Tier 1 -> ILR - Forms, Timing and other questions

[Shmoo]

I am a US citizen resident in the UK. I was granted a HSMP visa in January 31st of 2007 and came to the UK on February 6th 2007. I applied for visa renewal in 2009, at which point I received a Tier 1 visa which expires at the end of this month.

3 years ago, I married my German girlfriend, so I believe I am eligible to live and work in the UK as the spouse of an EU citizen. However, I am planning on applying for UK citizenship and I believe ILR through the HSMP->Tier 1->ILR route will be the quickest for me.

I would now like to apply for ILR, and I have the following questions:

• Which forms do I need to fill out?
• Do I need to submit any extra documentation that isn’t specifically listed in the forms?
• Should I submit this information now (before my visa expires) or after Feb 6th (when I will have been here 5 years?
• I have been unemployed, but looking for work, since June of this year. Will this make any difference in my application?

Many thanks in advance for any help provided.

[sunil.suneel]

-- Form : ILR (O)
-- nothing specific ...
-- upto 28 days prior to your visa expires.
-- Unemployed can be a major issue when applying for ILR.

[Shmoo]

Is SET(O) the same form as ILR(O)?

Regarding unemployment: Is it not even worth applying and spending all this money? Can I do anything to increase my chances?

[sunil.suneel]

Is SET(O) the same form as ILR(O)?

Regarding unemployment: Is it not even worth applying and spending all this money? Can I do anything to increase my chances?

yes ... that was a typo ... the application to be used is SET(O) ...

[Shmoo]

If I decide to skip the ILR application, or I submit it and it gets rejected, what do I need to do to stay in the UK legally, as the spouse of an EU citizen? Do I need a special visa so that I can travel without my wife?