Naturalisation from ILR payment date vs UKVCAS date

[ash28469]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking through the topics trying to find an answer but so far unclear.

I've been on ILR since 5th March 2019 and soon will qualify for citizenship. I already filled out the application for naturalisation on UKVI website and I am ready to submit and pay.

Because of the ILR date I do not technically "qualify" until 5th March 2020 (is this correct?) to complete 12 months on ILR and qualify for naturalisation.

My question is can I finish and submit the application now, and book an appointment with UKVCAS for biometric enrollment after 5th March 2020? Is the application submission date considered to be the payment date or the date of the UKVCAS appointment for biometrics etc.?

The reason I ask is I have to travel from 23 March 2020 for 3 weeks and I am holding off booking flight tickets (its going to be very expensive month!), because I am not sure if I end up with an appointment after my return date I will or will not have to add that leave to the list of leave in the application.

Any guidance / experience is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Ash

[Djsuccess]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking through the topics trying to find an answer but so far unclear.

I've been on ILR since 5th March 2019 and soon will qualify for citizenship. I already filled out the application for naturalisation on UKVI website and I am ready to submit and pay.

Because of the ILR date I do not technically "qualify" until 5th March 2020 (is this correct?) to complete 12 months on ILR and qualify for naturalisation.

My question is can I finish and submit the application now, and book an appointment with UKVCAS for biometric enrollment after 5th March 2020? Is the application submission date considered to be the payment date or the date of the UKVCAS appointment for biometrics etc.?

The reason I ask is I have to travel from 23 March 2020 for 3 weeks and I am holding off booking flight tickets (its going to be very expensive month!), because I am not sure if I end up with an appointment after my return date I will or will not have to add that leave to the list of leave in the application.

Any guidance / experience is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Ash

Do not submit the application until 5th March when you are qualified. The submission /payment date online is the date you applied and not the UKVCAS appointment date. Depending on where you are living and how far you are willing to travel for the appointment and how much you are willing to pay. You can essentially get a next day appointment.

[ash28469]

Hi everyone,

I've been looking through the topics trying to find an answer but so far unclear.

I've been on ILR since 5th March 2019 and soon will qualify for citizenship. I already filled out the application for naturalisation on UKVI website and I am ready to submit and pay.

Because of the ILR date I do not technically "qualify" until 5th March 2020 (is this correct?) to complete 12 months on ILR and qualify for naturalisation.

My question is can I finish and submit the application now, and book an appointment with UKVCAS for biometric enrollment after 5th March 2020? Is the application submission date considered to be the payment date or the date of the UKVCAS appointment for biometrics etc.?

The reason I ask is I have to travel from 23 March 2020 for 3 weeks and I am holding off booking flight tickets (its going to be very expensive month!), because I am not sure if I end up with an appointment after my return date I will or will not have to add that leave to the list of leave in the application.

Any guidance / experience is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Ash

Do not submit the application until 5th March when you are qualified. The submission /payment date online is the date you applied and not the UKVCAS appointment date. Depending on where you are living and how far you are willing to travel for the appointment and how much you are willing to pay. You can essentially get a next day appointment.

Thank you for your help

I will wait to submit on the correct date and fingers crossed there will be an appointment within the time-frame I have.

So the short answer is that between submitting the application and providing biometrics it's not allowed to leave the country.

[alterhase58]

So the short answer is that between submitting the application and providing biometrics it's not allowed to leave the country.

You can still leave the country between application date and biometrics date, or indeed during the rest of the process. Though I would always recommend you do the biometrics as soon as possible, that's makes the waiting a bit shorter, hopefully.