Citizenship Ceremony cancelled due to Covid-19

I am also still waiting, approval 26/05/2020 but no letter yet. Emailed the HO almost 1.5 month ago about change of address, no reply at all. I have forwarding from the old address just in case anyway but who knows where they will send it to (if they ever will anyway)...

Milind wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:52 pm

Thanks,

I emailed and called local council and they confirm that they haven't receive my invitation letter.

I will contact Home Office helpline asking them to escalate the matter.

Thank you for your advice. Thanks.

Regards,
Milind.

baybars1 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:46 pm

Milind wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:28 pm

Opps, so sorry.

I mean British citizenship not ILR

I applied for British Citizenship on 12/01/2020. My application was successful and received a letter from the Home Office on 11/03/2020. But since then I have been waiting for a second invitation letter to attend a citizenship ceremony at Ealing Council.

You should probably reach out to the Register Office of your local authority to check if they have your certificate. Your Home Office reference number on the approval letter is the number that should be on your certificate. If they haven't received it, I would ask Home Office helpline how to escalate the matter.

Good luck!

You should ask them if they have your certificate and not letter. They don't have letters

Hi everyone.
I had sent an email to citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk enquiring about my certificate and they replied only after 2 months. However, the reply was exhillarating and most importantly spot on - I got my letter after 6 working days and the certificate was with my council the day before my letter arrived. If they can't help you on the phone, I suggest you email them and they should deal with your query. Here's what I got:

Dear Mr. xxxxxxxx

Thank you for your email enquiry, I apologise for the delay in responding to you.

Your paperwork has been despatched to the local authority, you should receive an invitation letter in the next 07 - 10 working days.

Kind regards

Barbara


AO/CCST Nationality Group


UK VISAS & CITIZENSHIP
CCST, 4th Floor, Capital Building, New Hall Place, Liverpool, L3 9PP


citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk

apostrophe wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:25 am

Hi everyone.
I had sent an email to citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk enquiring about my certificate and they replied only after 2 months. However, the reply was exhillarating and most importantly spot on - I got my letter after 6 working days and the certificate was with my council the day before my letter arrived. If they can't help you on the phone, I suggest you email them and they should deal with your query. Here's what I got:

Can you share your approval date and the date on the ceremony invitation letter?

baybars1 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:30 am

apostrophe wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:25 am

Hi everyone.
I had sent an email to citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk enquiring about my certificate and they replied only after 2 months. However, the reply was exhillarating and most importantly spot on - I got my letter after 6 working days and the certificate was with my council the day before my letter arrived. If they can't help you on the phone, I suggest you email them and they should deal with your query. Here's what I got:

Can you share your approval date and the date on the ceremony invitation letter?

Sure, I was approved on May 21 (by an email), and the date on my letter is September 10.

apostrophe wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 10:33 am

Sure, I was approved on May 21 (by an email), and the date on my letter is September 10.

Many thanks. This combination of dates is consistent with others that have been posted here so far.

Yet it is interesting that you only got a response from the Home Office once they have printed and sent your certificate, i.e. when the wait time was pretty much over anyway. Still better than no response at all, I suppose.

baybars1 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:10 am

raij wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:11 am

Sadly no update from HO . been chasing it all , and looking at everyone letters arriving saturday gave me so much hope untill i contacted my local register office yesterday

While we assume that they are working in strict date order, apparently, that is not true 100% of the time. The HO does mention the end-of-October deadline for approvals before 7 August, so perhaps your invite will arrive any day now. If not, it might be worth escalating in November.

lets hope so , sick of waiting now to be honest - it feels like im back in limbo

Jayrose17 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 5:19 pm

My post disappeared???
E mail invitation letter today
Applied 30/12/19
Biometrics 27/01/20
Approval e mail 04/06/20
Invitation letter via email mail
05/10/20
Council received certificate 05/10/20
Booked ceremony invite15/10
Subject to not transferring my certificate to my new council
Which was requested by citizenship support.
Will advise once ceremony done

Can you please confirm how did you receive your ceremony invitation (Email or Postal Letter)?

Thanks buddy.

E mail. But this is not standard.
Post is the normal way once your certificate has been sent to your council.

N1234 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:57 am

Doc2020 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 3:17 pm

Doc2020 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:49 pm

Great news guys!

Finally the wait is over!

I’ve received my invitation letter today (Nottingham Council) dated 20/09/20.
I got my approval email on 08/06/2020

Good luck to everyone waiting and thanks a lot for your help!

Has anyone had a ceremony in Nottingham Council recently guys?

If it is Nottingham city council, I have ceremony on the 13th of October. They said they are doing it based on how many certificates they receive each month. For eg. They only doing group ceremony and 15 people at a time and this month they have 3 of them.

