General Discussion During Naturalisation Application Process

[aura85]

I wonder if applications done through NCS have longer timings? I've seen few April applicants who applied directly and only 1 NCS applicant so far who received their replies .

I was wondering just the same and to think that the only reason why I spent those 75 pounds was 'maybe it gets processed quickly'..
When did you apply?

[alterhase58]

I wonder if applications done through NCS have longer timings? I've seen few April applicants who applied directly and only 1 NCS applicant so far who received their replies .

I was wondering just the same and to think that the only reason why I spent those 75 pounds was 'maybe it gets processed quickly'..
When did you apply?

Why did you think that? NCS don't make this claim.
Main benefit is you keep your originals and can apply for a passport at the same time.

[aura85]

I wonder if applications done through NCS have longer timings? I've seen few April applicants who applied directly and only 1 NCS applicant so far who received their replies .

I was wondering just the same and to think that the only reason why I spent those 75 pounds was 'maybe it gets processed quickly'..
When did you apply?

Why did you think that? NCS don't make this claim.
Main benefit is you keep your originals and can apply for a passport at the same time.

Of course, but they skimmed all the paperwork I was going to send, they checked the documents so the HO receives a package with only exactly what they need and it's quicker to check.. that was my hope anyway

[CR001]

Of course, but they skimmed all the paperwork I was going to send, they checked the documents so the HO receives a package with only exactly what they need and it's quicker to check.. that was my hope anyway

That isn't how it works unfortunately. HO will still take as long as they need to do the various checks with the other government departments.

[eryilmazhilmi]

It seems that the order that applications are being decided is only very loosely related to the order in which people applied when it comes to April applicants. I feel a bit guilty about receiving my approval when so many people who applied before I did are still waiting for a decision. I know I'd feel pretty annoyed in their place.

Now that summer holidays are almost over in England (they already finished in Scotland), hopefully the processing times will start to decrease. When the process is generally fast (< 3 months), I don't think anyone cares that someone who applied after they did got their decision sooner. But when you've already been waiting longer than you expected to when you applied, every decision that isn't about your application feels like a personal slight.

You were a day after my application from April if I remember , When I saw you had been approved I thought I would be soon !!! .... Still waiting, I was 26th April but nothing I can do , Just keep waiting. congratulations on approval and no need feeling guilty , everybodys decisions will come eventually Hopefully all positive . ~Good Luck with your ceremony

[Tea_Rocket]

You were a day after my application from April if I remember , When I saw you had been approved I thought I would be soon !!! .... Still waiting, I was 26th April but nothing I can do , Just keep waiting. congratulations on approval and no need feeling guilty , everybodys decisions will come eventually Hopefully all positive . ~Good Luck with your ceremony

Thanks! That's a really nice thing to say.

I was sure that you would get your approval before I got mine, because my progress was consistently one [working] day behind yours every other step of the way, and because of the other similarities in our cases—both non-EEA, both applied via NCS as spouses of a British citizen...I think what we're learning is that the Home Office's internal process is far more random than anyone had guessed. In any case, I hope your approval comes soon.

[EEA National]

Hello,

I have applied for citizenship after 9 yeras of residency, PR aquired in April 2013, but document issued this year.
From the period May 2012 to May 2017 I had around 282 days out of country
I ahve been recently asked to submit additinal residence evidense for the periods October 2012 to March 2013 and October 2013 to Janury 2014
What puzzeled me that for those periods I have specifically pointed that I was out of the country.
I am unsure how will this affect my application as the tone of the letter sugested that failing to submit such docuents will result in refusal

Regrds

[mskatemaks]

Hi guys,

Can someone explain me this (AN Booklet June 2017):

"If you are a national of a country which is a member state of the EEA or Switzerland, or the family member of such a person, you will automatically have permanent residence status after exercising EEA free movement rights in the UK for any continuous period of 5 years ending on or after 30 April 2006. You should apply for a permanent residence card to prove that you hold that status before applying for citizenship.

But remember that, unless you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you should normally have held permanent resident status for 12 months before applying for naturalisation. This means that you may need to wait until you have been in the United Kingdom for 6 years before you can apply. When you apply for a permanent residence document the evidence that you supply for your EEA(PR) application must be for a 5 year period that ended at least a year before you want to apply for citizenship.

For example:
If you apply for Permanent Residence on 1 June 2017 and want to apply for citizenship once that application is decided, you should send evidence that shows you were exercising Treaty rights as a qualified person or family member from 1 June 2011 to 1 June 2016."

Does it mean for my citizenship application which I intend to submit on 2 September 2017, I need to provide evidencethat shows you were exercising Treaty rights as a qualified person from 2 September 2011 to 2 September 2016?

Thank you

[mskatemaks]

Also,

where I have to give details of all absences from the UK:

1) can I put two countries as 'one trip'?

For example,

Italy, Switzerland holiday from 2 June 2015 to 9 June 2016

or it has to be something like:

Italy holiday from 2 June 2016 to 4 June 2016
Switzerland holiday from 4 June 2016 to 9 June 2016

Many thanks,

Kate

[mahasam]

Also,

where I have to give details of all absences from the UK:

1) can I put two countries as 'one trip'?

