Citizenship Ceremony cancelled due to Covid-19

[cinar2012]

Hi
Application date: 11/09/2020
Biometric: 05/10/2020
Approval date: 11/12/2020

Hi everyone,

Has anyone received their invitation for ceremony for December from Barnet council?

Thanks everyone

[CR001]

Yes I just done my ceremony today this morning around 8h30 AM with Southwark council. I received my invitation letter on Saturday 13 of February and I did write a nice Spammy Spammer to a woman call xxxxx and the same Saturday and I attach my invitation letter to the email. And this morning around Monday 15 around 8 am in the morning she email me back that if I can do it on Saturday 20 my virtual ceremony. An I did reply to her that I don’t mind . I did aske her if I can come over to pick my certificate of naturalisation on the same saturday. And she replied to me that the office will be close on Saturday. I email back again what about Monday can I come over to pick it up . And suddenly I got a reply back if I’m free now to do it today ,At that time I was in bed and I jumpe up straight away without brushing or bath . She send me a zoom link and password. I downloaded to my idiot-phone and put my username and password. And we was live . We only take just 5 mn . And after I went straight away to collect it around 1pm .and I send my passport application straight away. You can email xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxl@southwark.gov.uk A wonderful woman anything you want to ask her please don’t hesitate.good luck

Please do not name council staff on the forum. It is not permitted and you have not been given permission by the person to post their details on an public internet forum.

[Happystudent1000]

Been following this forum for a while now.

Application date: 04/07/2020
Biometric: 18/08/2020
Approval date: 08/12/2020
invitation letter: still waiting lewisham council)

[Happystudent1000]

Hi
Application date: 11/09/2020
Biometric: 05/10/2020
Approval date: 11/12/2020

Hi everyone,

Has anyone received their invitation for ceremony for December from Barnet council?

Thanks everyone

Seems we both got approved on the same week. Will keep you updated when I receive my invitation letter. Please do the same. Thank you

[cinar2012]

ok,thanks

[shahkb]

@shahkb - congrats! So it seems they weren't being clear with you and actually when they said they (the council) would send an invitation letter, they meant that the Home Office would.

I've enquired with Wandsworth council about the cost of ceremonies. They said that these online (I think private) ceremonies are not charged at the moment. That guidance isn't on the website, as far as I can see.

Wandsworth council has told me that they will not allow me to book a ceremony without the Home Office invitation letter, even if they receive my certificate and I do not receive the letter. They also told me: 'It is very uncommon for us to receive a certificate from the Home Office before the customer receives their invitation letter.'

I see previous posts where this has happened. I wonder what their suggestion would be if it does. Presumably they would just tell me to contact the Home Office, and I'd break my head against that brick wall.

I'm still at:

Biometrics: 1 October 2020
Approved (decision letter via e-mail): 18 November 2020
Invitation letter: not received
Certificate: not received by council

Judging from other responses in this thread, I should be expecting an invitation letter very soon.

When I spoke to the council, they said they will send their own letter as well. I guess, Not all the councils work the same way. Each have their own approach on organising a ceremony when they receive the certificate.

I hope you get your invitation this week.

[MALCOM2]

Yes I just done my ceremony today this morning around 8h30 AM with Southwark council. I received my invitation letter on Saturday 13 of February and I did write a nice Spammy Spammer to a woman call xxxxx and the same Saturday and I attach my invitation letter to the email. And this morning around Monday 15 around 8 am in the morning she email me back that if I can do it on Saturday 20 my virtual ceremony. An I did reply to her that I don’t mind . I did aske her if I can come over to pick my certificate of naturalisation on the same saturday. And she replied to me that the office will be close on Saturday. I email back again what about Monday can I come over to pick it up . And suddenly I got a reply back if I’m free now to do it today ,At that time I was in bed and I jumpe up straight away without brushing or bath . She send me a zoom link and password. I downloaded to my idiot-phone and put my username and password. And we was live . We only take just 5 mn . And after I went straight away to collect it around 1pm .and I send my passport application straight away. You can email xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxl@southwark.gov.uk A wonderful woman anything you want to ask her please don’t hesitate.good luck

Please do not name council staff on the forum. It is not permitted and you have not been given permission by the person to post their details on an public internet forum.

I’m sorry about that CR001 my apologies. You can use this email instead. registrars@southwark.gov.uk

[alexdreame]

Hello everyone,
I hope you are all well. I've got my virtual ceremony today! Yey! I wondered has anyone had one recently with Westminster City Council? And if so, would you be able to let me know how long it takes to receive the certificate? I can see they say it will be posted within 5 working days, so does that mean it would get to my house on day 6? I know obviously, it is all depending on Royal Mail as well, but I don't wanna leave the house and miss the delivery.

