Return BRP after Citizenship Ceremony within 5 days

[vishpb35]

Hi All,

Just be mindful that a new rule has been added to return (by post) the BRP back to UKBA after attending Citizenship Ceremony. Otherwise You’ll be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t return your permit in 5 days.

Link is https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-c ... p-ceremony

Send it back within 5 days of either:

going to your citizenship ceremony
getting your certificate of British citizenship
Cut up your biometric residence permit and put it in a windowless envelope with a note saying you’re returning your permit because you’ve become a citizen.

[cs95tdg]

Thanks for this, I wasn't aware that it had to be done immediately after attending the ceremony. Looks like the HO website has been updated over the last couple of days. I was planning to do this once I received my British passport.

[seagul]

That's not good news
If someone after ceremony has to travel then as per link need to apply right of abode certificate which consume 6 months and cannot use brp for travel
Is it strictly enforceable or even on getting passport it can be sent, is there such leniency??

[CR001]

For the last couple of months, once an applicant attends their ceremony, their BRP card is cancelled.

[fielddrive]

Oh thats so not good

[legend786]

Does that mean by law a person should return BRP card once attended ceremony? or will it be cancelled automatically after becoming a British citizen regardless returning it back or not

[CR001]

Does that mean by law a person should return BRP card once attended ceremony? or will it be cancelled automatically after becoming a British citizen regardless returning it back or not

Cancelled automatically and you need to return it.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... 00820.html

[legend786]

Does that mean by law a person should return BRP card once attended ceremony? or will it be cancelled automatically after becoming a British citizen regardless returning it back or not

Cancelled automatically and you need to return it.

http://www.immigrationboards.com/britis ... 00820.html

Thank you for clarifying that because I wondered about 5 days time period plus many people on this forum including myself didn't realise that it should have been done at first instance as soon as attended ceremony

[CR001]

This is a recent update requirement from HO.

[fielddrive]

This should be communicated. I will wait to see what the guidance tells me once I go through those steps.

I am not sure many people go back retrospectively to check guidance once they have applied.

[CR001]

This should be communicated. I will wait to see what the guidance tells me once I go through those steps.

I am not sure many people go back retrospectively to check guidance once they have applied.

Members have reported getting this information in their approval letters or ceremony letters. I am not sure if this applies to those who have applied and attended the ceremony months ago (I still have my ILR BRP for example).

[fielddrive]

Exactly my point CR001.. lets see what happens with mine

[cs95tdg]

This should be communicated. I will wait to see what the guidance tells me once I go through those steps.

I am not sure many people go back retrospectively to check guidance once they have applied.

Members have reported getting this information in their approval letters or ceremony letters. I am not sure if this applies to those who have applied and attended the ceremony months ago (I still have my ILR BRP for example).

I received my approval letter a couple of days ago, and this wasn't mentioned in it. Will wait to see whether it's mentioned in the council invitation letter when I receive it.

[CR001]

I received my approval letter a couple of days ago, and this wasn't mentioned in it. Will wait to see whether it's mentioned in the council invitation letter when I receive it.

I wonder if this is a new requirement to coincide with a fuller roll out of the form AN/passport combined applications. This would make sense.

[seagul]

That instruction should be written in approval letter or council after ceremony must give a leaflet about this rule along with naturalization certificate otherwise it will not fully enforceable because surfing home office website to find & read this instruction is personal voluntary effort. In sushmehta - moderator fixed thread he has given a good point to send it back through recorded delivery as the post is free but is there any royal mail recorded delivery service towards free post address??

[cs95tdg]

I received my approval letter a couple of days ago, and this wasn't mentioned in it. Will wait to see whether it's mentioned in the council invitation letter when I receive it.

I wonder if this is a new requirement to coincide with a fuller roll out of the form AN/passport combined applications. This would make sense.

Yes, possibly. As seagul has suggested I'd agree the that best place to inform current applicants of this requirement would be as part of the ceremony. Not sure if it'll happen. I'd agree that not many applicants would necessarily revisit the HO website citizenship guidelines, once they have received their approval. I didn't, but as I frequent this forum regularly, I saw this topic. As combined applications are still being made through the pilot scheme, I'm sure there will be areas of the guidance that will need to be updated by the HO if and when the scheme is made available at all councils on a permanent basis.

[FayEng]

Hi there

When I sent my passport application through Check and Send , the guy in the post office demanded that BRP to be enclosed so BRP has gone with the application. I have to wait when the documents from Passport Office is returned so I can send it back

Fay

[CR001]

Hi there

When I sent my passport application through Check and Send , the guy in the post office demanded that BRP to be enclosed so BRP has gone with the application. I have to wait when the documents from Passport Office is returned so I can send it back

Fay

A BRP is not required for a passport application. You should not have sent it and asked the person where in the guidance booklet is it listed as a document to be submitted.

[chiku1980]

I am in the same situation as FayEng.

I recently submitted my passport application via check and send and the guy at the passport counter insisted that a BRP needs to be sent with the application.

I did ask him that it is not mentioned anywhere in the guidance or the form to which he replied that not everything is written. The form is applicable to all cases and hence it does not go to complete detail of each case. He said sending BRP is mandatory. Also on form in the "office use only" section there is a box to mention number of resident permits sent where he entered 1.

Not sure if this is a new process in line with the HO demanding BRPs to be returned but since the guy at the post office insisted I had to send it.

Will wait and see when original documents come back whether they send back the BRP or send a letter which says BRP has been retained.

[ss332]

Returning the BRP means that you cannot enter UK with your original/current non-British passport.

How does one travel immediately just after the naturalisation in that case ?

And if you have to submit BRP along with your passport application which can take more than 5 days then these two things contradict each other.

[fielddrive]

Clearly not a lot of thought has gone into this directive... they should allow a more reasonable period like 3 months

[aragon]

Also, they haven't mentioned about the timeframe of this enforcement. I mean, not a lot of previous applicants will go back to the website to check this announcement. They should have said something like, from this date forward all applicants getting their citizenship should send the biometric card back within 5 days.

[chiku1980]

Hi ss332,

You are right - it does seem that you cannot travel immediately after naturalisation till you have the new passport or other travel document (may be an emergency travel document).

Gov.uk website states and I quote "You can’t use your biometric residence permit for travel once you’ve become a British citizen."
at the link https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-c ... p-ceremony

[FayEng]

Thanks CR001 for your reply. I know I didnt want to send it. But the guy was insisting. .I didnt want to argue with the person who was so stupid and there was a long queue waiting. The requirements have been updated on 8/1/16. I sent my application on the 7th. I hope I can get away with it. Just waiting for the secure return of my documents

Fay

[Gnanasekar]

Returning the BRP means that you cannot enter UK with your original/current non-British passport.

How does one travel immediately just after the naturalisation in that case ?

And if you have to submit BRP along with your passport application which can take more than 5 days then these two things contradict each other.

Well, HO being HO as always with no clear guidance. I was about to start my Partners naturalisation with two travels planned in the next four months. This is all getting far more complicated.