Worried about supporting documents

[Uzdu]

Hi all,

I just wanted to ask you for your thoughts to a question regarding the recent EEA (PR) application I submitted. I spent months putting the application and supporting documents together but have just realised I might have made a mistake that could result in my application being rejected.

My worry is concerning the supporting documents I supplied, I moved to the UK in 1992 when I was 4:

I submitted the following:

-2 x passport photos
-EU National Identity Card
-Monthly banks statements showing every salary I have been paid, dating back 6 years
-A statement from HMRC providing the last 6 years of my employment history (I therefore didn't submit employment contracts)
-A letter from 1997 from the Home Office stating that I can remain indefinitely in the United Kingdom.
-6 years worth of council tax statements
-Latest payslip

The thing I'm worried about is that I recently purchased a property which I moved into late last year. I didn't submit my mortgage certificate or any evidence of me living at the new property (I did write my new address in the personal details section of the application form). The council tax bills, while for 2016/2017 were for my old property. Do you think this could result in my application being rejected? I'm also worried I didn't supply employment contracts as I felt the official letter from HMRC detailing my employment history was sufficient.

I think I have been relying too heavily on this Home Office letter getting me through the application, but now I'm worried it might not be valid anymore despite there being no expiry date.

Would it be worth sending a letter with the additional supporting documents to the same address, or just wait for the decision? If they feel I haven't submitted enough evidence will they write to me and ask or will they just reject the application?

Thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[noajthan]

If you have a letter from 1997 from the Home Office stating that you can remain indefinitely in the United Kingdom and it is still valid then you have hit the jackpot as you have evidently been settled in UK since 1997.
The key question is: have you enjoyed any prolonged absences from UK since then?
(ie absences of 2+ years)

That means you can (probably) shoot directly for naturalisation without all this PR nonsense.
Hopefully you have kept scans and copies of all documents submitted including that critical ILR letter.

The outcome of your PR application will now be immaterial (although interesting naturally).

Incidentally, without that letter confirming your ILR, in order to get confirmation of having acquired PR you would have to have submitted proof of:

• your id;
  residence in UK;
  absences from UK kept within prescribed limits;
  evidence of exercising treaty rights as a qualified person for 5 continuous years;

- but hopefully its all academic now.

[Uzdu]

Hi noajthan,

Thank you for your reply.

I have never left the UK for longer than 2 weeks since the letter was issued in 1997. There is no expiry date on the letter, however my understanding was that regardless of having this letter from the HO, a PR card was compulsory in order to apply for naturalization.

I sent the original letter along with my application, however I did take a scanned copy of this letter.
To be honest, that was the only document I took a scan off, as I thought if anything else gets lost then I can easily replace that.

Is it worth then completing and sending the naturalization application with the scanned copy of the ILR letter without a decision on the PR? Or wait until I at least receive the originals back and then sending everything?

Thank you

[noajthan]

Hi noajthan,

Thank you for your reply.

I have never left the UK for longer than 2 weeks since the letter was issued in 1997. There is no expiry date on the letter, however my understanding was that regardless of having this letter from the HO, a PR card was compulsory in order to apply for naturalization.

I sent the original letter along with my application, however I did take a scanned copy of this letter.
To be honest, that was the only document I took a scan off, as I thought if anything else gets lost then I can easily replace that.

Is it worth then completing and sending the naturalization application with the scanned copy of the ILR letter without a decision on the PR? Or wait until I at least receive the originals back and then sending everything?

Thank you

On that basis you should still have your ILR then.
If you have other family members in the same fortunate position you may wish to explain it to them too.

The requirement when naturalising is to be free from immigration time restrictions.
That means having settled status - which nowadays for those on EU migration trajectory means holding PR.
And for those on UK domestic route it means having ILR.

Before the days of free movement treaty rights even Europeans such as yourself could be granted ILR.
So you are settled and you can prove it, you just didn't know it.

As a rule you should send original supporting documents with application, so wait until PR application passes or fails and you get your docs back.

In the meantime you could check the AN form and AN guidance and booklet to see how you measure up.
Good luck.

[alterhase58]

Before the days of free movement treaty rights even Europeans such as yourself could be granted ILR.
So you are settled and you can prove it, you just didn't know it.

I can vouch for this - my letter giving me ILR was dated 1984, I also had the then blue card stamped with my ILR. So it certainly doesn't expire (unless for prolonged absence of two years).
EDIT: My BC application was approved without any queries.

[Uzdu]

Good news!! I received my PR card today, less than 2 months since I posted my application, so it must have been pretty straight forward.

An accompanying letter stated I can apply for a passport from 01/05/2017, so it gives me a few months to complete the life in the UK test and the next application form

Thanks for your help here!!