UKM application experience and timeline

Hi all,

I just wanted to share with you my experience applying for British citizenship via the UKM route (I live in Cape Town, South Africa). My application was not a straight-forward one.

I'll just give you a brief overview. My grandfather was born in the UK (Middlesex) in 1910 and my grandmother in Cape Town. They got married in 1944 in Nairobi and my mother was born in 1946 in Tanganyika (Tanzania) whilst my grandfather was working for Barclays bank there. My mom was a British citizen at birth (CUKC). When my mother was four years old they all moved back down to South Africa where she has been ever since (she has never taken out South African citizenship, she is here as a permanent resident).

My mother married my father (who was born in SA) in 1963. I was born in Johannesburg in 1976.

I only heard about the UKM route at the beginning of last year and as my scenario is quite complex and complicated I initiated the services of a UK firm to investigate my chances of applying for citizenship via the UKM route (even though my mother was not born in the UK). To be honest I saw their ad pop up on Facebook, so just took a chance! After investigating they sent me quite a lengthy, but impressive report outlining why they believe I had a good chance of success. It all had to do with the status of my mother at birth, where my grandfather was born, the status of Tanganyika at that time as a UK Mandated Territory, me being born before 1983, gender discrimination etc etc. It was quite involved but made for fascinating reading.

Anyway, I applied (via this firm...and they are not cheap let me tell you! ) in December and I'm pleased to say that today I received notification that my application has been a success!! A whole three months! I'm quite shocked actually...especially after reading here how long some folks here have had to wait (and are still waiting). Anyway, nobody was sure what the outcome would be, as they said mine was a test case.

Needless to say I'm thrilled! Although the letter does say that I can expect to wait twelve weeks before I get the ceremony invitation. According to the lady I liaise with at the UK agency the Home Office is weeks behind in issuing ceremony invitations and there are major delays.

My timeline is as follows:

Eligibility criteria: UKM
Nationality: South Africa
Applying from: South Africa, Cape Town
Method of application: Courier - DHL (to agency in UK)
Date of application: 07/12/2015
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by UKBA: Application handed in by agency on 11/12/2015
Date money gone off account: 10/12/2015 (via agency)
Date of acknowledgement: 26/01/2016 (letter dated 12/01/2016)
Date of letter requesting biometrics: 26/01/2016 (letter dated 12/01/2016)
Biometrics done: 03/02/2016 in Cape Town
Date of approval: 11/03/2016 (letter dated the 8th)
Date of ceremony: TBA
Date applied for passports: TBA
Date passports received: TBA

Good luck to all those still waiting.

Well done and congratulations. Thank you for updating us with your story.

A new world awaits you if you do plan to come to the UK, us Saffas already here need more of you. Bear in mind that a passport can take many months as they are processed in the UK.

Congratulations to you matkirk and hello to all others

I too have just heard that my application for registration as a British citizen (via UKM) has been accepted and that I will be receiving a letter inviting me to attend a ceremony within the next 12 weeks. I am thrilled about this.

My application was fairly straight forward and I did it myself but interestingly my timeline is very similar to yours.

Eligibility criteria: UKM
Nationality: South African
Date of receipt by UKVI: 18 December 2015 (DHL)
Date of acknowledgement: 3 February 2016 (letter dated 29 December 2016)
Date of request for Biometrics: 3 February 2016 (letter dated 19 January 2016)
Biometrics done: 9 February 2016 in Durban
Date of approval: 11 March 2016 (letter dated 7 March 2016)

Good luck to all those still waiting especially those UKM and UKF applicants from the USA who are still waiting after 8 to 10 months.

Hi to all that are also going through this as well!

My UKM claim approval letter came in the mail today! YAY!

I'm wondering now how exactly the ceremony is scheduled. My mother would like to attend, which will require some coordination and her flight from IL to CA. Any info on how ceremonies are scheduled would be wonderful to know from those that have gone through it.

