2019 Naturalization Response Delay Discussion

[Dubman]

Hi Guys,
I have applied for Naturalization in middle of March and until today I have just received acknowledgement letter with passport (Although I asked for the passport) but no reference number given yet. It says they will process my application according with the date of application.
Question here, how busy the Naturalization office is now days that they are taking that long to provide reference numbers.
Are you guys facing similar issues?

Thanks

[dublin3e]

I applied in Feb 2019 and only when i asked about the status after 10 weeks i got my latest passport returned with no application number and receipt. also my old passport is yet to be returned.

Till now (Almost 4 months) no updates and no reply to emails for the past few weeks.

[happygolucky1]

I applied in Feb 2019 and only when i asked about the status after 10 weeks i got my latest passport returned with no application number and receipt. also my old passport is yet to be returned.

Till now (Almost 4 months) no updates and no reply to emails for the past few weeks.

My story is similar... Sent my application in Feb, got my passport back after 11 weeks when I asked for it, due to impending travel but without any reference number or receipt. I am still waiting for the reference number and receipt of payment.
Is there anyone whose passport is returned without a receipt and ref number and later those are sent ?

[markem]

Question here, how busy the Naturalization office is now days that they are taking that long to provide reference numbers. Are you guys facing similar issues?

Yes, many people are waiting for acknowledgement of their application (a reference number). The wait time for acknowledgement compared to same months of 2018 is higher. Applications in March/April 2018 waited around 42 days, and currently, people are waiting well over 70 days.

Activity at the moment (based on what people are posting in timelines) seems to be focused on moving older applications (2017 and 2018) through to Second Stage.

Also, INIS posted on their website:

Do not submit an application for naturalisation if:
You intend to travel within the next 10 weeks
You anticipate changing address within the next 10 weeks

[happygolucky1]

Question here, how busy the Naturalization office is now days that they are taking that long to provide reference numbers. Are you guys facing similar issues?

Yes, many people are waiting for acknowledgement of their application (a reference number). The wait time for acknowledgement compared to same months of 2018 is higher. Applications in March/April 2018 waited around 42 days, and currently, people are waiting well over 70 days.

Activity at the moment (based on what people are posting in timelines) seems to be focused on moving older applications (2017 and 2018) through to Second Stage.

Also, INIS posted on their website:

Do not submit an application for naturalisation if:
You intend to travel within the next 10 weeks
You anticipate changing address within the next 10 weeks

If that is the case how do you explain this posted by someone today in the topic '''2019 Citizenship Applications Timelines Only''''

Issagenius wrote: ↑Mon Jun 25, 2019 2:43 pm
Application Based On: Non -EU (Stamp 4)
Applied On: 10/6/2019
Application received On: 11/6/19
Acknowledgement & Passport returned : 20/6/19
Second Letter: Pending
Awaiting On Approval: Pending
Date of Ceremony: Pending

[pissedoffbyinis]

They are so busy in their pigeon holes that they are still struggling to complete the process for applications submitted in 2016 and 2017... so what you can expect from these lazy rats.

[Chap1122]

Any benefit of second stage letter?Does it mean anything?

[aneelrahim]

Hi Guys,
I have applied for Naturalization in middle of March and until today I have just received acknowledgement letter with passport (Although I asked for the passport) but no reference number given yet. It says they will process my application according with the date of application.
Question here, how busy the Naturalization office is now days that they are taking that long to provide reference numbers.
Are you guys facing similar issues?

Thanks

I also waiting for reference number for my child application as I applied on 3rd May 2019.

[markem]

Yes, many people are waiting for acknowledgement of their application (a reference number). The wait time for acknowledgement compared to same months of 2018 is higher. Applications in March/April 2018 waited around 42 days, and currently, people are waiting well over 70 days.

If that is the case how do you explain this posted by someone today in the topic '''2019 Citizenship Applications Timelines Only''''

Issagenius wrote: ↑Mon Jun 25, 2019 2:43 pm
Application Based On: Non -EU (Stamp 4)
Applied On: 10/6/2019
Application received On: 11/6/19
Acknowledgement & Passport returned : 20/6/19
Second Letter: Pending
Awaiting On Approval: Pending
Date of Ceremony: Pending

I explain it by looking at more than one example. There are too many to quote them all here, but
here are some examples.

