Naturalisation and residence

[bruno]

I am an EU citizen resident in the UK. I have had ILR for just over a year and would like to apply for British Citizenship on the basis of having been resident for over 5 years. I have a question regarding residence: when I apply should I include proof of residence (e.g. letter from employer) for all five years, or just for the time after I got my ILR (which after all required me to prove four years of continuous residence)?
The reason I ask is that in the former case I would need to contact my previous employers again and ask them to write new letters, since their old ones were not returned to me by the IND.
Thanks for any replies.

[ppron747]

My guess - and it is only a guess - is that your application may be dealt with more swiftly if you were to supply all the evidence again. Then you would be able to use a Nationality Checking Service office (assuming you have one not too far away), and applications sent through NCS seem to be done more quickly than others.

I think you'll find that you won't be able to use NCS if you rely on the documents that IND (I hope!) have retained on your file. I suspect their line would be that if they can't check all of the documents associated with the application, they are not prepared to forward it in one of their special envelopes, so you would have to send it off yourself.

Then, it would start in "the slow lane" once it reached IND, and may have to wait in an even slower lane until your Immigration file has been recovered wherever it is being kept in storage - which is unlikely to be anywhere near Liverpool, where naturalisations are decided.

I repeat - it's only a guess. I suspect you might not get a definitive answer without asking the Home Office, though. If you decide to contact them, let us know what they say - it is an interesting question!

[JAJ]

The reason I ask is that in the former case I would need to contact my previous employers again and ask them to write new letters, since their old ones were not returned to me by the IND.

Paul has given you good advice. But maybe compromise - eg, have you got P60s from the relevant tax years showing tax paid, copies of employment contracts, utility and bank records showing residence in the UK, etc?

[bruno]

Thanks for the replies. I stupidly threw away most useful documents before my last move, but I can easily ask for new bank statements (as I did for my ILR) and a letter from my previous employers. Until two years ago I was only working part time, but it should be clear from my bank statements that I hardly ever left the country. By the way, I have a question about the NCS: is it possible to see them for a consultation, or are you only supposed to make an appointment once you feel ready to submit your application?
Thanks again!

[ppron747]

It might be worth giving them a ring, but I really don't know, I'm afraid...