We want to start collating the information needed for our application and notice we need addresses from the age of 18!!!!! Unfortunately we can't remember old house numbers, etc as we have moved around A LOT, and wondered whether anyone has any ideas who we could contact who might hold all our old addresses. Have thought of the bank as we have had an account with them since 18, but they say they only hold them for a year. Anyone have any ideas?

We had to resort to driving round some places looking for a familiar door. Once you have got them all - keep a copy!!

Have you thought about past employers. Or contacting a credit check place like Experian and asking for a copy of your report, that will have past addresses through not sure how far back.

Have you tried the Tax Office they will have your addresses since you began work/paying tax. We had to supply the address of every employer too so this information will be useful to you for dates and places if you can't remember. good luck

The Tax Office in the UK only keep infor for 6 years - that is the law

Along with the suggestions above, try old diaries (they can prompt memories about where you lived and when you moved - likewise with employment history - this was useful for us). Do you file away any old papers...utility bills, etc...these would help. Have you kept any old payslips and P60's?

There's no denying this bit's all a bit painstaking...but hopefully worth it in the end.

Eamonn & Janet.

When I applied in 2004 I'm sure they sent me information going back much further than that; I don't know if things have changed since.

I was fortunate in that I had a bunch of old credit card bills, envelopes, bank statements, payslips, etc, in my parents' attic which provided most of the information I needed.

ive just got my tax info and it goes back to when i started work 29 years ago

you are confusing the amount of time the public has to keep records not the tax office
eg if you have owned a business you have to keep all your records for a period of 7 years the tax office keep records for decades

I had similar probs but luckily I was saved by a couple of old postcards!

was suggesting old letters, too

any old paperwork, scholarships, etc?

I think I finally found everything, but it was hard, what with staying at some addresses only for a couple of months, addresses being in several countries...

good luck!

(personally, the hardest thing was all the information on travel abroad -- I was based in Europe and travelling in and around Asia Pacific about 15 days a month for three years.... )

Yeah, I know what you mean. I worked abroad (in France) on and off for a few years and couldn't remember mine so I put down the village / town and the dates. Ours is still being processed by Manitoba PNP people so can't say whether or not that has sufficed but when we handed it to the immigration officer she had a quick flick through it (to check all the relevant paperwork was there) and said it looked ok to her but that obviously she couldn't say for sure, so we'll just have to wait and see I guess.

At the end of the day if you can't remember, you can't remember. Shouldn't be a reason for denying you residence, so long as you're honest and try your hardest to find the info.

Oh yeah, we also went backpacking round Oz / NZ for 7 months and I just wrote down 'various hostels in...' followed by the list of towns / places on our itinerary (which luckily I kept a detailed list of incase any of my mates wanted to follow in our footsteps! - sad eh).

Anita

Similar here: I went backpacking for six months and just listed the countries and cities I'd visited.

Thanks for all your replies, might try the tax office!