SET (M) filling online form , booking PSC appointment, Which date is considered Date of Application ?

[bluebird12]

Hi ,

Thanks everyone who is helping other members by replying their queries.
1- I want to clarify which date is considered Date of Application when somebody applying ILR SET(M) by filling and submitting online form and then booking PSC appointment ? Is it online form submitted date or PSC appointment date is considered Date of application?

(2) Can somebody first book PSC appointment and then fill online form and submit online application OR it can only be possible to book PSC appointment after filling online form ? The reason asking this question is that some times even appointment Slots are not available for 45 days and existing LTR gets expired before you get PSC appointment?

[dadageer]

Hi ,

Thanks everyone who is helping other members by replying their queries.
1- I want to clarify which date is considered Date of Application when somebody applying ILR SET(M) by filling and submitting online form and then booking PSC appointment ? Is it online form submitted date or PSC appointment date is considered Date of application?

(2) Can somebody first book PSC appointment and then fill online form and submit online application OR it can only be possible to book PSC appointment after filling online form ? The reason asking this question is that some times even appointment Slots are not available for 45 days and existing LTR gets expired before you get PSC appointment?

Hi,

This is my understanding that "Date of application" for an online application is just a date when you submit an application. They will not start assesing your case until you book a PSC appointment. Moreover, they will delete your online application if you don't fill it completely and book a PSC appointment within 70 days. So, I think date of PSC appointment is the date which you should be looking at for your LTR Expiry (not earlier than 28 days of your LTR expiry).

I was actually in your shoes few weeks back when I filled SET(M) online form on behalf of my wife and reached to the stage where I had to book a PSC appointment but never got a slot. I then left the application there and booked the PSC appointment seperately using the following link. This way I secured the appointment but then I cannot go back to online application until I cancel the appointment and book it from there. So I have now filled the paper application form SET(M) which we will take next month to Cardiff and left online application partially filled. One of the other reason I was put off by online application is that once you book PSC appoinment through it and SUBMIT, you cannot go back and make any changes in the application form. With paper form you can always make changes and re-print. I am not sure why Home office would put this restriction on online form even though I liked it as it is quite easy and asks you only relevant questions.

https://visas-immigration.service.gov.u ... nt-booking

Hope this helps.

[bluebird12]

dadageer indeed many thanks for your kindly reply and you are right that Date of application is the date of PSC appointment date but that is only for when paper form filled in and taken with you on appointment day...

But if online form is filled and submitted .,. after that PSC appointment is booked , in this case date of application is the date when online form is submitted and NOT the PSC appointment date .., and 28 days period should be counted accordingly... I have read today an article of a solicitor about this topic ,,, it is very confusing situation and a minor mistake applying wrong time could cause you reject your application, loose £2999 fees , become overstayer ... could somebody else please clarify about it ? Many thanks

[michali]

We will not be applying for ILR until next year but this is an issue that really confuses me too! Can I ask if, when you abandoned the online application and booked the PSC appt from the link you provided, you were able to pay for the visa as well as the PSC appointment? And at what point you paid for it? I really hope the paper version will still be available next year, because if you submit the paper form 45 days before the PSC appt. and that is the date of application, then your financial documents have to be within 28 days before that! Which would make them very out of date by the day of the PSC appt,!

[bluebird12]

After reading and searching on UKVI website I have found the answer of my question asked earlier on above mentioned ...

The answer lies in immigration rules paragraph 34G Sub-section 4 , yes Date of application is considered the date when online form filled and submitted but not the PSC appointment date ...in this particular situation even PSC appointment could be after expiry of existing LTR , application will be still valid but I could be wrong thnking like that ....?

[dadageer]

I would suggest that avoid the risk of using online form as it is still very new and not many people know how it works. Book a PSC appointment through the link I provided above and fill the paper form.

[dadageer]

We will not be applying for ILR until next year but this is an issue that really confuses me too! Can I ask if, when you abandoned the online application and booked the PSC appt from the link you provided, you were able to pay for the visa as well as the PSC appointment? And at what point you paid for it? I really hope the paper version will still be available next year, because if you submit the paper form 45 days before the PSC appt. and that is the date of application, then your financial documents have to be within 28 days before that! Which would make them very out of date by the day of the PSC appt,!

Yes. So when we booked the PSC appointment it asks what you are applying for and then charges PSC+Application fee. It gives you a payment reference and booking referece. You will then attach this with the paper application form.

