Naturalisation application processing timelines (only)

[jzag1989]

Eligibility criteria: 5yr + 1yr EU Settled Status
Language/LIUK Criteria: UK BSc and MSc degrees
Nationality: EU (Poland)
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 5 January 2021
Date of debit of fees: 5 January 2021
Date of acknowledgement: Not sure I received one
Date Biometrics booked: 5 January 2021
Date Biometrics enrolled: 1 February 2021 (London)
Date on Approval/Ceremony letter: 14 June 2021
Date of receipt of Approval/Ceremony letter: 22 June 2021 (I only received one letter - not sure if this is thee approval or the ceremony one, but it seems to mention application approval as well as next steps to book the ceremony)
Date of Ceremony: 30 June 2021 (Camden, London)

Such a long wait and funnily enough I sent a letter to the HO on the same day as they approved my application! I panicked about some of the answers on my application and thought sending a cover letter would help clarify a few things - I could see so many receiving approval who applied after me, I thought I'd help with whatever the hold up is! If this has taught me anything is that you just need to wait, NOT panic, and be confident in your application. Do your best to provide all the documents, and if it helps with your peace of mind, add a cover letter at the point of application . Big thanks to this forum, it's been such a comfort! Good luck all!

[qwisnia]

Application Timeline
Eligibility criteria: EEA Citizen Residency (5yr) + 14 months
Language Criteria: B1 exam + Life in the UK test
Nationality: Polish
Method of application: Online + UKVCAS
Date of application: 11/03/2020
Date of email acknowledgement: 12/03/2020
Fee paid debit card: 11/03/2020
Date biometrics enrolled: 13/03/2020 at Croydon London Paid service £110
Date on Approval letter: 10/06/2020 (by email)
Date of receipt of approval: 10/06/2020 (by email)
Date of ceremony letter: 29/03/2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 10/04/2021
Date of Ceremony: 27/05/2021
Date of passport application: 28/05/2021
Passport received: 15/06/2021
Supporting documents received: 18/06/2021

Finally journey is over

[Windrush+]

Eligibility criteria: ILR + 24 years, and married to UK citizen 5 years
Language/LIUK Criteria: Life in the UK test + Native English speaker
Nationality : Guyana and France (naturalised via first marriage)
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 6 January 2021
Payment method: Debit card online
Date of debit of fees and acknowledgement : 6 January 2021
Date of biometrics and enrollment: 2 February 2021 (Mark Lane, £199)
Date on Approval letter: Not, as such, received yet
Date of receipt of approval: 22 June 2021 (by email : NB on June 17th I wrote to Further Nationality Enquiries to complain about the delay and saying I would write my MP and the Windrush unit)
Date on ceremony letter: Pending
Date of Ceremony: Pending

[Longazz33]

Eligibility criteria: ILR
Language/LIUK Criteria: B1, Life in the UK pass
Nationality : Zimbabwe
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 27/12/20
Payment method: Debit card online
Date of debit of fees: 27/12/20
Date of acknowledgement: 28/12/21
Date of biometrics: 23/01/21
Date Biometrics enrolled: 23/01/21
Date on Approval letter: 09 June 2021
Date of receipt of approval: 19 June 2021 through the post, brown envelope, no email was ever sent
Date of receipt of ceremony letter:Waiting
Date of Ceremony: Waiting

The wait is long and very stressful. I really wish there was a way to track an application. I'm feeling so anxious about this as I have spent a considerable amount of money and so far no word back from the home office. I'm so stressed out and anxious as it is getting to 6 months and most of the people who applied same time as me already received their responses.

[Hwima]

Eligibility criteria: 6 years DLR + 4 years Settled Status
Language/LIUK Criteria: BSc / Passed LIUK test
Nationality: Zimbabwean
Method of application: online
Date of application: 23/03/2020
Payment method: Credit Card
Date of acknowledgment: 23/03/2020
Date of debit of fees: 23/03/2020
Date Biometrics enrolled: 10/06/2020 (postponed from 30/03 to 11/05 to 15/06)
Date on Approval letter: 23/02/2021
Date of receipt of approval: 23/02/2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 09/04/2021
Date of Ceremony: 22/06/2021

It's been quite a journey since my arrival in 2002. Characterised by a lot of waiting and the anxiety that came with uncertainty at times. I'm glad it's all over now and wish you all the best going forward

[EU-omrstroke]

Eligibility criteria: EU ILR , married to a British citizen
Language/LIUK Criteria: NARIC / LIUK Pass
Nationality: EU
Method of application: Online
Application sent & fee paid: 06/01/2021
Receipt of your application: 10/01/2021
Document Upload to UKVCAS: 06/01/2021
Biometrics Appointment: 07/01/2021
Date of approval: 11/06/2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: pending
Date of ceremony: pending.

