u/Glass_Yesterday579

Background
Got a job offer from abroad in 2021 and moved to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa
Visa vignette valid from: 30 Sept 2021
Entered the UK: 10 Oct 2021
Visa expiry: Oct 2026

The bumpy bits
In 2023 my company went through redundancies. Thankfully I survived and stayed with the same employer the whole time. Then in September this year, I was told unofficially that another round of redundancies might be coming and to be prepared. So the pressure was really on to get ILR done quickly.

Timeline
Biometrics: 24 Sept 2026
Approved: 1 Oct 2026 (one week!)

Documents I submitted (overkill, but I wanted to be safe considering passport loss)
- P60s for the last 3 years
- Full travel history
- Supporting letter from my employer
- 3 years of bank statements
- 5 years of payslips

The lost passport panic
Two days before my biometrics appointment, 🫪 I lost my passport. I was really anxious and genuinely thought I wouldn't be allowed to attend 😵

What I did:
- Reported it to the police and got a reference number
- Reported the loss and applied for a replacement
- Mail to my embassy.

My solicitor added a note in the supporting letter explaining the situation and listing everything we'd done
I took my 2024 BRP card to the appointment as ID and they let me complete my biometrics with it. The passport still hasn't turned up, but it didn't affect the outcome at all.

Takeaways
If you lose your passport before biometrics, don't panic.😜Report it, get the reference numbers, and bring your BRP or other ID.

Being over-prepared with documents doesn't hurt.
Stay with your employer where possible if things are shaky; it made my case straightforward.

Feeling very grateful. I came here directly on a job offer, and five years later I can finally call this home. Good luck to everyone still waiting! 🙏

Hi everyone, I’m in a bit of a stressful situation and would really appreciate some guidance from people who have gone through the ILR process.
I physically entered the UK on 10 October 2021. However, the visa vignette/sticker in my passport says “Valid from: 30 September 2021.”
I’m now trying to work out the earliest correct date I can submit my ILR application.

From my understanding of the 28-day rule:
If I use my physical entry date (10 October 2021) → I believe I can apply from 12 September 2026.
If I use the visa valid-from date (30 September 2021) → I believe I can apply from 2 September 2026.

I’ve received conflicting advice. One of my friend solicitor told me their solicitor said the qualifying period starts from the date you physically entered the UK, rather than the visa “valid from” date. However, when I spoke to a couple of solicitors, I was told that I could potentially use the visa valid-from date.

So I’m really confused about which date is actually correct.

The timing is particularly important because I have been informally told that my company may be making redundancies in September. Nothing has been officially announced yet, but I’ve been told that the situation could become official in the first week of September, and there is a high possibility that my role could be affected.
HR has indicated that, if business requirements don’t change, they would potentially put me on notice for around three months and provide a letter if needed, but obviously nothing is official yet.

I’m planning to use the priority or super-priority service if possible, and I’ve already started gathering my ILR documents. I’m just trying to make sure I don’t unnecessarily delay my application by using the wrong date.

I’m especially anxious because I relocated from the West Midlands to the south of England for this job, spending a significant amount of my savings/bonus on the relocation. A few weeks later, I received this unofficial news about potential redundancies.

Could anyone who has recently obtained ILR, especially someone with a similar visa timeline, clarify which date should be used — the visa “Valid from” date or the date I physically entered the UK?

If there are any immigration solicitors or immigration advisers here who can clarify this, or people whose ILR is successful, I’d also really appreciate your input. O have start applying for job but we all know how the market is right now, Feel free to DM me if appropriate.

I’m just trying to make sure I make the correct decision and don’t put my ILR at risk because of using the wrong date. Thank you!

Hi, I wanted to ask for some clarification regarding ILR applications and employer attendance records.

Currently, I am working in a hybrid role, and I will become eligible for ILR in September. Recently, my organisation introduced a policy that hybrid employees are expected to attend the office three times per week. The issue is that my office is in London, while I am currently living in Sheffield, so travelling that distance three times a week is quite difficult.

At the moment, I am travelling to the office around two times per month. From July onwards, I am planning to increase my office attendance to around three times per month where possible. Additionally, when my contract is renewed in September, I am considering formally switching to a fully remote arrangement, subject to company approval.

When I discussed this with HR, they mentioned there is a possibility that during compliance audits or ILR-related checks, the Home Office or auditors may ask about office attendance records. HR recommended that I attend the office as much as possible before my ILR application.

I wanted to understand whether, during an ILR application, the Home Office actually verifies detailed office attendance records over the full 5-year period, such as:
- How many times an employee physically attended the office
- Office punch-in/punch-out timings
- Internal attendance logs

I understand they do check immigration records, absences from the UK, salary, sponsorship compliance, and employment details, but I am unsure whether they also deeply audit hybrid working attendance patterns.

Has anyone experienced this or knows how detailed these checks usually are?