General Discussion During Naturalisation Application Process

[alsanober]

Hello,
Can anyone please help with online naturalization application?
I have submitted online application, paid and attended a biometrics appointment with Sopra Steria.
Do I still have to send the original documents to UKVI? It was never mentioned during the application process, but I can see people on this forum still send the document to UKVI. Very confused.
Thank you!

I believe those who fill in the online application and do not use UKVCAS have to send in the originals.

if one decide to use postal route, do they get biometric letter on submission?

Cheers,

[mtsgill]

Hello,
Can anyone please help with online naturalization application?
I have submitted online application, paid and attended a biometrics appointment with Sopra Steria.
Do I still have to send the original documents to UKVI? It was never mentioned during the application process, but I can see people on this forum still send the document to UKVI. Very confused.
Thank you!

I believe those who fill in the online application and do not use UKVCAS have to send in the originals.

if one decide to use postal route, do they get biometric letter on submission?

Cheers,

Yes

[ignition0]

Hi,

I have a few questions that I am struggling to find the information.

I have followed the new process, via UKVCAS, but at any point no one as asked me about the Language Test.

I have no diploma, only the "Unique Electronic Reference Number", but this hasn't been asked in the application.

I am dead worried thinking that I missed some question, but reviewing my questioner I can't see any reference.

[Nerazzuri]

Hi,

I have a few questions that I am struggling to find the information.

I have followed the new process, via UKVCAS, but at any point no one as asked me about the Language Test.

I have no diploma, only the "Unique Electronic Reference Number", but this hasn't been asked in the application.

I am dead worried thinking that I missed some question, but reviewing my questioner I can't see any reference.

If you got ILR after a certain date, you would have met the language requirement through that.

[ignition0]

Thanks for the reply Nerazurri,

I am an EEA citizen with 1 year of EU permanent residency, for which I did not need a test.

[alterhase58]

Thanks for the reply Nerazurri,

I am an EEA citizen with 1 year of EU permanent residency, for which I did not need a test.

Is that ref number for the B1 English Test? Why don't you have the pass letter?
Then send it to UKVI, quoting your reference number, keep a copy of your letter, send by signed for mail.
Unfortunately it seems that UKVCAS don't always seem to work with the complete list of requirements.

[ignition0]

Thanks,

According to TrinityCollegeLondon

Your Unique Electronic Reference Number is XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. You should quote this number when using your certificate for an application with the Home Office.

I asked a new certificate and they told me that is not needed, just give the number!.

So I was wondering.. why is not asked in the online form? No mention at all (yes for the life in the UK), neither in the supporting document list...

[AnotherUUID]

Hi all,

Thought I'd share an update on my application which doesn't really fit into the 'Timelines' topic.

I'm an EU citizen, who applied for BC on 29 November and attended UKVCAS on 9 December. As I was getting panicky while reading about January applicants who had already gotten approval letters, i emailed the nationality support team asking whether they need anything extra from me and whether a decision has been made. About 4 hours after sending my query, I got the following:

"Thank you for your email. All applications are dealt with in application receipt date order.
As your application was received on 29th November 18, it will take a while longer for your application to be considered. Once your applications is decided, you will be contacted by your caseworker."

How do people read the third sentence? The application has not been opened at all yet (unlikely) or simply a decision has not been made as enquiries are ongoing? I fully understand only the HO know the answer, but curious to know what other people think and if anyone else has had similar correspondence with the Nationality Support team. Also curious if anyone was ever contacted by their caseworker before receiving the approval letter in the post?

NB. My application is relatively straightforward - no criminal record or CCJ, one parking fine which I disclosed; the only thing which may be causing the delay is the fact that i've been absent for about 457 days (but not over the past 24 months), as I had an international posting while at university. However, as per HO's guidance, it shouldn't be a problem so long as the absence is under 480 days.

I don't think there's anything that can be inferred from their response. It's fairly generic, so try not to read between the lines.

While the applications are processed in chronological order, there is no information as to how exactly they assign them internally. For example, do caseworkers just "pick" them one after the other from a common "pile" or do individual batches get assigned to caseworkers? If it's the latter, then chances are an application only gets processed when the caseworker gets through the ones before which, depending on the complexity and/or delays in checks etc, may incur delays to subsequent applications from the same batch. It would also depend on the speed at which the caseworker is going through an application in general.

