Citizenship Ceremony- not in UK

[Usmanm501]

Hi, I have a unique issue so hve started a new topic. My naturalisation to BC application was approved on 11th March, 2020. I was stuck outside UK due to COVID19 and have not been able to return to UK to attend a ceremony. The ceremony was cancelled anyways due to lockdowns. I requested home ofice to extend my certificate of naturalisation which they did until 11th March 2021 in December 2020. Since then I have not been able to return to UK or attend a ceremony due to the latest lockdown situation. My council has written to me for a virtual ceremony on 27th February however they have insisted that I need to be physically in UK for the ceremony. Is this a legal/home office requirement and is there a way to get around this? If I am not able to attend my ceremony till 11th March, 2021 I risk the scenario that the Home Office does not entertain another extension and my application is refused. Please help if there are grounds to attend the ceremony whilst not being physically in Uk. I have the home office letter (sent via email) and ID to go throught the ceremony bt it will be unethical if I do not tell them that I am not in Uk and still have the ceremony online. Any help will be much appreciated.

[Zerubbabel]

Hello

What you are describing means you are no longer living in the UK. When you apply for naturalisation, it's granted on the basis that you will be living in the UK not just leaving as soon as you get it and use the British passport as a glorified visa to travel abroad. Since March 2020, you had more than reasonable opportunities to come back to the UK. To this day, flights are coming in and nothing prevents you from coming back.

There is no way to have the ceremony abroad. Don't try to do it online and hiding it from them. If they find out, your citizenship is gone probably forever. Also, as soon as you get the ceremony, your residence card is cancelled. To come back to the UK, you need a British passport. If you apply for it from abroad, you may lose your newly acquired citizenship.

Here the options are:

1- come back and get the ceremony before March 11 but it doesn't seem doable if you don't have an appointment already.

2 - let it go. Re-apply for citizenship when you are back again in the UK

[Usmanm501]

Sorry for not describing my situation comprehensively. We were on holiday when first lockdown ws announced and then were expecting our child by the time the 1st lockdown had finished. As we couldnt fly at the later part of pregnancy so we decided to have our baby outside UK. It then took a good few months after getting her Right of abode due to COVID19 delays. We are now trying to get back asap but there are other reasons at play which may affect our plans. In short, i do get your point that I should not attempt to have the ceremony whilst being abroad. I have asked Home Office for another extension and hoping that it is granted before 11th March. Many thanks for your response.

[secret.simon]

Also see this similar thread.

[Usmanm501]

Hi,

I have been trying to get a response from Home Office Citizenship support team citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk to provide extension to ceremony deadline (currently 11th March) as it is highly unlikely that we will be able to travel back to UK before that. There is no way to get in touch with them directly by phone. I tried the helpline for UK visas 03007906268 but they are unable to put me throught the Home office citizenship team. Is there any other way of getting a faster response from them?

[CULLINAN]

Try:
NationalityFrontEndTechnicalSpecialists@homeoffice.gov.uk