Form AN (EEA) - Letters from employers

[Leon8410]

Dear All,

I am an EEA citizen and I received my PR card on 1 February 2016 and (out of sheer enthusiasm) I have already booked my appointment with the citizenship checking service on 1 February 2017.

I fulfilled all requirements (PR card held for 12 months, life in the UK test, English test at a B1 level), but I am having a last minute panic attack. I genuinely can't understand from the language used in the Guide AN (page 13 onwards) whether, as an EEA applicant, my passport and PR card would suffice or whether I should be collecting (again!) letters from my employers covering the last 5 years in the UK, bank statements, tenancy agreements etc...

I should be very grateful for every personal experience or opinion on the matter.

Many thanks everyone for your time and happy holidays.

Leo

[salmintin]

You need to have been a permanent resident for 12 months before applying for BC. The issue date of the DCPR is irrelevant. If you became a permanent resident in December 2015 or before, there is no need to wait until February (but up to you!).

Do you know when you became a permanent resident?

In general you'll need to demonstrate that you kept the permanent resident status. So you need to show that you didn't leave the UK for more than 2 years, for example. If you became a permanent resident in 2011, that means you'll need to show evidence that between then and now you haven't lose the status.

[Leon8410]

Many thanks for your reply.

I became permanent resident in September 2015 and I am aware that I could have applied beforehand, but, out of an abundance of caution, I decided to wait until 12 months after the PR card was issued.

So, in practical terms, what would you suggest I bring with me on the day? Payslips covering the last 12 months? Something else? A letter from my employer perhaps?

Thanks a million!

[noajthan]

As above, the date you acquired the holy grail of PR status is critical.
That is not the same as date of issue of card/DCPR

Apply via NCS and they can crosscheck such date via HO helpline; this could save you an expensive mistake although it seems you have factored dates in.

Naturalisation is not an action replay of your PR application.

Assuming you are not married with a British spouse then you will be making a section 6(1) of BNA application.
For the privilege of citizenship you need to prove residency in UK for past 5 years.
And submit proof of physical presence in UK 5 years before date of application.

You can't submit passports for that purpose as they won't have been stamped. (Passport still needed to prove your id ofcourse).

Follow AN guidance and submit appropriate documents to back your case.

Government and official documents are best.
Also think about items such as:

• council tax bills;
  voter registration/electoral roll;
  driving license;
  car/house insurance;
  medical letters (doctor/dentist/optician etc);
  registration with RHA;
  any utility bills

& etc etc

Other factors to think about:
sound mind, good character, referees, absences within limits (different rules than EU rules).

[Leon8410]

Thanks all for your answers. I am not married, so I will follow your advice and take with me evidence of residence for the past 5 years.

I am thinking letters from University / Employers, bank statements, payslips, P60s, P45s, bills, tenancy agreements (the usual)...Hopefully the NCS will pick and choose on behalf of the Home Office. Fingers crossed.

I must admit I thought most of the work was done upon receipt of the PR card and that citizenship would have been an easy ride. My bad

[secret.simon]

out of an abundance of caution

A person after my own heart; pragmatic and practical and above all, taking responsibility instead of wailing about how tough life is.

Note that the five years period for PR and five years requirement for naturalisation do not coincide and hence you will need to prepare evidence accordingly.

You will need to provide all the proof of residence and absences (for the relevant five year period) all over again. Also be aware that the absence requirements for naturalisation are much stricter and much more specific.

[Leon8410]

Many thanks Simon. Could I be cheeky and ask you what would you bring on the day?

I arrived in the UK in September 2010. In order to get the PR card I submitted evidence covering the period from September 2010 to September 2015.

I will re-bring to the NCS that same evidence plus payslips and letter from employer covering the period from September 2015 to date. I haven't really left the country (apart from brief holidays) since I arrived. I am not sure what a "proof of absence" would be? The only thing I can produce is an uninterrupted stream of payslips covering the relevant period.

Any word of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks a million!

[secret.simon]

Could I be cheeky and ask you what would you bring on the day?

You can certainly ask, but I would be unable to answer accurately as I was a non-EEA citizen and there are substantial differences in proving absences between EEA and non-EEA citizens, primarily because non-EEA passports are stamped in on entry and hence provide part of the proof of absence.

To prove residence in the UK,

that same evidence plus payslips and letter from employer covering the period from September 2015 to date.

Good idea, though the NCS will likely only take evidence from the five years immediately preceding the application, as the period before is superfluous to a naturalisation application.

I would imagine that evidence regarding your entry and exit from the UK may be recorded in some security databases and hence you are unlikely to have to prove much. Go through your emails, photo albums and write down the dates of absence as accurately as possible.

[Leon8410]

Shall do. I have already made a pretty comprehensive list for my PR application, which I am keeping up to date, so will use that. I am sure the UKBA has enough resources to do the appropriate checks before giving me a passport

Many thanks and happy holidays!

[noajthan]

Shall do. I have already made a pretty comprehensive list for my PR application, which I am keeping up to date, so will use that. I am sure the UKBA has enough resources to do the appropriate checks before giving me a passport

Many thanks and happy holidays!

There is no more UKBA.
And you are not applying for a passport - that comes later.

Dust off that suitcase on top of wardrobe or pull out that bundle stashed behind the old mantlepiece clock and and see what you have from the doc list posted above.

[ohara]

Shall do. I have already made a pretty comprehensive list for my PR application, which I am keeping up to date, so will use that. I am sure the UKBA has enough resources to do the appropriate checks before giving me a passport

Many thanks and happy holidays!

UKBA has not existed for years (It's UKVI now); passports are issued by HMPO and it's a separate process which you can only do once you are a British citizen (or you use the JCAP service through NCS).

[Leon8410]

I know it's a different process, I just wanted to introduce a bit of pathos to the conversation (talking about passports is more romantic after all).

I am pretty equipped when it comes to the documents described above (being slightly OCD), but I hope my old letters (the once I used for the PR application) are still good. I will refresh the one from my current employer to cover the period to date, but not the ones from my university/old employers.

My approach is likely to be Spam-sink, i.e. I will bring to my appointment all of my life and the NCS person can pick and choose what he or she fancies the most in terms of documents. I have one folder with each and every bank statement from October 2010 to date. That should be good too.

Thanks all!

[Leon8410]

Dear All,

I am about to apply for BC and I have a quick query. As I am sure you know, I would need to provide evidence in relation to the past 5 years in order to fulfil the residence requirements.

Last year I successfully applied for PR and, as part of that process, I obtained letters from all past and present employers confirming the usual info (dates, salary, reason for leaving, etc.). I am planning to ask my current employer to refresh that letter to cover the period to date, but I was wondering whether the other letters are still good? After all they refer to a period of time which was concluded even when I applied for PR.

Many thanks everyone for your help.

Leo