Naturalisation question(s) - Some advise needed

[Fairtrade]

Hi to everyone.

A few questions....


I am about to apply for Naturalisation and need some more information, that I can't find in the Naturalisation Guide on the UK Border Agency's webpage.

1) The first question is regarding my current passport. It is about to expire in one month's time. Can I apply for naturalisation just before my current passport expires for example within a few days or do you need a certain amount of time left on the passport when applying for naturalisation??

2) The second question is about the professional referee. I have phone the Home Office and asked them if my Doctor from my home country can sign for me as a professional referee and they said it's fine. When reading the guide it states a person from abroad can sign if you are residing abroad. So does that mean the Home Office gave me the wrong advice??

3) and lastly but not least.... My visas in the UK are all valid and applied for before they expired but they have a few gaps in them due to Home Office taking time to to process them. For example when I applied for ILR... I applied before my previous visa expired (November) but only got ILR visa in February. So there is gap here but I have legally applied before the previous visa expired. Is it up to me now to prove these gaps are actually valid?? Or will the Home Office know that these gaps are valid because of the processing time?

Thanking you in advance for taking the time in answering some of my question. Any advise or information will be greatly appreciated.

[republique]

Hi to everyone.

A few questions....


I am about to apply for Naturalisation and need some more information, that I can't find in the Naturalisation Guide on the UK Border Agency's webpage.

1) The first question is regarding my current passport. It is about to expire in one month's time. Can I apply for naturalisation just before my current passport expires for example within a few days or do you need a certain amount of time left on the passport when applying for naturalisation??

2) The second question is about the professional referee. I have phone the Home Office and asked them if my Doctor from my home country can sign for me as a professional referee and they said it's fine. When reading the guide it states a person from abroad can sign if you are residing abroad. So does that mean the Home Office gave me the wrong advice??

3) and lastly but not least.... My visas in the UK are all valid and applied for before they expired but they have a few gaps in them due to Home Office taking time to to process them. For example when I applied for ILR... I applied before my previous visa expired (November) but only got ILR visa in February. So there is gap here but I have legally applied before the previous visa expired. Is it up to me now to prove these gaps are actually valid?? Or will the Home Office know that these gaps are valid because of the processing time?

Thanking you in advance for taking the time in answering some of my question. Any advise or information will be greatly appreciated.

1. The expiration of your passport is not the criteria as to when you can apply. Under what criteria would you apply for naturalisation.
Clarify your details first before you can get an answer
2 The HO correctly advised you
3 What you describe are not gaps

[Fairtrade]

Thank you Republique for your quick reply.


I'm applying based on marriage to a british citizen for more than 3 years. I have lived in the Uk legally continously for more than 4 years so I guess it shouldn't be a problem seeing I have ILR already.

And when I intend to apply I would have been legally in the country exactly 3 years ago. So that is not the problem.

What I do need to know is when I do apply for naturalisation, does it matter that my passport expires in a few days? Do I need a certain amount of time left on my passport when applying for naturalisation?? Can I apply for naturalisation on my passport that has expired a few days???

All these sort of questions are not answered in the Guide for completing the Naturalisation form.

Any ideas or advise would be gladly appreciated.
Thank You in advance.

[mads]

It does not matter about your passport expiring - effectively once you apply for naturalisation and become british, you will apply for a new passport.
Of course you would have to renew your old passport (if you have dual nationality).
All the best, the turnaround time seems to be super quick at the moment. I applied based on the 3 year spouse visa and got a confirmation 3 weeks later.

[republique]

Thank you Republique for your quick reply.


I'm applying based on marriage to a british citizen for more than 3 years. I have lived in the Uk legally continously for more than 4 years so I guess it shouldn't be a problem seeing I have ILR already.

And when I intend to apply I would have been legally in the country exactly 3 years ago. So that is not the problem.

What I do need to know is when I do apply for naturalisation, does it matter that my passport expires in a few days? Do I need a certain amount of time left on my passport when applying for naturalisation?? Can I apply for naturalisation on my passport that has expired a few days???

All these sort of questions are not answered in the Guide for completing the Naturalisation form.

Any ideas or advise would be gladly appreciated.
Thank You in advance.

I dont see why you don't apply now.
The info you are looking for his negative info, meaning it doesn't apply so why would they mention it if it isn't relevant. If you already have done the life in the uk test, then I'd apply now based on the info you have given

[f2k]

Thank you Republique for your quick reply.


I'm applying based on marriage to a british citizen for more than 3 years. I have lived in the Uk legally continously for more than 4 years so I guess it shouldn't be a problem seeing I have ILR already.

And when I intend to apply I would have been legally in the country exactly 3 years ago. So that is not the problem.

What I do need to know is when I do apply for naturalisation, does it matter that my passport expires in a few days? Do I need a certain amount of time left on my passport when applying for naturalisation?? Can I apply for naturalisation on my passport that has expired a few days???

All these sort of questions are not answered in the Guide for completing the Naturalisation form.

Any ideas or advise would be gladly appreciated.
Thank You in advance.

I hope you do know that you can apply TODAY, since you were you are here for more than 4 years it means you could have applied the day you got ILR. If you are still worried about the expiration of your passport you can make use of the Nationality Checking Services offered by some Councils http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/briti ... e/#header1
infact if there is one close to you maybe you can pop in in ask the questions

[Fairtrade]

Thank You Mads, Republique and F2k.

I have taken all your advise on board and will be applying soon.
(cross fingers)

I will be making use of the Nationality Checking Service, thanks for the info F2k, just to make sure my passport is valid and to double check all my documents are in order.

Thank You.