in number, many will be determined using 'gut' feeling


goodluck and all the best with the future

[try-one]

Everything in life has risks, in your case you took some risks and got away with it, for example the FLR application, now, if things went differently you might end up in trouble with the HO, declining the FLR is one example.....anyway, it is better to do things as the guidelines explain and avoid any problems

[MWazir]

Aside from Checkmate's comments

One of the factors is that you are an in-country applicant. I think its a lot easier for incountry applicants than it is for others. There may be some but I havent heard of any incountry applicant who was rejected.

My guess is the HO assumption is that a lot of factors have already been validated when the applicant comes into the country. Regarding job references, I am not suprised given their volumes (read time constraints). Even where they have doubts over the references, they have rejected the application instead of having the references verified.

[Alagomeji]

Heh heh. Nigeria.

[bani]

I'm more inclined to think they rely on more than 1 piece of evidence. For work experience, they ask for a letter and a payslip or tax return. And one's earnings documents have to be consistent with that too. So if everything looks good and consistent, there shouldn't be a problem. I was also wondering why they didn't contact my referees, but they could have easily checked the legitimacy/existence of the referees through their websites, and there are publications online linking me to those referees. I thought my caseworker was thorough (even nitpicky) when she asked for additional information, so I'm thinking she did verify the documents somehow.

I'm sure there are cases that are less scrutinized, but I still think it's very risky to be complacent or to send false documents.