UKM application experience and timeline

Quinnie · Post by **Quinnie** » Mon Apr 29, 2019 1:50 pm

ianvcpt wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:14 pm

Quinnie wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 10, 2019 1:53 pm
Yey, received approval of mine. It had been sitting at the Post Office for ages!

Eligibility Criteria: UKM double descent through Romein
Nationality: South Africa
Applying from: South Africa
Method of application: Online
Payment method: Credit card
Date of online application: Jan 2, 2019
Date of UKVI acknowledgement email: Jan 4, 2019
Date documents sent: Jan 11, 2019
Date of receipt by UKVI: Jan 14, 2019
Date of e-mail requesting biometrics: 11 Feb , 2019
Bio-metrics done: Feb 14, 2019
Date of approval: Feb 28, 2019
Date of ceremony: May 29, 2019

Note: I did not submit any original documents, only certified copies and they still returned them via post.
Quinnie, did you receive an email with notification of approval, or was it by regular post only?

Regular post only.

allthemadmen · Post by **allthemadmen** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:02 am

Ceremony invitation received by email today.

Eligibility criteria: UKM (Born in the US to British mother in 1973)
Nationality: United States
Applying from: Unites States
Method of application: online
Date of application: 22nd October 2018
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by UKVI: (Documents received by UPS) 12th November 2018
Date money gone off account: 22nd October 2018
Date of acknowledgement: 22nd October 2018 (email)
Date of biometric appt. invitation: 4th December 2018 (email)
Date biometrics appt confirmation: 7th December 2018 (email)
Biometrics done: 19th December 2018
Date of approval: 5th March 2019 (postal mail, registered, with documents)
Date of ceremony: Scheduled for 8th May, 2019. Invitation received by email 29th April.
Date applied for passports:
Date passports received:

Shaun45 · Post by **Shaun45** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 10:26 am

keh723 wrote: ↑
Mon Apr 29, 2019 1:20 pm
Waiting on ceremony invite is painful! This does come as an email, correct? Or did it come in the actual mail?

In my experience I heard nothing since my biometrics was done, then all of a sudden months later I got a ceremony invitation from my local Consulate General. I did not get an approval email or anything. Only upon enquiring on the return of my documents did I belatedly get a approval email from my case worker. In the end it all worked out. Good luck with yours.

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 1:57 pm

allthemadmen wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 30, 2019 12:02 am
Ceremony invitation received by email today.

Eligibility criteria: UKM (Born in the US to British mother in 1973)
Nationality: United States
Applying from: Unites States
Method of application: online
Date of application: 22nd October 2018
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by UKVI: (Documents received by UPS) 12th November 2018
Date money gone off account: 22nd October 2018
Date of acknowledgement: 22nd October 2018 (email)
Date of biometric appt. invitation: 4th December 2018 (email)
Date biometrics appt confirmation: 7th December 2018 (email)
Biometrics done: 19th December 2018
Date of approval: 5th March 2019 (postal mail, registered, with documents)
Date of ceremony: Scheduled for 8th May, 2019. Invitation received by email 29th April.
Date applied for passports:
Date passports received:

Your approval was dated exactly a week before mine. So maybe, just maybe, I’ll get my ceremony invite this week. Though you did start your process 3 months before me.

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 6:52 pm

Those who had your ceremony....

My sister got her invite to her ceremony. They gave her two dates to chose from at the NY consulate. She and I want to do our ceremony together in Atlanta. I have not received my invite yet. She called the NY consulate and they couldn’t change anything. So, who do we need to talk to to have it changed. She also is currently away on vacation and not returning to PA before the scheduled date. She has to travel to NY, as she doesn’t live close.

Anyone dealt with having to change their ceremony day?

sunburn · Post by **sunburn** » Tue Apr 30, 2019 7:18 pm

I didn't request a change in venue, just a date change. I was originally offered a ceremony 5-6 weeks out to give me time to plan the trip to SF, but I informed them I live near SF, and they advanced me to a ceremony a week after the initial scheduling communication. I went with that.

I'd guess that it's a lot easier for them to schedule you for a different date, than for a different venue, since they would need to arrange for another diplomatic bag transfer between consulates, which can be time consuming.

There's an underlying requirement that you take oath within 3 months of approval, as far as I can recall. And it takes ~2 months just to dispatch the certificate from UK to one consulate. Transferring it between consulates probably takes even more effort, potentially sending it back to UK and then to the other consulate of choice.

