ILR Application in the UK check

[KunMatt]

I'm really hoping this is the last time we ever need to do any of these applications!  ????

 

I'm now filling in the Set(M) application online for my wife.  I wanted to check it is the correct application type before I pay for the wrong one.  We've been in the UK for 5.5 years including the 6 month fiancé visa, she has had 2x FLR visas, the 2nd of which is now about to end so we are applying for an ILR.  I assume the Set(M) is the correct type for us?

 

Also, apart from saying yes, we have kids together, there are no questions about them in the application at all, not even how many or their names!  Last time we had to submit their birth certificates etc.  In fact all of the documents are much less than for a FLR application, the document checklist doesn't even ask for passport photos for either of us.

 

Is there a more complete checklist of everything that is required?

 

Can someone please put my mind at ease about this application?

[bigyin]

I just did all this myself in July for my wife. You might want to do one more application after this if your wife wants to become a British citizen. Anyway I can confirm that you are doing the correct application set (M). The application itself is much less detailed than that for FLR (M) so don’t worry about that. If you have got to the checklist just provide exactly what they ask for in that checklist and everything will be fine. After you submit the application and pay you will be directed to the UKVCAS website to book a biometric appointment. I would just warn you that it is quite difficult to get an appointment at the moment and people are finding that around midnight is the best time to book. The appointments are generally one month in the future. There are very few free appointments and the costs can be anything up to £200. Good luck.

[KunMatt]

On 1/12/2021 at 2:36 PM, bigyin said:

I just did all this myself in July for my wife. You might want to do one more application after this if your wife wants to become a British citizen. Anyway I can confirm that you are doing the correct application set (M). The application itself is much less detailed than that for FLR (M) so don’t worry about that. If you have got to the checklist just provide exactly what they ask for in that checklist and everything will be fine. After you submit the application and pay you will be directed to the UKVCAS website to book a biometric appointment. I would just warn you that it is quite difficult to get an appointment at the moment and people are finding that around midnight is the best time to book. The appointments are generally one month in the future. There are very few free appointments and the costs can be anything up to £200. Good luck.

 

I've only just seen this reply.  Thaivisa has been really glitchy and down for me most of the time recently.

 

Thanks for the reply.  So we need to pay for the Biometric appointment too?

 

And her BRP expires in a month, in fact we cannot apply until Monday which is 28 days before it expires.  If the Biometrics appointment takes a month doesn't this take her past her current visa date?

 

Cheers.

 

[KunMatt]

Also, I think that we submit all of the documents at the Biometrics appointment, is that correct?

 

Do they require copies or will they make the copies?

 

Do we need passport photos, or they take those?  They are not mentioned on the checklist.

 

Anything else we might need?

[bigyin]

Yes you do have to pay for the biometric appointment now. Having said that there are some free ones but very few and they go very quickly. The relevant date is the date you apply and pay so it doesn’t matter how long after that you have your biometric appointment, the clock stops when you submit the application and pay. The existing leave to remain in the UK stays until a decision is made on the application so that is not a problem.
You don’t need to take passport photos. The main function of the biometrics appointment is fingerprints and photographs. As regards the documents it depends on what kind of centre you book the appointment at. There are core centres which do have free appointments and enhanced centres which are always paid appointments. Core centres will not scan and upload your documents unless you pay for this service. If you book at an enhanced centre scanning and uploading is included in the price. You can scan and upload all the documents yourself in advance of the appointment and this is what I did for both my wife’s indefinite leave to remain and citizenship applications even though I paid for enhanced appointments. I like to be in control and know that the documents have all been scanned properly and look good for the Home Office. I have seen reports that the staff at UKVCAS are not always careful about uploading the documents but I don’t know that for a fact. They will ask you to take all your original documents to the appointment but this is only in case one or more of your documents have not scanned properly. If you have them with you they can sort this out at the appointment. In my case I made absolutely sure that everything was perfect before my wife went to her appointment.

 

[puchooay]

10 hours ago, bigyin said:

The main function of the biometrics appointment is fingerprints and photographs.

My wife applied for FLR(m) last year. Application was made in May. Biometrics appointment was not required due to Covid19 restrictions.

 

She received an email that advised her they would be using fingerprints already on file. Within that email was a link to download a photo APP. She took her own photos with the APP and uploaded then.

 

With current restriction as severe, if not more severe, than last year, I wouldn't be surprised if these procedures were in place right now too.

[bigyin]

The previous app is not in use at the moment and I don’t think it will be re introduced. Biometric appointments are still required and are proceeding as normally as possible.

[KunMatt]

Thanks guys.  I am going to complete and pay for the application tomorrow.  Is there any point scanning and uploading documents?