Good luck guys,, my journey started 2015 and previously 2 failed applications

[waseemhassan44]

Eligibility criteria: tier2 + ILR + 1 year
Language/LIUK Criteria: NARIC / LIUK Pass
Nationality: Pakistan
Method of application: Online
Application sent & fee paid: 03/03/2021
Receipt of your application: 03/03/2021
Document Upload to UKVCAS: 04/03/2021
Biometrics Appointment: 30/03/2021
Date of approval: 22/06/2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 22/06/2021
Date of ceremony: 02/08/2021

[I VE A LIFE WITHOUT TIER2]

Back again, this journey never ends

Eligibility criteria: ILR + Spouse of British Citizen
Language/LIUK Criteria: UK Bsc + Life in the UK
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 28/04/2021
Payment method: Debit card online
Date of debit of fees: 28/04/2021
Date of acknowledgement: 29/04/2021
Date Biometrics enrolled: 21/06/2021
Date on Approval letter: Waiting
Date of receipt of approval: Waiting
Date of receipt of ceremony: Waiting
Date of Ceremony: Waiting

[Longazz33]

Eligibility criteria: ILR
Language/LIUK Criteria: B1, Life in the UK pass
Nationality : Zimbabwe
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 27/12/20
Payment method: Debit card online
Date of debit of fees: 27/12/20
Date of acknowledgement: 28/12/21
Date of biometrics: 23/01/21
Date Biometrics enrolled: 23/01/21
Date on Approval letter: 09 June 2021
Date of receipt of approval: 19 June 2021 through the post, brown envelope
Date of receipt of ceremony letter:Waiting
Date of Ceremony: Waiting

The wait is long and very stressful. I really wish there was a way to track an application. I'm feeling so anxious about this as I have spent a considerable amount of money and so far no word back from the home office. I'm so stressed out and anxious as it is getting to 6 months and most of the people who applied same time as me already received their responses.

[peterhon]

Eligibility criteria: EU Citizen + ILR + ~8 years residence
Language Criteria: Degree (UK)
Nationality: Romania
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 23/09/2020
Payment method: Debit card
Date of debit fees: 24/09/2020
Date of acknowledgement: 23/09/2020
Date Documents submitted on UKVCAS WEBSITE : 17/10/2020
Date of Biometric submission: booking for 20/10/2020 (Peterborough)
Date on Approval letter: 23/11/2020 (via email)
Date of receipt of approval: N/A - never arrived (see below)
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: N/A - never arrived (see below)
Date of Ceremony: 15/06/2021

Others:

• My initial UKVCAS appointment was cancelled due to "unforeseen circumstances" so had to make another one

• My birth certificate must've been lost in the post because I haven't heard anything back for about 5 months after my approval at which point I started escalating it and it got solved after

[bsc2007]

Eligibility criteria: T2G -> ILR -> 1.9 yrs
English: UK MSc
Nationality: India
Date of application: 31 Dec 2020
Date biometrics enrolled: 28 Jan 2021
Approval email received: 11 May 2021
Ceremony letter received: 26 May 2021
Ceremony scheduled: 10 Aug 2021 (Birmingham)

[kkkTier1]

Eligibility criteria: 5yr Tier 1 Entrepreneur + 1yr ILR
Language/LIUK Criteria: Masters in the UK + Life in the UK
Nationality: Indian
Method of application: Online
Application sent & fee paid: 08/06/2021
Document Upload to UKVCAS: 12/06/2021
Document Submitted to UKVI: 12/06/2021
In person Biometrics UKVCAS: 14/06/2021
Date of Approval letter: pending
Date of receipt of approval: pending
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: pending
Date on letter: pending
Date of Ceremony: pending

[MooWee]

