Applying for Naturalisation without Permanent Residence

[yvona.nov]

Hi there,

Can I apply for Naturalisation without Permanent Residence. I'm EEA national (Polish citizenship) and I've been living in UK for 10 years (I had 4 months gap during this period but that was about 7 years ago).

If I still do have to apply for Permanent Residence do you know how long does it usually take to proceed the application? I know Home Office says that it can take up to 6 months, but what are general statistic for European Union members?

Many thanks,
Yvona

[noajthan]

Hi there,

Can I apply for Naturalisation without Permanent Residence. I'm EEA national (Polish citizenship) and I've been living in UK for 10 years (I had 4 months gap during this period but that was about 7 years ago).

If I still do have to apply for Permanent Residence do you know how long does it usually take to proceed the application? I know Home Office says that it can take up to 6 months, but what are general statistic for European Union members?

Many thanks,
Yvona

You still need to have settled status when you apply to naturalise - as an EEA national you achieve that by acquiring PR.

But a PR card is optional so it's up to you if you wish to apply for the PR card; it simply confirms you hold PR - it doesn't grant PR.

Having a PR card may simplify some of the documentary evidence required when applying for the privilege of citizenship.
One advantage of applying for a PR card is it confirms your status for just a small risk to your outlay as the fee is less than £100 (compared to the higher cost of naturalisation).

The disadvantage of going for a PR card is the additional time involved.
I can't really comment on that.

However you don't have to have the PR card in order to apply for citizenship - you just have to be sure you have acquired PR automatically.

Remember you need to have settled status (PR) for 12 months before naturalising (if you are not married to a BC).
And when you apply (as well as all the other requirements) you need to prove you were physically present in UK 5 years before date of application.

Hope that makes sense - good luck.

[yvona.nov]

Thank you for your reply.
You say that I can apply for Naturalisation without PR but I will still need "settled status".
In the case that I will decide to apply for Naturalisation without PR how can I prove my "settled status" otherwise?

I also have one more question:
I've counted that from 2010 until now (2015) I have been away on different trips/holidays for 280 days in total. Can that affect my application for Permanent Residence?

Many thanks,
Yvona

[LilyLalilu]

You cannot apply without having PR but you can apply without having a Document certifying PR.
You will have to prove that you acquired PR by exercising treaty rights for 5 continuous years (and that you have held it for 12 months before applying if not married to a BC).
Proof could be payslips, P60s etc. depending on how you exercised your treaty rights.

To qualify for PR, you should not have been absent for over 6 months at a time (or 12 months if this was for important reasons such as childbirth or study for example). The absence requirements for citizenship and PR are different, the ones for citizenship should be detailed in the AN guidebook.

[noajthan]

Thank you for your reply.
You say that I can apply for Naturalisation without PR but I will still need "settled status".
In the case that I will decide to apply for Naturalisation without PR how can I prove my "settled status" otherwise?

I also have one more question:
I've counted that from 2010 until now (2015) I have been away on different trips/holidays for 280 days in total. Can that affect my application for Permanent Residence?

Many thanks,
Yvona

You just need to provide evidence of your PR in other forms.
See the guide - especially part 3:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... _final.pdf

Absences - for PR make sure you weren't absent more than 6 months in any 1 year.

For applying for naturalisaion, absences up to 450 days in past 5 years are allowed for;
with not more than 90 days in past 12 months before you apply.

Make sure you can also prove you were physically present in UK 5 years before date of your application.

Assuming you meet all other requirements too, you should be good to go.