[AncientSquash]

Yes I just done my ceremony today this morning around 8h30 AM with Southwark council. I received my invitation letter on Saturday 13 of February and I did write a nice Spammy Spammer to a woman call xxxxx and the same Saturday and I attach my invitation letter to the email. And this morning around Monday 15 around 8 am in the morning she email me back that if I can do it on Saturday 20 my virtual ceremony. An I did reply to her that I don’t mind . I did aske her if I can come over to pick my certificate of naturalisation on the same saturday. And she replied to me that the office will be close on Saturday. I email back again what about Monday can I come over to pick it up . And suddenly I got a reply back if I’m free now to do it today ,At that time I was in bed and I jumpe up straight away without brushing or bath . She send me a zoom link and password. I downloaded to my idiot-phone and put my username and password. And we was live . We only take just 5 mn . And after I went straight away to collect it around 1pm .and I send my passport application straight away. You can email xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxl@southwark.gov.uk A wonderful woman anything you want to ask her please don’t hesitate.good luck

Please do not name council staff on the forum. It is not permitted and you have not been given permission by the person to post their details on an public internet forum.

I’m sorry about that CR001 my apologies. You can use this email instead. registrars@southwark.gov.uk

Thank you Malcolm for providing the general email address (as it's impossible to find on their website!) and great to hear you are all done - so congrats again.

[stronk]

@shahkb - congrats! So it seems they weren't being clear with you and actually when they said they (the council) would send an invitation letter, they meant that the Home Office would.
....

When I spoke to the council, they said they will send their own letter as well. I guess, Not all the councils work the same way. Each have their own approach on organising a ceremony when they receive the certificate.

I hope you get your invitation this week.

Yeah, that's what I was trying to ascertain. If councils do it their own ways, then possibly some don't require the Home Office invitation letter in order to hold the ceremony. That's what others have kind of suggested earlier in the thread. So I was interested to find out if your council didn't care about the HO letter.

At any rate, now that I know my council hasn't yet received my certificate, I am not yet too worried because it means my letter probably hasn't gone missing (of course, there could be other problems delaying it; I'm nearly at 13 weeks since approval). If it were to go missing, I'd try to convince my council to disregard it, on the basis that other councils have been doing this. Hopefully I won't have to.

[Ahmad2019]

I've been a silent reader for a while.
Here's my timeline:
September 28: application submitted
October 23: biometrics
November 23:: Approval
February 13: invitation letter from HO

My borough is Harrow, and their website states all ceremonies are cancelled. Will have to call them on Monday.
Anyone have a clue if they do or don't?
Thanks

Hi Karl,
Congrats mate.. As I Harrow started virtual ceremony last week, did you call them or get any update please?

[nicelady190]

Hi Everyone Applied: 8th September 2020 Approved 27th November 2020 Invitation: still waiting Ceremony: still waiting Certificate: still waiting Has anyone received Invitation if your approval was on 27th November or after. I did see one post who got approved on 30th November and already received Invitation letter and already booked Ceremony. I believe this could be Home office sending these in random order rather then one fix way. I see some people approved in October still waiting but some got approved in November already got their Invitation letters. Totally strange .

My Approval was on the 27th as well and am still waiting for invitation letter.

[Jojo0316]

Application date: 23/10/2020
Biometric: 19/11/2020
Approval date: 15/01/2021
invitation letter: still waiting
Hounslow council

From what I can see so far on this forum, seems like I will be waiting till the middle of the year before I hear anything about my invitation.

[aliabbas]

Any October approval still waiting? Mine is 16th oct and still waiting

[Ssissi]

Update: good news
Application submitted: 02 September 2020
Date of approval: 11 November 2020
Invitation letter received: 15 February 2021
Ceremony booked for 24 February 2021 virtual ceremony
Council: Wandsworth
Thank you very much for everyone here in this group for your support an good luck for all wish you all the best.

[PhantomPermit]

my MP does not want to use the hotline to contact the HO he insists that the email he sent is good enough
what a moron

[globe44]

Hi guys

I've sent my email with the HO letter on 25th of January and since then I haven't received anything from the Croydon council.

Anyone from Croydon having the same issue? I have called the council multiple times but no one can give me information on when the ceremonies are taking place.

Your help is much appreciated.

[shahkb]

@shahkb - congrats! So it seems they weren't being clear with you and actually when they said they (the council) would send an invitation letter, they meant that the Home Office would.

I've enquired with Wandsworth council about the cost of ceremonies. They said that these online (I think private) ceremonies are not charged at the moment. That guidance isn't on the website, as far as I can see.

Wandsworth council has told me that they will not allow me to book a ceremony without the Home Office invitation letter, even if they receive my certificate and I do not receive the letter. They also told me: 'It is very uncommon for us to receive a certificate from the Home Office before the customer receives their invitation letter.'

