slow approvals?

After getting in touch with my NCS , she told me approvals have slowed down alot.
In this thread people have got letters saying they cant proccess within 6 months because of sone policy!

Apparently HO had a backlog of asylum based cases that they failed to clear by July 2011 and so its having a knock on affect as they need to clear them! She said its taking around 4-6 months for approval but could take longer cos of the HO new policy to clear the asylum cases!!

I don't think it has anything to do with this. Asylum cases are processed by a completely different team, with completely different approaches. Much more likely is that the introduction of biometrics earlier this year has led to a huge backlog in citizenship applications.

Yea but probably they shifted more staff to that team and less to current nationality team..i dont know ey....HO.. totally inpredictable

What your NCS told you is bit inaccurate, as evidenced by the timelines people are posting in this forum.

There was (past tense) a lull in approvals at the start of August, where no approvals post biometrics were coming through, but since mid August approvals have been speeding up if anything.

For people who applied in April, the average number of days between applying and getting approved as about 130 days (just over 4 months)

For people who applied in May that dropped to roughly 110 days
For people who applied in June that dropped to just under 100 days
Now we are seeing people who applied in July being approved in the 80-90 day range.

Yes there are outliers that have taken longer or haven't reported back on their success, but in April only a few people approved in less than 130 days, while dozens took longer than 130.

In June, only a very few took over 100 days, while the majority took less than 90 days.



I'd trust the data showing that things are speeding up, over the comments of someone in an unrelated office of government suggesting the opposite.

I'm not doubting that they told you that, I just think they aren't as informed as they pretended to be.

Yeah 118 days and counting here! Hopefully it wont take mych longer!!

doconner wrote:What your NCS told you is bit inaccurate, as evidenced by the timelines people are posting in this forum.

There was (past tense) a lull in approvals at the start of August, where no approvals post biometrics were coming through, but since mid August approvals have been speeding up if anything.

For people who applied in April, the average number of days between applying and getting approved as about 130 days (just over 4 months)

For people who applied in May that dropped to roughly 110 days
For people who applied in June that dropped to just under 100 days
Now we are seeing people who applied in July being approved in the 80-90 day range.

Yes there are outliers that have taken longer or haven't reported back on their success, but in April only a few people approved in less than 130 days, while dozens took longer than 130.

In June, only a very few took over 100 days, while the majority took less than 90 days.



I'd trust the data showing that things are speeding up, over the comments of someone in an unrelated office of government suggesting the opposite.

I'm not doubting that they told you that, I just think they aren't as informed as they pretended to be.

Your are 100% correct, but there are always some cases taking more than 6 months or even more I don,t know why, may be they are randomly picked up for extra checks, I applied on 1st April and got it after 110 days. But my passport application took 70 days where as it does not take more than two weeks in 99% cases. I think you can never predict how much time they may take. Best of luck to all who are waiting since I know how it feels like.

ChOudhry1 wrote:

doconner wrote:What your NCS told you is bit inaccurate, as evidenced by the timelines people are posting in this forum.

There was (past tense) a lull in approvals at the start of August, where no approvals post biometrics were coming through, but since mid August approvals have been speeding up if anything.

For people who applied in April, the average number of days between applying and getting approved as about 130 days (just over 4 months)

For people who applied in May that dropped to roughly 110 days
For people who applied in June that dropped to just under 100 days
Now we are seeing people who applied in July being approved in the 80-90 day range.

Yes there are outliers that have taken longer or haven't reported back on their success, but in April only a few people approved in less than 130 days, while dozens took longer than 130.

In June, only a very few took over 100 days, while the majority took less than 90 days.



I'd trust the data showing that things are speeding up, over the comments of someone in an unrelated office of government suggesting the opposite.

I'm not doubting that they told you that, I just think they aren't as informed as they pretended to be.

Your are 100% correct, but there are always some cases taking more than 6 months or even more I don,t know why, may be they are randomly picked up for extra checks, I applied on 1st April and got it after 110 days. But my passport application took 70 days where as it does not take more than two weeks in 99% cases. I think you can never predict how much time they may take. Best of luck to all who are waiting since I know how it feels like.

As an overseas UKM applicant I submitted my application on 19 August, and just done my biometrics today 14 October, so a little over 2 months. So quite quick I feel as well. I totally expected my application to take the full allotted 6 month time frame. So hopefully I should have approval and ceremony soon!

Yes, super slow. Both UKBA and Home Office are not run by the help of immigrants so it's well expected.

Hello everyone! I found this discussion board while searching for information on why my citizenship application is taking so long.

Application Timeline
Eligibility criteria: German citizen, continually resident in UK for 13 years, 10 years National Insurance payments, married to BC 6 years
Method of application: Postal, registered, signature required
Date of receipt by UKBA: First documents sent 30/3/2015 Many, many more documents (at their demand) 1/6/2015
Date of debit of fees: personal cheque, deposited first week of April
Date of receipt of acknowledgement: First set 07/04/2015, no receipt received for second set of docs (but have signed delivery receipt from post).
Date of receipt of approval: Pending
Date of receipt of documents: Pending
Date of receipt of registration certificate Pending

I don't know what to do, should I call them? Looking at the dates of some of the applications and approvals here, I think I should have heard something by now. I've sent them over a kilo of supporting paperwork (yes, I weighed it, all my National Insurance payments for the past 10 years). Any advice?

Thank you!

