Citizenship Ceremony cancelled due to Covid-19

[mrmo93]

Just checking in for the first time was a silent reader. Approved on 9 Nov 2020 now waiting for ceremony invitation. When should i expect it

Hi there!,

I think you have to wait for mid January the earliest (it seems to have slowed down a lot they have only done late septmber) me 12th of October im still waiting.

[mrmo93]

Hi cullina please have you received your invitation letter ?

Not yet. My approval is dated 10th Nov. It will come soon I guess.

I’m still waiting as well approval date 25 of November. Plse update as soon as you get yours thanks.

Think late January for you. Baybars model seems to have slowed down by a week or two.

[PiDri]

Help.
Approval of British citizenship 22nd July (EU settled status).

Ceremony letter probably sent to previous address which I have no way to collect mail from.

Phone numbers (just tried 03007906268) are useless in providing information on personal application.

Took HO two months to answer emails and with no actual details of when I could get my invitation letter. Last email from them, exactly one month ago said "very soon you will receive your invitation letter at your new address". Not sure what they mean by very soon here...

Anything else I could do ?

[Rabs]

Help.
Approval of British citizenship 22nd July (EU settled status).

Ceremony letter probably sent to previous address which I have no way to collect mail from.

Phone numbers (just tried 03007906268) are useless in providing information on personal application.

Took HO two months to answer emails and with no actual details of when I could get my invitation letter. Last email from them, exactly one month ago said "very soon you will receive your invitation letter at your new address". Not sure what they mean by very soon here...

Anything else I could do ?

I would put more efforts on retrieving the letter from the former address if I were u. I don't think it's the easiest of situations having a 2nd invitation letter dispatched to a new address with the current backlog.

[nnn15]

Help.
Approval of British citizenship 22nd July (EU settled status).

Ceremony letter probably sent to previous address which I have no way to collect mail from.

Phone numbers (just tried 03007906268) are useless in providing information on personal application.

Took HO two months to answer emails and with no actual details of when I could get my invitation letter. Last email from them, exactly one month ago said "very soon you will receive your invitation letter at your new address". Not sure what they mean by very soon here...

Anything else I could do ?

I would put more efforts on retrieving the letter from the former address if I were u. I don't think it's the easiest of situations having a 2nd invitation letter dispatched to a new address with the current backlog.

Some councils do ceremonies without the invitation letter if they have your certificate as these letters going astray in the post is a fairly common issue. Have you asked your council if they could book you in without a letter?

[PiDri]

Help.
Approval of British citizenship 22nd July (EU settled status).

Ceremony letter probably sent to previous address which I have no way to collect mail from.

Phone numbers (just tried 03007906268) are useless in providing information on personal application.

Took HO two months to answer emails and with no actual details of when I could get my invitation letter. Last email from them, exactly one month ago said "very soon you will receive your invitation letter at your new address". Not sure what they mean by very soon here...

Anything else I could do ?

I would put more efforts on retrieving the letter from the former address if I were u. I don't think it's the easiest of situations having a 2nd invitation letter dispatched to a new address with the current backlog.

Some councils do ceremonies without the invitation letter if they have your certificate as these letters going astray in the post is a fairly common issue. Have you asked your council if they could book you in without a letter?

Thanks.
I asked the Council twice before. They are nice and respond quickly.
I will ask again, although maybe they would have got in touch by now if they had got the letter as they know me and my case by now.

[so777]

Approval date 1 October here.
I've emailed them and they replied within a few days saying that my invitation has not yet been printed or dispatched. Not sure how others in October and even November got theirs. Really annoyed.

[Bazaar]

Approval date 1 October here.
I've emailed them and they replied within a few days saying that my invitation has not yet been printed or dispatched. Not sure how others in October and even November got theirs. Really annoyed.

it seems with the home office everything is random . They don't follow a timeline. Some people get approvals and invitations before others who applied before them
I only got my citizenship approval yesterday. I'm not expecting any invitation any time soon, considering that my approval took a month and half after my biometrics while other people got an approval within days

[rozearo]

My wife get her approval on 2nd October (email) but have not received any invitation yet. Neither the council received her certificate.

I do not know how the HO operates, but it looks like their system is random as few candidates who were approved in late October are getting email invitations, while early October approval are still waiting!!