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Wed May 01, 2019 11:38 am

sunburn wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 30, 2019 7:18 pm
I didn't request a change in venue, just a date change. I was originally offered a ceremony 5-6 weeks out to give me time to plan the trip to SF, but I informed them I live near SF, and they advanced me to a ceremony a week after the initial scheduling communication. I went with that.

I'd guess that it's a lot easier for them to schedule you for a different date, than for a different venue, since they would need to arrange for another diplomatic bag transfer between consulates, which can be time consuming.

There's an underlying requirement that you take oath within 3 months of approval, as far as I can recall. And it takes ~2 months just to dispatch the certificate from UK to one consulate. Transferring it between consulates probably takes even more effort, potentially sending it back to UK and then to the other consulate of choice.

How did you contact them to arrange that? Email or phone?

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Thu May 02, 2019 5:23 pm

Got my ceremony invite today!! Mine will be in Atlanta and they have just asked that I contact to arrange it with them before June 12, which would be the end of my window. NY, for my sister, just gave her a couple choices of dates and times, which she’s not able to do. We are hopeful that Atlanta will be helpful in getting our ceremony together in Atlanta.

Beckon · Post by **Beckon** » Fri May 03, 2019 2:46 am

Hi Everyone ,

I have been reviewing the timelines posted on the board and im starting to get a little concerned.

I am struggling to locate the appropriate channel to follow up my UKM application with and also wanted to find out if I could arrange to have my and my mother original id documents returned prior to the application being completed without cancelling the application.

As per the below timeline my application was accepted and payment taken on the 08/02/2018, I have confirmed the documents were received by home office just before the end of February 2019 but have not received a Biometrics request which I feel I should have received by now..

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Eligibility criteria: Born to a British Mother in Australia prior to 1983
Nationality: Australian
Applying from: Australia
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 08/02/2018
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by UKBA: 08/2/2018
Date money gone off account: 08/2/2018
Date of acknowledgement: 08/2/2018 (by email)
Date of letter requesting biometrics: None received to date and I am currently concerned
Biometrics done:
Date of approval:
Date of ceremony:
Date applied for passports:
Date passports received:

sunburn · Post by **sunburn** » Fri May 03, 2019 5:25 am

keh723 wrote: ↑
Wed May 01, 2019 11:38 am

sunburn wrote: ↑
Tue Apr 30, 2019 7:18 pm
I didn't request a change in venue, just a date change. I was originally offered a ceremony 5-6 weeks out to give me time to plan the trip to SF, but I informed them I live near SF, and they advanced me to a ceremony a week after the initial scheduling communication. I went with that.

I'd guess that it's a lot easier for them to schedule you for a different date, than for a different venue, since they would need to arrange for another diplomatic bag transfer between consulates, which can be time consuming.

There's an underlying requirement that you take oath within 3 months of approval, as far as I can recall. And it takes ~2 months just to dispatch the certificate from UK to one consulate. Transferring it between consulates probably takes even more effort, potentially sending it back to UK and then to the other consulate of choice.
How did you contact them to arrange that? Email or phone?

Email, as you probably encountered yourself after asking the question

bletchlypark · Post by **bletchlypark** » Fri May 03, 2019 1:40 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Thu May 02, 2019 5:23 pm
Got my ceremony invite today!! Mine will be in Atlanta and they have just asked that I contact to arrange it with them before June 12, which would be the end of my window. NY, for my sister, just gave her a couple choices of dates and times, which she’s not able to do. We are hopeful that Atlanta will be helpful in getting our ceremony together in Atlanta.

Hoping this means mine is coming soon. Did you get yours via regular mail?

sunburn · Post by **sunburn** » Fri May 03, 2019 3:14 pm

I’ve no anecdotal recollection of anyone having been contacted about their oath by their local consulate over regular mail . It’s all been either email or phone call .

My own arrangements were concluded with a burst of email exchanges over a 30 minute period after the receipt of the initial email, the conversation being ‘well if you don’t need 5 weeks to plan for the ceremony, how about attending the one next week ?’ It was all very quick and friendly and then it was time for lunch .

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Fri May 03, 2019 4:02 pm

bletchlypark wrote: ↑
Fri May 03, 2019 1:40 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Thu May 02, 2019 5:23 pm
Got my ceremony invite today!! Mine will be in Atlanta and they have just asked that I contact to arrange it with them before June 12, which would be the end of my window. NY, for my sister, just gave her a couple choices of dates and times, which she’s not able to do. We are hopeful that Atlanta will be helpful in getting our ceremony together in Atlanta.
Hoping this means mine is coming soon. Did you get yours via regular mail?

