Posting physical passport & proof of residence

[adisays]

Hello,

I am applying for naturalisation following receiving my ILR (in 2019, should have applied ages ago but COVID happened).

I was just made redundant 2 weeks ago and I'm looking to submit my application this week. Technically, I am on garden leave until the end of May, so what I understand from my HR team, my employment continues as normal until then (receive the same pay / benefits etc) but am not working. I've been told that I can't start another job until my garden leave is over as you can't have two full time jobs at once. Based on this, should I be answering "yes" to the "are you employed" question? I am and will still technically be an employee on the day I apply, but I won't be by the time the HO processes my application (I am currently interviewing for new roles, but haven't landed anything yet).

Does the HO contact my place of employment to confirm that I am in fact employed there? I imagine that by the time they get to my application, I will no longer be employed there, but I am on the day I applied. My company is likely willing to provide a letter saying I was employed between XXX dates. Will this be a problem?

Thank you!

[CR001]

If ypu are still employed then answer yes.

Employment is not a requirement for citizenship anyway so it doesn't matter if you change jobs or have no job during the process.

Ukvi doesn't contact employers for citizenship applications.

You do NOT need an emoyer letter either.

[adisays]

Thanks a lot for the answer and quickness of response too.

This section also asks for a "Tax office reference number" which can be "You can find this on your payslip or tax return" However I don't have anything called a tax office reference number on my payslips. On my tax return, I have a UTR number and also something called a Tax Reference but that's the same as my NHS number. Could they possibly be the same, or is the UTR the correct thing to add? My NHS number is on my payslips, the UTR is not.

[CR001]

It is your NI number on your payslips, not your NHS number, two separate things.

The tax office ref number is on your P60 or ask HR. It isn't your NI number.

[adisays]

Apologies, yes I meant the NI number.

My P60 lists my NI number and an Employer PAYE reference. Could it be that?

Thank you

[alterhase58]

Yes employers paye number is the one.

[adisays]

alterhase58 Thank you so much!!

[adisays]

Hi folks, I've filled out my British Citizenship application form (5 year ILR pathway) but haven't submitted it yet, as I don't know the nature of the documents/evidence I will have to physically provide once I submit it. I have travel plans to go to the US (where I'm from) later this week so the goal is to submit my application before I leave (I can't submit it after, as I'll be over the 90 day requirement once I'm back). I kindly request your help on a few questions:

1. Do I need to physically post my US passport to the home office once I submit my online application? I think not, but I'm seeing mixed answers. I know that I am able to travel after I apply because the gov website explicitly states, after "submitting your naturalisation application, you are free to travel whilst you are waiting for a decision using your valid passport and evidence of your valid ILR, or other valid status. You do not need to tell us about your travel plans." I'll obviously need my US passport to enter the US. Do I need to physically post anything else, other than the two referee declaration forms?

2. I'm still a bit unclear on the "proof of living in the UK for 5 years qualifying period" - the official Guide AN states "You can meet the lawful residence requirement if you have indefinite leave in the UK." I do have my ILR, but the examples the guidance suggests for proof are also "employers’ letters or tax and National Insurance letters". I use the e-gates when traveling with my US passport so it is very rarely ever stamped. Does this mean I either have to get a letter from each of my past employers confirming my employment date, or manually upload or send every payslip I've ever received over the last 5 years?

3. Do I need to physically post anything else, other than the two referee declaration forms? I will be away for 2 weeks and 2 days, so I hope there's nothing immediate that I don't already have that I can't physically post before I go.

Many thanks for your help.

[CR001]

1. Do I need to physically post my US passport to the home office once I submit my online application? I think not, but I'm seeing mixed answers. I know that I am able to travel after I apply because the gov website explicitly states, after "submitting your naturalisation application, you are free to travel whilst you are waiting for a decision using your valid passport and evidence of your valid ILR, or other valid status. You do not need to tell us about your travel plans." I'll obviously need my US passport to enter the US. Do I need to physically post anything else, other than the two referee declaration forms?

No originals are posted. Everything is uploaded digitally, same as when you applied for ILR. Referee forms also get uploaded digitally.

