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General discussion after BC and Passport application

A section for posts relating to applications for Naturalisation or Registration as a British Citizen. Naturalisation

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kingcedz
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Post by kingcedz » Mon Apr 23, 2012 10:08 pm

[quote="elliass"][quote="kingcedz"]my wife applied end of January and still waiting for apporval letter. The only letter we received so far is one from HO saying the fees has been taken, is this the acknowledgement letter? or there should been another acknowledgement letter but we never received?[/quote]

This is the only acknowledgement letter you received; the next letter should be your approval![/quote]

Thanks.
Sounds like a stupid worry, but we are concerned what if HO send us the approval letter and its lost in the mail...
from other posts in the forum it seems there is no point calling HO asking for update. We ve actually written a letter to HO a couple of weeks ago asking for update but not received any response.
If HO approved the application, will our local council contact us as well? I m wondering if anyone has tried to contact local council if they received the citizenship certificate?

elliass
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Post by elliass » Mon Apr 23, 2012 11:43 pm

kingcedz wrote:
elliass wrote:
kingcedz wrote:my wife applied end of January and still waiting for apporval letter. The only letter we received so far is one from HO saying the fees has been taken, is this the acknowledgement letter? or there should been another acknowledgement letter but we never received?
This is the only acknowledgement letter you received; the next letter should be your approval!
Thanks.
Sounds like a stupid worry, but we are concerned what if HO send us the approval letter and its lost in the mail...
from other posts in the forum it seems there is no point calling HO asking for update. We ve actually written a letter to HO a couple of weeks ago asking for update but not received any response.
If HO approved the application, will our local council contact us as well? I m wondering if anyone has tried to contact local council if they received the citizenship certificate?
Hi,

I applied in mid of Jan/2012 and still waiting.
Usually you will recieve an approval letter but for some reason if you couldn't recieve a letter then the council would contact you.

But to be in the safe side it is better to call your council and ask them if they received any letter for you if not then ask them to contact you to inform you about it once it arrives.

I think this is a good solution! good luck mate! :)

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manoj123
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Post by manoj123 » Tue Apr 24, 2012 3:59 pm

Have called today to check the status of my application. The lady at the other end kindly refused because it is less than 6 months since I applied.

workingmama
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Post by workingmama » Tue Apr 24, 2012 5:08 pm

Have called today to check the status of my application. The lady at the other end kindly refused because it is less than 6 months since I applied.
I also called today to try to ask about my husbands application.
I called 15 times, each time I spent at least 5 minutes on the phone as it rang and rang with intermittent annoncements to be patient as lines were busy then suddenly a messege said something along the lines of (your call has been disconnected). Can I just say my manager was agast at this and said if she was running the call centre she would seriously look into what the heck was going on. On the 16th attempt I got through after 7 minutes and the woman refused to tell me anything as it has not been 6 months. I asked her why my husbands claim was still waiting approval when others who applied 2 months after him were approved and asked why they did not process on date recieved.

She told me that they were supposed to work by date recieved but some applications were very complicated. I explained that my husbands was straightforward, no criminal record, spouse visa, no excess trips outside etc and she could not tell me why so many get stuck in the system. I then raised the issue of the fact I had sent two emails from my government email address to the home office and yet had not even recieved the normal email acknowledgment. (when you email any government department it sends out an automated messege directly telling you thanks for email and they have a certain length of time to reply). She apologised for this and could not understand why especially as it was government organisation to government organisation email.

I just find the whole system totally disorganised. One member of staff will give details before 6 months, one will not. Some get processed before others while some wait almost a year for no reason. If naturalisation was a free service then you would be in no position to complain about the length of time or way they do things but you pay a large fee and at least you should expect consistant service, to be able to at least know where your application is at and not made to feel nervous at picking up the phone.

Maybe working for a government department myself where we have strict deadlines, process on basis of date recieved, have to give information out even if we clearly notify people there is a length of time that things will be dealt with. In my own job one of the expected times of processing something for one department is 3 months however if anyone calls we understand their worry and we give what ever information we can see on the computer system without giving the member of public a telling off and making them call back at the end of the 3 months.
Mistakes do happen and without people calling to check on progress those mistakes do not come to light. Just this week I have found 2 cases that were obviously lost in the system and was able to rectify it, but I would not have known this unless the person called after the 3 months was up.

