Naturalisation App being processed now - how much longer?

My naturalisation application (submitted in 2004) is currently being processed. (I know because they had me redo the signature page .) Does anyone know how long usually takes once it gets to this stage?

After waiting this long, you'd think I could be patient a little longer, but the wait is driving me up the wall! I've bought a house here (in Ireland) and started a business. I want the naturalisation to come through so I can feel completely settled.

I've been searching like mad on the web, and I can't find any statistics about how long an application usually takes once it's entered the "processing" stage. Does anyone know?

It would be hard to find such information because the entire process is not transparent at all. However I would assume you would get a letter informing you that you have to go to a district court and take the outh of allegiance and pay the fee. After that it takes about 4 weeks to get the actual certificate of naturalisation. Call them up and ask how long it will take approximately or get your local TD to enquire.

The reason I had to redo the signature page was that the solicitor indicated that I was identified to him by documentation. So I got an introduction to another solicitor, who then signed it with the comment that he knew me by introduction.

The instructions on who can sign the papers was a little confusing. One part of the instructions said one thing, and another part said something different.

I wish I'd known about the long-term residency scheme... I could have applied for that as well. I'll try to call them tomorrow and find out the status of my naturalisation app, and if it looks like that's going to take many months, then I'll apply for the other in the meantime.

I guess the reason I'm obsessing about getting the naturalisation as soon as possible is that I'm so happy here. I've got a cottage on a small bit of land with a beautiful view and my animals.

Hi Fanacht

i do not understand what you mean by identified you by documentation in the signature page. just wondering. i submitted my application for citizenship as well. The solicitor put down my passport number for the line "who is identified to me by" instead of my name. so from what you were saying in the earlier message. the irish immigration will ask me to redo the signature page as well then?

Yes, that was why I had to redo mine. They want the person witnessing your signature to either know you personally, or to know you through a mutual acquaintance.

The instructions are rather confusing about this.

Hi All,

I was told by my colleague that his wife got the second letter (the application form 8 was sent in Febr. 2007) and it was stated that they are know processing applications from 2005.

Fanacht, did they come back to you after you've redone the application form?

Can you let us know how is going at the moment?

Regards,

Mendo
________
VAPORIZER SHOP

hi fánacht

just wondering. other then you have to redo the signature for the application. did they ask you for other documentation or more info for your application?

thx

Thank you to everyone who enquired. Here's the update:

The DOJ sent me a letter about mid-June saying that the seal on my birth cert wasn't legible, so I should send another copy. The seal on my cert is actually just an embossed thingie, so I couldn't get it to show up in a copy. (Maybe it's designed that way.) So I sent them my original birth cert, along with a note explaining the situation and asking them to return it to me. I sent it by registered mail, of course. I got my birth cert back in about a week.

Two weeks ago the DOJ sent me a letter saying that my app had been denied because there was a gap in my reckonable residency. I nearly had a heart attack! Then I realised they had overlooked a stamp in my passport. I sent them a letter explaining the situation, along with a copy of the relevant passport stamps. On Tuesday last, I hadn't heard from them so I gave them a call to verify that my case had at least been re-opened. I spoke to a very nice woman who looked into it, and then called me back to tell me that, yes, they had made a mistake. She couldn't give me an estimate of how much longer it would be, though.

So... I'm still waiting.

Lessons learned:
1. When you submit your application, it might be a good idea to include a table listing the relevant passport stamps, the page number, and the dates of validity. That way there's one less thing to go wrong.
2. If possible, make sure the seal on your birth cert shows up in the photocopy. If you can't get it to show up, you may have to send in the original as I did.

Thanks for the details. When did you submit your application in 2004? i.e month.

Regards

fánacht wrote:Thank you to everyone who enquired. Here's the update:

The DOJ sent me a letter about mid-June saying that the seal on my birth cert wasn't legible, so I should send another copy. The seal on my cert is actually just an embossed thingie, so I couldn't get it to show up in a copy. (Maybe it's designed that way.) So I sent them my original birth cert, along with a note explaining the situation and asking them to return it to me. I sent it by registered mail, of course. I got my birth cert back in about a week.

Two weeks ago the DOJ sent me a letter saying that my app had been denied because there was a gap in my reckonable residency. I nearly had a heart attack! Then I realised they had overlooked a stamp in my passport. I sent them a letter explaining the situation, along with a copy of the relevant passport stamps. On Tuesday last, I hadn't heard from them so I gave them a call to verify that my case had at least been re-opened. I spoke to a very nice woman who looked into it, and then called me back to tell me that, yes, they had made a mistake. She couldn't give me an estimate of how much longer it would be, though.

So... I'm still waiting.

Lessons learned:
1. When you submit your application, it might be a good idea to include a table listing the relevant passport stamps, the page number, and the dates of validity. That way there's one less thing to go wrong.
2. If possible, make sure the seal on your birth cert shows up in the photocopy. If you can't get it to show up, you may have to send in the original as I did.

It was in the summer of 2004. I don't remember the month, and I'm not near my paperword at the moment.

Thanks Fanacht for sharing your experience.
I applied mine in sept 2005 first time. I remember that my first application was sent back to me because I only had 59 months reckonable period at the time. They actually check and use form to work out the reckonable period, as the table was attached the letter with letter of rejection.
I waited for another month and sent again. Finally, it's got accepted. I am still waiting... sigh...

Does it mean that The Dept is now taking 3 years to process the Naturalisation applications?

fánacht wrote:It was in the summer of 2004. I don't remember the month, and I'm not near my paperword at the moment.

greentea wrote:Thanks Fanacht for sharing your experience.
I applied mine in sept 2005 first time. I remember that my first application was sent back to me because I only had 59 months reckonable period at the time. They actually check and use form to work out the reckonable period, as the table was attached the letter with letter of rejection.
I waited for another month and sent again. Finally, it's got accepted. I am still waiting... sigh...

The same thing happened to me too, late last year. When did you send your second application in?