General Discussion During Naturalisation Application Process

[noajthan]

Is anyone applied for Naturalisation in August 2016 and still waiting for the decision?
Thanks

Check timeline thread.

[Pal2013]

Is anyone applied for Naturalisation in August 2016 and still waiting for the decision?
Thanks

Hi. I applied on 5 Sept 2016 but still waiting. When in August did u apply ?

[MrsGreenside]

Re: Return of Documents

As there was (and is) some frustration about Home Office returning sensitive documents and even the approval letters via untracked 2nd class mail I asked FOI to clarify why this is their methodology. Here's their reply:
Due to the cost and resource required to manage a recorded or special delivery process, all correspondence is sent to the customer 2nd class unless the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document.

This is what you find on page 18 in the AN_Guide:

PLEASE NOTE: If you require your valuable documents to be returned by secure post you should enclose a pre-paid self-addressed Royal Mail Special Delivery (or Recorded Signed For delivery) envelope with your application. The pre-paid self addressed envelope should be sufficient to accommodate the size and weight of your documents and be insured to the appropriate level for the value of your documents. If this is not enclosed your documents will be returned to you using Royal Mail 2nd class post. Please consult Royal Mail’s website at www.royalmail.com for further information.

This may be of interest for some of you.

Have a good day!

[CR001]

Re: Return of Documents

As there was (and is) some frustration about Home Office returning sensitive documents and even the approval letters via untracked 2nd class mail I asked FOI to clarify why this is their methodology. Here's their reply:
Due to the cost and resource required to manage a recorded or special delivery process, all correspondence is sent to the customer 2nd class unless the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document.

This is what you find on page 18 in the AN_Guide:

PLEASE NOTE: If you require your valuable documents to be returned by secure post you should enclose a pre-paid self-addressed Royal Mail Special Delivery (or Recorded Signed For delivery) envelope with your application. The pre-paid self addressed envelope should be sufficient to accommodate the size and weight of your documents and be insured to the appropriate level for the value of your documents. If this is not enclosed your documents will be returned to you using Royal Mail 2nd class post. Please consult Royal Mail’s website at http://www.royalmail.com for further information.

This may be of interest for some of you.

Have a good day!

This is nothing new, it has been in the AN form for years. Then of course there is also NCS so that you don't have to send originals to HO.

[MrsGreenside]

I am not claiming that this is something new, CR001. I am merely trying to be helpful and add a bit of information because some people were concerned about lost letters. If my help is not required please let me know and I shall refrain from posting

[CR001]

I am not claiming that this is something new, CR001. I am merely trying to be helpful and add a bit of information because some people were concerned about lost letters. If my help is not required please let me know and I shall refrain from posting

Approval letters (which is what people have posted concerns about mostly due to the timeframe to book ceremony) are always sent 2nd class post, regardless of whether an applicant provides a prepaid envelope.

[MrsGreenside]

No disrespect but this is the FOI request and the reply from UK Visa and Immigration and apparently you can request all communications to be send recorded.

Question:
Please could you provide information on why citizenship approval letters are not sent tracked but 2nd class? In busy times like Christmas the chances that a letter gets lost is higher than usual and as an applicant I have no way of tracking what happened to a letter.

Reply from M Goode (Central Correspondence team Customer Service Operations UK Visas and Immigration):
Due to the cost and resource required to manage a recorded or special delivery process, all correspondence is sent to the customer 2nd class unless the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document.

So it seems you CAN request all letter to be send recorded. Even the approval letter. You may need to add a cover letter to make sure they do but that should not be an issue.

[noajthan]

No disrespect but this is the FOI request and the reply from UK Visa and Immigration and apparently you can request all communications to be send recorded.
...

So it seems you CAN request all letter to be send recorded. Even the approval letter. You may need to add a cover letter to make sure they do but that should not be an issue.

HO does not pay for recorded!

...the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document.

- its in context of returning docs.

[MrsGreenside]

Where did I write that HO pays for the letter?

the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document

I don't understand why I am being scrutinised by yours and CR001 replies. I am just providing the info I received from UK immigrations. Although I do feel this forum is very helpful the tone leaves a little to be desired. Be as it may I thank you again for your help during my application time. I will now refrain from visiting again.

[cyborg001]

Where did I write that HO pays for the letter?

the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document

I don't understand why I am being scrutinised by yours and CR001 replies. I am just providing the info I received from UK immigrations. Although I do feel this forum is very helpful the tone leaves a little to be desired. Be as it may I thank you again for your help during my application time. I will now refrain from visiting again.

I hear you! Welcome to the club.

Must be a theme if few people (who bother with posts outside their own issues) end up with this sort of condescending feeling...

[justineW123]

Hi there,

I applied for naturalisation on the 22nd of December 2016 and it was received by HO on the 23rd December, I still haven't heard anything from the people in Liverpool I am getting really worried and nothing has come out of my bank, Im worried that something has gone wrong. I just need some reassurance that they may take longer than 2 weeks for an acknowledgement letter or an email?

I just need something to calm my mind, I've tried calling and emailing but no response.

[CR001]

Hi there,

I applied for naturalisation on the 22nd of December 2016 and it was received by HO on the 23rd December, I still haven't heard anything from the people in Liverpool I am getting really worried and nothing has come out of my bank, Im worried that something has gone wrong. I just need some reassurance that they may take longer than 2 weeks for an acknowledgement letter or an email?

I just need something to calm my mind, I've tried calling and emailing but no response.

Relax, it has been Christmas, New Year and lots of bank holidays and some HO staff also probably on holidays as well as postal service delays.