[michali]

Thanks! I am SO hoping they keep the paper version option next year! With the uncertainty of the date of application when using the online version, I will steer clear of that.

[bluebird12]

Date of application is the Date when online application is submitted as it is clearly mentioned in immigration rules paragraph 34G , sub-section 4 and PSC appointment need to be booked within 45 business days or application can be made by post ...online aplication date should be within 28 days of completing 5 years residency for period SET(M).

However because PSC appointment have to be booked after online application submition it will further delays to book PSC appointment and get final decision of application and I think the online application reference we get after submition is linked with PSC appointment as well otherwise it would be very ideal and time saving if somebody could book first PSC appointment and then apply online in order to save time , I am not sure if someone has already done like that ....? we will wait to get a reply from an expert member or guru on this point ?

[hamzababy]

we will wait to get a reply from an expert member or guru on this point ?

they are having a nice day off today lol ....

pheww... all this is so complex... you just end up getting confused .. keeping all in line , eligible date for ilr then finding appointment on time and know when your eligible for it and all this while making sure payslips are within 28 days too lol

after reading your thread i think i will just book an appointment and take good old 50+ pages paper form with me ( btw appointment has to be 45 business days before eligibility date , or is it 28 days ) ...

[michali]

So it looks like you would have to book the PSC appointment only 28 days before appt if applying online. Goodness, it is hard enough to get a PSC appt 45 days in advance, let alone 28 days! Why do they make it so difficult? Rhetorical question! We know why!

[dadageer]

Date of application is the Date when online application is submitted as it is clearly mentioned in immigration rules paragraph 34G , sub-section 4 and PSC appointment need to be booked within 45 business days or application can be made by post ...online aplication date should be within 28 days of completing 5 years residency for period SET(M).

However because PSC appointment have to be booked after online application submition it will further delays to book PSC appointment and get final decision of application and I think the online application reference we get after submition is linked with PSC appointment as well otherwise it would be very ideal and time saving if somebody could book first PSC appointment and then apply online in order to save time , I am not sure if someone has already done like that ....? we will wait to get a reply from an expert member or guru on this point ?

You cannot do like that as I already explained. The online application and PSC appointment are linked unless you apply from the link I provided and take the paper form with you. If you are filling the online application form and want to book a PSC appointment then until you select a PSC slot and pay the fee the application will not be submitted. This means you will not get a payment ref and Date of Application. This is what I said was my case. I abandoned the online application when I reached to PSC appointment page and then booked it seperately from the PSC appointment link. From there I got a payment ref and Booking ref. Now if I go back to online form I must book fresh PSC appointment through that online application for the application to be completed and ready to be submitted. If I want to do that I will have to cancel my other PSC appointment. So this is why I am not doing it online and taking the good ol' 1000 page paper form to PSC.

[joshdan]

Solved with proof.

When you use 'Apply online' and then finally you pay and book a premium appointment, you see the following page https://www.dropbox.com/s/nuejptbzl8u21vw/doc1.png?dl=0 . There it clearly states, "You have a few more steps before your application is complete". Then if you click on the button 'Save and continue to the final tasks', you are shown the steps to complete the application and step 3 is "Attend your appointment at a premium application centre". https://www.dropbox.com/s/fou8og574tx9jya/doc2.png?dl=0

What this proves is that, the application date is the date that you attend your premium application centre !

The images: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nuejptbzl8u21vw/doc1.png?dl=0 and https://www.dropbox.com/s/fou8og574tx9jya/doc2.png?dl=0

[michali]

Thank you!

[desiwanderlust]

Solved with proof.

When you use 'Apply online' and then finally you pay and book a premium appointment, you see the following page https://www.dropbox.com/s/nuejptbzl8u21vw/doc1.png?dl=0 . There it clearly states, "You have a few more steps before your application is complete". Then if you click on the button 'Save and continue to the final tasks', you are shown the steps to complete the application and step 3 is "Attend your appointment at a premium application centre". https://www.dropbox.com/s/fou8og574tx9jya/doc2.png?dl=0

What this proves is that, the application date is the date that you attend your premium application centre !

The images: https://www.dropbox.com/s/nuejptbzl8u21vw/doc1.png?dl=0 and https://www.dropbox.com/s/fou8og574tx9jya/doc2.png?dl=0

Hi joshdan,

Thanks for the advice - been struggling to find an answer to this question!

