Date of Application etc

I got ILR approval on the day of my premium appointment on Sat 10th Jan 2015, but I received ILR in post after 4 days.

1) For citizenship application, eligibility requirement is to have ILR for last 12 months. Does it mean full 12 calendar months? When is the earliest I can apply for citizenship?

2) As AN form needs to be sent by post only (no premium appointment), shall I write first eligibility date on form and send form by courier on eligibility date OR Home Office should receive it on or after eligibility date?

3) Do I need to again go through biometric enrolment? Form doesn't say where to go for biometrics.

Thanks

1. You need full 12 months on ILR. I would suggest apply on the date of your BRP as there is only a couple of days difference between appointment and BRP date. There is no '28 day' concession for citizenship applications.

2. You can use NCS (Nationality Checking Service) at the council to submit your application. They will photocopy your supporting documents and give the originals back to you. For citizenship, the application date is the date that HO receives your application, so if you send it too early, it might be rejected/refused. You will also need to make sure that you were physically present in the UK exactly 5 years ago to the day that HO receives your application. If you were not, it is an automatic refusal.

3. Not sure which form you are looking at but the most recent one dated May 2015, has a section for biometrics, Section 6 page 25 May 2015 Form AN (Click) and yes, you will need to enroll your biometrics again for citizenship.

Thanks CR001, very helpful

It also depends on your circumstances.

For my partner, he has only completed just over 11 months ILR. We are applying under 3 year rule ( married to a british citizen )
He arrived back in the UK in June 2012, but didnt get his ILR until first week in July 2014..... He has applied for BC and was told by the NCS lady that hes completed a full 3 years residency in June 2nd 2015 so he doesnt have to wait for a full 12 month ILR.