I have seen couple facing same situations.

Any Early October approval had the luck of receiving their invitation?

[oxana777]

Finally had my ceremony yesterday (private, £140, Bristol)

My timeline:
Date of application: 15/04/2020
Date Biometrics enrolled: around 24th August (via the app)
Date on Approval letter: 24th September
Date of receipt of approval: 24th September
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 8th December
Date of Ceremony: 15th December

Now off to the Passport thread. Good luck to those who are still waiting!!

[luckyshah]

Hello,
I approved 09/10/20 via email and still waiting for invitation. I received yesterday DBS certificate request letter and I know lots of you did receive as well, my question how long to received invitation letter after this DBS check if someone already experienced same and received invitation letter?

[naruto]

Hello,
I approved 09/10/20 via email and still waiting for invitation. I received yesterday DBS certificate request letter and I know lots of you did receive as well, my question how long to received invitation letter after this DBS check if someone already experienced same and received invitation letter?

Same here I got the DBS request on 03-12-2020 and received the DBS certificate on 07-12-2020 however no invitation letter yet!! Was approved on 23-10-2020.....

[Bengomango]

Hi guys finally I got my invitation approved 30 sep . Thanks a lot to all people here and special thanks to cullinan . I just have a question for cullinan about passport application online . First adult passport counter signatory how long he have to know you . As it’s written 2 years in case of child . And another thing where is the forum link for passport application after ceremony . Please cullinan answer , thanks

[coolrockspart2]

Hi guys finally I got my invitation approved 30 sep . Thanks a lot to all people here and special thanks to cullinan . I just have a question for cullinan about passport application online . First adult passport counter signatory how long he have to know you . As it’s written 2 years in case of child . And another thing where is the forum link for passport application after ceremony . Please cullinan answer , thanks

Forum link for passport timeline application british-citizenship/british-passport-ap ... 80618.html

Are you making paper application for passport ? HMPO recommends making an online application as it would be processed quicker but completely up to you.

Regarding counter signatory they should have known you for at least 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

[Bengomango]

Hi guys finally I got my invitation approved 30 sep . Thanks a lot to all people here and special thanks to cullinan . I just have a question for cullinan about passport application online . First adult passport counter signatory how long he have to know you . As it’s written 2 years in case of child . And another thing where is the forum link for passport application after ceremony . Please cullinan answer , thanks

Forum link for passport timeline application british-citizenship/british-passport-ap ... 80618.html

Are you making paper application for passport ? HMPO recommends making an online application as it would be processed quicker but completely up to you.

Regarding counter signatory they should have known you for at least 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Thanks a lot for your help . I will try to do the online one . Thanks

[CULLINAN]

Hi guys finally I got my invitation approved 30 sep . Thanks a lot to all people here and special thanks to cullinan . I just have a question for cullinan about passport application online . First adult passport counter signatory how long he have to know you . As it’s written 2 years in case of child . And another thing where is the forum link for passport application after ceremony . Please cullinan answer , thanks

Apply online.
You need someone to confirm identity online.

Adult:
https://www.gov.uk/apply-first-adult-pa ... ply-online

https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-onl ... pplication

Child:

https://www.gov.uk/get-a-child-passport ... d-passport

https://www.gov.uk/confirm-identity-onl ... pplication

[dragon098]

Hi All,

I am from Wandsworth Council, I emailed them yesterday and they replied to me saying that they don't have my certificated and

We have no dates available for ceremonies at present, so please email us again in mid January, when we will know what dates are available, and hopefully we may have received your certificate. Please check that you have received the ‘invitation letter’ before you contact us.

I am actually moving to a new job so I had to do my DBS check, it was done approx a month ago I don't think my DBS check has to do anything HO.

[coolrockspart2]

Hi All,

I am from Wandsworth Council, I emailed them yesterday and they replied to me saying that they don't have my certificated and

We have no dates available for ceremonies at present, so please email us again in mid January, when we will know what dates are available, and hopefully we may have received your certificate. Please check that you have received the ‘invitation letter’ before you contact us.

I am actually moving to a new job so I had to do my DBS check, it was done approx a month ago I don't think my DBS check has to do anything HO.