No, it came in an email. My experience with the Atlanta Consulate is MUCH different than my sister’s with NY. Atlanta gave me a number to call to schedule it sometime before my required date. When I called, I spoke to a specific person. She has been wonderful to work with and even trying to help with my sister’s dilemma. She says it is not a problem to do ours together in Atlanta, but Home Office has to change her “post”. She is getting no response from HO and NY is not helpful and just keeps passing her off and redirecting her to email HO. She’s gotten no response from HO and NY expects her to attend her ceremony next week in NY. She’s away on vacation. She’s a bit stressed. Atlanta was thinking they could coordinate with NY, but unfortunately it has to come from Home Office.

Very happy to be working with Atlanta and I know you’ll be happy to hear that, bletchypark. I’m waiting to schedule mine until we get some word from HO on how long it will take to get her certificate routed to Atlanta.

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Sat May 04, 2019 12:33 pm

luthersnowak wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:39 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:02 pm
Has anyone living in the US requested their ceremony in the UK? My sister and I were thinking we’d like to have it with our family there.
I don't know for sure. I was able to request that I attend the Ceremony in Boston rather than San Francisco. I would think it would be possible. You should get an email from the Consulate in the US that receives your registration certificate. When the San Francisco consulate contacted me, I asked them if it would be possible, and they were more than happy to accommodate my request.

Luthersnowak, hope you are still reading on here...who helped you get your ceremony moved from SF to Boston. Trying to get my sister’s moved from NY to Atlanta. NY just keeps referring her to Home Office and not helping at all. My Atlanta consulate has been more helpful but they too said HO has to make the change of post. Did SF take care of it for you or did you have to work with Home Office? Just wondering if it could be as simple as having Atlanta contact NY and have the certificate sent down.

jkproperties · Post by **jkproperties** » Mon May 06, 2019 8:57 am

Beckon wrote: ↑
Fri May 03, 2019 2:46 am
Hi Everyone ,

I have been reviewing the timelines posted on the board and im starting to get a little concerned.

I am struggling to locate the appropriate channel to follow up my UKM application with and also wanted to find out if I could arrange to have my and my mother original id documents returned prior to the application being completed without cancelling the application.

As per the below timeline my application was accepted and payment taken on the 08/02/2018, I have confirmed the documents were received by home office just before the end of February 2019 but have not received a Biometrics request which I feel I should have received by now..

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Eligibility criteria: Born to a British Mother in Australia prior to 1983
Nationality: Australian
Applying from: Australia
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 08/02/2018
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by UKBA: 08/2/2018
Date money gone off account: 08/2/2018
Date of acknowledgement: 08/2/2018 (by email)
Date of letter requesting biometrics: None received to date and I am currently concerned
Biometrics done:
Date of approval:
Date of ceremony:
Date applied for passports:
Date passports received:

HI,
I am assuming your dates are wrong? 2019 probably?
I am also getting stressed out, my docs were signed for 2019/2/23 and I haven't heard a peep.
contact details are on the website you submitted through, but it is rather expensive.

jkproperties · Post by **jkproperties** » Mon May 06, 2019 10:10 am

jkproperties wrote: ↑
Mon May 06, 2019 8:57 am

Beckon wrote: ↑
Fri May 03, 2019 2:46 am
Hi Everyone ,

I have been reviewing the timelines posted on the board and im starting to get a little concerned.

I am struggling to locate the appropriate channel to follow up my UKM application with and also wanted to find out if I could arrange to have my and my mother original id documents returned prior to the application being completed without cancelling the application.

As per the below timeline my application was accepted and payment taken on the 08/02/2018, I have confirmed the documents were received by home office just before the end of February 2019 but have not received a Biometrics request which I feel I should have received by now..

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Eligibility criteria: Born to a British Mother in Australia prior to 1983
Nationality: Australian
Applying from: Australia
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 08/02/2018
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by UKBA: 08/2/2018
Date money gone off account: 08/2/2018
Date of acknowledgement: 08/2/2018 (by email)
Date of letter requesting biometrics: None received to date and I am currently concerned
Biometrics done:
Date of approval:
Date of ceremony:
Date applied for passports:
Date passports received:
HI,
I am assuming your dates are wrong? 2019 probably?
I am also getting stressed out, my docs were signed for 2019/2/23 and I haven't heard a peep.
contact details are on the website you submitted through, but it is rather expensive.

