Immigrationboards.com

Hi there,
I'm in a slightly unusual situation in that I have been permanent resident in the UK since my marriage to a British citizen in May 1988 (which made me eligible for the Windrush Scheme settlement BRP application), so most of the visa/immigration scenarios don't apply to me.
After a mere 3 weeks' or so struggle to complete my online application (interrupted by taking the Life in the UK and IELTS Life Skills B1 tests, and waiting for the result) I submitted on 28th February, paid the £1,349.20 (fee debited 28/2), selected my nearest UKVCAS centre (Ipswich library - enhanced service) and booked the earliest appointment (another £60, fee debited 28/2) for Wednesday 13th. As I understand it (from spending another £10 extra on a just-over-3-minute phone call to their customer services number), my biometric enrolment will be done on the day and be submitted to the Home Office together with the scanned-in documents (which I'm currently spending several days scanning in prior to the appointment) - and no physical documents need to be sent to the Home Office. Then, to my surprise, on 1st March I received an email from H.O. UKV&I, giving a Case ID number, thanking me for my application, which "has been received and is being considered", and that "it can take up to 6 months to process" (the magic phrase).
The confusion arises from my having been told - during one of my many, many phone calls to the H.O.'s Citizenship helpline - that only when the last of the supporting documents has been received, is the application deemed to have been officially received by the Home Office (that date when you need to have been physically present in the UK exactly 3 years ago), and those documents won't be submitted until the 13th at the earliest... close to the 24/3-1/4 'window' I need to avoid, if I don't want my application to be cancelled and lose a shedload of money.
Is it safe to assume that the 'point of presence' is the 1st March, or will it not be until UKVCAS have successfully submitted my biometric enrolment and scanned-in documents, when their website mentioned "it can take up to 2-3 weeks to process"?
What am I missing?

The date of application is the date you submit and pay online. The physical presence in the UK previously is relevant to this date.

The response you have received is an auto generic body of text.

I have not seen anyone get a decision on citizenship within 2 to 3 weeks. It takes a couple of months and up to 6 months, sometimes longer.

Thank you for enlightening me, at least that takes the stress off a little.

I believe the 2-3 weeks that were mentioned to me (and that I quoted) refers only to the time it takes the Enhanced Service Centre to go through the scanned documents or have them definitely submitted to/received by the Home Office. I was concerned that if it did take them that time for my documents to be received at the other end, that might mean the official receipt date would be within that 24/3-1/4 period, when I could not afford for my application to land on the Home Office's 'desk'.

If it does take the H.O. 6 months to process my application, that would still have me receive the decision before my next birthday, which would be nice.

Hello,
I am in the process of scanning in (and converting to .pdf format, since I have read that is easier/better to upload) all the supporting documents on my checklist ahead of my Enhanced Services Centre appointment a week on Wednesday, and have become a little stuck on that 'Life Events'; I know this is listed under 'optional', but I have also been told that no application has ever been refused for 'too much evidence', so I want to make sure I have all bases covered.
Re the 'Proof of Living in the UK', the problem is that I am not in a position to provide letters from employers (the first of whom doesn't even exist any more) or educational establishments during my qualifying period of 3 years since I have not been in paid employ since going on maternity leave in 1993/94 (but am not disabled enough to receive benefits), or attended any official course - and Government Agencies' correspondence has been mainly in relation to my Settlement status and citizenship application, i.e. since October 2018. I could conceivably supply a list of appointments I have attended at my GP surgery, dental surgery and various NHS clinics, but for 'Life Events' I am in the dark; obviously my daughter being born in the local hospital in 1993 was a major life event for me (she's my only child, and she's disabled so I have been her main support since babyhood), but would that count in the context? It's documents that are required, otherwise I could submit the photoes of her with me at various venues that are very obviously in this country although they are not date stamped.
Is anyone else in the same position?

Hello, again,
Having organised my so-far scanned-in documents in dedicated pdf files (none larger than 6MB) according to the supporting document checklist (still trying to work out what to scan in for 'Proof of Living in the UK' and 'Life Events') and thinking I was now ready to start uploading, I logged into the UKVCAS account to start the process, and was immediately stopped in my tracks.
One (1) mandatory document: 'Proof of Identity / Travel History'... what the hey?! What is 'Travel History' supposed to be? It certainly does not appear on the supporting document checklist, nor in the gov.uk website's 'information' - at any rate, I don't remember coming across it as I tried to make sense of the reams of data...
Not only that, but why, when the supporting document checklist is as long as it is with no obvious distinction between mandatory and optional, but the stress being on 'tick as many as possible' (and the Home Office even suggesting more documents than listed might be asked for) should there then follow the warning
"Your application may be rejected if you do not provide all mandatory documents." "... all mandatory"? No mention of which ones are mandatory until that point, when it seems only proof of Identity is mandatory...
As if that wasn't puzzling enough, right at the bottom of the Optional list there is "Proof of Application"... Another 'what the hey?!'...
I didn't think I could get any more thoroughly confused. I was wrong.