It may be because council doesn't has availability Home office is not sending the invitation letter/certificate ?
I am not sure what other reason might prevent them sending the invite unless they are still doing some background checks. Nobody knows the process so we might be just guessing to be honest.
But I hope you receive it soon as I was approved on 19th Oct and received invite on 11th Dec and yours is 21stOct

[mrmo93]

Same, I was approved on the 12th of October and NOTHING YET

Does anyone know if you can do private ceremonies in Kent since i just want it done once i get the invite

[Bengomango]

Hi guys finally I got my invitation approved 30 sep . Thanks a lot to all people here and special thanks to cullinan . I just have a question for cullinan about passport application online . First adult passport counter signatory how long he have to know you . As it’s written 2 years in case of child . And another thing where is the forum link for passport application after ceremony . Please cullinan answer , thanks

Forum link for passport timeline application british-citizenship/british-passport-ap ... 80618.html

Are you making paper application for passport ? HMPO recommends making an online application as it would be processed quicker but completely up to you.

Regarding counter signatory they should have known you for at least 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Thanks a lot for your help . I will try to do the online one . Thanks

Can an operational manager be my countersignatory ? Thanks again

[coolrockspart2]

Hi guys finally I got my invitation approved 30 sep . Thanks a lot to all people here and special thanks to cullinan . I just have a question for cullinan about passport application online . First adult passport counter signatory how long he have to know you . As it’s written 2 years in case of child . And another thing where is the forum link for passport application after ceremony . Please cullinan answer , thanks

Forum link for passport timeline application british-citizenship/british-passport-ap ... 80618.html

Are you making paper application for passport ? HMPO recommends making an online application as it would be processed quicker but completely up to you.

Regarding counter signatory they should have known you for at least 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Thanks a lot for your help . I will try to do the online one . Thanks

Can an operational manager be my countersignatory ? Thanks again

should be one from below https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passp ... ignatories

[byteb]

Hi guys,

I have received my naturalization approval email on the 14th of September but still haven't received the ceremony invitation from the Home Office.

The Home Office case worker is not responding to my email any longer, so I was wondering if there is any Home Office contact number or email I can reach out to check what is going on.

I have reached out to my council and they have also received the neturalization approval but they're awaiting the ceremony invite letter from the Home Office to be sent by me once I receive it.

[Bengomango]

Forum link for passport timeline application british-citizenship/british-passport-ap ... 80618.html

Are you making paper application for passport ? HMPO recommends making an online application as it would be processed quicker but completely up to you.

Regarding counter signatory they should have known you for at least 2 years
https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications

Thanks a lot for your help . I will try to do the online one . Thanks

Can an operational manager be my countersignatory ? Thanks again

should be one from below https://www.gov.uk/countersigning-passp ... ignatories

Yes it’s written . Director , manager or personal officer of a vat registered company. So could it be any department manager ?

[dragon098]

It may be because council doesn't has availability Home office is not sending the invitation letter/certificate ?
I am not sure what other reason might prevent them sending the invite unless they are still doing some background checks. Nobody knows the process so we might be just guessing to be honest.
But I hope you receive it soon as I was approved on 19th Oct and received invite on 11th Dec and yours is 21stOct

Thanks for the reply, I am bit worried because in a month time I'll be moving from my current address. I agree with you that maybe they're deploying invites and certificate according to councils. It would be nice if we could know either if they're starting a new process where they send invite via email or letter
Anyways, glad that you got it and good luck

[londuk1]

Ok I am delighted to say that this process will soon come to an end for me.

Just talked with Wandsworth Council and I booked a virtual ceremony for the 17th of December.
Good luck everybody!

Could you please tell me if you had to pay or was it for free. I highly doubt Wandsworth Council would do anything for free.

Once again congrats, finger crossed you get your British Passport soon and relax.

They didn’t mention anything about payment. I guess it’s free because it’s virtual. I will let you know if they ask me for payment on the ceremony day.

Hi dragon098.
I had my virtual ceremony today with the registrar from Wandsworth Council. They didn't ask for any payment thankfully.

However, they had my old address in their log and they said they cannot post my certificate to my new address so I have to go to the town hall and pick it up tomorrow.