I applied on 04/12 (EU route as well) and in the December and January timelines there were people receiving decisions whose application dates were considerably later - mid-December, late December, and even early January. I only got my approval on 04/02 (dated 31/01) with increasing levels of anxiety from what I've been seeing in the timelines up until then. So I can definitely understand your worries.

Don't worry, you'll hopefully get your decision any time now as well! Keep us posted and best of luck!

[AnotherUUID]

what happens if you make a mistake on the online form and its already been paid and sent,

the mistake is on the question about making any previous immigration application abroad or in uk,i clicked No but I think it should have been YES.as before arriving in uk we did make the application to come here so I didn't think this is what the question meant.What do I do now?

If you applied online + UKVCAS, you should ask the UKVCAS representative at your appointment on how to provide additional information. They may be able to do it for you. It would be beneficial to bring any evidence you may have of such applications with you to the UKVCAS appointment and they can decide on the spot whether they will need to include it or not.

If you chose to use the existing service (e.g. post the supporting documents yourself), then write a covering letter explaining the error and providing the relevant information and include it with your paperwork. If you have already posted your supporting documents, then write a letter and post it to the same address as the one you posted your paperwork to. Finally, if you're posting a separate letter, make sure you include enough information about your application to help UKVI locate it and include the letter in the file - case ID (if you have it already), date of application, full name and date of birth (as specified in the application) should be sufficient. You can also include the postal date of your supporting documents and any mail tracking numbers you may have.

Make sure you disclose any previous immigration history and applications to HO, so that no omissions can go against the good character requirement.

[angel valdes]

have already done the biometrics and they sent the scanned documentsi just realized later on,can I book another appointment again to send the cover letter?

[AnotherUUID]

have already done the biometrics and they sent the scanned documentsi just realized later on,can I book another appointment again to send the cover letter?

Since I did not use UKVCAS, my personal advice would be to get in touch with the UKVCAS centre where you had your appointment and ask them how best to proceed. You may have to upload additional details / letter on their portal and have them forward it to HO. However, the portal still allowing you to upload files does not guarantee that they will be sent out if the other supporting documents have already been processed. I would suggest you contact them ASAP, preferably over the phone to avoid as much delay as you can.

You can also try to contact the nationality enquiries helpline over the phone (they may not necessarily respond promptly or at all over email). However, my personal experience with them has been rather generic and not particularly helpful - consistent with reports from other members. It doesn't hurt trying though, as yours is a rather generic case that they should, in theory, know how to go about.

Member @trueblue1981 finds themselves in a similar situation to yours (though for different reasons) where they have attended their UKVCAS appointment and need to provide further information. As of this message, they have got in touch with UKVCAS about the update and are waiting for a reply from them. They have also promised to post an update once they hear back so keep an eye on the link I've provided and future updates by @trueblue1981.

If you get in touch with UKVCAS please let us know how you addressed your updates for future reference.

[ignition0]

Thanks for the reply Nerazurri,

I am an EEA citizen with 1 year of EU permanent residency, for which I did not need a test.

Is that ref number for the B1 English Test? Why don't you have the pass letter?
Then send it to UKVI, quoting your reference number, keep a copy of your letter, send by signed for mail.
Unfortunately it seems that UKVCAS don't always seem to work with the complete list of requirements.

I have the exam report, but NOT the certificate.

I also have an email saying that i have passed the exam and the reference number. It just looks odd the fact that they haven't asked me the number, I guess that is because ILR do not need to make the exam again?

[CR001]

Thanks for the reply Nerazurri,

I am an EEA citizen with 1 year of EU permanent residency, for which I did not need a test.

Is that ref number for the B1 English Test? Why don't you have the pass letter?
Then send it to UKVI, quoting your reference number, keep a copy of your letter, send by signed for mail.
Unfortunately it seems that UKVCAS don't always seem to work with the complete list of requirements.

I have the exam report, but NOT the certificate.

I also have an email saying that i have passed the exam and the reference number. It just looks odd the fact that they haven't asked me the number, I guess that is because ILR do not need to make the exam again?

Did you tick the box that you met the requirement after 28 October 2013 as YES or did you tick NO??

[mtsgill]

Thanks for the reply Nerazurri,

I am an EEA citizen with 1 year of EU permanent residency, for which I did not need a test.