As I said I am raising these issues with my MP in the hope he can liase with the Minister of Immigration. Without complaints about how the system is run then it will continue to run in a disorganised manner. I am not asking for applications to be quickly processed but what I would like to see is that applicants can at least get updates before the 6 months is up. It takes just a few seconds to access someones application and quickly give an update.

bubbletea
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Post by bubbletea » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:04 am

manoj123 wrote:Have called today to check the status of my application. The lady at the other end kindly refused because it is less than 6 months since I applied.
A friend of mine applied at similar time as myself called them up and the lady said Decision has been made, I think the reason she did not tell you is because your application is still in process, and I wish you don't need to call again and get the letter very soon!!! Best of luck!

elliass
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Post by elliass » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:54 am

bubbletea wrote:
manoj123 wrote:Have called today to check the status of my application. The lady at the other end kindly refused because it is less than 6 months since I applied.
A friend of mine applied at similar time as myself called them up and the lady said Decision has been made, I think the reason she did not tell you is because your application is still in process, and I wish you don't need to call again and get the letter very soon!!! Best of luck!
I called them 10 days ago, but the advisor told me that mine is under 6 months (3 months and a week) and your application still in the process. The problem is when others called the immigration advisors don't give you a chance to check their system by taking your details, because they ask you when did you submit your application. did she ask you about the time first; when did you submit it? you might submited it long time ago!

Good luck! :)

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manoj123
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Post by manoj123 » Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:42 am

bubbletea wrote:
manoj123 wrote:Have called today to check the status of my application. The lady at the other end kindly refused because it is less than 6 months since I applied.
A friend of mine applied at similar time as myself called them up and the lady said Decision has been made, I think the reason she did not tell you is because your application is still in process, and I wish you don't need to call again and get the letter very soon!!! Best of luck!
I think it is more of a randomness/luck than the actual status of the application..because she did not even bother to take my name/reference to check.

ARPHskp
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MN1 + AN

Post by ARPHskp » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:05 am

Submitted MN1 + AN together. I would like to know if my son's registration / citizenship certificate will come directly to me or will it go to council. Please let me know if you got experience

grantring
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Post by grantring » Wed Apr 25, 2012 11:30 am

Just called UKBA it sounds more like a call centre now where as before when i have called it sound like just 1 person in a very quite office and the phone was picked up quite quick for 11.28 in the day.

You can get info out of them if you nice and ask the right questions going for a blunt progress update will get you no information

juliajules1979
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Post by juliajules1979 » Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:10 pm

I just called them, got the usual we cant give you any details because it is under 6 months, but he said I can look to see if any letters have been sent to you. He looked but saw no letters had been sent (therefore I know that no decision has been made yet). Maybe this is a better way to ask the advisors, to check if any letters have been sent.

Workingmama thank you so much for writing to your MP, hopefully because you work for a govenement dept. it might have more of an impact.

workingmama
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Post by workingmama » Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:40 pm

You can get info out of them if you nice and ask the right questions going for a blunt progress update will get you no information
Let me tell you, I have the Institute of Customer Service Award and know exactly how to request info. I was polite as pie and only asked for an update and yet still got no reply. The rest of my questions came after being refused info It has nothing to do with what you ask for it has to do with who you speak to and this is wrong. A service should give the same response no matter who you speak to, it should not be so hit and miss.

grantring
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Post by grantring » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:20 pm

workingmama wrote:
You can get info out of them if you nice and ask the right questions going for a blunt progress update will get you no information
Let me tell you, I have the Institute of Customer Service Award and know exactly how to request info. I was polite as pie and only asked for an update and yet still got no reply. The rest of my questions came after being refused info It has nothing to do with what you ask for it has to do with who you speak to and this is wrong. A service should give the same response no matter who you speak to, it should not be so hit and miss.
Agreed the service should be the same for every one but we all know in the real world its not and just because you have some award does not mean you walk the walk or in this case talk the talk my way works for me so i will keep using it with them i have spoken to them 3 times so far and to different people even a lady who for many posts does not like to given away anything.

if what your claiming is true then at some point i will be refused info and you will be given info only time will tell as i am sure its not the last time i will call them just yet

Also you asked for the update there was your mistake as i said before this will always be refused with the no info before 6 months rule you have to ask around to get bits of info not for a update

workingmama
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Post by workingmama » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:44 pm

Mentioning I had a customer care award was meant as a sarcastic response to the comment about going for a blunt progress report. It was not meant to mean I know better than anyone.

