WRS and citizenship.

[Wienerstern]

Hello, sorry if this has already been asked in the forum. I haven't found any recent post regarding this issue.
My story goes.

I came to the UK in May 2009 and started employment a month after. However, I did not register with WRS until May 2010. Back in 2014 I did phone the home office to enquire about permanent recidency and was advised to wait until 2015, because of the lack WRS in 2009. This year I received my PR and the letter states I was deemed to acquire PR in May 2015. All good, right.

I am now ready to apply for a citizenship and phoned the home office again to ask about the lack WRS in that year and the woman said that it will not affect my application in anyway.

I have read lots of things online regarding WRS being unlawful between 2009-2011, and also some people on Facebook advised me to wait until 2020, as I breached immigration rules in 2009, and now have to wait 10 years since I started legal employment.

Could anyone advise me further on this ?

Thank you.

[suker69]

Hey man. I am in similar position. I arrived to UK in December 2006 and registered with WRS in January 2008. Nobody said a word about WRS No hmrc, employer, job centre etc...found out later from big agency who got me registered, but I changed job within first year and did not registered again, because papers I got said I am successfully registered...Later another employer requested copy of my registration and said Its fine I am registered. Year after somebody from HR department found out that I needed to be re-registered so I did it again free of charge.. Since then I was successfully registered. HO counted years from 2010 towards my PR. I have already applied for citizenship and awaiting decision very soon so I will inform you about my result how it went. I found on this website dozen of successful stories about WRS and citizenship and people in similar case like mine or yours and they simply had no trouble at all. I was also advised on facebook that I may wait till 2020, but their assumption is not based on any real facts yet as there was not enough time for WRS defaulters to apply for holy grail of citizenship. I was also told by other people that there was not any specific guidance of criminalisation for WRS defaulters so You could not have been in the breach of rules. WRS guidance also states that it is only your employer responsibility to make sure you get registered otherwise they may commit a criminal offence. There is no specific offence for you as an employee that you are in breach of something. To be honest without your employer input and required paperwork you could have not been registered by yourself anyway. I believe I ll be fine. As soon as I ll get result I will reply again. Probably in few weeks time. Good luck brat...

[Wienerstern]

Hey,

Thanks for your reply. I've just sent a Subject Access Request to the Home Office to see what they have on me. I have read many successful stories regarding lack of WRS and granted citizenship.

I would be grateful if you could update me on the outcome of your application.

Thanks.

[Nimon]

Hi, I wasn't registered for WRS either but I've just received my approval letter so it looks like the lack of WRS doesn't effect good character.

[suker69]

Hi Nimon. Thanks for your update. I have been also following your timeline since you posted it, coz you mentioned WRS. It seems to be okay then. I had it, just had some gaps without it. Did you send any explanation note with your AN form? thanks for your input. I applied in June and waiting for decision. Still nothing.

[Obie]

The right of EU national derive under the treaty, and the UK cannot simply say a person was here unlawfully because they did not work in accordance with the terms of the WRS> Provided they were not an unreasonable burden on the state.

I have seen their guidance say, they will hold this against EU national, but this will clearly be an unlawful act.

[Nimon]

Hi Nimon. Thanks for your update. I have been also following your timeline since you posted it, coz you mentioned WRS. It seems to be okay then. I had it, just had some gaps without it. Did you send any explanation note with your AN form? thanks for your input. I applied in June and waiting for decision. Still nothing.

You should be fine. I didn't have a registration at all. I didn't mention it on the AN form. Hopefully you will hear something soon.

[suker69]

Thanks Nimon. Hopefully I ll get some positive news soon. I ll inform everyone. I was told that lack of WRS will disqualify me for straight 10 years, but i did not believe that as I found many positive stories online and none negative. Congratulation to your approval.

[suker69]

Wienerstem:

Happy days. I just got my citizenship approval letter despite working years without WRS. I assume that WRS has nothing to do with bad character at all. I am one of the many hard working EU 8 folks who had no such problems. Now ready for an Oath. Good luck all of you.