Here's a chart of average time between application and acknowledgement, by month, based on the posts to this forum. Yes, the last 2 months (May & June 2019) look lower, but this is based on just a couple of acknowledgements. March is the highest since Feb 2017, and there are still quite a number of people waiting which will push the average higher.

[happygolucky1]

I explain it by looking at more than one example. There are too many to quote them all here, but

Here's a chart of average time between application and acknowledgement, by month, based on the posts to this forum. Yes, the last 2 months (May & June 2019) look lower, but this is based on just a couple of acknowledgements. March is the highest since Feb 2017, and there are still quite a number of people waiting which will push the average higher.

Thank you Markem for explaining but my question was more of processing the application by date order. If the office is swamped, how is it possible that on one hand people are waiting for more than 4 months to get just the acknowledgment and on the other hand there are cases where one received the acknowledgement just in a week. If the office has huge backlog, the delay should have been uniform, isn't' it ? And assuming they have huge backlog, the only way the pattern can be explained is that may be there is no method to take up inbound applications, certainly not by date order.

[markem]

If the office is swamped, how is it possible that on one hand people are waiting for more than 4 months to get just the acknowledgment and on the other hand there are cases where one received the acknowledgement just in a week. If the office has huge backlog, the delay should have been uniform, isn't' it ? And assuming they have huge backlog, the only way the pattern can be explained is that may be there is no method to take up inbound applications, certainly not by date order.

Yes, the only real explanation is chaos. It seems like some applications get processed in batches, and others as they are received.

[Dubman]

It is so sad to see, how things have been changed since the previous Justice Minister left the office. The brexit issue pretty much over by now. I believe they haven't received that many applications in 2019 as they did in 2017.
Now even in 2019 if they struggle with such high volume of applications then I must say they are not organized at all. They didn't even recruit adequate people to sort out shortage of man power.

[satishD]

Seems they are not processing in the order by date. some people getting acknowledgement with in 2 weeks and some after 10 weeks.

[Bealtaine]

Quite amazed that my friend who applied in April didn’t get her passports back yet whilst another friend who applied in May got hers back in two weeks with an acknowledgement, receipt and reference number. I applied on the 24th of June and got my passport back later that week with a generic letter stating everything is being processed by order and they’ll get back to me with a receipt and reference number..

Has anyone who got the generic letter heard back with a reference number?

I emailed them to no avail and when I finally got through to them on the phone, they couldn’t tell me how long it would take.

Travel plans on hold for December in case I hear from them (ambitious you think?) and not traveling with a GNIB card if I attend the ceremony then.

I had a table of contents and had the entire application organized with headings, etc, to make their lives easier!

[aneelrahim]

I applied in Feb 2019 and only when i asked about the status after 10 weeks i got my latest passport returned with no application number and receipt. also my old passport is yet to be returned.

Till now (Almost 4 months) no updates and no reply to emails for the past few weeks.

Today I get the passport back but no reference number. I applied for my child in May 2019.

[dublin3e]

I got below reply regarding old passport, application number and receipt enquiry.

You old passport, receipt and application number will be returned until processing has began on your application.Unless you require this document for travel purposes.

i applied in Feb and it's been 5 months and the application process is not even started. seems it will take ages.

[katielloydmcmahon]

I'm the same, applied at start of April. Got my passport back 6 weeks later after requesting along with the generic letter saying I will be processed in due course and will receive ref number and receipt then.

So it's now been 15 weeks since they received the application and still no receipt or number.

[markem]

Here's a chart of average time between application and acknowledgement, by month, based on the posts to this forum.

As a few more application numbers have been issued in the last couple of weeks, the average on the chart for applications made in March has now gone past 80 days (which is currently the 2nd highest for any month I've got data for). Some people are now waiting well over 100 days for an application number. However, they do seem to be returning passports within a few weeks.