Eligibility criteria: 15 years in country + 2 years EUSS ILR
Language/LIUK Criteria: Life in the UK test + Trinity College London B1 language cert
Nationality : Poland
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 4th June 2021
Payment method: Credit Card online
Date of debit of fees and acknowledgement : 4th June 2021
Date of biometrics and enrolment: 24 June 2021 (Birmingham)
Date on Approval letter: Pending
Date of receipt of approval: Pending
Date on ceremony letter: Pending
Date of Ceremony: Pending

[Ninazara]

Eligibility criteria: ILR + 1 Year
Language/LIUK Criteria: Postgraduate diploma from UK + Life in the UK pass
Nationality: Pakistani
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 07-01-2021
Payment method: Credit card online
Date of debit of fees: 07-01-2021
Date of acknowledgement: 07-01-2021
Date Biometrics enrolled: 23-03-2021
Date on Approval letter: Pending
Date of receipt of approval: Pending
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: Pending
Date of Ceremony: Pending

It's a long long wait and really stressful!

[vinved]

Eligibility criteria: ILR + 2.5 year
Language/LIUK Criteria: NARIC / LIUK Pass
Nationality: India
Method of application: Online
Application sent & fee paid: 04/06/2021
Receipt of your application: 04/06/2021
Document Upload to UKVCAS: 10/06/2021
Biometrics Appointment: 13/06/2021
Date of approval: pending
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: pending
Date ceremony booked: pending
Date of ceremony: pending

[Windrush+]

Eligibility criteria: ILR + 24 years, and married to UK citizen 5 years
Language/LIUK Criteria: Life in the UK test + Native English speaker
Nationality : Guyana and France (naturalised via first marriage)
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 6 January 2021
Payment method: Debit card online
Date of debit of fees and acknowledgement : 6 January 2021
Date of biometrics and enrollment: 2 February 2021 (Mark Lane, £199)
Date on Approval letter: Pending
Date of receipt of approval: Pending
Date on ceremony letter: Pending
Date of Ceremony: Pending

[wablossom]

Eligibility criteria: 5 years + 1y ILR
Language/LIUK Criteria: Life in the UK test + Native English speaker
Nationality : Australian
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 21 Dec 2020
Payment method: Debit card online
Date of debit of fees and acknowledgement : 21 Dec 2020
Date of biometrics and enrollment: 18 Jan 2021 (Croydon)
Date on Approval letter: 19 Jan 2021 YES 1 day approval!!
Date of receipt of approval: 19 Jan 2021 by PDF attachment in email
Date on ceremony letter: 19 May 2021 a long wait for this letter although approval was achieved in one day..
Date of Ceremony: 28 May 2021 received my certificate at in person ceremony as COVID restrictions have relaxed.

I have found this forum so useful over the years and wanted to share my journey too.
Best of luck to all on your path way to Naturalisation! I hope your applications go smoothly and quickly!

[Zimbo2Brits]

Eligibility criteria: LTR 3 years x 2 & DLR x 1 = 10 years
Language/LIUK Criteria: B1, Life in the UK pass
Nationality : Zimbabwe
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 28/08/2020
Payment method: credit card online
Date of debit of fees: 28/08/2020
Date of acknowledgement: 28/08/2020
Date of biometrics: 09/09/2020
Date Biometrics enrolled: 09/09/2020
Date on Approval letter: 18/02/2021 email only
Date of receipt of approval: 18/02/2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 6/04/2021
Date of Ceremony: 15/06/2021

To God be the glory my immigration journey has come to an end!

[Vincana]

Eligibility criteria: 20 yrs in the UK (5 PR acquired in 2012) + BC Spouse
Language/LIUK Criteria: UK MSc + Life in the UK test
Nationality: EU
Method of application: Online
Application submitted online & fee paid: 18 Dec 2020
Acknowledgement of application email: 21 Dec 2020
Biometrics Appointment (Southampton): 2 Feb 2021
Date of the approval letter: 24th May 2021
Date of receipt of approval: 24th May 2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 1st June 2021
Date of ceremony: 7th July 2021

At long last - wishing you All the very best of luck with your applications!

[CR001]

@Qayssar1980 - Please respect that this is a TIMELINE ONLY topic. Please don't post questions in this thread. Any questions, discussions or chit chat will be removed.