To give you an idea how long it took, they received my certificate on the 21/09 (the lady who does the booking was out for the week apparently so no contact that week). My invitation from home office arrived on the 25/09 They booked me on the 28/09.

So you are looking at 2-3 weeks wait. Goof luck!

Send an email or call them to let them know you have received your invitation letter.

Thanks a lot for your reply.
Yes it’s Nottingham City Council. I’ve called them yesterday and they said they will call me back. Hope they have availability for group ceremonies soon!

I have not yet received an invitation, but it appears my council (Camden) has received my certificate just now. They previously told me to keep trying to book through their website and it just went through.

I emailed them and they told me it is fine to book even though I don’t have the letter yet. It’s unclear whether they will let me attend the ceremony though should I turn up without a letter.

My application was approved on the 12 June. Ceremony date at the moment is set to 15 October (it’s a private ceremony) so I still have plenty of time to hopefully receive the letter.

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am

I am also still waiting, approval 26/05/2020 but no letter yet. Emailed the HO almost 1.5 month ago about change of address, no reply at all. I have forwarding from the old address just in case anyway but who knows where they will send it to (if they ever will anyway)...

Update, I emailed Southwark council to see if they have my certificate and they responded within like 2 hours that they do and just offered a zoom ceremony for Thursday immediately. This was the second time contacting the registrars office there and they have been very pleasent and responsive for me so far. I used the general registrars email address

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:32 pm

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am

I am also still waiting, approval 26/05/2020 but no letter yet. Emailed the HO almost 1.5 month ago about change of address, no reply at all. I have forwarding from the old address just in case anyway but who knows where they will send it to (if they ever will anyway)...

Update, I emailed Southwark council to see if they have my certificate and they responded within like 2 hours that they do and just offered a zoom ceremony for Thursday immediately. This was the second time contacting the registrars office there and they have been very pleasent and responsive for me so far. I used the general registrars email address

Southwark Council is the best.... They are really fast in responding and helping you through this madness....... I and my wife also have become a citizen through them. I would like to thank you everything single of the moderators and the forum members.

Dream finally came true. Thank you and good luck to all...

uuee6543 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:28 pm

I have not yet received an invitation, but it appears my council (Camden) has received my certificate just now. They previously told me to keep trying to book through their website and it just went through.

I emailed them and they told me it is fine to book even though I don’t have the letter yet. It’s unclear whether they will let me attend the ceremony though should I turn up without a letter.

My application was approved on the 12 June. Ceremony date at the moment is set to 15 October (it’s a private ceremony) so I still have plenty of time to hopefully receive the letter.

This is great news. I am still waiting for my invitation as my approval was at the beginning of July. It makes me happy to see that your certificate arrived at the council and there is progress. My council is also Camden.

Regarding the private ceremony, is 15 October the nearest available date or did you choose it?

OK so update.
My case little complicated.
Applied end Dec 19
Biometrics end Jan 20
Approval 04/06
E mail invite 05/10
(From citizenship support)
I changed address.
Certificate arrived old council
05/10
Informed via email mail to wait 10 days as certificate to be sent from old council to new.
Today received original invite
O
06/10
Dated 20/09.
With old address and council.
Via REDIRECT.. POST SERVICE
Trying to
get old council to give me privately before sending to new council.
So fellow members timelines
are pretty spot on.
Still not out of the woods yet as a ceremony date to be finalised at new or old council.

uuee6543 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:28 pm

I have not yet received an invitation, but it appears my council (Camden) has received my certificate just now. They previously told me to keep trying to book through their website and it just went through.

I emailed them and they told me it is fine to book even though I don’t have the letter yet. It’s unclear whether they will let me attend the ceremony though should I turn up without a letter.

My application was approved on the 12 June. Ceremony date at the moment is set to 15 October (it’s a private ceremony) so I still have plenty of time to hopefully receive the letter.

Would you mind sharing the date on the invitation letter once you have received it?

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:32 pm

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am

I am also still waiting, approval 26/05/2020 but no letter yet. Emailed the HO almost 1.5 month ago about change of address, no reply at all. I have forwarding from the old address just in case anyway but who knows where they will send it to (if they ever will anyway)...

Update, I emailed Southwark council to see if they have my certificate and they responded within like 2 hours that they do and just offered a zoom ceremony for Thursday immediately. This was the second time contacting the registrars office there and they have been very pleasent and responsive for me so far. I used the general registrars email address

Thanks for the update, I think we had similar timelines. I just dropped them a line as well. I do not have my letter yet though. Do you?

N1234 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:57 am

Doc2020 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 3:17 pm

Doc2020 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 05, 2020 12:49 pm

Great news guys!

Finally the wait is over!

