Some Advice Needed With Ilr

[ChUcKyChUcKs]

Hi!

I've been hovering around this forum as a guest now for some time..i love reading the wealth of information that all you guys post.

I hope s'one can help me with my dilema even though this is a Thai forum and my wife is actually Indonesian...i couldn't think of any other place with so much knowledge on immigration issues.

Basically my wife came to the UK in April '03 on a 6 month marriage visa that we applied for in Jakarta...we got married in June and we then applied for FLR which was granted in 2 weeks with no problems.

Her FLR entitles her to stay a further two years with ends mid july this year..i know that we have to apply 1 month before the end of the FLR for ILR and this is increasingly turning into a nightmare situation for us.

I assumed that ILR like FLR took a maximum of 4 weeks for a decision to be made and i have booked a holiday for us to Thailand for the start of September which will be roughly 9 weeks away from when we send our application and passports to IND.

Now s'one has informed me that it can take up to 14 weeks... so i wanted to ask you guys if this was the case or maybe get an idea from other members on how long their ILR took to process...i have also been told that because my wife did not take my family name that this could cause problems also.

Could s'one please be kind enough to advize me on these issues because i am going out of my mind with worry.

I'm sorry that i am posting this on this great Thai forum ..i thought i would do so as i fell in love wih Thailand and the Thai people from the first time i started going 8 years ago.

Thanks for you time Guys

Mark

[samran]

If you want to, you can make an appointment with the local IND, front up, and pay £500 to have the application processed there and then. Or you can email/ring your local IND office and ask their current processing times if done via post (which "only" costs £335)

Edited June 11, 2005 by samran

[the scouser]

Yes, as Samran says, arrange an appointment for the office nearest to where you live and get the ILR on the day. Your wife not having your surname has no bearing upon the success of the application. She can call herself what she likes. All that matters is that you are, indeed, married which you must be or she wouldn't have got the extention.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[ChUcKyChUcKs]

Hi Guys!

Thanks for the replys...unfortunatley we live in Northern Ireland and do not have a local IND office so it looks like posting is our only option.

Scouser ..i feel a little weight lifted from me with you saying that the surname has no bearing..i have a friend from India who was telling me that some of the caseworks may be picky and difficult with regard to this issue.

I will give the IND a call first thing in the morning with regard to processing times..not sure if they will be honest with me but it's worth a try.

Best Regards

Mark

Edited June 12, 2005 by ChUcKyChUcKs

[Steve&mem]

Me and the wife were in the same situation situation 4 years ago, we had to go to Birmingham to get the ILR and it was done in about 4 hours.

Have a look at this site http://thailand-uk.com here you will find most things related to UK Visa's and lot of other stuff as well.

You can download the application form the UK Government web site, she will need proof that you live together such as utility bills in joint name's and / or bank statements all showing the address, my wifes passport was in her maiden name so we took our marriage cert as well, I don't remember any cost being involved.

Hope this helps.

Steve

[the scouser]

Hi Mark,

You can now get a flight on Easy jet from Belfast to L'pool for about a tenner each way. Why not go to the Liverpool public enquiry office? That way at least you'll safeguard your trip to Thailand.

Cheers,

Scouse.

[ChUcKyChUcKs]

Hi Steve&Mem and Scouser!!

Thanks for your replys!!

I have thought about just going in person and paying the premium fee of £500 but i'm not sure if i could face being having questions thrown at me for 30 mins or however long it takes...i get very nervous in situations like that.

What sort of things do they ask?

Another issue for us is that we have no bills in joint names as i take care of all that...me thinks it's not looking good for us

Edited June 12, 2005 by ChUcKyChUcKs

[Totster]

i have also been told that because my wife did not take my family name that this could cause problems also.

Scouse.... is this a problem..?

totster

[the scouser]

It's not a requirement to have bills in joint names, just some correspondence addressed to your wife at your joint address. The "interview" is not rigorous. The clerk will just look at the documentation which you supply and, if everything is in order, make a decision on that without formally interviewing either you or your wife.

Scouse.

[Steve&mem]

Hi Steve&Mem!

I have thought about just going in person and paying the premium fee of £500 but i'm not sure if i could face being having questions thrown at me for 30 mins or however long it takes...i get very nervous in situations like that.

Another issue for us is that we have no bills in joint names as i take care of all that...me thinks it's not looking good for us 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You could have a problem, they need proof that you are a genuine cohabiting couple, some years back an acquaintance of mine had no proof and they were going to deport his Miss's, they said it was a sham marriage and they accused him and her of obtaining a visa by deception.