[bluebird12]

Hi Joshdan,
Thanks for your reply but it is the way you think or your interpretation that when applying online Date of application is the date of PSC appointment day but what about immigration rules paragraph 34 G sub-section 4 which clearly state it is the date when online application is submitted so I would rather strict to meet immigration rules requirements instead of following general opinion of members on this forum.



Moreover, most experienced moderator CR001 has also mentioned on this forum somewhere that it is the date when online application is submitted and not PSC appointment date when applying online ,,, and I am very confident on her knowledge.

[desiwanderlust]

Hi Joshdan,
Thanks for your reply but it is the way you think or your interpretation that when applying online Date of application is the date of PSC appointment day but what about immigration rules paragraph 34 G sub-section 4 which clearly state it is the date when online application is submitted so I would rather strict to meet immigration rules requirements instead of following general opinion of members on this forum.



Moreover, most experienced moderator CR001 has also mentioned on this forum somewhere that it is the date when online application is submitted and not PSC appointment date when applying online ,,, and I am very confident on her knowledge.

Hi bluebird,

From the forums that I've gone through - CR001 seems to indicate that the PSC appointment date is the date of application and not when online application is submitted. Can you point out where you've seen otherwise?

Thanks!

[Konzo1]

Date of application is the Date when online application is submitted as it is clearly mentioned in immigration rules paragraph 34G , sub-section 4 and PSC appointment need to be booked within 45 business days or application can be made by post ...online aplication date should be within 28 days of completing 5 years residency for period SET(M).

However because PSC appointment have to be booked after online application submition it will further delays to book PSC appointment and get final decision of application and I think the online application reference we get after submition is linked with PSC appointment as well otherwise it would be very ideal and time saving if somebody could book first PSC appointment and then apply online in order to save time , I am not sure if someone has already done like that ....? we will wait to get a reply from an expert member or guru on this point ?

@bluebird12 , I think you are getting the context of the "...online application date should be within 28 days of completing 5 years residency for period SET(M)." WRONG.
In this case, the 28 days should be within the PSC appointment date ie when your ILR case will be reviewed and not when you submitted the application online. The difference between the PSC appointment and postal application is that, with the postal application as soon as it gets posted and HO received your application then it can be reviewed there and then. whereas with the online application the PSC appointment date decides when your application will be reviewed. and that REVIEW DATE is crucial. I stand corrected

[bluebird12]

Hi Desiwanderlust and Konzo1,

I will wait till CR001 or any other senior moderator will reply directly to clarify the above queries?

[michali]

Because there has not really been a clear, definitive answer on this, it is much better to use the paper application form if you want a PSC appointment. This eliminates all the concern for date of application, documents being within the 28 day window, etc.

[joshdan]

For anyone who is yet to book an appointment, please avoid using the online application, instead just book the appointment. Or if you are one like me, who didn't realise and booked the appointment using online application, do not worry, just fill a paper application form and turn up to your appointment date. I can confirm that, it is indeed the date of premium appointment that counts as I called up the UKBA phone number to confirm this. My legal adviser has also confirmed this statement.

To clarify, I will still be applying using the physical application form for Set(O) instead of the online form that I filled. This is mainly because of the online form being shorter and not comprehensive in questions asked.

Essentially, on the day of appointment, you are allowed to changed the application type incase you booked for a different SET code, hence online appointment or not, you are allowed to change it to what you need on the day of appointment as per UKBA.

Best,
Josh

Hi Joshdan,
Thanks for your reply but it is the way you think or your interpretation that when applying online Date of application is the date of PSC appointment day but what about immigration rules paragraph 34 G sub-section 4 which clearly state it is the date when online application is submitted so I would rather strict to meet immigration rules requirements instead of following general opinion of members on this forum.



Moreover, most experienced moderator CR001 has also mentioned on this forum somewhere that it is the date when online application is submitted and not PSC appointment date when applying online ,,, and I am very confident on her knowledge.

Hi bluebird,

From the forums that I've gone through - CR001 seems to indicate that the PSC appointment date is the date of application and not when online application is submitted. Can you point out where you've seen otherwise?

Thanks!

[snoon]

Hello,

Has any actually submitted an online application more than 28 days before the visa runs out and attended an appointed within the 28 days time frame? Can anyone tell us from experience that it was not an issue?

Thank you
Sultana