Are 2024 Citizenship Applications Now Being Delayed While They Clear the Backlog for 2022/23?

[lochgarman]

Hi guys, I'd be grateful if you could help me understand what's going on here.

I applied start February 2024 for Irish naturalisation via the online INIS system as a UK citizen on the basis of 5 years' residency.

1) GARDA E-VETTING INVITATION
At the start of May, I received an email saying that the application had been approved for processing. With that came a second email at the same time which was the invitation for Garda E-Vetting. So I filled out the online form and uploaded my passport, and submitted it.


2) FIRST E-VETTING SUBMISSION RECEIVED
I received an acknowledgement "E-Vetting Submission Received"...

"Thank you for submitting your completed E-Vetting Invitation please note that the acknowledgment number for this submission is EVET2024*********. Once a member of the Citizenship Division has reviewed your submission you will receive a further email which will contain further information in relation to completing your E-Vetting application".


3) CIRCULAR FROM CITIZENSHIP DIVISION
I then received what looked like a circular "Citizenship Applications Update"...

"Dear Applicant, Thank you for your continued patience while we work through the current backlog of Citizenship applications...we want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to remove the current backlog of files which remain a legacy of the pandemic, the paper based nature of the applications and sheer volumes..."


4) SECOND E-VETTING SUBMISSION COMPLETED
I've now strangely received an unexpected second acknowledgement for the Garda E-Vetting invitation submission titled "Immigration Online - E-Vetting Submission Completed"

"In relation to your E-Vetting Invitation - EVET2024********* please note that a member of the Citizenship Division will review your submission and will forward your details to An Garda Siochana National Vetting Bureau (NVB), to start the E-Vetting process. This process, however, is not instantaneous and due to the significant volumes of applications may take some time. Please do not contact the Garda National Vetting Bureau for updates. Your application will be progressed as expeditiously as possible. You will receive an email from the NVB in the coming weeks which will contain instructions on how to complete your E-Vetting submission".


Guys, this series of emails and circulars saying they're going to clear previous years' backlogs does not seem to be the normal process of E-Vetting invitation followed by one submission acknowledgement and then followed by them sending you a link for you to complete the E-Vetting with the Garda Vetting Bureau.

Does this means folks who have applied in 2024 now need to wait while the Citizenship Division get through the paper application backlogs of 2022 and 2023 before we are sent our E-Vetting links?

[lochgarman]

Citizenship Applications Update

14 May 2024

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your continued patience while we work through the current backlog of Citizenship applications.

Citizenship Division understands how delays in processing can have an impact on the lives of our applicants and we want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to remove the current backlog of files which remain a legacy of the pandemic, the paper based nature of the applications and sheer volumes.

Last year saw some progress with more than 20,000 applications approved. This was a 10 year high and came off the back of the Department holding more large scale Citizenship Ceremonies than ever before (15 across both Dublin and Kerry). We are committed to ensuring our upward trajectory of naturalisation decisions and access to ceremonies continues throughout 2024.

Over a two year period we have increased processing volumes by 66 per cent. We recognise there is still a need for more progress but we want to assure you we are doing everything possible to increase the volume of decisions we make and reduce the amount of time it takes to become naturalised.

We recognise the importance of giving applicants more opportunities to attend Citizenship Ceremonies to complete their naturalisation. In June this year, for the first time ever, we will be holding ceremonies in both Dublin and Kerry.

This will give us the opportunity to naturalise around 10,000 people across 12 ceremonies. Unfortunately we are not in a position to be able to give applicants a choice of venue.

The dates for these ceremonies are below. Invites will begin to issue in the coming weeks.

Killarney Dates: 10th and 11th June 2024
Dublin Dates: 20th and 21st June 2024
It is our intention to hold additional ceremonies in September and December of this year also. Once venues and dates are confirmed we will include them on the website.

eVetting
Since January 2024 Citizenship division has completed eVetting for over 12,600 people. Of the files we have on hand from 2023 and older, all have been offered eVetting links. Unfortunately there are a tranche of applications who have not responded when links have been sent.

If you have received a link and not filled it in, please do so as soon as possible as we will be unable to process your application until this step is complete.

If your application is from 2023 or older and you have not received an eVetting link, please contact customer service via citizenshipinfo@justice.ie with 2023 eVetting request in your subject line.

