ILR APPROVED — Skilled Worker Route
Hi everyone, long-time lurker here. This sub was genuinely a huge help throughout my journey, so sharing my full timeline to help others.
Background: Skilled Worker route, same employer throughout, sole applicant, no dependants. Several absences over the years, all well within the 180-day limit.
Full Timeline:
- 15 Sep 2019 — First entered UK (Tier 4 Student visa)
- 13 Sep 2021 — First Skilled Worker visa approved
- 18 Aug 2024 — Second Skilled Worker visa approved
- 17 Aug 2026, 10:00am — ILR application submitted (Super Priority Service)
- 18 Aug 2026, 9:15am — Biometrics appointment
- 18 Aug 2026, 12:03pm — ✅ DECISION EMAIL: APPROVED
Total wait after biometrics: under 3 hours!
What I actually submitted (mandatory documents from my checklist):
- Passport (all visa pages and stamps)
- Employer confirmation letter — confirmed my role, salary, AND explicitly confirmed all my absences/annual leave in wordings and were approved
- Signed Home Office verification consent form
- Most recent payslip
- Most recent bank statement
Note on absences: I didn't submit separate standalone evidence for each individual absence (no dedicated passport-stamp breakdown or flight booking printouts) — my absences were only covered through my employer's letter, which explicitly confirmed all leave/holidays were pre-approved and no unauthorised absence occurred. This seemed to be enough — the caseworker didn't come back asking for more.
Lessons learned:
- Applied exactly 27 days before my 5-year mark (within the 28-day early window)
- A strong, clear employer letter confirming approved absences can carry a lot of weight — I didn't need to submit separate proof for every single trip
- Keep it simple: passport + payslip + bank statement + signed consent + employer letter = enough for a clean case
- Super Priority genuinely delivered on its promise — mine came back same day, under 3 hours after biometrics
Good luck to everyone still waiting