Eligibility Criteria: UKM (born overseas to a British mother prior to 1983)
Nationality: USA (living in California)
Method of Application: Fedex International Priority USA to UKVI Liverpool
Date of Sending Application: 02-OCT-2015
Date of Application Delivery: 05-OCT-2015
Date of Debit of Fees: 09-OCT-2015
Date of Acknowledgement by Home Office: 28-OCT-2015 (biometrics delay letter)
Date of Letter Requesting Biometrics: 21-NOV-2015 (via e-mail after I requested in writing by e-mail to complete biometrics in Vancouver)
Biometrics Done: 15-DEC-2015 (in Vancouver due to no US option being available)
Date of Receipt of UKM Approval: 12-MAR-2016 (letter dated 03-MAR-2016)
Date of Ceremony: Waiting

I'm also including here a list of documents I included in my application since that seems to be a common question among applicants.

Documents sent in with UKM claim form:
- Notarized copy of my US passport (required)
- Certified copy of my US birth certificate (required)
- Certified copy of my mother's UK birth certificate (required)
- Certified copy of my mother's and father's US marriage certificate showing my mother's surname change to my surname (optional, but recommended)
- A certified copy of my grandmother's UK birth certificate (optional, not recommended but included because I had it available to me)
- A certified copy of my grandmother's and grandfather's UK marriage certificate showing my grandmother's surname change to my mother's maiden name (optional, not recommended but included because I had it available to me)

I got my approval letter


UKM Timeline

Dec 1st- Sent completed documents to from Bartlett, Tn to the. Home Office (HO) in the UK
Dec 18- Finally delivered to Ho after mail talk to ups and a trip to Japan
Dec 30- Ceremony fee withdrawn from bank account
June 4th-Received biometrics letter
June 13th- biometrics done and sent to HO
July 2nd- Application Approval for British Citizenship (dated June 22nd)
Pending- Letter with Ceremony Date
Pending-Ceremony
Pending - Application sent for British Passport
Pending- British Passport Received

Thought I'd share my timeline and experience here, since this forum has been so helpful in demystifying the process.

Application: UKM
Applied from USA

Jan 6 Application sent via Fed Ex Intl Priority.

Jan 9 Confirmed (by Fed Ex) delivery to UKVI

Jan 15 Ceremonial debit fee charged to credit card.

Jan 26 Acknowledgement email received

Jan 27 Biometrics instructions received via email. Replied same day with preferred location/date.

Jan 28 Confirmation date given for Biometrics - email.

Feb 14 Biometrics completed in San Francisco.

Awaiting approval now.

sscowden wrote:Thought I'd share my timeline and experience here, since this forum has been so helpful in demystifying the process [...] Awaiting approval now.

As somebody sang, the waiting is the hardest part.

I, too, applied using Form UKM from the USA in late 2016. My process, from the time UKVI received my documenting material until they approved the application, was 17 weeks. Not bad, especially considering that this period included the Christmas and New Year holidays.

My application was pretty straightforward. I sent an official copy of her birth record from Scotland to UK citizen parents, her marriage certificate, and my own birth certificate and U.S. passport.

Now I'm waiting again -- this time to hear from the British Consulate in Los Angeles regarding the ceremony. My approval letter said that should be set within twelve weeks.

Assuming that your situation is not too complicated, I would think you'll hear within three months. Good luck!

Here's my current timeline from the USA. I will update this as soon as I learn more. Any others out there with recent timelines I can use as a reference? Curious what the current turnaround time is between biometrics and approval. Thanks all. - Alison

Eligibility criteria: UKM (born before 1983 in USA to British mother)
Language criteria met: native English speaker
Nationality: USA
Method of application: form UKM
Date of application: 17 Jan 2017 (Fedex Intl Priority)
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by HO/UKVI: 19 Jan 2017
Date of acknowledgement: 20 Jan 2017
Date money gone off account: 23 Jan 2017
Date of letter requesting biometrics: 4 Feb 2017
Biometrics done: 13 Feb 2017 (USCIS New York City)
Date of approval: pending
Date of ceremony: pending
Date applied for passports: pending
Date passports received: pending

nashwoff wrote: Any others out there with recent timelines I can use as a reference?

Here's mine.