If you have already completed your vetting, please do not submit it again as this will cause delays.

Update to processing changes
Late last year Citizenship Division moved from paper based applications to online forms for all new applications. This move, coupled with the previous move to eVetting and online payments means new applications can now be done 100% paperless and online.

The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reducing waiting times.

We estimate we currently have around 4,000 paper files from 2022 and older. To ensure these files are progressed as soon as possible we have assigned a specific team to work through them. It is our hope the vast majority will be complete by the end of the summer.

Customer Service
We are committed to improving our customer service and we again recognise it can be frustrating for applicants when they experience delays with processing. Citizenship is doing everything possible to speed up the process. Where possible we do respond to customer queries.

The nature of the naturalisation process is that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take considerable time. As a result of this we are not in a position to be able to provide updates on individual applications.

Areas where you should contact customer service is when you change your address. It is also important that you keep your email address up to date as this is how the majority of communications is now issuing from Citizenship.

While we value feedback from our customers the volume of requests we receive means we ask that you only contact us if it is absolutely necessary. This will allow us to dedicate as many resources as possible to reducing our current backlog.

Kind Regards,

Darragh Brennan
Head of Citizenship Division

Visit Gov.ie/Justice

[RCUK]

Hi Lochgarman,

I would not be concerned.
The vetting related emails you have received are the normal process.

First you get an email from INIS inviting you to fill out a vetting invitation form.
You then register with INIS online if you didn't already have an account and you fill out the vetting invitation form online. You probably already had an INIS account as you probably did an online application. Mine was paper based still when I did it.

Secondly, after submitting the above form you get an email as you say entitled: "Immigration Online - E-Vetting Submission Received". This contains an acknowledgement number in the format you have mentioned.

Thirdly, sometime later, you get an email entitled: "Immigration Online - E-Vetting Submission Completed".
I am not sure what goes on between the acknowledgement email and the completion email but presumably someone in INIS sifts through the received e-vetting invitation submissions and lines them up for review as this email states that your details will be reviewed and then passed to An Garda Siochana National Vetting Bureau (NVB).

That seems to be the stage you have got to as per your post, These stages seem to just be the process of INIS setting you up as someone who they are then sending the details of to Garda NVB.

The next stages are:

1) You will receive an email from 'evetting' at Garda NVB. This invites you to fill out an e-vetting application form online.

2) Once you submit the application, you get an acknowledgment email containing your application number.
Thie email will say in it that "Your vetting application is now awaiting review by Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS)." ...I'm not sure why INIS are again involved at this stage but they are. There is a tracking link you can use to track the stages from there on the NVB website using your application number.

3) Once INIS have reviewed your vetting application they forward it back to garda NVB and you get an email saying: "Your application forwarded through Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) has been received by the National Vetting Bureau."

4) You then get an email saying a disclosure has been made reading: "The vetting application made in respect of you has been completed and a disclosure has been made to Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS)."

5) The final stage is then that the disclosure has been viewed. This is something that I did not receive email notification of but you can see when that has happened on the NVB vetting tracking through the link sent with the email in point number 2 above.


After that, there is nothing else for you to do unless INIS contact you.
The next thing I received was my approval letter which then mean't I could proceed to pay the certification fee and wait for a ceremony invitation.


The vetting process does seem overly complex with the various emails and stages but from what you said in your post, you are progressing entirely normally.

For me, the vetting dates were:
Invitation from inis: 8th Feb 2024. Submitted on INIS online same day.
Acknowledgement email: 13th Feb
E-vetting submission completed email (your current stage): 21st Feb
Email 1 above: 22nd Feb. Completed form same day.
Email 2 above: 22nd Feb.
Email 3 above: 23rd Feb.
Email 4 above: 5th March.
Disclosure viewed (on NVB tracker): 5th March



My dates for the whole process so far were:

