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Certification for immigration

We offer a house inspection service to anyone who needs a letter in support of an application to visit or live in Peterborough showing that the accommodation they will be living in is suitable. The fee for this service is £100.00 and must be paid before an appointment is made to inspect the property. The application and fee relate to one assessment (in exceptional circumstances more than one visit may be required to complete the assessment) of one property.

Immigration assessment form

You may print this form and bring it with you to Customer Services reception at Bayard Place when you come to pay your fee and book an appointment for in inspection.

The document below appears in Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format. In order to view it you will need to have Acrobat Reader installed. (Those with visual impairments may wish to investigate Access Adobe, which provides tools and information to help make PDF files more accessible). 

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PDF file icon  Immigration Assessment Form
  (244KB, 1 pages)

Making an appointment

To make an appointment you must first complete the above application form which you can either print and complete, or collect one from our customer services reception at Bayard Place. You must then pay your fee at the cash office in Bayard Place, and obtain a receipt. Please be aware of the cash office opening times stated on the above document.

You must then deliver all documents to Bayard Place as stated within the above form so that an officer can contact you to make an appointment to inspect the house where the sponsored person will live when they arrive in Peterborough. You are advised to make the appointment as soon as possible, at least 28 days before the anticipated visa application date to the relevant embassy, consulate or high commission.

You should bear in mind that the inspection may take place up to two weeks after the appointment is made. You should also allow time to carry out any remedial works identified before the property could be considered satisfactory. After the inspection has been carried out a written report of the assessment will be sent to you within 10 days of the visit. This will make sure that there will be no delay in dealing with the visa application because you have not submitted the documents relating to the residence. We do not take responsibility for any late or incomplete applications made.

Property inspection

The property will be inspected against certain standards. All deficiencies found during the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) inspection will be recorded and assessed for the risk they pose.

Where high risk (Category 1) hazards are identified, a ‘satisfactory’ letter will not be issued. The applicant, usually the home owner, will be told of the defects. If the property is rented, the landlord will also be informed.

All remedial works will need to be satisfactorily attended to before the Council can confirm that the property is suitable. If necessary, the council will take statutory action to ensure works are carried out, whether or not the application proceeds. Where lower risk (Category 2) hazards only are identified, the applicant will be notified of the defects. Category 2 hazards alone will not render the house unsatisfactory.

The overcrowding standards

In addition to the HHSRS assessment concerning crowding and space, an assessment will be made against the statutory overcrowding standards. In order to make this assessment, the officer will measure the size of every habitable room such as living rooms, dining, and study rooms as well as bedrooms. It is essential that the officer has access to all these areas otherwise an overall assessment cannot be made and the house will be judged to be unsatisfactory.

When making this assessment, the sponsored person will be included in the calculations as if they were already living in the house. If the property would become statutorily overcrowded as a result of the person/s moving in then you may have to find alternative accommodation for the person/s being sponsored to live in. In these circumstances a ‘satisfactory’ letter will not be issued.  

The decent homes standard

The house must meet the decency standard set by the government. If the house fails to meet the decency standard, a ‘satisfactory’ letter will not be issued. Many of the requirements for meeting the decent homes standard are linked to the HHSRS, and in these cases, meeting the requirements of one will generally satisfy the requirements of the other.