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Hi,

I had difficulties with council tax payments.
However I have an arrangement and my payments to the council are regularly.
I know those things are important towards Good Character.
I’m going to mention the same in my supporting cover letter.
Can anyone share their thoughts or experiences on this please.

Thank you.

It's not really an issue per se, unless you have been taken to court and had CCJs. Having arrangements if you had difficulties and complied with the obligations is not an issue. By all means mention this separately but should not have any impact.

Thank you for your answer.
I’m a bit confused about it.
I haven’t attended court however there was a letter once and then the council said it will be just an arrangement
which I pay.
When I look at my council tax letter it says there’s an amount I pay off is subject to court proceedings.
I’m not aware I have ccjs and my credit score is good.

What might this mean now for me?

The statement "due to court proceedings" presumably is the amount you have agreed to pay to clear down your overdues.
You may have already seen the guidance on good character (https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... y-guidance) - this is the para re. Council Tax:

"Non-payment of council tax
An application will not normally be refused where the person has been unable to pay
council tax because of their financial position, particularly if an arrangement is being,
or has been, negotiated with the relevant authority. However, payment of council tax
is a legal requirement and non-compliance is a punishable offence.
Therefore, an application will normally be refused where a person has either:
• unreasonably failed to pay
• provided a false statement or statements, including failing to declare their full
circumstances, to avoid paying the correct rate"

As already stated, I don't believe this will have an adverse impact on your application - CCJs or other proceedings for overdue debt are quite common and applicants have reported they got approved.

Thank you for your reply.

I called the council this morning.
They said arrangements are made by court, but I didn’t have to attend as I agreed to payment arrangements and I paid them.
They also said it has no impact on my credit rate and I have no ccjs. I also don’t have any other ccjs.

I would mention this in my cover letter. Is it advisable to attach a document of my payment arrangements?

Is it advisable to attach a document of my payment arrangements?

You may as well attach it.

Thank you for your help.

I also got a question regarding employment.
I know being in employment is not important.
However I want to be of course accurate filling out my form.
I went two months ago through an interview process of a new job, I also signed a contract to start end March and sent in my p45.
Then because of the current situation and lockdown I was told my start date is deferred to end May.
I’m receiving UC until then.
Weirdly enough I received a furlough letter to sign saying I get paid from end of March. I haven’t received any payment and not sure if it’s just an HR error that I received that.

Now these days I’m sending off my application.
I got referee declarations, date of absences etc all matching that I want to send it now these days.

The question in the form:
“Are you currently employed”
If yes details of employer and tax ref number. No problem to put in these details plus the precise date later in May I’m supposed to start.

But I’m not sure if I can do that.
Shall I say I’m not employed or that I’m employed and give the future start date?

I would rather say I am employed as my delay is only in regards to the lockdown, I already signed the contract.

Can anyone please advice me what is the best to put into the form?

Many thanks

Sorry, this post above about employment was supposed to be a new topic.

Frou01 wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 2:43 pm

Sorry, this post above about employment was supposed to be a new topic.

Your topics were merged. Please see link below on the forum rule about multiple topics.

announcements/multiple-posts-will-be-lo ... t5722.html

Ok thank you.

I guess it’s a very tricky question as such situation never occurred before.
But still unsure if I write now employment or no employment into my application this weekend.

If anyone knows until then would be very appreciated.

Frou01 wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 3:52 pm

I guess it’s a very tricky question as such situation never occurred before.
But still unsure if I write now employment or no employment into my application this weekend.

If anyone knows until then would be very appreciated.

Agreed this is not something common - if you have a contract with original start date end March you are currently legally employed, unless a new contract was agreed specifying start date May. Being paid or not is secondary in this context. I would select "employed", state employer details and leave tax ref blank or state "n/a". Also, by the time they actually start reviewing your application, after you have given biometrics (closed currently), things hopefully are back to near normal and you will have started your job.

Thank you very much. I’m really grateful to your reply as I try to find an answer all the time.

I signed a contract mid March with start date 30th May.
There’s an employer letter as well stating out that date and salary. I will attach that one to my documents.

Mid April I got a call telling me the start date is deferred
to 23rd May. I also got an email with an attachment to sign I agree to the deferred date. It’s only 2 sentences, very brief.
I haven’t signed it yet as it’s said please bring along on your first day.

The company has my p45 snide March also there’s a furlough letter in my name with furlough starts with payment on 30th March. I haven’t received a any pay or payslip and think that’s a HR error sending me that.

Shall I use the original date of 30th March or 23rd May for my AN form?

Yes, it’s an usual situation. However I can imagine they might be able to understand it as the whole situation is unusual and difficult.
I will write another line into my cover letter as well.

It says:

‘ If you do not meet the statutory requirements to become a British citizen, are there any special circumstances why you think the Home Secretary should still grant your application?’

I do think I meet the requirements, but what is if they think for example a certain piece of evidence like a council tax bill, invoice etc doesn’t meet the requirement for example? And maybe for a certain month/ year that’s their only document available.
Could answering a question like this be a trap?

What we are supposed to say there?