I also posted incorrect dates, mine were in March, so yes yours does seem quite long

jkproperties · Post by **jkproperties** » Mon May 06, 2019 10:22 am

bletchlypark wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:43 pm

jkproperties wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 11, 2019 4:47 pm

Congratulations.
Your date of receipt by UKVI, Did the UKVI confirm receipt? or did you take this from your courier confirmation of delivery?

I sent my original documents on 22/3/2019 and have confirmation from DHL but nothing yet from UKVI, feeling a little nervous it was sent or received elsewhere.

Thank you,
Have a great day,
Not who you asked but I never got a confirmation from UKVI, only DHL. But there were no issues, you just don't hear from them again until its time for Bio-metrics.

Thank you,
Sorry Missed your reply,
I still haven't received my biometrics request.
I am chewing my fingers off waiting in anticipation...

jkproperties · Post by **jkproperties** » Mon May 06, 2019 12:40 pm

Hi Everyone,
I have applied and paid online for UKM 2019/03/20 and documents were signed for on 2019/03/25.
I have not heard anything from the home office.

I see most of the timelines are around 4 weeks for Biometrics request, I am now at 6 weeks.

Is it worth following up to see what is going on? or when is a reasonable time to follow up?
My concern is I need to apply for ILR for my children also, but believe I can only do this after my approval, timelines quoted are 6 months and this stresses me out, because we want to move to the UK in January.

any advice is appreciated.

Conky2a · Post by **Conky2a** » Mon May 06, 2019 2:17 pm

I think you are sort of in the same boat as my wife jk. The most consistent timelines seem to be for US citizens applying from the US, where the process appears to be very streamlined. I have also been comparing to these most recent experiences, but unfortunately it just does not match up, in our case six weeks since she enrolled her biometrics, and a request to have them done again at easter, as they seemed to have lost them.

In fact my observation for south africans, is that it seems to be the most inconsistent of all..........

jkproperties · Post by **jkproperties** » Mon May 06, 2019 3:35 pm

Conky2a wrote: ↑
Mon May 06, 2019 2:17 pm
I think you are sort of in the same boat as my wife jk. The most consistent timelines seem to be for US citizens applying from the US, where the process appears to be very streamlined. I have also been comparing to these most recent experiences, but unfortunately it just does not match up, in our case six weeks since she enrolled her biometrics, and a request to have them done again at easter, as they seemed to have lost them.

In fact my observation for south africans, is that it seems to be the most inconsistent of all..........

Thank you for the reply Conky2a,
I have looked back to December and I don't see any South Africans waiting longer that 4-5 weeks.
only Balles, but documents were sent in 2 weeks later than application was received, I expect the file could have been put one side because it was incomplete? I don't know.

I am just stressed, because I don't know if my documents were actually received by the Home Office. I am so used to incompetence in South Africa, I have to check up constantly if something is received and if it is being processed, so I just lack the experience/confidence that the rest of the world actually does what they are supposed to.

I cannot see why USA would be different to South Africans in any way, unless submitted via the SA Post office.

I could understand that would delay the process.
Is your wife applying from SA?

Conky2a · Post by **Conky2a** » Mon May 06, 2019 4:38 pm

No, my wife is a us citizen, and she is applying from France. She received her case number and then biometric appointment request within 3 weeks of receipt by UKVI, which seems within the average timeframe, but it is the wait for approval that is proving far longer. She is into the seventh week since enrolling her biometrics, and the norm seems to be two to three.

I think i am more stressed than she......!

Shaun45 · Post by **Shaun45** » Tue May 07, 2019 11:25 am

jkproperties wrote: ↑
Mon May 06, 2019 3:35 pm

Conky2a wrote: ↑
Mon May 06, 2019 2:17 pm
I think you are sort of in the same boat as my wife jk. The most consistent timelines seem to be for US citizens applying from the US, where the process appears to be very streamlined. I have also been comparing to these most recent experiences, but unfortunately it just does not match up, in our case six weeks since she enrolled her biometrics, and a request to have them done again at easter, as they seemed to have lost them.

In fact my observation for south africans, is that it seems to be the most inconsistent of all..........
Thank you for the reply Conky2a,
I have looked back to December and I don't see any South Africans waiting longer that 4-5 weeks.
only Balles, but documents were sent in 2 weeks later than application was received, I expect the file could have been put one side because it was incomplete? I don't know.

I am just stressed, because I don't know if my documents were actually received by the Home Office. I am so used to incompetence in South Africa, I have to check up constantly if something is received and if it is being processed, so I just lack the experience/confidence that the rest of the world actually does what they are supposed to.

I cannot see why USA would be different to South Africans in any way, unless submitted via the SA Post office.

