Is a PR form required for the AN form or is QP enough?

[zeppe]

Hi all! I wanted to apply for citizenship as EEA national (have been living in the UK for 9 years, first studying then working for more than 6). I filled the form AN and I will have a meeting with the local NCS office in a few weeks. I have now realized that the residence document I got is the one obtained through the application with an EEA (QP) form, and I should have used the EEA (PR) one.

Should I stop everything and apply for PR instead? Will the QP suffice?

Thanks!
Giuseppe

[LilyLalilu]

Your need a Document Certifying Permanent Residence to apply for naturalisation, a registration certificate is not enough.

What does the residence document you have say?

[dapto10]

Hi Giuseppe,

Check the vignette inside your blue card. You have 3 main sections there. Name, Place / Date of Issue and Type of Document.
The 'Type of Document" section should read: Document Certifying Permanent Residence.

In case it's a different type of document, you'll have to obtain a DCPR first. You'll need application form EEA (PR).

[ohara]

The document you get through EEA(QP) application is a registration certificate.

The document you get through EEA(PR) application is a document certifying permanent residence, and this is the one you need to apply for naturalisation.

[zeppe]

So I have the document in front of me now, and it does specify indeed "Document Certifying Permanent Residence". So, despite having sent a QP form, I received a document that looks exactly as the one ohara has shared above.

I guess I should be good then? I am a little nervous with this document because I also found the requirement of holding the permanent residence status for one year a little confusing. The document was only issued in May, but in the citizenship booklet it mentions that the PR status is acquired automatically after 5 years and what is important is that at the moment of the application for the permanent residence document, 5 years of evidence starting 1 year in advance, are provided. I did do so but in the QP form or in this document does not state anywhere where I acquired the status of permanent resident. I hope to be fine.

[noajthan]

So I have the document in front of me now, and it does specify indeed "Document Certifying Permanent Residence". So, despite having sent a QP form, I received a document that looks exactly as the one ohara has shared above.

I guess I should be good then? I am a little nervous with this document because I also found the requirement of holding the permanent residence status for one year a little confusing. The document was only issued in May, but in the citizenship booklet it mentions that the PR status is acquired automatically after 5 years and what is important is that at the moment of the application for the permanent residence document, 5 years of evidence starting 1 year in advance, are provided. I did do so but in the QP form or in this document does not state anywhere where I acquired the status of permanent resident. I hope to be fine.

Apply via NCS who can check via a hotline to HO what your HO CID record records as the date of acquisition of PR.
And/or apply for a SAR from UKVI which may capture that information too.

[ohara]

Unfortunately the geniuses at the Home Office never thought it might be useful to tell EEA citizens who apply for a DCPR, the date that they have actually acquired PR. The issue date on the card is totally irrelevant; I've had PR since 2012 but only got the card in 2016.

HO do hold it on their computer system though, and if you request the data you'll get a page like this.

[zeppe]

Thank you for the information. I am indeed curious to see whether they used the date of beginning of my employment which was in the attached document (which would give me just 1 year of PR status but it's fine), or something else (in fact I will claim in the form AN that I have had PR status for almost 5 years now, which is the truth based on when I first landed in UK).

I won't be able to formally request any document in time for the NCS meeting (which is in less than 20 days), so I will ask them to check before the application and if there is any problem I will have lost only the money of that appointment.

[dapto10]

Hopefully your council's staff will be helpful.

NCS quality of service in my area is poor, staff are very rude (alghouth the individuals I have been in touch with are immigrants themselves) and refuse to call HO hotline to check EEA nationals' PR date.

Good luck!