I’ve received my invitation letter today (Nottingham Council) dated 20/09/20.
I got my approval email on 08/06/2020

Good luck to everyone waiting and thanks a lot for your help!

Has anyone had a ceremony in Nottingham Council recently guys?

If it is Nottingham city council, I have ceremony on the 13th of October. They said they are doing it based on how many certificates they receive each month. For eg. They only doing group ceremony and 15 people at a time and this month they have 3 of them.

To give you an idea how long it took, they received my certificate on the 21/09 (the lady who does the booking was out for the week apparently so no contact that week). My invitation from home office arrived on the 25/09 They booked me on the 28/09.

So you are looking at 2-3 weeks wait. Goof luck!

Send an email or call them to let them know you have received your invitation letter.

Nottingham next on tighter restrictions mate. Sad!!!

Runner12345 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 4:19 pm

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:32 pm

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am

I am also still waiting, approval 26/05/2020 but no letter yet. Emailed the HO almost 1.5 month ago about change of address, no reply at all. I have forwarding from the old address just in case anyway but who knows where they will send it to (if they ever will anyway)...

Update, I emailed Southwark council to see if they have my certificate and they responded within like 2 hours that they do and just offered a zoom ceremony for Thursday immediately. This was the second time contacting the registrars office there and they have been very pleasent and responsive for me so far. I used the general registrars email address

Thanks for the update, I think we had similar timelines. I just dropped them a line as well. I do not have my letter yet though. Do you?

I don't, that's why I emailed them. I did not even ask for the ceremony without the letter, they offered to book me in themself so definitely worth trying your luck!

Finddd wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:13 pm

This is great news. I am still waiting for my invitation as my approval was at the beginning of July. It makes me happy to see that your certificate arrived at the council and there is progress. My council is also Camden.

Regarding the private ceremony, is 15 October the nearest available date or did you choose it?

Yes unfortunately that was the first available date. I went straight for a private ceremony. At this stage I would pay extra (even on top of the usual private ceremony fee) just to get it done sooner. Didn’t even look at group ceremonies so don’t have any comparison.

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:05 pm

Runner12345 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 4:19 pm

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 12:32 pm

bppartnerclub wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:55 am

I am also still waiting, approval 26/05/2020 but no letter yet. Emailed the HO almost 1.5 month ago about change of address, no reply at all. I have forwarding from the old address just in case anyway but who knows where they will send it to (if they ever will anyway)...

Update, I emailed Southwark council to see if they have my certificate and they responded within like 2 hours that they do and just offered a zoom ceremony for Thursday immediately. This was the second time contacting the registrars office there and they have been very pleasent and responsive for me so far. I used the general registrars email address

Thanks for the update, I think we had similar timelines. I just dropped them a line as well. I do not have my letter yet though. Do you?

I don't, that's why I emailed them. I did not even ask for the ceremony without the letter, they offered to book me in themself so definitely worth trying your luck!

Thanks, yes, I was just asking because previously they were strictly saying they do not book you in unless you have the invitation letter. I have emailed the contact for Zoom ceremonies, so will see what she says tomorrow.

Just had my ceremony this morning in Lisburn Council (Northern Ireland). I applied in March and got approved end of May. I've received my ceremony invitation letter some 2 weeks ago. I'm glad this journey is now over for me.

I didn't get to enjoy having my new certificate for too long as I've already posted it away to the Passport Office

Hi,


My certificate arrived today and I was able to book in a ceremony at Brent. I was booked in for the 29th of October 2020, nothing before that unless I pay £135 for a private ceremont during week days or £175 for a weekend which is outrageous.

I guess I have to wait 3 more weeks for the certificate.

Learning18 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 6:59 pm

Hi,


My certificate arrived today and I was able to book in a ceremony at Brent. I was booked in for the 29th of October 2020, nothing before that unless I pay £135 for a private ceremont during week days or £175 for a weekend which is outrageous.

I guess I have to wait 3 more weeks for the certificate.

Congrats! Would you mind sharing your approval date, as well as the date written on the ceremony invite letter? Thanks in advance.

uuee6543 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:09 pm

Finddd wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 06, 2020 3:13 pm

This is great news. I am still waiting for my invitation as my approval was at the beginning of July. It makes me happy to see that your certificate arrived at the council and there is progress. My council is also Camden.

Regarding the private ceremony, is 15 October the nearest available date or did you choose it?

Yes unfortunately that was the first available date. I went straight for a private ceremony. At this stage I would pay extra (even on top of the usual private ceremony fee) just to get it done sooner. Didn’t even look at group ceremonies so don’t have any comparison.

Yes I can understand why you chose a private ceremony. Hmm, there's a bit of a waiting time even for a private one. Thank you for sharing. Please write an update after you receive the invitation as well.