Citizenship Ceremony cancelled due to Covid-19

Seriously HO is the worst org, they have wedding to go on with 30 people together, I wonder how many people will be at citizen ceremony, moreso, it can be restrict to private ceremony to limit the number of people at the venue. They should stop telling us until COVID is ease, they are just too lazy or just taking a piss.

shanny77 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:11 am

Seriously HO is the worst org, they have wedding to go on with 30 people together, I wonder how many people will be at citizen ceremony, moreso, it can be restrict to private ceremony to limit the number of people at the venue. They should stop telling us until COVID is ease, they are just too lazy or just taking a piss.

A public ceremony has around 300 people in attendance, all in very close proximity of each other due to the late of the council chambers.

Private ceremonies cannot be arranged if the council has not received the citizenship certificate and there is a delay in these being printed and sent out.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:29 am

shanny77 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 9:11 am

Seriously HO is the worst org, they have wedding to go on with 30 people together, I wonder how many people will be at citizen ceremony, moreso, it can be restrict to private ceremony to limit the number of people at the venue. They should stop telling us until COVID is ease, they are just too lazy or just taking a piss.

Private ceremonies cannot be arranged if the council has not received the citizenship certificate and there is a delay in these being printed and sent out.

No reason why printing and posting certificates should be taking this long now that the whole country is open! The 2m rule has been relaxed to 1m, pubs, gyms, pools everything is open and the PM is physically urging people to get back to work

I’m still waiting for my approval since 27/2/2020 I am wondering office people’s still working from home like you said whole country open up yet government not opening councils and other governments departments if caseworkers still working from home they should print ceremony certificates from home and send out to councils so that peoples can complete there citizenship process let’s hope for the best and pray things get back to normal now

BoyTed wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 10:36 pm

Sous49 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:47 pm

Hello all
Hope you all are ok
I knew that my application for Naturalisartion had been approved when I got a reply on the 20th of May to an email I sent asking about an update.so I haven't received any decision letters emailed or posted to me

During the last 3 weeks I sent three emails to different HO email addresses including NationalitySupportTeamFMT@homeoffice.gov.uk asking about the decision letter and the certificate with no reply apart of the automatic replies.

Confusing

Good luck

Ho Sous49,

I think they will send your decision and certificate at the same time a friend of mine got approved in April they didn't post or email the decision he emailed them several times and they told him you will receive your decision and ceremony once the covid19 is eased.
Goodluck

Thank Boyted.yes i assume so. I waited 11 months , i can do more few weeks. Happy for your positive outcome as well

All the best

Just got the below reply

Dear xxxxx

Thank you for your email and please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

I have contacted the department that issues the Ceremony Invite Letters and they have advised that they are currently awaiting confirmation of when they are permitted to issue the Invites. They are unable to provide a timescale at this stage.

I’m sorry I am not able to give a specific date.

Sous49 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:16 pm

Just got the below reply

Dear xxxxx

Thank you for your email and please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

I have contacted the department that issues the Ceremony Invite Letters and they have advised that they are currently awaiting confirmation of when they are permitted to issue the Invites. They are unable to provide a timescale at this stage.

I’m sorry I am not able to give a specific date.

Ah thats a nice different response from the usual! Which email address is this please?

Moa7 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 5:36 pm

Sous49 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:16 pm

Just got the below reply

Dear xxxxx

Thank you for your email and please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

I have contacted the department that issues the Ceremony Invite Letters and they have advised that they are currently awaiting confirmation of when they are permitted to issue the Invites. They are unable to provide a timescale at this stage.

I’m sorry I am not able to give a specific date.

Ah thats a nice different response from the usual! Which email address is this please?

It is indeed a very nice reply. It is NationalityFrontEndTechnicalSpecialists@homeoffice.gov.uk

All the best

Sous49 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 4:16 pm

Just got the below reply

Dear xxxxx

Thank you for your email and please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

I have contacted the department that issues the Ceremony Invite Letters and they have advised that they are currently awaiting confirmation of when they are permitted to issue the Invites. They are unable to provide a timescale at this stage.

I’m sorry I am not able to give a specific date.

Thanks for sharing that.

As expected, no clear guidance published yet.

Just waiting for a conformation when actually everyone else is encourage to go back to work except the HO.

Printing certificates and allowing private ceremonies carries the minimal risk for both public and employee.

Please keep us updated if you received any news. I would encourage everybody, who is awaiting the invitation letter, to contact the HO to ask for a clear update rather than standard reply: ((we are waiting for an update))

Its been a few weeks since I got the email from UKVI saying my application has been successful but got no update after that, anyone knows when would the UKVI start to send out invitations?