Hey,

Proof of Identity / Travel History - Your passport pages containing stamps (they are looking to see the stamps but id advise you scan all pages of all passports even expired ones)

Proof of Application - Your current passport

Sponsors and engagement - Referee declarations

Life events- I Didn't have to submit anything for this.

Residence in uk - Residence permit.

Proof of business - I Didn't have to submit anything for this.

Hope this helps.

Are you a Non-EU citizen at present? If so your passports during the qualifying period (5 years or 3 years depending on if your partner is British) would contain entry stamps each time you return to the UK, so those passports can serve as proof of travel history.

Thank you both so much for your prompt responses, very much appreciated, and apologies for the delay in reaction - I'm having very much One Of Those Mornings!

To clarify:
For the travel history issue, it's not the residence permit that is the problem - I have [scanned in] my original residence permit, in which my indefinite leave to remain was stamped by the Home Office on 2nd April 1992; I applied for the BRP card in November, which was issued on 14th January and it arrived promptly - so that only illustrates that I have the right to stay in the country for an unlimited period. It is proving that I was physically present in this country/"Living in the UK" between Jan/Feb 2016 and now that is the problem, because how do you prove that? I have not been in paid employ, in receipt of benefits or on courses in educational establishments in the qualifying period of the past 3 years - so the best I can provide is a signed list of appointments I have attended at various surgeries and clinics.
To answer the other question: no I am not a non-EEA citizen; so my passport has only been stamped when I've travelled outside the EEA zone, and I do not have the passport in which that happened most recently (which in any case was not within the past 3 years). I have included my periods of absence from the UK in my online application according to the criteria given, and they totalled 58 full days so I have not even met the annual 'allowance'. For EEA citizens in my position (resident for 30+ years, but just a few years off pension age) proving presence in the country during a 3-year period (yes, my husband is a British citizen) is an almost impossible requirement.
In that case, proof of application turns out to be easier - I've already scanned in the passport on which I entered the UK in 1988, the one that followed it (both expired, of course), and my current, valid one. I have added a note to the effect that the completely blank pages can be scanned in if necessary.

[2 hours and several phone calls later]
Having now received a no-reply response from UKVCAS, giving another list of qualifying documents I cannot provide (except for the recommended doctor's letter, confirming when I first registered as a patient) and a telephone number at the UKVI office that is not the right one for my query as I found out after ringing it twice, and after another 2 attempts spoken to someone at the Home Office who could answer the list of 9 questions I accumulated this morning, I can report that

1) the supporting documents checklist UKVCAS gives, which is different from the one generated during my application, they don't know about - it's the one generated during the application I have to go by;
2) for Travel History, I could contact Dover [ferry] port who could provide me with a list of when I left and entered the country cross-Channel (except they told me they don't keep that kind of information - fortunately I've kept the booking confirmations from the travel agents I used, which will serve the same purpose);
3) she didn't know why the UKVCAS checklist mentions only one mandatory document, the rest 'optional' (that's what you get when a government hires a private company to act as middle man!);
4) if I haven't had a big Life Event during my qualifying period, such as getting married or having a child, I can ignore that category (the reason I moved to this country was because I had married a British citizen, in my home country - but my daughter was born in 1993, so not in the past 3 years but I was going to include her birth certificate anyway);
5) it is not necessary to upload all my supporting document files in one session;
6) ... nor in the order given in the checklist;
7) yes, the date of the email I received (even if it was an automatically-generated one) acknowledging receipt of my application is the date I should have been in the country exactly 3 years ago (which I was, thankfully - I made her chuckle when I voiced that out loud - and thank you for that response, Moderator CR001, it's not that I didn't believe you, the questions crossed paths as it were) ;
she didn't know what 'proof of application' meant (there was a baffled silence when I asked her that, so that's apparently also a UKVCAS rather than UKVI/H.O. thing);
9) the biometric enrolment photo is kept on the Home Office database, but is not used for either the citizenship/naturalisation certificate (which amused me, when they included the photo taken on the morning - when I was looking rather windswept - of the Life Skills B1 test, for which we don't need to provide the pass certificate), nor can it be used when applying online for my first British passport.
And a bonus question that occurred to me while I was on the phone:
10) yes, I can upload a covering letter to the Home Office (to clarify any apparent discrepancies or points of confusion/conflict in the supporting documents), all I have to do is address it to The Case Worker, with the Case ID number given in the acknowledgement email, so I don't have to send a single document separately by 'snail' mail.

Hope all of this is of use to anyone else going through the same mill!

And thank you once again for your responses.

... and now I also know that when I type an 8 followed by ), that translates in a "cool" emoticon!

Just a thought, but you could also try a subject access request with UKVI / border force: https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... mmigration

Even if your passport isn't stampted, they might still have at least a partial record of your movements into and out of the country via advance passenger information from Stupid and similar sources.

Also bank statements showing that you've used your debit card in the UK?

Thank you, I could try that (border control thing) although I haven't flown in the past 3 years, only sailed from either Felixstowe or Southampton, however I believe the criteria stipulate that bank statements are not acceptable - and I've gone paperless as well.