I see previous posts where this has happened. I wonder what their suggestion would be if it does. Presumably they would just tell me to contact the Home Office, and I'd break my head against that brick wall.

I'm still at:

Biometrics: 1 October 2020
Approved (decision letter via e-mail): 18 November 2020
Invitation letter: not received
Certificate: not received by council

Judging from other responses in this thread, I should be expecting an invitation letter very soon.

When I spoke to the council, they said they will send their own letter as well. I guess, Not all the councils work the same way. Each have their own approach on organising a ceremony when they receive the certificate.

I hope you get your invitation this week.

So I got two letters - HO invitation and Council letter with brief details about the ceremony, date and time.

4th March in-person ceremony at 3.45 PM. Certificate will be handed on the same day. Northumberland County Council.

[ugul]

Hi All,

Here's my timeline.

Applied online:09.08.20
Biometrics submitted via IDV:18.09.20
Approval via email: 16.11.20
invitation letter rec'd: 15.02.21
Sent an email to Redbridge council to book ceremony: 15.02.21
Got a call from the council, they offered to hold the ceremony on 17.03.21 which I have provisionally agreed to.
I asked them if they are offering private ceremonies for a charge, the answer was no.

Is anybody else dealing with Redbridge council? If so, can you give me an indication of your timeline? Also, any suggestion on how to bring the ceremony date forward will be much appreciated.

[nadeem75]

Hi Everyone Applied: 8th September 2020 Approved 27th November 2020 Invitation: still waiting Ceremony: still waiting Certificate: still waiting Has anyone received Invitation if your approval was on 27th November or after. I did see one post who got approved on 30th November and already received Invitation letter and already booked Ceremony. I believe this could be Home office sending these in random order rather then one fix way. I see some people approved in October still waiting but some got approved in November already got their Invitation letters. Totally strange .

My Approval was on the 27th as well and am still waiting for invitation letter.

My approval 30th November. Still waiting.

[Flamelily2020]

Hi Everyone Applied: 8th September 2020 Approved 27th November 2020 Invitation: still waiting Ceremony: still waiting Certificate: still waiting Has anyone received Invitation if your approval was on 27th November or after. I did see one post who got approved on 30th November and already received Invitation letter and already booked Ceremony. I believe this could be Home office sending these in random order rather then one fix way. I see some people approved in October still waiting but some got approved in November already got their Invitation letters. Totally strange .

My Approval was on the 27th as well and am still waiting for invitation letter.

My approval 30th November. Still waiting.

Hi everyone,
Our Approval on 26th of Nov. Still waiting...
2 Adults 3 children.
Lewisham council.

[Happystudent1000]

Hi Everyone Applied: 8th September 2020 Approved 27th November 2020 Invitation: still waiting Ceremony: still waiting Certificate: still waiting Has anyone received Invitation if your approval was on 27th November or after. I did see one post who got approved on 30th November and already received Invitation letter and already booked Ceremony. I believe this could be Home office sending these in random order rather then one fix way. I see some people approved in October still waiting but some got approved in November already got their Invitation letters. Totally strange .

My Approval was on the 27th as well and am still waiting for invitation letter.

My approval 30th November. Still waiting.

Hi everyone,
Our Approval on 26th of Nov. Still waiting...
2 Adults 3 children.
Lewisham council.

Mine is Lewisham council as well . Approval date for me is 8th of December which is not that far off from your approval. Pls keep me updated if you get an invitation letter from lewisham council and I will do the same.

[aswadi]

Hello everyone,
I hope you are all well. I've got my virtual ceremony today! Yey! I wondered has anyone had one recently with Westminster City Council? And if so, would you be able to let me know how long it takes to receive the certificate? I can see they say it will be posted within 5 working days, so does that mean it would get to my house on day 6? I know obviously, it is all depending on Royal Mail as well, but I don't wanna leave the house and miss the delivery.

My ceremony with Westminster was on a Friday morning and Royal Mail delivered on Saturday (ie next day).

[Flamelily2020]

Mine is Lewisham council as well . Approval date for me is 8th of December which is not that far off from your approval. Pls keep me updated if you get an invitation letter from lewisham council and I will do the same.

Hi,
Probably we will receive our invitations in the same week, but unfortunately Lewisham council cancelled all the ceremonies until further notice, so even if we receive our invitations we can book ceremonies until the end of these restrictions.
But I will update in here if I hear anything from HomeOffice.

[Happystudent1000]

Mine is Lewisham council as well . Approval date for me is 8th of December which is not that far off from your approval. Pls keep me updated if you get an invitation letter from lewisham council and I will do the same.

Hi,
Probably we will receive our invitations in the same week, but unfortunately Lewisham council cancelled all the ceremonies until further notice, so even if we receive our invitations we can book ceremonies until the end of these restrictions.
But I will update in here if I hear anything from HomeOffice.

Okay thanks