Is that ref number for the B1 English Test? Why don't you have the pass letter?
Then send it to UKVI, quoting your reference number, keep a copy of your letter, send by signed for mail.
Unfortunately it seems that UKVCAS don't always seem to work with the complete list of requirements.

I have the exam report, but NOT the certificate.

I also have an email saying that i have passed the exam and the reference number. It just looks odd the fact that they haven't asked me the number, I guess that is because ILR do not need to make the exam again?

Did you tick the box that you met the requirement after 28 October 2013 as YES or did you tick NO??

This exactly was the reason in my case. Even though I held PR (not ILR) I still ticked ‘Yes’ that I met the requirement after 2013. Since I ticked ‘Yes’ it was never mentioned on the document list that I also had to provide English Language Certificate. I still scanned it and provided, approved without any issues.

[ignition0]

Thanks for the reply Nerazurri,

I am an EEA citizen with 1 year of EU permanent residency, for which I did not need a test.

Is that ref number for the B1 English Test? Why don't you have the pass letter?
Then send it to UKVI, quoting your reference number, keep a copy of your letter, send by signed for mail.
Unfortunately it seems that UKVCAS don't always seem to work with the complete list of requirements.

I have the exam report, but NOT the certificate.

I also have an email saying that i have passed the exam and the reference number. It just looks odd the fact that they haven't asked me the number, I guess that is because ILR do not need to make the exam again?

Did you tick the box that you met the requirement after 28 October 2013 as YES or did you tick NO??

Hi CR001,

I did verify this straight away.

I ticked YES because I have the life in the UK and the Language test. Did I answer wrong?

Wops! I see now here:
british-citizenship/requirement-to-qual ... 72736.html

That I should have answered NO. I am still a bit confused about the question since I got my titles after October 2013. But I see now that they meant something else.

I cant remember that the online form explained this well enough. I see that I'm not the only one confused here.

I will provide the email with the number then! I hope that all goes well.

[kmlenna]

Anyone knows if HO will send the approval letter together with the supporting documents or do they send it separately? Thank you!

[CR001]

Anyone knows if HO will send the approval letter together with the supporting documents or do they send it separately? Thank you!

Usually sent separately.

[kmlenna]

Anyone knows if HO will send the approval letter together with the supporting documents or do they send it separately? Thank you!

Usually sent separately.

Thank you @CR001

[nakau]

Hi all

Here is my experience during the application process.

Been in the UK since 2009. Working holiday visa, Spousal Visa then ILR.
Had ILR for about four years before applying.
I kept all my applications in a folder throughout the years and just updated each application as I went along.
I was really hesitant to send all my documents through the post. The new system had just come out so decided to pay the extra £60 and managed to get an appointment the very next day with UKVCAS. I submitted my online application on the 05/12/2018, money got debited from my account the same day, got email confirmation from home office and was re directed to the UKVCAS website to book appointment for biometrics and document check etc. Booked appointment for 06/12/2018 at 3PM. Got there early only to be told that there was a delay and waited for almost two hours to be seen. Everyone seemed as they were still figuring out the system and i felt uneasy when they didn't ask to scan specific documents. I arrived with every single document under the sun, probably about 100 pages and they only asked me for about 10. Didn't receive any confirmation in the post or anything after the appointment. Finally received my approval letter in the post this week and can now move forward to ceremony and passport. So thats roughly about a 10 week processing time. A very anxious 10 week wait

[khurram_shazad]

hi,

i sent my application for naturalisation on 02/02/2019 using royal mail next day signed for guaranteed by 1PM services, since i have sent my application i have not heard anything back from home office or even the Royal mail online tracking shows that the parcel is in Royal mail Warrington mail centre. i sent my application on the address given in AN application guide for people applying with in the UK, the address is given below. did anyone else have the similar issue, the payment has not been taken out yet and i am very concerned regarding my application. could
Department 1
UKVI
The Capital
New Hall Place
Liverpool
L3 9PP

regards,

Khurram

[AnotherUUID]

Hi Khurram,

My personal experience from sending several correspondences to UKVI for my application is that on the Royal Mail tracking page the delivery always ends with:

Delivered and Signed
Liverpool South DO

This entry is usually dated the same day as the one immediately before it which reads either "Arrived at Warrington Mail Centre" or "Due to be delivered today by Warrington Mail Centre".