I could understand that would delay the process.
Is your wife applying from SA?

I applied in South Africa. I did my biometrics on the 3rd August last year and the next thing I heard was a citizenship ceremony invitation email from my local Consulate General in Cape Town on the 10th December. I never received a approval email or letter in that time. The correspondence went completely dark after my biometrics. To say it was a nervous wait is an understatement.

keh723 · Post by **keh723** » Tue May 07, 2019 1:28 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Sat May 04, 2019 12:33 pm

luthersnowak wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:39 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:02 pm
Has anyone living in the US requested their ceremony in the UK? My sister and I were thinking we’d like to have it with our family there.
I don't know for sure. I was able to request that I attend the Ceremony in Boston rather than San Francisco. I would think it would be possible. You should get an email from the Consulate in the US that receives your registration certificate. When the San Francisco consulate contacted me, I asked them if it would be possible, and they were more than happy to accommodate my request.
Luthersnowak, hope you are still reading on here...who helped you get your ceremony moved from SF to Boston. Trying to get my sister’s moved from NY to Atlanta. NY just keeps referring her to Home Office and not helping at all. My Atlanta consulate has been more helpful but they too said HO has to make the change of post. Did SF take care of it for you or did you have to work with Home Office? Just wondering if it could be as simple as having Atlanta contact NY and have the certificate sent down.

Just bumping to next page....looking for reply from luthersnowak. How did you go about moving your ceremony from SF to Boston? Need help! Getting nowhere with It.

luthersnowak · Post by **luthersnowak** » Tue May 07, 2019 3:49 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Tue May 07, 2019 1:28 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Sat May 04, 2019 12:33 pm

luthersnowak wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 31, 2019 5:39 pm

keh723 wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:02 pm
Has anyone living in the US requested their ceremony in the UK? My sister and I were thinking we’d like to have it with our family there.
I don't know for sure. I was able to request that I attend the Ceremony in Boston rather than San Francisco. I would think it would be possible. You should get an email from the Consulate in the US that receives your registration certificate. When the San Francisco consulate contacted me, I asked them if it would be possible, and they were more than happy to accommodate my request.
Luthersnowak, hope you are still reading on here...who helped you get your ceremony moved from SF to Boston. Trying to get my sister’s moved from NY to Atlanta. NY just keeps referring her to Home Office and not helping at all. My Atlanta consulate has been more helpful but they too said HO has to make the change of post. Did SF take care of it for you or did you have to work with Home Office? Just wondering if it could be as simple as having Atlanta contact NY and have the certificate sent down.
Just bumping to next page....looking for reply from luthersnowak. How did you go about moving your ceremony from SF to Boston? Need help! Getting nowhere with It.

I apologize, I didn’t see this. I had initially requested that the Boston consulate was my preferred location when I submitted the UKM form. After reading this forum, it occurred to me they would probably send my certificate to San Francisco. I emailed citizenship.support@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk . They indicated they would contact the embassy in Washington and have my certificate forwarded to Boston. Once I received the invite email from San Francisco, I replied forwarding the email I received from Home Office. They responded very quickly, indicating they would forward the certificate to Boston. I don’t know that it was including that the Boston consulate was my preference when I submitted my UKM application, or the details of my request that persuaded them to allow the venue change. The SF consulate was very helpful, although they made it clear it could push my ceremony date out beyond the required 3 months if there were any hang ups, and my approval would no longer be valid. I think it all boils down to the people handling your ceremony, and the risk you’re willing to take. Good luck. I hope they can make it happen for you.

sunburn · Post by **sunburn** » Tue May 07, 2019 7:22 pm

I don't really see the point of risking the approval timing out, and having to apply all over again. As it stands, my own personal experience as a US applicant with SF as the local consulate, is that it takes ~2 months from approval to hearing about an invitation to the oath ceremony, and this with with a simple case of applying from a location close to a consulate, and with no efforts to change venues.

This timeline is also corroborated in the form letter I got from Home Office soon after my approval, when they estimated 6-8 weeks before I'd receive an invitation. The diplomatic bag is rather slow.

Given that it takes that much time just to organize for the papers being sent from Home Office to one consulate, I'd question the ability of the bureaucracy to then forward it between consulates in a timely manner and also schedule a ceremony, all within the 3 month mark from date of approval.

My original suggested ceremony date would have been less than two weeks from the 3 month mark. Since I got it advanced, I was done a few weeks sooner. While the ceremony is a nice touch, I was keener to just get things done in the least complicated manner possible, and to have my passport in hand quickly.

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UKM application experience and timeline

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