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Local Authority for Ceremony different to home address
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2023 5:30 pm
by gpm468
My wife finally got her email from HO for invite to ceremony for British citizenship (submitted application 7th November), however the local authority I've been referred to is not where I live, although we are about 1 mile from the border. It is annoying as it harder to get to the venue for the LA I've been referred to but probably more hassle than it's worth to try and change it.
Does anyone know why I've not been referred to my 'home' council?
Re: Local Authority for Ceremony different to home address
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2023 6:21 pm
by CR001
Did you state another council in the form by mistake?
Re: Local Authority for Ceremony different to home address
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2023 11:49 am
by secret.simon
Some local authorities outsource their citizenship ceremonies to/consolidate their citizenship ceremonies with neighbouring local authorities, for operational or financial reasons.
For instance, the City of London (the Square Mile at the heart of Greater London), with resident numbers in the low thousands,
does not conduct citizenship ceremonies, which are done by the neighbouring Islington Council for any eligible residents of the City of London.
So it is similarly possible for your local council to have arranged with the neighbouring council to conduct citizenship ceremonies on its behalf.
As an aside, I would be very jealous if you are a resident of the City of London
Re: Local Authority for Ceremony different to home address
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2023 7:34 pm
by gpm468
I can't remember what was on the form, i.e. whether it asked specifically for a local authority, possibly I could have got confused as we lived in Cambridgeshire many years ago, which is where the ceremony is allocated to. But definitely put our correct home address which isn't in Cambridgeshire.
I am not a resident of City of London
and my home authority does do ceremonies. I've had so many problems with the HO and their partners (I'm sure many of you can associate with this) it doesn't surprise me there is a final anomaly in the process. It's annoying that Cambridgeshire have their new HQ in the 'middle of nowhere' instead of the centre of Cambridge as it was before. For all their talk of promoting sustainable transport, it's a 2.5 hour one way journey to Alconbury from here by public transport (my wife doesn't drive and I will be working).