Page 1 of 1

Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:39 pm
by Zerubbabel
Hello

I am assisting my wife for her citizenship. She is not good with papers :)

Here is the situation:
- She is non-EEA national with permanent residence under EEA route (Family member of EEA national). That permanent residence was granted 12 months ago.

- I am EEA national + naturalized British. (naturalization occurred only last year. So I don't think there is any benefit for her in terms of immigration. She was well into the EEA route at that time).

I would like to apply online following the 5-year EEA route. The application will be completed in September.

I have a couple of questions if you can assist:

1 - What documents should I join to the application? When I applied for her permanent residence last year, I had to send 5 years worth of payslips and bills for me and for her. Is the is the same for the citizenship or should I just send these documents for the last 12 months only?

2 - When I applied for my citizenship, I used to paper form. It means I had a couple of pages to get signed by my referees. But how does this work for online applications? Does it happen online too or is there an option to print the documents for the referees to sign?

3 - Is it possible for her to apply for passport at the same time? This is just to avoid going to our friends again and ask them to sign for the passport application later.

Thank you for your help!

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:46 pm
by secret.simon
Zerubbabel wrote:
Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:39 pm
3 - Is it possible for her to apply for passport at the same time?
No. Passport application would need to be submitted after her citizenship ceremony separately.

Has she done the LITUK test and the English language test? Are her absences in order? What proof does she have of her physicial presence in the UK over the past three/five year?

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:52 pm
by zimba
1 - What documents should I join to the application? When I applied for her permanent residence last year, I had to send 5 years worth of payslips and bills for me and for her. Is the is the same for the citizenship or should I just send these documents for the last 12 months only?
She has to prove she has been in the UK in the last 3 years. The requirement for you to show you were exercising treaty rights in possible
2 - When I applied for my citizenship, I used to paper form. It means I had a couple of pages to get signed by my referees. But how does this work for online applications? Does it happen online too or is there an option to print the documents for the referees to sign?
Apply online and you'll enter all the details online. Get the referee forms and print them as they should be signed by your referees. Then they should be scanned and uploaded
3 - Is it possible for her to apply for passport at the same time? This is just to avoid going to our friends again and ask them to sign for the passport application later.
It is not possible at the moment. She can only apply for her first passport after the ceremony and getting her certificate

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:11 pm
by Zerubbabel
Thank you for your help :)

So we live together. We both work. She has an interruption of work for maternity leave but she is back now.

For me, I am going to provide:

- 12 monthly payslips for the last 12 months (I started my current position 12 months ago)
- A letter from my previous employer for the previous years + a few payslips
- My national insurance records printed from Gov.uk portal
- Bills
- Copy of my EEA passport

For her:

- Letter from HR (she's been at the same company for the last 3 years)
- Payslips (some missing due to maternity leave)
- Birth certificate of our daughter (born in the UK)
- Bills

Noted for the referees. I will print that part then scan it and upload.

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:46 pm
by Zerubbabel
I am confused by the 3 years.

My wife is applying for citizenship because I am an EEA national. This route requires to demonstrate 5 years not 3.

I am British too but naturalized only last year. I don't think she can apply on a basis that I am British (which requires only 3 years).

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:49 pm
by CR001
My wife is applying for citizenship because I am an EEA national. This route requires to demonstrate 5 years not 3.
If you hold British citizenship as you do, it is based on being a spouse of British citizen which based on 3 years residence. She also did not have to wait 12 months on PR if you are British.
I am British too but naturalized only last year. I don't think she can apply on a basis that I am British (which requires only 3 years).
The requirement is to be married to a British citizen when she applies and needs 3 years residence. It is not that you must have been British for 3 years. She could have applied the day after you attended your ceremony if she held PR at that point.

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 2:03 pm
by Zerubbabel
Ah! We waited 1 year for nothing :(

I thought I have to have the British citizenship for 3 years before she qualifies.

Thank you for this clarification. We are then going to apply on that basis.

Re: Citizenship for my wife

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:40 pm
by luhpaoli
You don't have to send your documents.
British citizenship is acquired by self merit. So only her documents are necessary and maybe some proof that you are indeed British.
Also be aware that payslips, bills HR letters are not government letters. Try HMRC, P60, P45, Council Tax letters, NHS etc.