SAR Request for Caseworker Notes and Internal Communications

[tanha_rixby]

I've been waiting over five months for a decision on my naturalisation application. The last update from the Home Office simply said 'enquiries are ongoing' — that was over a month ago, and nothing since. To be honest, it's starting to wear me down a bit, not knowing what’s happening or how long this might still take. I’m considering submitting a Subject Access Request (SAR) just to have some clarity by the 6-month point (in less than a month), when I plan to submit a complaint to the Home Office and contact my MP.


I'm considering requesting these items:

• Caseworker notes and comments on my application
• Records of internal communications regarding my case
• Details of any external enquiries or checks conducted
• Updates on the current status of my application
• Any other information related to my naturalisation
• My entry and exit records
• The date at which each of these pieces of information was recorded

Before sending anything off, I wanted to check with others here to make sure I’m not doing something that could backfire or come across badly. I’m also unsure whether the things I’ve listed are the right kind of things to ask for, or if I’m missing anything important.

1. Is it appropriate and safe to request the above items through a SAR?
2. Could such a request negatively impact my application or annoy the caseworker?
3. Is the SAR process free of charge?
4. Would requesting this information be considered excessive?
5. Is there anything else that could be helpful to request?
6. Would asking for all documents the Home Office holds on me, including the above, be too much?

I know everyone's case is different but any advice or shared experience would be hugely appreciated right now. I’m just hoping to understand what’s happening behind the scenes and make sure I’m not doing anything silly by asking. Thanks in advance!

[alterhase58]

It is unlikely that “your” case worker will deal with your Freedom of Information request. The Home Office receives loads of FOI requests so they have people to deal with SAR.
This is your legal right under the law.
However organisations can decide what is provided, they may or may not be able to fulfil all items in your request, due to data load or expense of providing data.
Of course you may be lucky and they provide everything you ask for.
But I guess you’ll probably get your approval before the SAR is provided.

[contorted_svy]

I've been waiting over five months for a decision on my naturalisation application. The last update from the Home Office simply said 'enquiries are ongoing' — that was over a month ago, and nothing since. To be honest, it's starting to wear me down a bit, not knowing what’s happening or how long this might still take. I’m considering submitting a Subject Access Request (SAR) just to have some clarity by the 6-month point (in less than a month), when I plan to submit a complaint to the Home Office and contact my MP.


I'm considering requesting these items:

• Caseworker notes and comments on my application
• Records of internal communications regarding my case
• Details of any external enquiries or checks conducted
• Updates on the current status of my application
• Any other information related to my naturalisation
• My entry and exit records
• The date at which each of these pieces of information was recorded

Before sending anything off, I wanted to check with others here to make sure I’m not doing something that could backfire or come across badly. I’m also unsure whether the things I’ve listed are the right kind of things to ask for, or if I’m missing anything important.

1. Is it appropriate and safe to request the above items through a SAR?
2. Could such a request negatively impact my application or annoy the caseworker?
3. Is the SAR process free of charge?
4. Would requesting this information be considered excessive?
5. Is there anything else that could be helpful to request?
6. Would asking for all documents the Home Office holds on me, including the above, be too much?

I know everyone's case is different but any advice or shared experience would be hugely appreciated right now. I’m just hoping to understand what’s happening behind the scenes and make sure I’m not doing anything silly by asking. Thanks in advance!

A few points:

- If you submit a SAR request now, you are likely to hear back in around a month - when you would hit your 6 months mark anyway.
- As you know you are still within the standard processing times, so it's hard to speed up the process or chase at this stage.
- There are 3 options for a SAR https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... mmigration

Basic request
Most people find this option gives them all the information they need.

We will provide all of the digital information recorded about you since the year 2000, including:

details of your immigration history, for example, dates applications were submitted and decisions made

landing cards

visa applications you submitted from outside of the UK (as part of entry clearance)

Workers Registration Scheme (WRS) information if you are a national of Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia

Specific request
This is the best option if you require a particular document.

You can request specific information if you need to. You should clearly describe which documents you need.

You can request copies of up to 5 single documents, for example:

a list of your applications or a copy of a specific application form

a particular decision letter

the outcome of an appeal (appeal determination)

a particular detention progress report

a particular interview record

This list is not exhaustive. If you need something else, provide clear details of the document you are looking for.

Detailed request
Initially, you will be sent an electronic summary of your immigration information (as with a basic application). This gives most people what they need.

This option also allows you to request paper records from your Home Office file if the electronic data does not fulfil your request.

Refining your request to state clearly which paper records you need will help your application.

Your list of queries doesn't fall under any of these specifically; it is very likely that you would have to send many different SAR requests that would give you confusing or unhelpful results as it is often difficult to understand what they actually write on the SAR results. Nature of the enquiries is not usually disclosed.