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I really hope someone can help me.

I have my NCS for citizenship booked on Tuesday. I now got invited for a job interview abroad and they would like me to fly in next Wednesday (the day after my NCS appointment). I know the rules regarding this appear to have changed and I see lots of differing info. Can I travel & attend my job interview, or do I have to stay in the UK until the Home Office has received my application? Thank you!

You can travel.

Thanks for the quick reply. Could you possibly let me know what you base the info on? I asked the question also in another forum and got the opposite answer. I am pretty confused and concerned to miss out on the job, but I can't afford to get my citizenship rejected, either. Thanks!

mela7799 wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. Could you possibly let me know what you base the info on? I asked the question also in another forum and got the opposite answer. I am pretty confused and concerned to miss out on the job, but I can't afford to get my citizenship rejected, either. Thanks!

You should have questioned the "other forum" for the answer they have given you. One of the benefits of using NCS is that you get to keep your original documents and therefore you are free to travel.

mela7799 wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. Could you possibly let me know what you base the info on? I asked the question also in another forum and got the opposite answer. I am pretty confused and concerned to miss out on the job, but I can't afford to get my citizenship rejected, either. Thanks!

On the rules, which were amended a few years ago where there is now no requirement to stay in the UK for 5 days after applying!!!

The FAQ at the very top of this forum (british-citizenship/citizenship-faqs-co ... 95747.html) says you CAN'T travel immediately after as you need to be in the UK when the Home Office receives the application.

You must also be in UK when Home Office receives your application (date of receipt of citizenship application is the day HO receives it, and you must be in UK on that day).

However, I can't see this mentioned anywhere in any official documentation (I've seen it mentioned anecdotally though on Facebook groups and Forums). The official docs make it very clear you need to have been in the UK 3/5 years ago on the day the Home Office receives the application though. Does anyone know where the FAQ got this bit of information from?

Joobs wrote:The FAQ at the very top of this forum (british-citizenship/citizenship-faqs-co ... 95747.html) says you CAN'T travel immediately after as you need to be in the UK when the Home Office receives the application.

You must also be in UK when Home Office receives your application (date of receipt of citizenship application is the day HO receives it, and you must be in UK on that day).

However, I can't see this mentioned anywhere in any official documentation (I've seen it mentioned anecdotally though on Facebook groups and Forums). The official docs make it very clear you need to have been in the UK 3/5 years ago on the day the Home Office receives the application though. Does anyone know where the FAQ got this bit of information from?

The FAQs have not been updated for a while so that piece of information is slightly outdated as the rule changed a couple of years ago. You are free to travel once application has been submitted.

bruteforce wrote:

mela7799 wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. Could you possibly let me know what you base the info on? I asked the question also in another forum and got the opposite answer. I am pretty confused and concerned to miss out on the job, but I can't afford to get my citizenship rejected, either. Thanks!

You should have questioned the "other forum" for the answer they have given you. One of the benefits of using NCS is that you get to keep your original documents and therefore you are free to travel.

The other forum is a group of EU citizens in the process of applying for citizenship on Facebook. One lady was asked by her local NCS to be physically present in the UK the day after her appointment (when the HO is receiving her application). Her appointment is next week, so this is the info some NCS's are giving to people.

Thanks for the info everyone. It is so frustrating that there is no easy to find trail of when what rules have changed when and why. Looks like even the official bodies don't necessary know what the latest requirements are sometimes, so it is hard for me to trust any kind of information. What if the HO caseworker says "you have to be in the country the day we receive your application" and refuses my AN application. Sure, I could appeal, but would still have to pay a lot of extra money that I don't have.

mela7799 wrote:

bruteforce wrote:

mela7799 wrote:Thanks for the quick reply. Could you possibly let me know what you base the info on? I asked the question also in another forum and got the opposite answer. I am pretty confused and concerned to miss out on the job, but I can't afford to get my citizenship rejected, either. Thanks!

You should have questioned the "other forum" for the answer they have given you. One of the benefits of using NCS is that you get to keep your original documents and therefore you are free to travel.

The other forum is a group of EU citizens in the process of applying for citizenship on Facebook. One lady was asked by her local NCS to be physically present in the UK the day after her appointment (when the HO is receiving her application). Her appointment is next week, so this is the info some NCS's are giving to people.

The physical presence requirement is true, but you have misunderstood perhaps. If applying at NCS, you must have been physically present in the UK on the exact same date 5 years ago in 2012.

mela7799 wrote:Thanks for the info everyone. It is so frustrating that there is no easy to find trail of when what rules have changed when and why. Looks like even the official bodies don't necessary know what the latest requirements are sometimes, so it is hard for me to trust any kind of information. What if the HO caseworker says "you have to be in the country the day we receive your application" and refuses my AN application. Sure, I could appeal, but would still have to pay a lot of extra money that I don't have.

There is no requirement to be in the country when HO receives your application. The requirement was removed 3 or 4 years ago.

Date of application is the date of NCS appointment OR the date HO receive your application if applying by post. Obviously applying by post you have to send your original documents so could not travel anyway.