Note, April at 60 days and May at 20 days are only based on a few applications, so will be pushed higher as more data come in. No one who applied in June/July/August has yet posted that they've received an application number.

[adidasdub]

Applied in late May, got acknowledgement and 2nd stage letter (in the same letter) roughly 3 weeks ago.

[gzckrg]

Applied in late May, got acknowledgement and 2nd stage letter (in the same letter) roughly 3 weeks ago.

Hi,

I got a letter similarly as well. A friend told me it sounds like first and second stage letter together. However it doesn't state that it's second stage. Does it say explicitly in your letter that it's second stage?

[masterboy123]

I applied in March and got 1 letter only, which is I think it's a combination of Acknowledgement and 2nd stage. It says
"Your application has now been initially assessed and has proceeded to the second stage of application".

They requested police clearance certificate also in the same letter, which I sent in 2 weeks time.

Shall I contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

Applied in late May, got acknowledgement and 2nd stage letter (in the same letter) roughly 3 weeks ago.

Hi,

I got a letter similarly as well. A friend told me it sounds like first and second stage letter together. However it doesn't state that it's second stage. Does it say explicitly in your letter that it's second stage?

[gzckrg]

I applied in March and got 1 letter only, which is I think it's a combination of Acknowledgement and 2nd stage. It says
"Your application has now been initially assessed and has proceeded to the second stage of application".

They requested police clearance certificate also in the same letter, which I sent in 2 weeks time.

Shall I contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

Applied in late May, got acknowledgement and 2nd stage letter (in the same letter) roughly 3 weeks ago.

Hi,

I got a letter similarly as well. A friend told me it sounds like first and second stage letter together. However it doesn't state that it's second stage. Does it say explicitly in your letter that it's second stage?

I see, mine doesn't say anything about 2nd stage. I applied in March as well.

[masterboy123]

Do we need to contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

I applied in March and got 1 letter only, which is I think it's a combination of Acknowledgement and 2nd stage. It says
"Your application has now been initially assessed and has proceeded to the second stage of application".

They requested police clearance certificate also in the same letter, which I sent in 2 weeks time.

Shall I contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

Applied in late May, got acknowledgement and 2nd stage letter (in the same letter) roughly 3 weeks ago.

Hi,

I got a letter similarly as well. A friend told me it sounds like first and second stage letter together. However it doesn't state that it's second stage. Does it say explicitly in your letter that it's second stage?

I see, mine doesn't say anything about 2nd stage. I applied in March as well.

[gzckrg]

I got my letter 2 days ago so I don't think I should.
For your case, I am not sure exactly but if it was me, I wouldn't contact. Because it looks like your application is being processed very quickly so I don't see any problem.

Do we need to contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

I applied in March and got 1 letter only, which is I think it's a combination of Acknowledgement and 2nd stage. It says
"Your application has now been initially assessed and has proceeded to the second stage of application".

They requested police clearance certificate also in the same letter, which I sent in 2 weeks time.

Shall I contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

Hi,

I got a letter similarly as well. A friend told me it sounds like first and second stage letter together. However it doesn't state that it's second stage. Does it say explicitly in your letter that it's second stage?

I see, mine doesn't say anything about 2nd stage. I applied in March as well.

[masterboy123]

Is it the first letter that you got 2 days ago?

I checked again, I actually submitted in mid February and got letter of acknowledgement + second stage letter in mid March.

It says usually it takes 6 months for an application to be processed from the date of submission. This 6 months is over for me.
I will wait another week and contact them.

I got my letter 2 days ago so I don't think I should.
For your case, I am not sure exactly but if it was me, I wouldn't contact. Because it looks like your application is being processed very quickly so I don't see any problem.

Do we need to contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

I applied in March and got 1 letter only, which is I think it's a combination of Acknowledgement and 2nd stage. It says
"Your application has now been initially assessed and has proceeded to the second stage of application".

They requested police clearance certificate also in the same letter, which I sent in 2 weeks time.

Shall I contact Citizenship dept to get an update?

I see, mine doesn't say anything about 2nd stage. I applied in March as well.