Format: Paper form
Application Based On: 5 years residence - UK citizen
Applied Date: 02/09/23
Application received Date: 05/09/23
Acknowledgement Date: 10/11/2023 (letter by post - with receipt for application fee)
Vetting invitation form: 08/02/2024 (email, submitted same day evening)
Acknowledgment from INIS of invitation form receipt: 13/02/24 (email):
Second email from INIS confirming invitation form completed and next step is evetting from Garda email: 21/02/24 (email).
eVetting link received: 22/02/24 (email from Garda e-vetting))
eVetting link submitted: 22/02/24 (confirmation email received same day from Garda e-vetting)
eVetting disclosure viewed:05/03/24
Approval: 26/04/24 (received by post, brown envelope, stamped Tipperary, received 01/05/24).
Certificate fee €950 Paid Online: 01/05/24 (same day approval letter received - letter stated pay with 10 days if wish to be in upcoming ceremony)
Certificate Fee Payment Acknowledgment Email: Received 01/05/24
Certificate Fee Processed Email: Received 07/05/24 (and INIS online Certificate fee form updated to completed on same day).
Date of Ceremony: Pending

[Leo99]

Hi guys, I'd be grateful if you could help me understand what's going on here.

I applied start February 2024 for Irish naturalisation via the online INIS system as a UK citizen on the basis of 5 years' residency.

1) GARDA E-VETTING INVITATION
At the start of May, I received an email saying that the application had been approved for processing. With that came a second email at the same time which was the invitation for Garda E-Vetting. So I filled out the online form and uploaded my passport, and submitted it.


2) FIRST E-VETTING SUBMISSION RECEIVED
I received an acknowledgement "E-Vetting Submission Received"...

"Thank you for submitting your completed E-Vetting Invitation please note that the acknowledgment number for this submission is EVET2024*********. Once a member of the Citizenship Division has reviewed your submission you will receive a further email which will contain further information in relation to completing your E-Vetting application".


3) CIRCULAR FROM CITIZENSHIP DIVISION
I then received what looked like a circular "Citizenship Applications Update"...

"Dear Applicant, Thank you for your continued patience while we work through the current backlog of Citizenship applications...we want to assure you that we are doing everything possible to remove the current backlog of files which remain a legacy of the pandemic, the paper based nature of the applications and sheer volumes..."


4) SECOND E-VETTING SUBMISSION COMPLETED
I've now strangely received an unexpected second acknowledgement for the Garda E-Vetting invitation submission titled "Immigration Online - E-Vetting Submission Completed"

"In relation to your E-Vetting Invitation - EVET2024********* please note that a member of the Citizenship Division will review your submission and will forward your details to An Garda Siochana National Vetting Bureau (NVB), to start the E-Vetting process. This process, however, is not instantaneous and due to the significant volumes of applications may take some time. Please do not contact the Garda National Vetting Bureau for updates. Your application will be progressed as expeditiously as possible. You will receive an email from the NVB in the coming weeks which will contain instructions on how to complete your E-Vetting submission".


Guys, this series of emails and circulars saying they're going to clear previous years' backlogs does not seem to be the normal process of E-Vetting invitation followed by one submission acknowledgement and then followed by them sending you a link for you to complete the E-Vetting with the Garda Vetting Bureau.

Does this means folks who have applied in 2024 now need to wait while the Citizenship Division get through the paper application backlogs of 2022 and 2023 before we are sent our E-Vetting links?

Yes. That's how it works. They're clearing backlogs

[lochgarman]

Thank you so, so very much for taking the time to write a full a detailed reply. The info is really helpful and puts my mind at rest, as all the various INIS emails get me quite anxious about what's going on, and if there's stuff I missed. Very best of luck with your applications!

Finally, do we need to send a photograph for the Irish Naturalisation Certificate? And if so, how and when? There seems to be different opinions on this site about that.

Anyhow, very best of luck and thanks again!

[meself2]

Thank you so, so very much for taking the time to write a full a detailed reply. The info is really helpful and puts my mind at rest, as all the various INIS emails get me quite anxious about what's going on, and if there's stuff I missed. Very best of luck with your applications!

Finally, do we need to send a photograph for the Irish Naturalisation Certificate? And if so, how and when? There seems to be different opinions on this site about that.

Anyhow, very best of luck and thanks again!

You upload it online when you pay naturalization fee.
Although recent naturalized citizens reported they don't have a picture there, so they may or may not require it in the future. In any case, it's not sent by post.

[lochgarman]

Many thanks! That's really helpful to know re: photo for the naturalisation certificate. Best of luck with everything