[cuppa]

Eligibility criteria: retroactive EEA(PR) + 1 year (also had EU SS for less than a year at the time of application, now it's over a year)
Language criteria: UK degree
Nationality: Croatian/EU
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 29/09/2020
Date of acknolwledgement: 29/09/2020
Date biometrics enrolled: 02/10/2020

It's been six months since my application without any communication from UKVI, I called them today (29/03/2021) and they wouldn't provide any information at all.

Since they wouldn't communicate with me at all, soon after that phone call, being frustrated, I submitted a Subject Access Request (SAR) to see what's going on.

On 04/05/2021 I called UKVI again, wanting to see why my SAR is taking so long (more than a month). I tried to reach the nationality section again to ask about the SAR, which was a wrong move in hindsight. This time I spoke to a very friendly lady who told me that they don't deal with SARs, but she was willing to take my details and escalate the case.

On 05/05/2021 I received an email from the SAR team apologising for the delay with the SAR.

On 11/05/2021 I received an email responding to my escalation case with a copy/paste apology.

On 18/05/2021 I received an email from MMST FMT with a similar copy/paste apology, unrelated to the escalation case.

On 28/05/2021 I received my SAR details. There was no activity on my case since November 2020, more than six months. I am considering my options, I will probably write to my MP next week.

On 28/05/2021 I sent an email to my MP (Vauxhall).
On 02/06/2021 I got a response from my MP's caseworker saying that he contacted the Home Office by phone, and he was told that my "application is being actively considered and they hope to make a decision soon". He also said that he followed up the phone call with a formal inquiry to the Home Office and they are supposed to get back to him within four weeks.

Date on approval/ceremony letter (there was only one letter with both): 03/06/2021
Date of receipt of approval/ceremony letter: 12/06/2021 (via snail mail)

Tried to book my ceremony on 12/06 and 14/06 online, no luck even after a phone call on 14/06 to my council (Wandsworth) as they haven't received anything from the Home Office. I tried the next morning (15/06) online and I was able to book a free group ceremony.

Date of ceremony: 14/07/2021 (although I might go for a private virtual one (£100) if they find me an opening quickly enough)

That's 8 months from start to approval, 9.5 total until the ceremony, what a journey. I'll see you all in the passport thread

[Mursh1m]

Eligibility criteria: 5 years Tier 2 General + 1 ILR
Language/LIUK Criteria: NARIC + Life in the UK
Nationality: Indian
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 22/02/2021
Date of bio-metrics enrolled: 22/02/2021
Date on approval letter: 14/06/2021(via email)
Date of receipt of approval: 14/06/2021 (via email)
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: 14/06/2021 (via email)
Date of ceremony: Planning to book it for early August though an earliest slot is available for 22nd June

3 months and 20 days to get the approval & ceremony letter, that's not bad.Good luck to everyone, hopefully the rest will go smoothly, I'm so happy.Thanks to all the moderators.

[Magus1984]

Application Timeline
Eligibility criteria: ILR (EU settled status as unmarried partner) + 1yr
Language/LIUK Criteria: UK Masters Degree
Nationality: Argentina
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 9 January 2021
Date of debit of fees:9 January 2021 (£1349.20)
Date of acknowledgement: 11 January 2021 (application received and being considered)
Date Biometrics enrolled: 5 February 2021 (Free - Croydon)
Date of Approval letter: waiting
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: waiting
Date of Ceremony: waiting

It's been 5 months and starting to get a bit worried...

[abdulcjk]

Eligibility criteria: (5 + 1yr ILR)
Method of application: Online
Date of receipt by UKBA: 16/12/2020
Date of debit of fees:16/12/2020
Date of receipt of acknowledgement:17/12/2020
Date of receipt of approval: Pending...
Date of Ceremony: Pending...

[DomBoxer]

Application Timeline
Eligibility criteria: EU settled status (5yr) + 1yr
Language/LIUK Criteria: B1 + Life in the UK test
Nationality: EU (Poland)
Method of application: Online
Date of application: 5 March 2021
Date of debit of fees:5 March 2021 (£1349.20)
Date of acknowledgement: 5 March 2021 (application received and being considered)
Date Biometrics booked: 6 March 2021 (paid £112 as there was no free option anywhere around London)
Date Biometrics enrolled: 3 April 2021 15:30 (Mark Lane - near Tower Bridge, London)
Date of Approval letter: 14 June 2021
Date of receipt of ceremony letter: Didn't receive (nor the email), booked online
Date of Virtual Ceremony: 16 June 2021 11:00am (Merton)