Eligibility criteria: UKM (born before 1983 in USA to Scottish mother)
Nationality: USA
Method of application: form UKM
Date of application: 19 Sept 2016 (USPS Priority Express)
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by HO/UKVI: 26 Sept. 2016
Date of acknowledgement: 3 Oct 2016
Date money gone off account: 30 Sept 2016
Date of letter requesting biometrics: 8 Oct 2016
Biometrics done: 18 Oct 2016 (USCIS Tucson, Arizona)
Date of approval: 9 Jan 2017 (Royal Mail int'l signed letter rcvd 24 Jan 2017)
Date of ceremony: pending at British Consulate General, Los Angeles
Date applied for passport: pending (plan to apply after certificate received at ceremony)

Best wishes to you!

Thank you Orojim!

Congrats on your successful application! AM I correct in assuming that approval notification does not come electronically by email as well but only by mail? - Alison

nashwoff wrote:Am I correct in assuming that approval notification does not come electronically by email as well but only by mail? - Alison

That's right. Of course, I can answer only from my own experience, but some others on this site have reported the same method. I received my approval letter in a Royal Mail packet (signature required) that also contained my supporting documents.

As for emails: I got one acknowledging receipt of my application, another requesting my choice of U.S. location to give biometrics, then another including an attached letter setting my appointment and including a bar code for the USCIS agents to scan. There was no email notice of my application approval.

orojim wrote: Date of approval: 9 Jan 2017 (Royal Mail int'l signed letter rcvd 24 Jan 2017)
Date of ceremony: pending at British Consulate General, Los Angeles

Hi Orojim: have you had any word at all from the LA British Consulate or are you just patiently waiting?

i'm curious about the citizenship ceremony scheduling and experience here in the states, haven't discovered a lot here on the forums about that step, and with relatively few people applying, i'm curious how often these ceremonies get set up. i'm sure it varies by location.

i put the SF Consulate as my choice. Keep us posted on your LA experience.

best,

sscowden

sscowden wrote: have you had any word at all from the LA British Consulate or are you just patiently waiting?

Patiently waiting, I'm afraid. Judging by its Twitter feed, the Los Angeles consulate has been consumed by Hollywood awards season. The British Ambassador apparently was in town. They're all promoting British film and related industries, as they should. With all that hoo-hah out of the way, maybe they'll squeeze in a ceremony. (I'm going to double check my certificate envelope! )

My approval letter was dated January 9. It said to allow twelve weeks. It has been about seven weeks now, so still within their projected window for contact. Will report here when I hear.

My application process thus far doesn't seem as promising as some that have been posted. Here's my experience:

Application: UKM
Nationality: Born in USA to British mother and American father prior to 1983
Residence: Pennsylvania
Date application sent: January 17, 2017, via Federal Express International Priority
Date application received: January 19, 2017
Date account debited: January 24, 2017

That's it. No acknowledgment letter or e-mail. Process seems to have gone completely dark. I included with my application my certified birth certificate which had my mother's maiden name on it, my mother's certified birth certificate, by grandfather's certified birth certificate (not required, but I had it and thought it wouldn't hurt to include it), my US Passport, a return Federal Express envelope for return of my documents and a cover letter. My referees were both US citizens and licensed attorneys. Any ideas why just an acknowledgment of my application hasn't been sent? Thanks.

Hi ambrit,

I sent my materials in the same day as you (Jan 17) and I've already finished through the biometrics phase. I would contact the Home Office with an inquiry. The email provided in the UKM guide is nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk Seems like there was some delay with your application - you should have at the very least received an acknowledgement letter with a Case ID #. As others have noted, some UK emails go into SPAM/JUNK folders - double check those. Good luck!

Here's my timeline so far, same date of receipt as yours:

Eligibility criteria: UKM (born before 1983 in USA to British mother)
Language criteria met: native English speaker
Nationality: USA
Method of application: form UKM
Date of application: 17 Jan 2017 (Fedex Intl Priority)
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by HO/UKVI: 19 Jan 2017
Date of acknowledgement: 20 Jan 2017
Date money gone off account: 23 Jan 2017
Date of letter requesting biometrics: 4 Feb 2017
Biometrics done: 13 Feb 2017 (USCIS New York City)
Date of approval: pending
Date of ceremony: pending
Date applied for passports: pending
Date passports received: pending

Hi Nashwoff. Thanks for commenting on my post. You've confirmed that something is clearly out of sorts with my application. Did you submit the same documents that I did? I've sent e-mails to multiple home office addresses, even to the Minister of Immigration, and the best I receive back are stock replies. I called once and received a recording stating they won't speak to me if I have an application pending and less than six months have elapsed since I applied. It can be a frustrating system to deal with when you need to make enquiries. I'll post more on my experience as I go in case it's helpful to others.

