Naturalization Application Advice and Bank Statement Alternatives

[poor_soul]

Hi Folks,

Happy New Year!!

My spouse and I have completed five years in Ireland. We are now getting ready to file our naturalization applications. Identity Proof (Passport) is straight forward for both of us.

For Residency Proofs, I have the documents (Employment Detail Summaries and Utility Bills). My spouse has been a homemaker. She has utility bills for five years. She doesn't have any Type A document for 2021 and half of 2022. She has bank statements from mid 2022 on wards.

What is the best course of action? I apply now and my spouse apply after she has five years of bank statements?

Both of us apply together now and provide other documents instead of bank statements with affidavit?

TIA

[nisi]

Does your wife have bank statements from a foreign bank with POS transactions in Ireland on them instead?

[nisi]

You only need to supply 3 months' bank statements per year, so the half year of statements shouldn't be a problem.

If you applied first then your wife would only need 3 years residency as the spouse of an Irish citizen. I don't think that would really help you as it'll probably take you about a year to acquire a naturalisation certificate and passport.

You don't gain anything by applying together, as the applications are considered together.

It's hard to know if an affidavit will be approved. What extra evidence can you provide? Any doctors letters?

[poor_soul]

Thanks a lot Nisi.

I have compiled following list of documents we have for my spouse:

i) Joint bank account since Apr 2021. POS transactions: 2 in Apr, 1 in May, 5 in Jun, 3 in Jul, 3 in Aug, 4 in Sep, 2 in Oct, 4 in Nov, 3 in Dec. These transactions does not include SDD transactions done on Circle K card which were actually POS.
ii) Monthly mobile bills on her name showing usage from Jan 2021
iii) Utility bills showing usage from Jan 2021 (joint with me)
iv) Medical insurance from Jan 2021 (whole family)
v) Rent agreement from Jan 2021 - including RTB registration (joint with me)
vi) GP receipts: one in Mar 2021, two in Oct 2021
vii) Pharmacy Receipts: two in Mar 2021, one in Apr 2021
viii) Eye Test Receipt Oct 2021
ix) Driver Theory Test Passed in Aug 2021
x) Learner License issued in Sep 2021
xi) Named driver in Insurance Policy since Sep 2021
xii) House purchase: contracts signed Oct 2021 (joint with me)
xiii) House purchase: sale closed Nov 2021 (joint with me)
xiv) Child benefit statement from Jan 2021

With above documents, is the case strong enough to take a chance? Does it invite complications when refiling - if the first application is rejected?

Looking forward to your responses!

[nisi]

I'm not an expert, but that sounds like a good set of alternative evidence to supply. I'd send that all of 26th an affidavit detailing that you couldn't provide the Type A but listing all those items.

Rather than rejecting the application outright immediately they often ask for extra paperwork first, so if that isn't sufficient you can hope they might ask for more documents and tell you what they think you could supply as well.