BC - EU national with a 6 month gap in proof of residence

Hi guys,

I have been studying this forum for many days and couldn't actually find one answer which could be useful for others scratching their heads too.

My story:
EU national, arrived in the UK in August 2010, RP acquired in December 2015, PR document received in 2018.

Applying for BC now I'd need to prove I have been physically in the UK for the last 5 years counting from the date of application - August 2019. Yes, I was in the UK in August 2014, exactly on the date of BC application.

EU nationals, as they cannot use their passports as proof of residence, we need to provide P60's payslips or other official documents for the period of 5 years even though employment isn't necessary for BC, but clearly the HO needs official documents, which are related to employment anyway, unfortunately.

The documents need to cover August 2014 up till August 2019. I can't produce any evidence specified above for about 6 months in 2016 (it's after PR status was granted) as I was unemployed, looking for work.

Would the HO take these 6 months as absence per se if I can't prove it, or they will push for evidence, and if not possible to be provided then they will reject the application?

Even if they take these 6 month as absence, I will still meet all the other requirements - 450 days, 90 days, 1st day of the qualifying period in the UK, etc.

What's your thoughts?

Thanks.

There are quite a few other documents the home office may accept according to table of 'preferred' documentation in this annex. Down the list there is even a tenancy agreement or annual bank statement showing regular payments and spending in the UK, a council tax bill etc. That said I am not sure as to the applicability of each type of documentary evidence for the purposes of naturalisation but i have heard of people successfully using council tax bills..

Thanks for your reply. Those dox are actually for the EU Settlement Scheme, so still not sure.

mcklondon wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 27, 2019 7:45 pm

Thanks for your reply. Those dox are actually for the EU Settlement Scheme, so still not sure.

For naturalisation "official" documents are preferred, for example council tax bill, HMRC, DWP, ect correspondence.

I know what official documents are required, however I cannot produce them. The question was if the period when you cannot prove you were in the UK even though you were is taken by the HO as absence and calculated into the 450/90 allowance?

My daughter is in EXACTLY the same position. She's lived in the UK for 18 years but we've only just applied for citizenship. Because we let her last passport expire we received a request for extra proof of residence. In that time period she had a few part time jobs but was unemployed for a large part of it. She had since left that address so doesn't have any bills, council tax or anything from that time either. She is also fairly disorganised with paperwork and didn't keep any payslips for those part time jobs so we've gone the route of bank statements as they show salary going in (when she was employed) plus regular use in the shops around where she lived (which coincides with the address she had for that time-period).

Unfortunately, we don't currently know if this is enough as they are denying receiving the extra proof in time (THEY are in the wrong, fortunately) so her app got refused and we're now having to appeal with proof of postage, package tracking etc.

I'm sorry to hear that. What was the period she couldn't provide any proof of residence for?

mcklondon wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:42 am

I'm sorry to hear that. What was the period she couldn't provide any proof of residence for?

I suggest you read the users lengthy topic. Her daughter is a South African holding ILE, so not an EU citizen.

british-citizenship/time-scale-for-appe ... l#p1809729