2. I'm still a bit unclear on the "proof of living in the UK for 5 years qualifying period" - the official Guide AN states "You can meet the lawful residence requirement if you have indefinite leave in the UK." I do have my ILR, but the examples the guidance suggests for proof are also "employers’ letters or tax and National Insurance letters". I use the e-gates when traveling with my US passport so it is very rarely ever stamped. Does this mean I either have to get a letter from each of my past employers confirming my employment date, or manually upload or send every payslip I've ever received over the last 5 years?

You only need your passport and declaring your absence in the form. UKVI have their means to check your absence etc.

3. Do I need to physically post anything else, other than the two referee declaration forms? I will be away for 2 weeks and 2 days, so I hope there's nothing immediate that I don't already have that I can't physically post before I go.

Nothing is posted!

Also, please keep all your questions about the same application in one topic, this one (now merged).

[adisays]

Thank you, sorry, noted on keeping it in one thread.

Is a student visa and a work visa considered a "previous UK immigration application"? Technically I had two student visas (2011 & 2013), two Tier 2 visas (2014-2017, 2017-2019) and then the ILR (2019 onwards). Would this be considered as 5 total immigration applications? The second Tier 2 was an extension of the first one, I was working for the same company.

Based on the above, I don't know how to answer "When did you first arrive in the UK?" On my ILR application, I used the date I was granted the Tier 2 (2014), but that application did not ask for any previous immigration applications. I feel like now if I use a different date (say for example 2011, when I got my first student visa), this won't match what I put in my ILR application. However if I use the 2014 date to stay consistent with the ILR app, they'll see from the following sections that I have had permission to stay in the UK before 2014, on student visas.

Thank you

[CR001]

Is a student visa and a work visa considered a "previous UK immigration application"? Technically I had two student visas (2011 & 2013), two Tier 2 visas (2014-2017, 2017-2019) and then the ILR (2019 onwards). Would this be considered as 5 total immigration applications? The second Tier 2 was an extension of the first one, I was working for the same company.

Yes, you need to list all immigration applications in the form as it asks.

Based on the above, I don't know how to answer "When did you first arrive in the UK?" On my ILR application, I used the date I was granted the Tier 2 (2014), but that application did not ask for any previous immigration applications. I feel like now if I use a different date (say for example 2011, when I got my first student visa), this won't match what I put in my ILR application. However if I use the 2014 date to stay consistent with the ILR app, they'll see from the following sections that I have had permission to stay in the UK before 2014, on student visas.

Naturalisation is not an immigration application. This answer is specifically about when you arrived, it has no bearing on the outcome of the application. Your ILR application specifically ask the date "the ILR application is based on" and if it was 5 years Tier 2 General, then the date 5 years before would be correct.

[adisays]

Thank you for the fast answers.

Based on the above, I don't know how to answer "When did you first arrive in the UK?" On my ILR application, I used the date I was granted the Tier 2 (2014), but that application did not ask for any previous immigration applications. I feel like now if I use a different date (say for example 2011, when I got my first student visa), this won't match what I put in my ILR application. However if I use the 2014 date to stay consistent with the ILR app, they'll see from the following sections that I have had permission to stay in the UK before 2014, on student visas.

Naturalisation is not an immigration application. This answer is specifically about when you arrived, it has no bearing on the outcome of the application. Your ILR application specifically ask the date "the ILR application is based on" and if it was 5 years Tier 2 General, then the date 5 years before would be correct.
[/quote]

Okay, so based on the above, would it be correct to use my 2011 student visa date as the date I first arrived, even if it doesn't match the ILR application? The question is asked word for word identically on both the ILR & naturalisation applications. The only difference is that on the ILR application, the header belonging to the "When did you first arrive in the UK?" question is Immigration History and the header before this Q on the naturalisation application is Trips Outside the UK. Not sure if that has a bearing or anything though.

Thank you

[CR001]

You are overthinking this.

Just state your initial date of arrival.