Thanks

IrobotZ wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 10:55 pm

Its been a few weeks since I got the email from UKVI saying my application has been successful but got no update after that, anyone knows when would the UKVI start to send out invitations?

Thanks

Hi IrobotZ,
Unfortunately Home Office have not printed citizenship certificate since end of March no clear guidelines or when they will start sending certificate to the local council.
All the best.

Sous49 wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:38 am

BoyTed wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 10:36 pm

Sous49 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:47 pm

Hello all
Hope you all are ok
I knew that my application for Naturalisartion had been approved when I got a reply on the 20th of May to an email I sent asking about an update.so I haven't received any decision letters emailed or posted to me


During the last 3 weeks I sent three emails to different HO email addresses including NationalitySupportTeamFMT@homeoffice.gov.uk asking about the decision letter and the certificate with no reply apart of the automatic replies.

Confusing

Good luck

Ho Sous49,

I think they will send your decision and certificate at the same time a friend of mine got approved in April they didn't post or email the decision he emailed them several times and they told him you will receive your decision and ceremony once the covid19 is eased.
Goodluck

Thank Boyted.yes i assume so. I waited 11 months , i can do more few weeks. Happy for your positive outcome as well

All the best

Thanks you sous49.
All the best.

Hi all, just thought to share information for those waiting for ceremony from Westminster Council. They have now resumed the private ceremonies and if you have invitation letter you can call them to book at 0207 641 7500.
I just booked mine for tomorrow and it costs £100.
Good luck for everyone who is waiting!

BoyTed wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 15, 2020 3:47 am

IrobotZ wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 14, 2020 10:55 pm

Its been a few weeks since I got the email from UKVI saying my application has been successful but got no update after that, anyone knows when would the UKVI start to send out invitations?

Thanks

Hi IrobotZ,
Unfortunately Home Office have not printed citizenship certificate since end of March no clear guidelines or when they will start sending certificate to the local council.
All the best.

Thanks for the info, Stay safe

ani_xxx wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:42 am

Hi all, just thought to share information for those waiting for ceremony from Westminster Council. They have now resumed the private ceremonies and if you have invitation letter you can call them to book at 0207 641 7500.
I just booked mine for tomorrow and it costs £100.
Good luck for everyone who is waiting!

I think all these private ceremony is for people who got their invitation letter before the pandemic kicks in, the UKVI havent send out any invitation letters since the lock down started.

Does any one know whether Home Office is sending out ceremony invitations by email as I am about to change my address. Thanks

learner29 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 15, 2020 11:26 am

Does any one know whether Home Office is sending out ceremony invitations by email as I am about to change my address. Thanks

They are not sending anything at the moment.

It is still by post. If you plan to change your address, you should get in touch with them.

If I were you, I will also use royal mail redirection service.

Hi,

I got a letter a month ago approving my british citizenship. But, I was told that due the government advice on COVID-19 they are unable to offer me an invitation for ceremony. The letter states that they'll contact me when my council is open for ceremony.

My local council have been open for months. They have been taking private ceremony during the pendeic. It's now 4 weeks and haven't heard back from them. Anyone facing the same experience? Can anyone please advise?

I asked my lawyer and she said, we would need to wait until Home Office send us letter of invitation. And council could possibly be dealing with application made in March.

Hi there
All people that were inproved after March are experiencing the same
Please see
https://www.immigrationboards.com/briti ... 3-200.html

All the best

Evening All,

Latest update from my local council (Richmond Upon Thames) below:

Local Authorities may now reintroduce citizenship ceremonies where safe to do so and in accordance with health and safety guidance.

Planning and risk assessments are now being undertaken to determine the way citizenship ceremonies can be safely managed. Details will be confirmed shortly.

We are working towards resuming citizenship ceremonies from mid-August.

Priority will be given to prospective new citizens who received their Home Office letters before lockdown.

We will contact you to invite you to a ceremony in due course. Your continued patience is appreciated. We ask that you do not contact us unless urgent, whilst we undertake this initial planning stage.

So this is positive news...

Here is an update from Newcastle Upon Tyne council

Citizenship Ceremonies

The Home Office has announced that Local Authorities are now able to reintroduce citizenship ceremonies where they can do so safely in accordance with health and safety guidance. The safety of our customers and staff is our priority so Newcastle Register Office will not resume ceremonies until a full risk assessment has been carried out and the appropriate social distancing arrangements are put in place. If you are waiting to attend a ceremony please be patient and our office will send you an invite when it is appropriate to do so.