[Pmbkk]

On 1/12/2021 at 2:36 PM, bigyin said:

I just did all this myself in July for my wife. You might want to do one more application after this if your wife wants to become a British citizen. Anyway I can confirm that you are doing the correct application set (M). The application itself is much less detailed than that for FLR (M) so don’t worry about that. If you have got to the checklist just provide exactly what they ask for in that checklist and everything will be fine. After you submit the application and pay you will be directed to the UKVCAS website to book a biometric appointment. I would just warn you that it is quite difficult to get an appointment at the moment and people are finding that around midnight is the best time to book. The appointments are generally one month in the future. There are very few free appointments and the costs can be anything up to £200. Good luck.

 

Hi,

 

We're going to be starting this process shortly - so looking forward to reading all those docs again.

 

How long did the I.L.R. visa take from submitting it ?

If you got the I.L.R. have you applied for the British passport yet ?

Cheers

 

Cheers

[bigyin]

KunMatt. It really depends as I think I said earlier about what type of Centre you book your biometric appointment. Immediately after you submit and pay you will be directed to the UKVCAS website where you can look for available appointments. Having said that, I paid for an enhanced centre appointment for my wife but uploaded and submitted all the documents in advance of the appointment. She received her approval about two weeks after the appointment and I think that the application was looked at in advance of the biometric appointment as the documents had been submitted to the Home Office. I have no proof of this however it is just my opinion. So at the end of the day it really is up to you as to how you want to proceed. At an enhanced appointment they will do everything for you but you are then relying on someone else doing their job properly. I wanted as much control over the process as I could possibly have. Good luck.

Pmbkk. My wife’s approval took about two months from the date of submission but at the moment I think it is taking longer. Biometric appointments are a little more difficult to get and almost always you have to wait 28 days from the time you start looking for the appointment until the date of the appointment. After obtaining indefinite leave to remain there is a further hurdle before passport application. Presumably this is for your wife and if so she will have to apply for citizenship which as she is married to a British citizen she can do immediately after obtaining indefinite leave to remain. This costs around another £1300 and there is another biometric appointment. These biometric appointments can cost up to £200 each time. The citizenship application currently is quite a protracted procedure. It is taking several months to receive approval and it is then taking around another three months before the citizenship certificate can be sent to the local council. The applicant then has to wait for the local council to arrange for citizenship ceremony. This is where my wife is at presently. My local council is not doing any kind of citizenship ceremony while in lockdown. hope this helps.

[Pmbkk]

Thanks for the feedback.

[KunMatt]

Do you guys write a cover letter for everything?

[Pmbkk]

We wrote a cover letter ( in my wife's name ) for both applications, simple one pager detailing Names,  backgrounds(work), home in the UK, finances which should have been enough with a one page financial statement to tick it all off.

 

I don't know whether it helps - after going through the documents we gave in at Croydon ( south London ) - the lady was quite surprised at the amount of documents my wife had prepared & submitted. 

 

I'm sure we'll do the same again.

 

We've started to look at the last one, and this should be easier I'm hoping.

[bigyin]

A cover letter Is certainly not necessary. I did do a covering letter for my wife’s indefinite leave to remain application as there was one question I wanted to clarify my answer to. I didn’t however do a covering letter for the naturalisation application. Both were approved without any problem whatsoever. So if you’re happy with your application and think all your answers are clear then don’t do one but if there is something you are not 100% sure about then a covering letter is a good idea. At the end of the day the caseworker at the Home Office only has a limited amount of time to look at the application and really doesn’t want to have to read any more than they have to.

Edited January 18, 2021 by bigyin
Mistake

[KunMatt]

36 minutes ago, bigyin said:

A cover letter Is certainly not necessary. I did do a covering letter for my wife’s indefinite leave to remain application as there was one question I wanted to clarify my answer to. I didn’t however do a covering letter for the naturalisation application. Both were approved without any problem whatsoever. So if you’re happy with your application and think all your answers are clear then don’t do one but if there is something you are not 100% sure about then a covering letter is a good idea. At the end of the day the caseworker at the Home Office only has a limited amount of time to look at the application and really doesn’t want to have to read any more than they have to.

 

I submitted the application today and uploaded all of the scans.  I scanned all of my wife's two 66 page Thai passports!  Both of which only have a few pages with stamps on them.  Do you know if they require every page even if empty?  Or do they want the complete passport?

 

I made a simple cover letter explaining a few things and listing all of the documents I am submitting.

 

We got an appointment in a couple of weeks for £70.  There were others at the same centre for £135 around the same dates.

 

Thank you for the advice.

[bigyin]

No for ILR they don’t need all the empty pages but no harm in doing it. Good price so good luck.