[adisays]

Okay, thanks. I will put my first student visa date, truthfully that is literally when I first came to the UK on an immigration application and I have nothing to hide / have done everything by the books so...

Regarding passports, will they want me to upload a copy of the older passport too, the one that contained my student visas?

Thank you.

[CR001]

Possibly yes, the checklist will tell you what is needed.

[adisays]

Me again

You must have been physically present in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application.

To me this indicates that if I submit my naturalisation application online today on 18 March 2025, that I needed to have been physically present in the UK on 18 March 2020. However the home office example seems to use the day before, whereas other examples say the day after. Does my 5 year clock mean I needed to be in the UK on 17 March 2020, or 19 March 2020??

Home office link and their example: https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-in ... 0by%20post.

Example
If the Home Office receives your application on 20 June 2022, but you left the UK on 10 June 2017 and returned to the UK on 25 June 2017, you will not qualify. You’ll need to wait until 24 June 2022 to apply.

The date the Home Office receives your application depends on how you apply. If you apply online, your application will be received on the same day. It will take longer if you apply by post.

[contorted_svy]

19 March 2020. If you travelled around that time just wait for a day when you were in the UK, not the day you came back, just to be safe.

[adisays]

Thank you! I haven't traveled in the vicinity of March 19/20 so that's fine.

I have put my current address where i've been living for 1.5 years, and my last address where I lived for just over 4 years, totalling around 5 years worth of addresses. Do I need to put more than that, like my student halls etc?

[CR001]

Do I need to put more than that, like my student halls etc?

No.

[adisays]

Thank you CR001.

How soon after submitting the application do the required documents need to be uploaded? I planned to submit tonight and travel on Thursday, but it looks like I'll need to get physical signatures for the referee declarations - if uploading those can wait for two and a bit weeks, I can upload them when I'm back, otherwise run around London tomorrow getting them signed....

[contorted_svy]

You need to upload everything before your biometrics appointment. Just book your appointment for a date after you are back. Forms can be signed electronically, you don't need them to be signed in person.

[adisays]

You need to upload everything before your biometrics appointment. Just book your appointment for a date after you are back. Forms can be signed electronically, you don't need them to be signed in person.

Thank you, you saved me a lot of panic about running around tomorrow getting my referees to sign. Do you know where it says documents can be electronically signed? From the referee document, it looks like my passport pic needs to be physically glued to the sheet & reading through the AN Guidance, I can't see anything about electronic signatures. It really would be more straightforward if they just explained how these things can or can't be done!

Also, is there a deadline for when documents have to be uploaded, or where you upload them from? I will submit my application on Wednesday but will fly to the US on Thursday. Can I upload my docs from the US?

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

[adisays]

Regarding the date of submission: Gov.uk says "The date the Home Office receives your application depends on how you apply. If you apply online, your application will be received on the same day."

That says to me that if I submit my app / pay etc on March 19, the HO receives my application on March 19. OR, is the date of submission determined by when the supporting documents are uploaded? As my plan is to apply online then travel the next day, I want to ensure I can upload my documents from abroad, or if there are issues with that. Alternatively, I could wait 2.5 weeks and upload the supporting docs from within the UK (having already applied on the 19th) but I don't want to do this because 1) it will put me over 90 days of absences and 2) I don't know if there's a deadline from when you apply online to when you need to upload your documents.

Thank you

[contorted_svy]

You can upload the documents from wherever you want. Submission date is what matters, not upload date. No deadline for uploading documents per se, but you must attend a biometrics appointment by 45 working days from when you apply. Once you apply you don't need to consider your trips as absences anymore.

[adisays]

Thank you so much.

To the question "Do you currently hold, or have you ever held, any other nationality or citizenship?" would the correct answer be 'No', given that I have already declared I am a current US citizen in the steps prior? Is it asking if I have additional nationalities/citizenships besides the one I already have? Or do I need to answer 'yes', and say US citizen again? If I say yes, it seems strange as it asks for the date I first received it (when I was born" but also gives me an option to say "I still hold this citizenship". It seems redundant to state it twice though - US citizenship is the ONLY citizenship I have right now.

Thank you