[Reckon]

Hi Forum,

Just FYI
I applied for naturalisation on 20th Dec' 2016 through NCS. Letter received by UKVI on 21st of Dec. I got acknoledgement today (5th of Jan' 2017) and my CC also shows the amount deducted (probably today deducted)

Thanks.

[cyborg001]

Question to those of you who have returned your ILR BRP card as per the 5 day requirement.

Which address did you send it to? The form AN guidance notes and the latest gov.uk site give two different Bristol addresses with different PO box and postcode.

https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-c ... p-ceremony

Perhaps they end up in the same place but thought I'd check anyway. I'd expect them to be consistent in their printed/updated information.

[CR001]

Question to those of you who have returned your ILR BRP card as per the 5 day requirement.

Which address did you send it to? The form AN guidance notes and the latest gov.uk site give two different Bristol addresses with different PO box and postcode.

https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-c ... p-ceremony

Perhaps they end up in the same place but thought I'd check anyway. I'd expect them to be consistent in their printed/updated information.

It is the same place. One address (form AN) is a freepost address so no need to pay postage. The other address you have to pay postage.

[cyborg001]

Question to those of you who have returned your ILR BRP card as per the 5 day requirement.

Which address did you send it to? The form AN guidance notes and the latest gov.uk site give two different Bristol addresses with different PO box and postcode.

https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-c ... p-ceremony

Perhaps they end up in the same place but thought I'd check anyway. I'd expect them to be consistent in their printed/updated information.

It is the same place. One address (form AN) is a freepost address so no need to pay postage. The other address you have to pay postage.

Right OK, thank you

[noajthan]

Where did I write that HO pays for the letter?

the customer provides a pre-paid self addressed secure envelope as advised in the AN Guidance document

I don't understand why I am being scrutinised by yours and CR001 replies. I am just providing the info I received from UK immigrations. Although I do feel this forum is very helpful the tone leaves a little to be desired. Be as it may I thank you again for your help during my application time. I will now refrain from visiting again.

You extrapolated the reply you received to interpret it as meaning all communications from HO.
The official simply replied by referring to AN guide which says:

PLEASE NOTE: If you require your valuable documents to be returned by secure post you should enclose a pre-paid self-addressed Royal Mail Special Delivery (or Recorded Signed For delivery) envelope with your application. The pre
-paid self addressed envelope should be sufficient to accommodate the size and weight of your documents and be insured to the appropriate level for the value of your documents. If this is not enclosed your documents will be returned to you using Royal Mail 2nd class post.

So in the limited case of having documents returned (which is clearly stated in a guide in public domain) the customer can provide an envelope at her own cost.

Therefore it does not mean you can have all letters that emanate from HO sent by recorded post.
And other members have reported sending such envelopes which have been ignored and not used.
So I and other experienced moderators corrected that erroneous extrapolation that could mislead other members.

This is not in any way a judgement of member's motive in posting (although some members' motives are clearly suspect).
It is routine due care diligence to help ensure members remain safe and, in this case, don't waste hard-earned coin.

[malik15]

Almost 17 months wait still no news.

[malik15]

Almost 17 months wait still no news.

[Angie77]

I have applied for citizenship+passport though NCS few weeks ago and just done my biometrics. However last week I received a text saying that I will receive my passport in maximum 6 weeks time. Is this a good sign?

[CR001]

I have applied for citizenship+passport though NCS few weeks ago and just done my biometrics. However last week I received a text saying that I will receive my passport in maximum 6 weeks time. Is this a good sign?

It is a standard text message. Your passport will only be printed and issued once you have attended your ceremony if citizenship is approved.

[ssa007]

Hi all,

I am due to apply for Naturalization this month. I would be grateful if you can help me with my question below.

Is it ok to apply for the Naturalization (via the NCS ) on the same date as ILR was granted 12 months ago?

eg. If ILR granted on 20 Jan 2016, is it ok to apply for Naturalization on 20 Jan 2017?

Many thanks for your help.

[secret.simon]

Is it ok to apply for the Naturalization (via the NCS ) on the same date as ILR was granted 12 months ago?

Yes (assuming you meet the other requirements, such as being physically in the UK on 21st Jan 2012 (start of the five year period preceding the application).

[peckhampelican]

I have been looking at the timelines and it is interesting to note that so far there have been no approvals for November applications. Of course, this may be because people have not posted their updates yet. In the November thread, I came across only one approval received on 23 Dec. I imagine the Christmas break has caused a slowing down of the process.

[KayPee]

Hello all,

I have had ILR since Feb 2014. However, I lost the ILR BRP card (details below) when I was abroad last year in Feb 2016. So had to get myself a new one. The only difference between the two cards I have had is that the initial one said 'ILR' and the current one says 'Stay with no limit', don't know if anyone could shed some light, if it matters at all?

Following is the background for my query, last year I went home on 24th Oct 2016 and during that visit I lost my mother. My father was in a shock since the loss, for which I had to stay back to complete legal formalities etc. As I was about to come back to UK, I lost my ILR (above mentioned) right at the airport! To cut short, I arrived back in UK on 4th March 2016 - a leave of 132 days in total.

Again in 2016, I went back for 63 days (15th Oct 2016 till 17th Dec 2016). Also the aggregate for last 5 years leave from UK comes to 299 days till date.

My query now is, since I came back to UK on 4th March 2016 and with 63 days outside UK again later in the same year.

1. Would I be fine for 90 days absence in a year if I apply for Naturalisation on or after 10th Feb 2017?
2. Do I need to provide explanation for the 132 days leave for last year? I have death certificate with me.
3. Can you do a Joint Citizen and Passport Application from another county council office? The one in Oxford doesn't seem to provide the joint service.

TIA