I've now been to my GP surgery and they will provide a list of appointments I attended on surgery letterhead, so that should help too.

jafarkuku wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:18 am

Hey,

Proof of Identity / Travel History - Your passport pages containing stamps (they are looking to see the stamps but id advise you scan all pages of all passports even expired ones)

Proof of Application - Your current passport

Sponsors and engagement - Referee declarations

Life events- I Didn't have to submit anything for this.

Residence in uk - Residence permit.

Proof of business - I Didn't have to submit anything for this.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, that does help; I hadn't mentally translated 'Sponsors and engagement' to referee declarations. It does puzzle me why UKVCAS doesn't use the same terminology as UKVI.

Nerazzuri wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:38 am

Are you a Non-EU citizen at present? If so your passports during the qualifying period (5 years or 3 years depending on if your partner is British) would contain entry stamps each time you return to the UK, so those passports can serve as proof of travel history.

I am not a Non-EU citizen, in some ways that would have been easier.

Nancy DD wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:15 pm

Nerazzuri wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:38 am

Are you a Non-EU citizen at present? If so your passports during the qualifying period (5 years or 3 years depending on if your partner is British) would contain entry stamps each time you return to the UK, so those passports can serve as proof of travel history.

I am not a Non-EU citizen, in some ways that would have been easier.

After spending weeks being puzzled, now I am somewhat nonplussed.
Had my document-checking/biometric enrolment appointment today (loads of stress in the run-up, feeling a bit deflated afterwards)... and I am not sure why exactly I had to fork out £60 for the privilege of having the biometric enrolment done (for which I had already been charged £19.20 during the online application payment - and in order to take up the issue of a possible refund of that fee, as I had been told by the Home Office, I would have to contact the premium UKVCAS 'help'-line number, @ £2.50/min. plus standard rate) and the not-related-to-the-UKVCAS-service library staff member scan in my appointment booking confirmation QR code, my current passport and the driving licence I pointed out I'd forgotten to upload... Because as it turned out, the 'checking documents' entailed nothing more than making sure that the images of the scanned documents I uploaded were clear. I was a little surprised that the lady mentioned some of the documents uploaded for today's appointment had already been verified (because I'd included them as appendices with my BRP application). I was not asked for a single original of the documents it had been impressed on me were *compulsory* ('or else!') to bring along, and consequently I am not certain that I have submitted everything required...! All I can do now is double-check, and send originals of anything I overlooked while uploading to the Home Office, with a covering explanatory letter. At least I know to include the case ID number, and to address any covering letter to 'The case worker'... I thought I could relax now, but as it turns out - not quite yet...

You really are overthinking a little. Important to note that the staff at the sopra points are not home office staff. Sopra is merely a third party agent.

There is NO need to "send originals with a covering note"!! If HO wants to see a document at any point, they will write to you and ask for it.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 13, 2019 6:14 pm

You really are overthinking a little. Important to note that the staff at the sopra points are not home office staff. Sopra is merely a third party agent.

There is NO need to "send originals with a covering note"!! If HO wants to see a document at any point, they will write to you and ask for it.

Thank you for that, CR001 - the fact that the sopra points staff are not actually relative in any way to either the Home Office or indeed to Sopra was not made clear at any point until I told the lady that I had been advised to take up the issue of a possible £19.20 refund for the biometric enrolment process when I got to my appointment. I'm just keen to avoid any kind of hold-up because of events on my calendar that are not movable, with the steps in mind that will follow the Home Office decision. One of the documents I submitted in the category 'Proof of Life in the UK', in the absence of letters from employers, educational establishments or government agencies during the qualifying period, was an uploaded list of medical and dental appointments, but not the actual documents the list referred to; and not being *asked* to provide those documents, it did not occur to me in the moment (I was not firing on all pistons due to being over-tired) to offer the ones that had not been scanned in and uploaded... <sigh> Now I'll be worrying about getting a phone call or letter asking for additional supporting documents while I am away, either in April or May...

It sounds like you're at risk of overloading them with more information than they need. If they need something, they will ask you for it and you can email it to them. Mailing them is only valid IF you made a mistake that if you didn't correct would amount to deception.

Too much information only makes the caseworker's job harder, not easier. I know you'd like to have some peace of mind, but you'd be best to trust that they can ask you for information, and you can email it.

Nerazzuri wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 13, 2019 8:52 pm

It sounds like you're at risk of overloading them with more information than they need. If they need something, they will ask you for it and you can email it to them. Mailing them is only valid IF you made a mistake that if you didn't correct would amount to deception.

Too much information only makes the caseworker's job harder, not easier. I know you'd like to have some peace of mind, but you'd be best to trust that they can ask you for information, and you can email it.

Ah, I did not know it could be emailed. I was obviously concerned that a list that I included in the uploads was not accompanies/demonstrated by the actual documents in that list. Can I assume that if they want more information, they are likely to contact me within days rather than weeks?