Relatively painless and quick: Spousal visa - ILR - Citizenship 3 years residency Received approval letter 1.5 weeks sending application & supporting documents 2 weeks to get all my documents back 3 weeks to receive the ceremony date, time & place invitation 5 weeks to attending the ceremony Now for ...

Everything turned out okay. Residency was established from the minute I landed in the UK, regardless of the type of visa if it's visitors, etc etc.

Approval for the citizenship was very fast (2 weeks total really). Ceremony is this Thursday, then on to the passport.

Thanks for your help.

So basically once I apply for naturalisation, I don't get my documents back until it's all sorted and dusted? They don't send it back in advance of approval or denial I take it.

Finally got through to the home office and confirmed it's all okay. As long as you're here legally to start with, the type of stamp on the passport doesn't matter. Last question...after you submitted your passport with the application, how long is it before you see your passport again? Do they send ...

After I submit my naturalisation application, does anyone know when can I expect to get my passport and documents back so I can use it for travel? Also, is it possible to get a certified copy of the passport and send that off or only the original passport is allowed? Thanks.

I never went through the fiancee visa. Instead, I got married in the UK under a visitor's visa, then went out of the country to get the spousal visa to get back into the country.

Actually, I had also asked two other lawyers and they're all in conflict with their answers....ugh

I asked a lawyer about when the three year starts. It does indeed start from the beginning of when I arrived legally first in the UK, no matter if it was visitor, fiancee visa, etc.

Would my date for first arrived for settlement be not 11/2007, then intention to settle (spousal visa) in June 2008?

I had a more thorough read through the PDF. Your wife's dates are very similar to mine, only in March rather than November. Just to clarify, did she claim on the application her 3 year residency from March 2007 until April 2010? This intention to settle is a bit obscure, but basically what I am ...

Thanks for all that. I think this is very similar to mine: November 2007: Arrival in UK with a Tourist Visa November 2007 to May 2008: Tourist Visa Status May 2008: return to home country and applied for spousal visa June 2008: Spousal visa granted June 2008 - June 2010: ILR received before ...

So your wife was in the UK as a tourist, then got the spousal visa & the ILR? I think this is a very similar situation. I was on the tourist visa for 6 months, returned home for less than a month to sort out the spousal visa,...total of over 3 years now anyway. I still will feel more confident if I ...

Thanks! I think my travel days were mostly related to work, but I'll count it up and see for sure. Based on this and also according to your experience, since I arrive legally in the UK on a visitor's visa November 2007, that means I can already apply for the UK naturalisation. I thought at first it ...

I am trying to determine when the three (3) year period starts for the application for naturalisation/citizenship through marriage. I arrived to the UK under a visitor's visa in November 2007. I left the country to apply and receive my Spousal 2 year Visa in June 2008. I applied and received my ...