Citizenship Invitation Letter from Home Office

Hello amazing members

I am not sure of the whole process and seek your guidence to understand what needs to be done because i am confused. Many of you have already gone through this process and i'll appreciate if someone could explain to me please.

My solicitor sent me an email a week ago with an attached single page scan paper that reads as:

"Citizenship invitation Application for British Citizenship by name and DOB"

The letter is from Home Office informing naturalization application has been approved and i need to contact local council to arrange cermony for oath with in 21 days of this letter.

My questions are:

1). I read on this platform, people receives Approval letter first followed by citizenship invitation. But i did not receive any seperate approval letter. My solicitor just send me scan copy of citizenship invitation from home office.
2). I asked origional letter from my solicitor but he is reluctant to give me and said show scan copy of invitation letter to council to obtain naturalization certificate after oath taking. Don't i need origional invitation letter for cermony?
3). Do Home office send naturalization certificate to local council and can i phone them to ask if they have received mine?
4). Which is quicker and easy way to obtain passport via postal application or online application.

Could some please explain to me how this all works? Thank you for your time.

First of all we have a dedicated thread discussing delays in the process of arranging ceremonies: british-citizenship/citizenship-ceremon ... l#p1998839
Note: you will only be British once you have attended the ceremony and received your certificate.

Your questions:
1) that's the normal sequence I understand.
2) can't comment on your solicitor's approach. Some councils insist on the original, some accept a copy, some just accept your passport as identity document.
3) Yes, certificates are sent to the council and you can phone them to enquire - again everything is delayed due to the pandemic -you may be able to book the ceremony over the phone, or they might send you an invite themselves.
4) Online passport application seems to be the most efficient (and slightly cheaper) method, postal may take longer bearing in mind the additional transit time and manual processing. Remember, you need your certificate to apply for a passport.

What date did you apply?

Most likely your solicitor missed the approval letter/email or the approval letter/email was not pushed through in the first place. Approval letters/Citizenship invitations can be sent via post/email but sometimes due to technical issues not pushed through.

The good news is that you have the citizenship ceremony invitation so you are already at Stage 2. Just contact the council and book your ceremony. Different councils work in a different manner. As these days citizenship ceremony invitations are sent via email/post, councils accept photocopies/email proof also. Some demand original letter (less likely).

@alterhase58 and @CULLINAN

Thank you for your replies.

I submitted application on 23rd October 2020 followed by Biometric appointment on 19th November 2020 at HO Office.
Received in 16th March 2021 Citizenship Invitation scanned Home Office letter from solicitor via Email dated 08th March 2021.

Not sure if HO stopped sending Approval letter and only send citizenship invitation letter that perhaps serves combined purpose. I am not familier with process so was confused. My solicitor says scanned copy is sufficient to attend ceremony (not sure why he is reluctant to give origional pack), anyhow i shall check with council. In the end what really important is the Naturalization certificate.

Most likely you were approved in Dec 2020 and received your citizenship ceremony invitation in March 2021. As I said, somehow most likely the approval letter was not pushed through previously/not communicated by your solicitor. Since you have the ceremony invitation, you have nothing to worry. @alterhase58 copy pasted a link above, you may find details about your own specific council operations there.

The letter is from Home Office informing naturalization application has been approved and i need to contact local council to arrange cermony for oath with in 21 days of this letter.

You appear to have received one letter which is a combination of approval and ceremony invitation. There is no other letter if you have received the combined single letter.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:54 pm

The letter is from Home Office informing naturalization application has been approved and i need to contact local council to arrange cermony for oath with in 21 days of this letter.

You appear to have received one letter which is a combination of approval and ceremony invitation. There is no other letter if you have received the combined single letter.

These days the second ceremony invitation letter looks like the older version of combined single letter also (like in old days).