I seem to remember it took months to sort out and they even had the police coming round to there home to check, but it did have an happy ending.

As for the 500 quid that's a new one on me, but I can only comment on what happened 4 years back.

I don't think my wife was ask any question at all when we applied

Steve

Edited June 12, 2005 by Steve&mem

[Steve&mem]

Your right about the 500 quid just had a look at the application form, here at the gov site, its in a pdf format

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/ho.../NTL%20Form.pdf

Steve.

[the scouser]

Mark,

Any proof that you and your missus live at the same address is OK. Don't worry if you don't have bills in joint names; many people don't. Just provide some evidence that you live together, for example greetings cards, your wife's bank statements, any letters she's otherwise received, etc.

Scouse.

[ChUcKyChUcKs]

Hi Scouser!!

Seriously considering paying the £500 premium fee and going to the Liverpool office.

I checked the Easyjet prices out and it's working out around £140-£150 for both of us to fly.

Was wondering...do they interview us seperatley or just together and can you give me any indications for the sort of questions they might ask...it will break both our hearts if the visa is refused..my wife loves it here..she has been working for well over a year now and thoroughly enjoys it.

Thanks again for all your help

Regards

Mark

[the scouser]

Hi Mark,

I know the N. Irish are born pessimists , but don't fret. From what you've posted your wife will get her indefinite leave. It's solely a matter of showing that you are still together and that you can financially support yourselves. Should there be an interview, the questions will focus on your life together but, to be honest, I wouldn't have thought it would come to that. If formally interviewed, it will be your wife who is spoken to, although, should the need arise, you would be spoken to too.

Make sure that you take with you the supporting documentation:

1. Your wife's passport

2. Your passport

3. Evidence of cohabitation

4. Your wage slips

5. Your wife's wage slips

6. Your bank statements

7. Your wife's bank statements

8. Proof of your property ownership/mortgage/rental agreement

Anyway, if all goes awry and the application gets refused, then you just present yourself as being Irish rather than British and your wife gets to stay anyhow.

So it is, big man.

Scouse.

[the scouser]

Mark,

Just out of interest, let us know how you get on.

Scouse.

[ChUcKyChUcKs]

Hi Scouser!

Will let you know how it turns out...just out of interest i was wondering if i have to get a shirt and tie on for this interview or is more of a casual thing ...i've never been the smartest of dressers..just your average hippy

Wish us luck and thanks for everyone help.

Mark

[the scouser]

Hi Mark,

I wouldn't overdo it, but I'd go relatively smartly dressed. Perhaps "smart-casual".

Scouse.

[ChUcKyChUcKs]

Hey Scouser....WE GOT IT!!!!

But i have to say that it was a bit of a sweat for a while.

We went in..did the whole security bit and got a number..we where called in approx 3 mins from sitting down...at first i thought that this was the interviewer but i soon realized that it was just reception to go through and check all the documents first

As he was going back and forth he was shaking his head.not a good first sign i thought..he looks at me and says i don't think you have enough evidence here from the first year you where living together...i thinks to myself oh &lt;deleted&gt;!! he's right my wifes FLR started July '03 and i brought mostly 04-05 docs.

He finishes by saying i don't really fancy your chances it might be boarderline..by this time my wife's face has hit the floor and she's giving me dagger eyes

We proceed to payments..it's like walking death row from the reception to payments counter with all the eyes upon us..within another 5 mins we are called again by the interviewer..i ask if it's ok for me to be there too and she smiles and says no problem.

We hand over all the documents and passports and watch as she thumbs through all the evidence neatly filed..after around two mins she says ok it will take approx 1 hour to process your ILR..go for a walk around town or you can sit here..my wifes face lit up..it was priceless and it was like a huge weight lifted from my shoulders....we opted to sit and wait and it only took roughly another 40 mins before we where called to collect the passport with a nice big ILR sticker slapped in the middle..the interviewer smiled and said ..i've definatley made your day...we replied yes you have ..thanked her and left for some more shopping in an extremely hot Liverpool city centre..the whole process took roughly 1 hour.

Now the next step is British Citizenship..we don't know much about that yet ..looks like we have some reading to do.

I want to say thanks to all the input i recieved from this board and especially a big thanks to Scouser for all your encouragement.

We can now go enjoy our three weeks in Thailand without any worries.

Best Regards to everyone

Mark

[the scouser]

Mark,

Well done, mate. Sometimes it's worth the extra few quid to get a speedy result.

You're right, it was ferkin hot in Liverpool yesterday. For once, my missus wasn't complaining it was cold, and was walking round with a newspaper covering the top of her head - a sure sign that it's hot.

Scouse.