Naturalization Application delayed for an year

[Ab1691]

Hi,
I applied for naturalisation on 12 Jan 2017 receipt of which was confirmed on 16 Jan 2017 via email by the home office. After the normal waiting time of six months lapsed on 16 July 2017, I contacted the Home Office two times to chase the application, received letterd from the Home Office in response to my enquiry which detailed that certain applications take longer due to checking the character reference.
My question is that what's the maximum time for making decision on naturalization application?
Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks

[secret.simon]

what's the maximum time for making decision on naturalization application?

There is no upper time limit. While some people have got their approvals in weeks, some people's applications have taken months.

If you give us your immigration history, we may be able to guide you on the possible causes of the delay.

This post is also worth reading.

[Ab1691]

Thank you very much.
Came to UK on 8 January 2014 on spouse visa got my ILR through window service in December 2016.
After the completion of 3 years applied for Naturlaisation on 12 January 2017 its almost twelve months now and decision hasn't been made.
I have no criminal record and its a very straight forward case.
I asked our local MP to chase my case but i don't think it has helped in speeding up the process on making the decision.
Is there anyone else who is going through same situation?

[baddy]

Thank you very much.
Came to UK on 8 January 2014 on spouse visa got my ILR through window service in December 2016.
After the completion of 3 years applied for Naturlaisation on 12 January 2017 its almost twelve months now and decision hasn't been made.
I have no criminal record and its a very straight forward case.
I asked our local MP to chase my case but i don't think it has helped in speeding up the process on making the decision.
Is there anyone else who is going through same situation?

You still need to give more information for the expert here to give you the advise. From my understanding, Law changed in 2012 regarding residency on spousal visa to 5-10 years before settlement. Yours was approved after three years. Like I said, give more details as to what was the status of your spouse when you moved here. Are you still with your partner etc

There experts here that can advise you correctly.

[Ab1691]

Thanks for the reply
My spouse is British and we are still together.
I am in the old rule before the law changed in 2012 after 3 years i can apply for British citizenship.

[secret.simon]

Thanks for the reply
My spouse is British and we are still together.
I am in the old rule before the law changed in 2012 after 3 years i can apply for British citizenship.

That can explain why the naturalisation is being held up. They are likely looking into whether the ILR was incorrectly issued..

When was the first application for your spousal visa made/submitted to the UK authorities?

[Ab1691]

I don't think that's the issue, i applied in March 2012 application was refused because of English language requirement, i have a degree thought in English which was submitted with the application but HO didnt consider that for some unknown reasons, the case went to court and we won, it took two years to years to get visa, the law changed in April or May 2012. After the refusal no new application was made and my case was dealt under the old law.
For naturlaisation application NCS was used.
If you need more information please let me know.

Any advice or suggestion what to do next.

[Seph27]

Your case is very similar to mine on the face of it even though no 2 cases are identical.
Mine is as follows:
1. I am married to a British Citizen, but I lived abroad while my wife was in the UK.
2. I applied for spouse visa in June 2012 under the old rules
3. Application was refused mainly because English language and some other unfounded and flimsy reasons.
4. Case went from admin. appeal to First Tier and finally Upper Tribunals between Aug. 2012 and Jan. 2014.
5. Case was finally decided in my favour in March 2014. I got my spouse visa on April 2014 and relocated to UK to join my spouse in May 2014.
6. I applied for my ILR in April 2016 and got it in Sept. 2016 even though it was Premium application.
7. I applied for my Naturalisation, Citizenship & British passport (JCAP) in April 2017 and got the Naturalisation approval in October 2017
8. Citizenship ceremony was done in November 2017 and BRP returned.
9. Passport was received in November 2017.
Based on the information you gave, I believe the delay in your case is exceptional.
Consequently, I will advise you to apply for Subject Access Report (SAR) from the Home Office. It takes a few weeks to get reply from them but that may throw some light on why your application is so delayed. Good luck!

[Ab1691]

Thank you so much, I never knew about SAR i will definitely apply for Subject Access information.

[Samr33]

Thank you very much.
Came to UK on 8 January 2014 on spouse visa got my ILR through window service in December 2016.
After the completion of 3 years applied for Naturlaisation on 12 January 2017 its almost twelve months now and decision hasn't been made.
I have no criminal record and its a very straight forward case.
I asked our local MP to chase my case but i don't think it has helped in speeding up the process on making the decision.
Is there anyone else who is going through same situation?

You still need to give more information for the expert here to give you the advise. From my understanding, Law changed in 2012 regarding residency on spousal visa to 5-10 years before settlement. Yours was approved after three years. Like I said, give more details as to what was the status of your spouse when you moved here. Are you still with your partner etc

There experts here that can advise you correctly.

Hi,

I was wandering if the Home Office had now reached a decision on your case. I have been waiting for nearly 8 months and I am not getting anywhere with the HO. I keep getting the standard response that some applications can take longer. It would be good to know if I can still expect a positive outcome.

Thanks

[Ab1691]

Hi,
I am still waiting for my decision almost 16 months long wait and no decision yet. I have contacted them so many time via phone, email and our MP but getting the same automated reply all the times. Fed up with contacting them can't be ask to contact them anymore.
The only thing we can do is wait wait and wait.

