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Dear all,

I am applying for naturalisation next week as the spouse of a British Citizen. How do I prove I was present in the UK in March 2007 i.e. 3 years prior to the date of my application?

I was enrolled at university at the time and I have requested a letter form the university confirming that I was a student there from 2005 to 2008 (which covers the whole month of March 2007). Will this letter be sufficient OR do I have to show some document proving I was 100% in the UK on the day in question? How da heck do I prove that?

I really do not have any other documents (other than the university letter) to prove I was in the UK in March 2007. As for my passport, it was retained by the HO in 2000 ever since I came to the UK & so I couldn’t have travelled. I have explained this in my supporting letter. Would this be sufficient?

Would appreciate your help guys. Thanks.

I take it that you switched in-country to a spouse visa? So no entry stamps...

So, in addition to your college letter you can supply: utility bills, bank statements, GP, HMRC, HMCS letters.

What was your immigration status in March 2007?

To apply for naturalisation as spouse of a British citizen, you should have been legally resident in the UK for three years at the time of the application.

I don't think you need to actually prove that you were here, as long as they can't prove that you weren't. I also had no stamps in my passport and no proof that I was here either but they never asked and granted citizenship anyway.

andreachen wrote:I don't think you need to actually prove that you were here, as long as they can't prove that you weren't. I also had no stamps in my passport and no proof that I was here either but they never asked and granted citizenship anyway.

maybe you could more details of your case as it may help those in a similar situation

f2k wrote:maybe you could more details of your case as it may help those in a similar situation

Sure, I don't think it helps much though. I simply filled in the form with my arrival date and absences, there wasn't really any request to prove that I had been in the country on the day. Since my passport also doesn't contain any stamps (none needed) I assumed they would either have my entry and exist dates in their electronic system somewhere, or they would go by the absenses I provided, or they would get back to me and ask for proof. They didn't come back to me, the next I heard was my invitation to the ceremony, so it seems that either they already knew if I was on the country on the day, or they went by my dates provided (without proof). That's really all I know. I wouldn't have been able to prove that I was here either.

Did you have a stamp to show your original entry though? or did you do an in country application for leave to remain

f2k wrote:Did you have a stamp to show your original entry though? or did you do an in country application for leave to remain

The OP might be a Commonwealth citizen with the right of abode in the UK or an EU/EEA national; in either case, there would be no stamp and no need to apply for leave to remain

To the OP: I think I wouldn't worry too much. What were you doing when you arrived? A letter from an educational institution, employer, the inland revenue or the national insurance people, credit card or bank statements might well go towards proving your presence. But I don't know that I'd volunteer them, necessarily.

Thousands of people naturalise every year without evidence of residence from stamps in their passport, so it's not an unusual situation.

Thank u every1 for your replies.

I came to the UK and applied for asylum at port on arrival, and that was the status all along until I got granted ILR some 8 years later. I didn't have a passport all those years as the original had been retained by the HO.

Therefore, the only way I could show I was in the UK was by providing a letter from my university stating I was enrolled there as a student there for those 3 years and that I graduated from there.

Anyways, I ve now had my appointment with the NCS.

All the best with the application!

I came to the UK and applied for asylum at port on arrival, and that was the status all along until I got granted ILR some 8 years later

Can you say, when was the ILR granted?