As a UK degree holder with ILR, how to answer question on previous visa where knowledge of English was to be proved?

[anonvtic]

From August 2018 until now, I have lived in a flat in the UK with my partner, who is a full-time PhD student. The Flat was rented in my partner's name.

It was in a block of flats that are mostly leased out to students (i.e. student accommodation). I was an employee (with regular PAYE and NI). When I first moved to the UK, I didn't know about the council tax rules. And the landlord (a housing association) told me that I didn't have to pay council taxes, and that the council doesn't usually bother sending notices/bills to these flats because they are all registered as student accommodation.

I rang up the council, and they had no idea whether a council tax is due. They cannot even find my details on their computers/database/systems. Thus far, I have never received a council tax bill or arrears notice or anything whatsoever. Neither has my housing association/landlord in all these years.

I got my UK ILR in Aug 19th 2022 via the global talent route, and I am now preparing to submit my AN form for naturalising as a UK citizen next month i.e. Aug 19, 2023. Does the Home Office check each and every applicant's council tax payment history? What should I do to regularise things?

[alterhase58]

We don’t know what is exactly checked in terms of council tax. If there’s no council tax payable by you that’s no problem. Even if there’s no income tax or NI payable. The application has no financial requirements.
If the council takes you to court for non payment and issues CCJs that may be looked at, especially if you are a repeat offender.
Note that if you make agreements to pay off outstanding debts and taxes and keep to them that’s also no issue. Again, if you are a repeat offender it could be a problem.
Perhaps carry on making inquiries and offer to pay outstandings, however you don’t need to disclose anything as it stands at the moment.

[anonvtic]

I am filling out my AN1 application for naturalising as a British citizen. I am slightly confused on how to answer the following question:

Your previous visa
Do you have a previous visa, entry clearance or leave to remain where you had to prove your knowledge of English?

If I click on "Yes", then a further text field pops up. asking;

Tell us the previous visa, entry clearance or leave to remain you had

I have a research degree from a UK-based university, and did not have to supply any English language test results for my ILR application (I had uploaded the UK degree certificate to UKVCAS as a supporting document to my ILR application last year).

How do I answer these question(s) now for my naturalisation application?

[alterhase58]

The requirement was to prove English for ILR and you supplied your UK degree?
Then YES and state it was for ILR - not sure why you are in doubt about this.

[anonvtic]

Thanks a lot. I shall answer "Yes" and state "ILR" in the subsequent field that opens up when doing so.

I misunderstood "proof" meant doing the English language test.

Also, I forgot to state my background in my original post. I am a non-EU national who obtained ILR through the Global Talent route last year (August 2022).

[alterhase58]

English test would be required if you don't have a UK degree or are not from a majority English speaking country.
Visa route to ILR doesn't make a difference for naturalisation - the requirement is to have ILR.

[anonvtic]

Separate question, but sticking to the same thread.

If I obtained my ILR on 19 August 2022, the earliest I can apply for naturalisation is 19 August 2023 (this year), right?

[anonvtic]

If I obtained my ILR on 19 August 2022, the earliest I can apply for naturalisation is 19 August 2023 (this year), right?

Gentle bump.

[alterhase58]

If I obtained my ILR on 19 August 2022, the earliest I can apply for naturalisation is 19 August 2023 (this year), right?

Gentle bump.

Yes, or after that date.

[anonvtic]

Here's my full UK immigration history:

First arrived on T4 General (student) Visa: 28 Sep 2014
From T4G, switched within UK into T4 Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES) Visa: xx March 2019
From T4 DES, switched within UK into T2 Visa: 12 September 2019
From T2, switched within UK into Global Talent Visa: 04 September 2020
Obtained ILR under 3-year Global Talent Visa route: 19 August 2022

I am now applying for naturalisation tomorrow (20 August 2023). Given that only the last 5 years residency are assessed when accounting for the eligibility for naturalisation, should I use the first landing date since 21 August 2018 for the question: "When did you first arrive in the UK"?

[AmazonianX]

Here's my full UK immigration history:

First arrived on T4 General (student) Visa: 28 Sep 2014
From T4G, switched within UK into T4 Doctorate Extension Scheme (DES) Visa: xx March 2019
From T4 DES, switched within UK into T2 Visa: 12 September 2019
From T2, switched within UK into Global Talent Visa: 04 September 2020
Obtained ILR under 3-year Global Talent Visa route: 19 August 2022

I am now applying for naturalisation tomorrow (20 August 2023). Given that only the last 5 years residency are assessed when accounting for the eligibility for naturalisation, should I use the first landing date since 21 August 2018 for the question: "When did you first arrive in the UK"? Correct as this is the time on which your application is based and your qualifying period assessed on.

[anonvtic]

Thank you. Last questions:

1. Only the stamped (i.e. non-blank) pages of my passport need to be uploaded as proof of residency in the UK for the last 5 years, right?
2. Scans with two pages facing each other are hopefully acceptable (even though the orientation of stampings one facing page will be opposite to each other)?. Hope caseworker doesn't need to contort their neck too much and can print off the PDF . It is too tedious to scan every single stamped page in the correct orientation.

[AmazonianX]

Thank you. Last questions:

1. Only the stamped (i.e. non-blank) pages of my passport need to be uploaded as proof of residency in the UK for the last 5 years, right? And biodata page.
2. Scans with two pages facing each other are hopefully acceptable (even though the orientation of stampings one facing page will be opposite to each other)?. Hope caseworker doesn't need to contort their neck too much and can print off the PDF . It is too tedious to scan every single stamped page in the correct orientation.

[vinny]

1. I think they prefer scans of every page, including blank pages, to confirm that blank pages are blank?
2. Should be okay.

[anonvtic]

1. I think they prefer scans of every page, including blank pages, to confirm that blank pages are blank?
2. Should be okay.

Interesting. I submitted biometrics yesterday in support of my AN1 application yesterday. At the service point, the UKVCAS personnel only scanned the stamped pages of my passport.

[vinny]

If they did the scanning, then they were able to verify.

[AmazonianX]

1. I think they prefer scans of every page, including blank pages, to confirm that blank pages are blank?
2. Should be okay.

Interesting. I submitted biometrics yesterday in support of my AN1 application yesterday. At the service point, the UKVCAS personnel only scanned the stamped pages of my passport.

As a minimum provide biotata and stamped pages, to keep applicants mind at ease scan all pages.

[anonvtic]

Well. They scanned only the biodata & stamped pages of the passport on their own accord (I neither chose nor paid for any document scanning service).

When they were scanning, I briefly enquired to them about it, and they said it is standard procedure for citizenship applications. They were selectively scanning only the stamped pages of the passport, meticulously skipping the blank pages and manually looking page-by-page for only the stamped pages. This is at the Bedford Point, East Croydon UKVCAS service point.

Anyway, all that is done. The current mean time to approval email is ( 93 +/- 8 ) days after removing outliers with a sample size of 65 applicants who reported their timelines in the timeline thread who submitted biometrics in 2023. That means, barring any new/unexpected complexities unearthed by the caseworker, as a straightforward application, the approval email should come by Monday, 20 Nov 2023 (since the automated email by the Home Office Atlas system seems to be sent out on Monday mornings).