Thanks

[silverchloride]

Hi,
I am still waiting for my decision almost 16 months long wait and no decision yet. I have contacted them so many time via phone, email and our MP but getting the same automated reply all the times. Fed up with contacting them can't be ask to contact them anymore.
The only thing we can do is wait wait and wait.

Thanks

Did you do the Subject Access Request? Any interesting things from there?

[Ab1691]

No i didn't but i am sure there won't be anything interesting.

[Kurabor]

No i didn't but i am sure there won't be anything interesting.

Hi ab1691 . Are you still waiting for the decision ? Thanx

[Ab1691]

Yeah, still waiting for the decision.

[Kurabor]

Yeah, still waiting for the decision.

That's hourable. I am waiting for nearly 13 months too . I have done everything but they keep saying that they doing good character checks . I have no idea what to do next.

[Maxmilan]

[quote=Ab1691 post_id=1628675 time=1525099193 user_id=185704]
Yeah, still waiting for the decision.
[/quote]

Hi Mate
My case is not the same as your case because I am a refugee but there is an extreme delay on my Naturalization application which I think better to know which you are not the only person who is waiting to be naturalized for a long time.I applied to be Naturalized for myself and my family on Oct. 2015 and still waiting.This is nearly 14 years which living in the UK and never went out of UK and had no any serieuse offence but one driving offence which was 12 years ago.I did everything right and applied for ILR and Naturalization on time so there is no any mistake regarding these as well. I tried lot of different ways to contact with the HO but got the same response that under the Good Character check there is a delay on some applications.The ways which I tried to ask the HO were Call them, send letters to them, ask my local MP to send a letter to them, complaint to the HO by there complaint procedure and finally complaint to Parliamentary Ombudsman about the HO but none of these ways could help to catch the result even a negative result. So in my opinion there is nothing which we can do but wait and wait.

Thank you

[silverchloride]

I was wondering if they use the same letters for people whose applications are delayed by more than 6 months? Or is it different for each applicant. Also, am I right in thinking that UKVi sometimes write with a new time scale if the application cant be decided within six months?

[mhsadique]

To know the real fact of delay ask SAR,
you will know your full case history,

It will help you for next step.
Lots NOTE they will hide with blank ink, but still it will help you

[Maxmilan]

[quote=mhsadique post_id=1644737 time=1528661055 user_id=112006]
To know the real fact of delay ask SAR,
you will know your full case history,

It will help you for next step.
Lots NOTE they will hide with blank ink, but still it will help you
[/quote]
Hi mhsadique
Thanks for your advice.Can I ask that how can I get SAR form and to send it do I need to sent by a solicitor or no?
I you could give me more advise about SAR please.
Regards
Maxmilan

[Maxmilan]

[quote=silverchloride post_id=1644711 time=1528653067 user_id=63036]
I was wondering if they use the same letters for people whose applications are delayed by more than 6 months? Or is it different for each applicant. Also, am I right in thinking that UKVi sometimes write with a new time scale if the application cant be decided within six months?
[/quote]

Hi
It is depend of the reason for the delay.If the reason is a Good Character Check the letter which the HO sent is the same as others with the same reason.Sometimes the HO send a letter with the new time scale sometimes not.It is really up to case worker.

[mhsadique]

You don't need solicitors or any
Immigration advisor
Here is the liknk below:
Just pay £10 costing charge


https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... mmigration

To know the real fact of delay ask SAR,
you will know your full case history,

It will help you for next step.
Lots NOTE they will hide with blank ink, but still it will help you

Hi mhsadique
Thanks for your advice.Can I ask that how can I get SAR form and to send it do I need to sent by a solicitor or no?
I you could give me more advise about SAR please.
Regards
Maxmilan

[Maxmilan]

[quote=mhsadique post_id=1644783 time=1528671859 user_id=112006]
You don't need solicitors or any
Immigration advisor
Here is the liknk below:
Just pay £10 costing charge


https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... mmigration
[quote=Maxmilan post_id=1644764 time=1528666624 user_id=171302]
[quote=mhsadique post_id=1644737 time=1528661055 user_id=112006]
To know the real fact of delay ask SAR,
you will know your full case history,

It will help you for next step.
Lots NOTE they will hide with blank ink, but still it will help you
[/quote]
Hi mhsadique
Thanks for your advice.Can I ask that how can I get SAR form and to send it do I need to sent by a solicitor or no?
I you could give me more advise about SAR please.
Regards
Maxmilan
[/quote]
[/quote]
Thanks mate

[Maxmilan]

[quote=Ab1691 post_id=1628675 time=1525099193 user_id=185704]
Yeah, still waiting for the decision.
[/quote]
Hi Ab1691
I just wanted to ask if you have got any result so far please?

[Kurabor]

Hi,
I applied for naturalisation on 12 Jan 2017 receipt of which was confirmed on 16 Jan 2017 via email by the home office. After the normal waiting time of six months lapsed on 16 July 2017, I contacted the Home Office two times to chase the application, received letterd from the Home Office in response to my enquiry which detailed that certain applications take longer due to checking the character reference.
My question is that what's the maximum time for making decision on naturalization application?
Any help is highly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi Mate. Are you still waiting for the decision? Or when was the decision been made? If you don't mind me asking please