My story goes like this, I received my work permit in 2005 but travelled in July 2006. Renewed my visa in 2007 in UK and travelled back to my country for good in Mar, 2008. But I came back to UK again in July, 2008, so as per that entry I applied for ILR. As per the new rule of 180 days break in a year and all, I did not try instead I waited for my 4 years 11 month which completed day before yesterday.
So, you all can understand I waited for 6 years and 11 months because of 4 months break in 2008. You can calculate your dates on the site http://www.timeanddate.com/
As usual appointment was @ 10:00, started from home at 06:45. I followed M25 and I had a lottery on the day as no traffic queuing.
Entered into home office at 09:00 and I was allowed to go into office after looking at printout of EMAIL from home office confirming my appointment date and time. I think I was allowed 1 hour before my appointment time because I was with family
09:05: 1st floor security checks
09:15: Received the token (paper) from counter at same floor, asked for filled form, passports and the postal letter from office confirming the payments of booking the appointment, stamped 1st some pages, then family was escorted by a lady to 3rd floor. I waited in waiting area.
09:30: Payment counter paid the money, asked for form, waited again in waiting area in front of counters.
**I informed my bank one day before the appointment about the £3450 transaction.
09:45: Called for Case registration
** Asked for application form, passports, photos, token number and payment receipt.
** Asked to submit the file itself which I was carrying with originals and copy of those.
Note: You will not be asked to submit your documents 1 by 1, so prepare a file with best documents with copies you can provide.
10:20: Case registered, my 2 files were tied by rubber
10:25: Called for bio metric
10:40: Bio metric completed, and submitted the tied files and was left with only token number
** Again came to 1st waiting area and started watching the screen for my case status.
Status: Awaiting Biometric verification,
11:25: status changed to Awaiting consideration
11:40: status changed to under consideration and
12:40: status changed to Ready for collection
12:45: Case number was displayed on the screen with counter. You have to wait for 3 and half hours to experience the sentence “You application has been approved”.
No interaction with Case worker.
My originals were clipped with one colour and copies were in different colour clip, just for identification
Documents submitted
1. SET(0) form, pinned all photos in small envelope (2 extra copies, just in case)
2. 2 photos for each
3. Letter from company confirming my SOC code, annual salary, weekly working hours, 21 days annual holiday (paid leave)
4. Passports and their copies
5. BRP and copies
6. Salary slips (12 months) and copies
7. Salary slips (2 months, month in which kid was born and the month before) confirming I received OSPP as required in section 5.7 and 5.8
8. Bank Statement (12 months) and copies
9. P60 last 5 years and copies
10. 1st Work permit which I received in 2005
Cohabitation documents (as in sequence only 7)
1. Marriage certificate
2. Birth certificate of kid born in UK (did not apply for the kid’s ILR, will apply through MN1, once we will receive the BRP)
3. A very simple letter from GP confirming both of us have been registered with GP since July, 2006 (paid £15)
4. A very simple letter from Council confirming both of us have been staying at address since yyyy and the previous address as well so covered all the last 5 years (Free)
5. A very simple letter from property agent confirming both of us have been staying at property since 2010 because my wife name is not the agreement.
6. Council Tax bills (2013-14, some previous years), did not have all the council tax bills
7. A very simpe letter from Electoral office confirming both of us havee been registered with the Electoral office (paid £15)
** The dates on this letter 7 were not matching with the above letters (3, 4, 5) because it seems I did not inform the Electoral office in time.
Cohab docs were clipped together.
I think, our cohabitation documents were very simple and were not of much interest to home office as we just got our extension 6 months back with BRP.
My experience “Keep it simple and collect as many as documents”
Waiting for BRP..... will update.
One suggestion: NO agent required, very simple form and process
Would like to help......