A comment by UKBA officer at Heathrow

[kyborg99]

I came back from India yesterday after 3 weeks and the nice lady at the UKBA decided to chat with me whilst looking at my passport / Visa etc.

She asked me if I earn more than £40k / annum and I said yes, to which she went on and gave me some suggestions which I want to confirm are applicable to me by any chance?

She said this £40k / annum is a simple question which a lot of Tier1 holders don't answer correctly and they cancel their visas and prosecute them - this is fine - but then she said that Do you know you can not extend your T1 Visa in UK anymore and you will need to leave UK and extend it out of country.
And also that you can do your ILR anymore after spending 5 yrs in UK - you need to spend 10 years in the UK now. So now when you Visa expires you will need to got back to India and extend it from there every time until you spend 10 yrs in the UK to get your ILR.

I said since I got my HSMP letter in 2009 and then my T1 Visa in 2009 as well I come under the old rules and should be able to get my ILR after completing 5 yrs - she said no as since you have just extended your Visa you now come under the new rules which are no extension in the UK and ILR after 10 years.

Any comments on this please?

[Damanisshallo]

She knows #nothing# just ignore her...

[askmeplz82]

She is just like other immigration officers . I remember when I was working at Heathrow Airport airside I knew couple of Immigration officers who level of knowledge is very basic even I knew better then them. I think they just check what's on the screen or if in doubt ask chief immigration officers

[Amber]

Inadequate and ineffectual training is rife in government positions.

[ukswus]

I came back from India yesterday after 3 weeks and the nice lady at the UKBA decided to chat with me whilst looking at my passport / Visa etc.

She asked me if I earn more than £40k / annum and I said yes, to which she went on and gave me some suggestions which I want to confirm are applicable to me by any chance?

She said this £40k / annum is a simple question which a lot of Tier1 holders don't answer correctly and they cancel their visas and prosecute them - this is fine - but then she said that Do you know you can not extend your T1 Visa in UK anymore and you will need to leave UK and extend it out of country.
And also that you can do your ILR anymore after spending 5 yrs in UK - you need to spend 10 years in the UK now. So now when you Visa expires you will need to got back to India and extend it from there every time until you spend 10 yrs in the UK to get your ILR.

I said since I got my HSMP letter in 2009 and then my T1 Visa in 2009 as well I come under the old rules and should be able to get my ILR after completing 5 yrs - she said no as since you have just extended your Visa you now come under the new rules which are no extension in the UK and ILR after 10 years.

Any comments on this please?

She was clearly harassing you. What an appalling attitude.

I had a similar experience once at Gatwick airport a few years ago. The immigration officer for some reason accused be of being nervous (I was not!), then went on to say that the Tier 1 visa will be closed soon with no right of extension, that my wife cannot work on Tier 1 general dependent visa, and a few other things. Clearly, some immigration officers take their dislike of immigrants a bit too far, and may have a temptation to abuse their authority from time to time.

[kyborg99]

She was clearly harassing you. What an appalling attitude.

I had a similar experience once at Gatwick airport a few years ago. The immigration officer for some reason accused be of being nervous (I was not!), ten went on to say that the Tier 1 visa will be closed soon with no right of extension, that my wife cannot work on Tier 1 general dependent visa, and a few other things. Clearly, some immigration officers take their dislike of immigrants a bit too far, and may have a temptation to abuse their authority from time to time.

I agree - but at that moment of time she got me worried as she works for UKBA itself - and ironically she was an immigrant herself and that too of the same ethnicity as mine ... well thinking about it where I come from that's even more of a reason of her possible personal dislike towards me