Diana

ArtfulBadger wrote:Hello everyone! I found this discussion board while searching for information on why my citizenship application is taking so long.

Application Timeline
Eligibility criteria: German citizen, continually resident in UK for 13 years, 10 years National Insurance payments, married to BC 6 years
Method of application: Postal, registered, signature required
Date of receipt by UKBA: First documents sent 30/3/2015 Many, many more documents (at their demand) 1/6/2015
Date of debit of fees: personal cheque, deposited first week of April
Date of receipt of acknowledgement: First set 07/04/2015, no receipt received for second set of docs (but have signed delivery receipt from post).
Date of receipt of approval: Pending
Date of receipt of documents: Pending
Date of receipt of registration certificate Pending

I don't know what to do, should I call them? Looking at the dates of some of the applications and approvals here, I think I should have heard something by now. I've sent them over a kilo of supporting paperwork (yes, I weighed it, all my National Insurance payments for the past 10 years). Any advice?

Thank you!

Diana

If you email they probably won't answer.
On a whole the telephone operatives aren't that great!

Better to write to them and/or get your MP involved.

Guten tag Diana,

Home Office is very inefficient and writing to your local MP may help. Myself and many others are waiting over a year now. Hope you get your citizenship soon.

Thanks,
Siraj

Greetings,

A few people applying through the UKF route (citizenship through British fathers) are now also reporting the receipt of letters declaring that their applications cannot be processed within the 'target' period of six months because of 'outstanding policy issues which may affect the outcome of [their] application'. Nobody knows, as far as I'm aware, what these 'policy issues' are and why they are described as affecting the *outcome* of the case as if somehow these applicants' eligibility were suddenly in doubt.

You mention that you have seen another thread where people are saying that they've received such letters. We'd be very grateful if you could indicate which thread that is, enabling us to communicate with all these other 'letter people' and try to understand better what these letters are.

Also, it would be most helpful if anyone could shed any light about the nature of these 'policies' and why the phrasing of the letters refers to an effect on the outcome of the applications. Is it something which could actually alter, after an application is made (ex post facto, and therefore perhaps illegally, though alas I'm not a lawyer), the eligibility criteria for citizenship through parents? Any information at all would be much appreciated as we're very confused and worried. Thanks very much.

chocolateorange88 wrote:After getting in touch with my NCS , she told me approvals have slowed down alot.
In this thread people have got letters saying they cant proccess within 6 months because of sone policy!

Apparently HO had a backlog of asylum based cases that they failed to clear by July 2011 and so its having a knock on affect as they need to clear them! She said its taking around 4-6 months for approval but could take longer cos of the HO new policy to clear the asylum cases!!

Antsmall wrote:Greetings,

A few people applying through the UKF route (citizenship through British fathers) are now also reporting the receipt of letters declaring that their applications cannot be processed within the 'target' period of six months because of 'outstanding policy issues which may affect the outcome of [their] application'. Nobody knows, as far as I'm aware, what these 'policy issues' are and why they are described as affecting the *outcome* of the case as if somehow these applicants' eligibility were suddenly in doubt.

You mention that you have seen another thread where people are saying that they've received such letters. We'd be very grateful if you could indicate which thread that is, enabling us to communicate with all these other 'letter people' and try to understand better what these letters are.

Also, it would be most helpful if anyone could shed any light about the nature of these 'policies' and why the phrasing of the letters refers to an effect on the outcome of the applications. Is it something which could actually alter, after an application is made (ex post facto, and therefore perhaps illegally, though alas I'm not a lawyer), the eligibility criteria for citizenship through parents? Any information at all would be much appreciated as we're very confused and worried. Thanks very much.

chocolateorange88 wrote:After getting in touch with my NCS , she told me approvals have slowed down alot.
In this thread people have got letters saying they cant proccess within 6 months because of sone policy!

Apparently HO had a backlog of asylum based cases that they failed to clear by July 2011 and so its having a knock on affect as they need to clear them! She said its taking around 4-6 months for approval but could take longer cos of the HO new policy to clear the asylum cases!!

The information I stated was given to me from my NCS.
She told me that unanswered asylum cases have turned up and decisions need to be made on them...these cases go back to 2011 apparently and its having a knock on effect across the board....but according to this forum it doesn't seem to be having any effect on the July / August applications yet many of us from June and even some in April are still waiting

As I am a regular reader and analyze board threads, I think now the decision & approvals are getting faster than past average 2.5-3.5 months.

chocolateorange88 wrote: In this thread people have got letters saying they cant proccess within 6 months because of sone policy!

So, is there another thread or topic (as implied above) where people describe receiving letters referring to 'policy changes' making it impossible to process their cases within six months? Because that is just what we are seeing now with some UKF applications (we are not asylum seekers but people seeking citizenship through our British fathers, but the slow processing times apply to us as well: I applied in May and heard nothing, and April applicants are starting to get these letters now).

We're also curious (and apprehensive) about what these 'outstanding policy changes which may affect the outcome of your application' (this being the wording of these letters) could be.

Thanks very much for any information!

4 and a bit months...still nothing

Nearly 7 months and still waiting. German citizen, resident continuously for 13 years, National Insurance paid for over 10 years, married to a British citizen for 6 years. The nice person on the telephone at the Visa office said my application has been neither denied or accepted, they do not want any more information, it's just sitting somewhere on someone's desk...

Frustrated? You bet!