Hi ambrit,

How frustrating! FYI I sent in the following documents along with my UKM application:

1. My original US passport
2. My British mother's original US passport (indicating her place of birth was United Kingdom)
3. My original long-form US birth certificate
4. My mother's original UK birth certificate
5. My original parents' marriage certificate (indicating her maiden name and name change)
6. My mother's original US Naturalization document (indicating her place of birth as United Kingdom and original UK nationality. This one was probably unnecessary, I just sent it as backup because my mom never got a UK passport).

Keep us posted on this thread how your application goes, and I'll do the same. My brother got his UK citizenship last year using the same documents, so I'm assuming my case is a no-brainer, but you never know! Good luck to you.

Hi Nashwoff.

I didn't include with my application my mother's passport, naturalization certificate or marriage certificate as I'd read that others succeeded in achieving citizenship just with the documents I included. My birth certificate has my mother's maiden name on it and her nationality/country of birth and confirms her marriage to my father. I believe the documents I included establish a clear chain of citizenship under the UK laws, but maybe that's not the case.

I sent an e-mail on Sunday to the MP representing the area in England where I hope to establish residence and to the Minister of Immigration. I received a reply from the local MP's representative yesterday and he has promised to contact the home office for me. Yesterday (3/6/2017), I called the number provided in the UKM application for immigration inquiries and was able to speak with a live person by choosing the prompts for an unsubmitted application. The woman I spoke with was unable to directly assist me, but she was able to send an e-mail about my matter to the home office with my telephone number and said they should be calling me within five business days. Fingers crossed!

ambrit,

I think you just have to have patience with them. They work at their own pace.

Good luck!

Thanks a_powers. While I have a British soul, I was raised in America so patience is not something I come by easily! Cheers.

I'm very thrilled to report that my approval letter arrived today dated February 27, 2017!! I now await an invitation to a citizenship ceremony sometime in the next 12 weeks. Whew!! I was beginning to wonder if my application had fallen through the cracks.

Wow, congrats, ambrit! I'm confused, though. i thought you were still waiting for a biometrics invitation. Did you already complete that part? If so, your approval time has been pretty speedy!

Hello sscowden. I didn't receive a request for biometrics. That part is puzzling. I renewed my US passport within the past 8 months and wonder if that had something to do with it. I suppose they might have made a mistake and I should expect a corrective letter next. I'm just happy to hear from the home office and elated with the approval!

A timeline update to reflect scheduling of citizenship ceremony.

Eligibility criteria: UKM (born before 1983 in USA to Scottish mother)
Nationality: USA
Method of application: form UKM
Date of application: 19 Sept 2016 (USPS Priority Express)
Payment method: Credit card
Date of receipt by HO/UKVI: 26 Sept. 2016
Date of acknowledgement: 3 Oct 2016
Date money gone off account: 30 Sept 2016
Date of letter requesting biometrics: 8 Oct 2016
Biometrics done: 18 Oct 2016 (USCIS Tucson, Arizona)
Date of approval: 9 Jan 2017 (Royal Mail int'l signed letter rcvd 24 Jan 2017)
Ceremony invitation received: 10 March 2017, email from British Consulate-General, Los Angeles
Date of ceremony: to be held 15 March 2017
Date applied for passport: pending (plan to apply after certificate received at ceremony)

Congrats Ambrit! Very strange indeed that you never received acknowledgement/Case ID nor did biometrics but still got an approval letter. I also renewed my US passport within the last 8 months and still had to do biometrics. But the point is....it's great news for you and it gives me hope that the turnaround time is currently pretty speedy at the Home Office. Keep us posted on how soon you get your ceremony date. All the best to you.