For example,

Italy, Switzerland holiday from 2 June 2015 to 9 June 2016

or it has to be something like:

Italy holiday from 2 June 2016 to 4 June 2016
Switzerland holiday from 4 June 2016 to 9 June 2016

Many thanks,

Kate

I had the same issue (From UK to france, germany, swiss and back to UK). I was told that HO cares about the absence(days), not about the country.

[EEA National]

Hi guys,

Can someone explain me this (AN Booklet June 2017):

"If you are a national of a country which is a member state of the EEA or Switzerland, or the family member of such a person, you will automatically have permanent residence status after exercising EEA free movement rights in the UK for any continuous period of 5 years ending on or after 30 April 2006. You should apply for a permanent residence card to prove that you hold that status before applying for citizenship.

But remember that, unless you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you should normally have held permanent resident status for 12 months before applying for naturalisation. This means that you may need to wait until you have been in the United Kingdom for 6 years before you can apply. When you apply for a permanent residence document the evidence that you supply for your EEA(PR) application must be for a 5 year period that ended at least a year before you want to apply for citizenship.

For example:
If you apply for Permanent Residence on 1 June 2017 and want to apply for citizenship once that application is decided, you should send evidence that shows you were exercising Treaty rights as a qualified person or family member from 1 June 2011 to 1 June 2016."

Does it mean for my citizenship application which I intend to submit on 2 September 2017, I need to provide evidencethat shows you were exercising Treaty rights as a qualified person from 2 September 2011 to 2 September 2016?This is correct. But also you need to have acquired PR status or ILR status 12 months prior BC application

Thank you

[EEA National]

Also,

where I have to give details of all absences from the UK:

1) can I put two countries as 'one trip'?

For example,

Italy, Switzerland holiday from 2 June 2015 to 9 June 2016

or it has to be something like:

Italy holiday from 2 June 2016 to 4 June 2016
Switzerland holiday from 4 June 2016 to 9 June 2016

Many thanks,

Kate

I had the same issue (From UK to france, germany, swiss and back to UK). I was told that HO cares about the absence(days), not about the country.

I agree with mahasam. I was in the same position. Exactly the same actually! Germany, France, Swiztzerland. I just put Germany

[eryilmazhilmi]

18 weeks and 5 days and still no decision. Still well within the 6 months timeframe but disheartening when applications for the Month later than I applied being decided. My application was a straight forward case . 6 years DLR , ILR granted Feb 17, married to British Citizen. Only out the country 16 days since 2009 until April 2017. Hoping for a application status change this week. The 6 months wait for ILR didn't seem as long as this past 18 weeks has felt.

[CR001]

18 weeks and 5 days and still no decision. Still well within the 6 months timeframe but disheartening when applications for the Month later than I applied being decided. My application was a straight forward case . 6 years DLR , ILR granted Feb 17, married to British Citizen. Only out the country 16 days since 2009 until April 2017. Hoping for a application status change this week. The 6 months wait for ILR didn't seem as long as this past 18 weeks has felt.

What was your immigration status before you got DLR??

[mahasam]

18 weeks and 5 days and still no decision. Still well within the 6 months timeframe but disheartening when applications for the Month later than I applied being decided. My application was a straight forward case . 6 years DLR , ILR granted Feb 17, married to British Citizen. Only out the country 16 days since 2009 until April 2017. Hoping for a application status change this week. The 6 months wait for ILR didn't seem as long as this past 18 weeks has felt.

What was your immigration status before you got DLR??

20 weeks here, should I start complaining?

[mahasam]

I wonder if the person who is xxxxx could tell us more.. Just read here british-citizenship/may-2017-naturalisa ... 7-140.html, May applicants from EU/EEA got their decisions already. I wonder if that's a bad sign when people who applied earlier (I have applied in April) didn't get any reply yet.

[CR001]

I wonder if the person who is xxxxx could tell us more.. Just read here british-citizenship/may-2017-naturalisa ... 7-140.html, May applicants from EU/EEA got their decisions already. I wonder if that's a bad sign when people who applied earlier (I have applied in April) didn't get any reply yet.

The user you mentioned, details now removed, USED to be (not anymore) a ENTRY CLEARANCE OFFICER, different to a nationality caseworker.

[mahasam]

I wonder if the person who is xxxxx could tell us more.. Just read here british-citizenship/may-2017-naturalisa ... 7-140.html, May applicants from EU/EEA got their decisions already. I wonder if that's a bad sign when people who applied earlier (I have applied in April) didn't get any reply yet.

The user you mentioned, details now removed, USED to be (not anymore) a ENTRY CLEARANCE OFFICER, different to a nationality caseworker.

Whatever was he advising was not true and not applicable to AN applicants?

[CR001]

I wonder if the person who is xxxxx could tell us more.. Just read here british-citizenship/may-2017-naturalisa ... 7-140.html, May applicants from EU/EEA got their decisions already. I wonder if that's a bad sign when people who applied earlier (I have applied in April) didn't get any reply yet.