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manoj123
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Post by manoj123 » Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:50 pm

workingmama wrote:Mentioning I had a customer care award was meant as a sarcastic response to the comment about going for a blunt progress report. It was not meant to mean I know better than anyone.
Well you didn't...but at least someone in this forum has some charm to extract information from UKBA. :wink:

grantring
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Post by grantring » Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:29 pm

workingmama wrote:Mentioning I had a customer care award was meant as a sarcastic response to the comment about going for a blunt progress report. It was not meant to mean I know better than anyone.
Maybe your attitude is the problem? they get calls all day long you have to make your call more interesting than the others

blacksta
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Post by blacksta » Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:49 pm

how does one find out on the outcome of a passport interview

thanks

grantring
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Post by grantring » Wed Apr 25, 2012 2:59 pm

blacksta wrote:how does one find out on the outcome of a passport interview

thanks
how long ago was it? you can track your application online via a form

https://forms.direct.gov.uk/forms/form/ ... pplication

blacksta
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Post by blacksta » Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:09 pm

grantring wrote:
blacksta wrote:how does one find out on the outcome of a passport interview

thanks
how long ago was it? you can track your application online via a form

https://forms.direct.gov.uk/forms/form/ ... pplication
Hi

it was this morning ? is it to early to know

grantring
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Post by grantring » Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:26 pm

would think so give them a chance would say check for a update friday
there is no reason why you would not get a passport if you answer the questions with only the truth

blacksta
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Post by blacksta » Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:50 pm

grantring wrote:would think so give them a chance would say check for a update friday
there is no reason why you would not get a passport if you answer the questions with only the truth
I guess no need to worry - just that some people knew the outcome hours after the interview. Mine is currenlty sayiing examination process

emmylou1978
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Post by emmylou1978 » Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:59 pm

elliass wrote: I noticed that the people who sent their applications by postal is much quicker and faster process than who sent via NCS.
I don't think this is quite right... I went though NCS and it took 11 weeks. I think the timelines are completely random and probably correlate to piles of cases on individuals desks... and then how many get stacked on top of older ones... and then if that person is off sick/on leave etc... (I work in gvt department - I can imagine this is similar everywhere...) - of course the crappy thing is that with such high fees, you'd kind of expect better service... and no understaffing....

workingmama
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Post by workingmama » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:10 pm

Maybe your attitude is the problem? they get calls all day long you have to make your call more interesting than the others
Lol, no my attitude was ok, especially as I was talking to another government department from my work phone with my manager standing beside me. The woman at UKBA was really nice at answering my other questions just she was reluctant to give out any info about my husbands particular case quoting the 6 month rule.

I see your in Brighton Grantring..me too, I am a pure Brightonian. One of the best cities in UK in my opinion.

workingmama
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Post by workingmama » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:22 pm

For those that have problems with post or worry an approval has gone out and not arrived but are getting no joy getting answers from UKBA, then pop your local council citizenship department an email every few weeks or so and check up if they have recieved anything, citing post problems as the reason for emailing.

Our Citizenship department here in Brighton is more than happy for you to do this especially so as more and more towns/cities have a postal system that often delivers really late. Often postmen deliver after trades buttons in flats have gone off and if no one is home they cant get in. Just this afternoon I saw our postie delivering mail at 4.30pm which is probably the latest I have ever seen him out on his rounds.

Bluto
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Post by Bluto » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:39 pm

Hi Grantring, would you like to let us know your charmful technique to get information?

joh118
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Post by joh118 » Thu Apr 26, 2012 12:50 am

just wondering, do the UKBA have an official policy of non-disclosing information on the status of applicants under 6 months?

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