The best suggestion I can give you is to phone Royal Mail (or Warrington Mail Centre directly) and inquire about your parcel. Unless it shows as delivered and signed (irrespective of the location metioned) and the name on the signature has "UKVI" mentioned (e.g. "John/UKVI"), it's unlikely that UKVI will be able to help you at all.

I personally did not receive a separate letter confirming the receipt of my supporting documents which is consistent with other members who used the online application form (without UKVCAS). So even if your parcel did reach UKVI, it's likely you won't get any further information from them until your decision letter or them asking for more information. If you applied with a paper form AN, other member's experiences vary when it comes to receiving an application confirmation letter. Those that did receive a postal confirmation letter received it anywhere between 2-6 weeks after posting the form, so if UKVI received your application it may take a little longer before you get your confirmation.

[jafarkuku]

Hi Khurram,

My personal experience from sending several correspondences to UKVI for my application is that on the Royal Mail tracking page the delivery always ends with:

Delivered and Signed
Liverpool South DO

This entry is usually dated the same day as the one immediately before it which reads either "Arrived at Warrington Mail Centre" or "Due to be delivered today by Warrington Mail Centre".

The best suggestion I can give you is to phone Royal Mail (or Warrington Mail Centre directly) and inquire about your parcel. Unless it shows as delivered and signed (irrespective of the location metioned) and the name on the signature has "UKVI" mentioned (e.g. "John/UKVI"), it's unlikely that UKVI will be able to help you at all.

I personally did not receive a separate letter confirming the receipt of my supporting documents which is consistent with other members who used the online application form (without UKVCAS). So even if your parcel did reach UKVI, it's likely you won't get any further information from them until your decision letter or them asking for more information. If you applied with a paper form AN, other member's experiences vary when it comes to receiving an application confirmation letter. Those that did receive a postal confirmation letter received it anywhere between 2-6 weeks after posting the form, so if UKVI received your application it may take a little longer before you get your confirmation.

Hey buddy, could you still log into the UKVCAS document upload site after your application had been approved? Just curious

[khurram_shazad]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply, I have already raised the matter with royal mail to trace where my application is and they are currently investigating. Their initial response was that normally they have a post box that's where all the post goes and then HO collect the post on certain days of the weeks to which I replied surely they empty the post box at least once a week it can't be just once a month. I hope I get some reply back from them

Hi Khurram,

My personal experience from sending several correspondences to UKVI for my application is that on the Royal Mail tracking page the delivery always ends with:

Delivered and Signed
Liverpool South DO

This entry is usually dated the same day as the one immediately before it which reads either "Arrived at Warrington Mail Centre" or "Due to be delivered today by Warrington Mail Centre".

The best suggestion I can give you is to phone Royal Mail (or Warrington Mail Centre directly) and inquire about your parcel. Unless it shows as delivered and signed (irrespective of the location metioned) and the name on the signature has "UKVI" mentioned (e.g. "John/UKVI"), it's unlikely that UKVI will be able to help you at all.

I personally did not receive a separate letter confirming the receipt of my supporting documents which is consistent with other members who used the online application form (without UKVCAS). So even if your parcel did reach UKVI, it's likely you won't get any further information from them until your decision letter or them asking for more information. If you applied with a paper form AN, other member's experiences vary when it comes to receiving an application confirmation letter. Those that did receive a postal confirmation letter received it anywhere between 2-6 weeks after posting the form, so if UKVI received your application it may take a little longer before you get your confirmation.

[AnotherUUID]

Hey buddy, could you still log into the UKVCAS document upload site after your application had been approved? Just curious

Can't help here I'm afraid as I did not apply through UKVCAS. I used the online form + existing service.

[AnotherUUID]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply, I have already raised the matter with royal mail to trace where my application is and they are currently investigating. Their initial response was that normally they have a post box that's where all the post goes and then HO collect the post on certain days of the weeks to which I replied surely they empty the post box at least once a week it can't be just once a month. I hope I get some reply back from them

I don't think BC applications go to a PO box, as this is usually indicated in the address itself. Even if they do get redirected to a PO box, Royal Mail would usually leave a card along with the parcel that will require the signature of the person collecting the parcel from the PO box so that you still get the correct signature details on the tracking page after it has been picked up.

Given the sheer volume of applications, even if it were a PO box I suspect they almost certainly collect the mail more than once a week, if not even on a daily basis.