The user you mentioned, details now removed, USED to be (not anymore) a ENTRY CLEARANCE OFFICER, different to a nationality caseworker.

Whatever was he advising was not true and not applicable to AN applicants?

You stated he was a senior caseworker, which is not the case based on his information he put on his profile. There are many people that post believing they know how HO works and who gets preference across various categories of applications. HO works in mysterious ways and do things in their own way. My citizenship for example took only 5 weeks till approval.

What point are you trying to make?

[mahasam]

I wonder if the person who is xxxxx could tell us more.. Just read here british-citizenship/may-2017-naturalisa ... 7-140.html, May applicants from EU/EEA got their decisions already. I wonder if that's a bad sign when people who applied earlier (I have applied in April) didn't get any reply yet.

The user you mentioned, details now removed, USED to be (not anymore) a ENTRY CLEARANCE OFFICER, different to a nationality caseworker.

Whatever was he advising was not true and not applicable to AN applicants?

You stated he was a senior caseworker, which is not the case based on his information he put on his profile. There are many people that post believing they know how HO works and who gets preference across various categories of applications. HO works in mysterious ways and do things in their own way. My citizenship for example took only 5 weeks till approval.

What point are you trying to make?

Hi,

no point, I thought I saw his statement - Senior Case worker, London etc. Maybe it was some one else. Please, nevermind.

Still, doesn't change the fact that almost 5 months of waiting brings some frustration, especially when people who applied in May got their replies

[eryilmazhilmi]

18 weeks and 5 days and still no decision. Still well within the 6 months timeframe but disheartening when applications for the Month later than I applied being decided. My application was a straight forward case . 6 years DLR , ILR granted Feb 17, married to British Citizen. Only out the country 16 days since 2009 until April 2017. Hoping for a application status change this week. The 6 months wait for ILR didn't seem as long as this past 18 weeks has felt.

What was your immigration status before you got DLR??

Hi CR001

I came to the UK sept 09 on a visit visa, due to poor advice I applied whilst in the country to stay . Obviously it was refused (now I know all the reasons why) We had appeal and was granted DLR in 2010 . ILR granted Feb 17 and applied April 17 for Naturalisation .

[CR001]

Hi,

no point, I thought I saw his statement - Senior Case worker, London etc. Maybe it was some one else. Please, nevermind.

Still, doesn't change the fact that almost 5 months of waiting brings some frustration, especially when people who applied in May got their replies

I understand the frustrations members are going through but since June last year, there has been a rush of applications from all nationalities as people are scared of the 'unknown' and most believe brexit will affect everyone, with many such questions asked on the forum from spouse visa to tier 2 to EU route.

[CR001]

18 weeks and 5 days and still no decision. Still well within the 6 months timeframe but disheartening when applications for the Month later than I applied being decided. My application was a straight forward case . 6 years DLR , ILR granted Feb 17, married to British Citizen. Only out the country 16 days since 2009 until April 2017. Hoping for a application status change this week. The 6 months wait for ILR didn't seem as long as this past 18 weeks has felt.

What was your immigration status before you got DLR??

Hi CR001

I came to the UK sept 09 on a visit visa, due to poor advice I applied whilst in the country to stay . Obviously it was refused (now I know all the reasons why) We had appeal and was granted DLR in 2010 . ILR granted Feb 17 and applied April 17 for Naturalisation .

Unfortunate as your citizenship application is likely to be refused due to failing the good character requirement and your period of overstay. What date exactly were you granted DLR?

It is likely that an application for citizenship will only be successful from 2020, 10 years after your DLR was first granted.

[eryilmazhilmi]

18 weeks and 5 days and still no decision. Still well within the 6 months timeframe but disheartening when applications for the Month later than I applied being decided. My application was a straight forward case . 6 years DLR , ILR granted Feb 17, married to British Citizen. Only out the country 16 days since 2009 until April 2017. Hoping for a application status change this week. The 6 months wait for ILR didn't seem as long as this past 18 weeks has felt.

What was your immigration status before you got DLR??

Hi CR001

I came to the UK sept 09 on a visit visa, due to poor advice I applied whilst in the country to stay . Obviously it was refused (now I know all the reasons why) We had appeal and was granted DLR in 2010 . ILR granted Feb 17 and applied April 17 for Naturalisation .

Unfortunate as your citizenship application is likely to be refused due to failing the good character requirement and your period of overstay. What date exactly were you granted DLR?

It is likely that an application for citizenship will only be successful from 2020, 10 years after your DLR was first granted.

We applied flr based on marriage but my visit visa was valid until 9 mar 2010 . Obviously when refused we put in a appeal and it was heard at 1st tier tribunal on 17 june 2010. Dlr was granted 13 sept 2010

[Sarasafari]

Hi,
I have already passed my life in the UK test. For English knowledge test I have NCFE Functional Skill in English Level 1
In Writing/ Reading/ Speaking and Listening.
Is this certificate acceptable by Home Office or it has to be b1.

The second question I had, I am self employed but I don't have self assessment statement. Could you please inform me how I should obtain one.

Regards
Sara Safari