Customers would normally be expected to book their citizenship ceremony within three months of being sent an invitation from the Home Office. Due to the current pandemic circumstances UKVI have extended this period to six months and will keep this under constant review. Customers should be advised that no adverse decisions will be made on applications because of delays caused by Coronavirus.


I don’t understand why the home office haven’t printed or sent any certificates until now or even haven’t sent any invitations yet that’s weird I feel worried if happen a second wave of that virus so we will never have our ceremony done this year

Hi There,
Ive sent them asking exactly that question why are they not printing citizenship certificate.
Will update when they respond that's if they respond.

Hi All,

I keep sending HO emails asking for an update. My last 2 emails I requested to despatch my invitation letter since i can go for a private ceremony in my council. They replied with the below which is a copy and paste of their previous reply and similar to what most of you have received

Good morning,

I refer to your application for British Citizenship and your email enquiry. Upon investigation I can confirm that your citizenship ceremony documents have not yet been printed or despatched to the local authority. Your citizenship paperwork will be generated in coming weeks when current restrictions due to Coronavirus are eased.

In normal circumstances customers were required to book their citizenship ceremony within three months of being sent an invitation from the Home Office. Due to the current circumstances we have extended this period to six months. We will keep this under constant review. Please be assured that no adverse decisions will be made on your application because of delays caused by Coronavirus (unless there is a material change in your circumstances, for example, you are convicted of a criminal offence).



Kind Regards

So, just got off the phone with the customer service guys at HO, they said they cannot send out ceremony certificates till councils inform them they are ready to conduct ceremonies.

I then spoke to the deputy registrar at my council who said they'd started doing private ceremonies on 06/07, they had emailed HO on the same day as well, asking them to send over certificates because they reckon they'll have free slots from the 15th.

As it happened, the deputy registrar said if I had my certificate, I could have walked into a ceremony today at 3pm as they have numerous slots running till 5pm today! All private paid ceremonies, but ceremonies nonetheless.

The only response they've got back from HO is an email dated 13/07 to all councils stating they'll be releasing certificates once Covid restrictions have eased ! Really ??

Thanks

AC12 wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 02, 2020 12:39 pm

Councils, like any other workplace, need to be 'Covid Secure'. Unless they've met these guidelines, they'd be hesitant in restarting ceremonies. Some councils have been proactive in making sure they meet the Covid guidelines, some have been pretty slow, which is why we see some councils restarting the ceremonies while some haven't.

However, I understand the frustration everyone is feeling right now ! I am in the same boat. I was approved on 9th March, told to wait for an invitation letter. My council said they had received an email from HO on 12/03 that they won't be sending out any more certificates, as they were 'expecting a lockdown' to happen soon.

I guess the frustration stems from the fact that HO have not cared to communicate, meaning we do all the chasing, asking our councils, FB groups, forums, for any new/relevant information. All good saying they're concentrating on ILR applications and limited leave to remain candidates, but for the money that we pay, you'd expect a far better service from HO, specially the way they communicate.

AC12 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:57 pm

So, just got off the phone with the customer service guys at HO, they said they cannot send out ceremony certificates till councils inform them they are ready to conduct ceremonies.

I then spoke to the deputy registrar at my council who said they'd started doing private ceremonies on 06/07, they had emailed HO on the same day as well, asking them to send over certificates because they reckon they'll have free slots from the 15th.

As it happened, the deputy registrar said if I had my certificate, I could have walked into a ceremony today at 3pm as they have numerous slots running till 5pm today! All private paid ceremonies, but ceremonies nonetheless.

The only response they've got back from HO is an email dated 13/07 to all councils stating they'll be releasing certificates once Covid restrictions have eased ! Really ??

Thanks

AC12 wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 02, 2020 12:39 pm

Councils, like any other workplace, need to be 'Covid Secure'. Unless they've met these guidelines, they'd be hesitant in restarting ceremonies. Some councils have been proactive in making sure they meet the Covid guidelines, some have been pretty slow, which is why we see some councils restarting the ceremonies while some haven't.

However, I understand the frustration everyone is feeling right now ! I am in the same boat. I was approved on 9th March, told to wait for an invitation letter. My council said they had received an email from HO on 12/03 that they won't be sending out any more certificates, as they were 'expecting a lockdown' to happen soon.

I guess the frustration stems from the fact that HO have not cared to communicate, meaning we do all the chasing, asking our councils, FB groups, forums, for any new/relevant information. All good saying they're concentrating on ILR applications and limited leave to remain candidates, but for the money that we pay, you'd expect a far better service from HO, specially the way they communicate.

Sounds like a massive communication gap between the councils and HO, that no one between them is motivated to sort, and its us applicants who feel thr brunt of it. Very frustrating