CR001 wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 2:48 pm

Frou01 wrote: ↑

Fri May 01, 2020 2:43 pm

Sorry, this post above about employment was supposed to be a new topic.

Your topics were merged. Please see link below on the forum rule about multiple topics.

announcements/multiple-posts-will-be-lo ... t5722.html

Is anything in the forum rule about mutliple topics unclear??

Frou01 wrote: ↑

Sat May 02, 2020 7:22 pm

It says:

‘ If you do not meet the statutory requirements to become a British citizen, are there any special circumstances why you think the Home Secretary should still grant your application?’

I do think I meet the requirements, but what is if they think for example a certain piece of evidence like a council tax bill, invoice etc doesn’t meet the requirement for example? And maybe for a certain month/ year that’s their only document available.
Could answering a question like this be a trap?

What we are supposed to say there?

It is not a mandatory question that needs to be explained or answered. It is for people have have complex immigration histories and issues

Thank you very much.
Another question comes up.
I didn’t know people who had times during their residency where they been on a course, student or self sufficient had to have a comprehensive insurance.

I didn’t have any 5 years ago when I was self sufficient.

CR001 wrote: ↑

Sat May 02, 2020 7:46 pm

Frou01 wrote: ↑

Sat May 02, 2020 7:22 pm

It says:

‘ If you do not meet the statutory requirements to become a British citizen, are there any special circumstances why you think the Home Secretary should still grant your application?’

I do think I meet the requirements, but what is if they think for example a certain piece of evidence like a council tax bill, invoice etc doesn’t meet the requirement for example? And maybe for a certain month/ year that’s their only document available.
Could answering a question like this be a trap?

What we are supposed to say there?

It is not a mandatory question that needs to be explained or answered. It is for people have have complex immigration histories and issues

Thank you for your reply.
Sorry for not merging the question. Yes, I had a look at the rules and hope I do it’s correct now.

I’ve sent off the application yesterday.

I said no to the last question. As I was thinking it’s in regard of the questions above. Do you meet the requirements? -Yes
Are there any reasons you don’t meet the requirements like to many absences? -No

Then the question I mention: shall we still grand you citizenship if you don’t meet the requirements? - No

I was thinking that is somehow connected.
And like I said I’m sure I do meet the requirements as not over the limit of absences, no crime, no overstay, in the country on the day 5 years ago, one year inbetween of ILR and application etc.

Now someone said we need to answer yes for exercise of descretion.
And that worries me. I cannot change my answer anymore. And if a caseworker is unhappy with any minor thing like sending my council tax bills, invoices, Nhs letter instead of a P60 for a certain time where I haven’t been employed (just an example), they can now use that and refuse my application?

Can you let me know if I did a big mistake and if I should mention it in my cover letter?

From your various postings it's clear you don't have a complex immigration history. The questions you are highlighting are connected with complexity. As you say you are fulfilling the requirements. Your application will not be rejected purely on some detail you may have got wrong. UKVI also contacts applicants if they wish to see further information or documents. I don't believe there is an issue - some wordings in the applications are not always clear.

Thank you.

Frou01 wrote: ↑

Sat May 02, 2020 7:22 pm

It says:

‘ If you do not meet the statutory requirements to become a British citizen, are there any special circumstances why you think the Home Secretary should still grant your application?’

I do think I meet the requirements, but what is if they think for example a certain piece of evidence like a council tax bill, invoice etc doesn’t meet the requirement for example? And maybe for a certain month/ year that’s their only document available.
Could answering a question like this be a trap?

What we are supposed to say there?

Naturalisation as a British citizen is at discretion. That means that there are broad rules, but that the Secretary of State/Home Office can be persuaded to grant it to you even if you do not meet the requirements, if you can give some plausible explanations as to why an exception to the requirements should be made in your case.

That space is given so that you can argue why you could not not meet certain specific requirements and yet should be granted British citizenship. If you have met the requirements, you don't need to argue anything and can leave that section blank.

Thank you.
But like I said I already did submit the application which I can’t edit at this stage.
I have no chance to leave it blank as I said no.
And my payment confirmation says clearly if you want to edit answers you need to start a new application (new fee which I certainly don’t have).

So as I said no and obviously have no right to discuss a decision if my caseworker doesn’t really care and don’t like minor things did I now gave them permission to give me easy a refusal?

Is there anything I can do? Like explain that in my cover letter?
Like I said I didn’t leave it blank I said no as it I was thinking it’s in relation to the two previous questions mentioning absences.

I was talking about the issue with a few applicants who submitted their application in the past.
Some answered no as they also think they would make themselves look suspicious and declare themselves being a complex case by saying yes.
And that’s the reason I felt it’s good to say no.

Some who have nothing to worry, think they meet all requirements answered yes, they said they were scared
and that’s why they answered with yes.

When you fill out an application and are asked to answer whether yes or no you feel you must say something and you wouldn’t dare to leave a question blank as you think you must answer every step.

Application submitted and paid on Saturday.

I received on Saturday an email they received payment, but in my account it’s still pending, not taken yet.
I received an email to create an UKVCAS account which I did.

I’ve seen people received in the past a confirmation that the application is received.
Are they still sending this and can I expect to get this too?

Thank you