Irish citizenship application from Northern Ireland

[chaoclive]

Hi all

My civil partner is going to be ready to apply for Irish citizenship later this year and I've been looking at the form. I have a few questions!

1) Are the passport photos to be added to the application just the same as the Irish passport photos? My own passport pics are black and white. Is that ok for the naturalization application? Or should we use color pics?

2) The application form says that we should add 3 different proof of residence for each year of residence claimed. Do you think they would accept photocopies? There are a few documents (e.g. documents from the UK government/tax office) that are important and I don't really want to send the originals.

3) It asks for 'bank statements for all of your bank accounts for at least three of the previous 6 months'. Do you think they just mean current accounts? Would there be any need to send savings account statements too? I hope not!

4) I was born in Northern Ireland and my most recent birth certificate was issued by the General Records Office in NI. Would that still need to be certified? Should I send the original? I would like to decrease our expenditure on solicitor certifications so I don't mind to send the original, even through the form states: 'certified copy of the spouse's birth certificate' as a proof of entitlement to Irish citizenship.

5) I haven't noticed that the application form asks for my passport. Should I just send a copy? The birth certificate may be enough to prove my citizenship so it might not be necessary to add the passport. I may have missed something though!

Thanks for any insight you might have!

CC

[crisbella218]

Hi all

My civil partner is going to be ready to apply for Irish citizenship later this year and I've been looking at the form. I have a few questions!

1) Are the passport photos to be added to the application just the same as the Irish passport photos? My own passport pics are black and white. Is that ok for the naturalization application? Or should we use color pics?

2) The application form says that we should add 3 different proof of residence for each year of residence claimed. Do you think they would accept photocopies? There are a few documents (e.g. documents from the UK government/tax office) that are important and I don't really want to send the originals.

3) It asks for 'bank statements for all of your bank accounts for at least three of the previous 6 months'. Do you think they just mean current accounts? Would there be any need to send savings account statements too? I hope not!

4) I was born in Northern Ireland and my most recent birth certificate was issued by the General Records Office in NI. Would that still need to be certified? Should I send the original? I would like to decrease our expenditure on solicitor certifications so I don't mind to send the original, even through the form states: 'certified copy of the spouse's birth certificate' as a proof of entitlement to Irish citizenship.

5) I haven't noticed that the application form asks for my passport. Should I just send a copy? The birth certificate may be enough to prove my citizenship so it might not be necessary to add the passport. I may have missed something though!

Thanks for any insight you might have!

CC

As someone who has applied twice (second time pending), I can give you answers to your questions:

1. Just get photos from a passport photo booth from Tesco etc colour is fine. As long as the witness signs the back.

2. You do not send originals of anything expect the applicants passport (which is returned within 4 weeks)

3. Current accounts would be fine. This is really to check your salary is paid into the account from your payslips.

4. Your birth certificate needs to be certified by a solicitor. I had my spouses passport bio, birth certificate, my sons passport and birth certificate, marriage certificate and my chinese birth certificate all done for £100. Most will ask for an amount per document but I asked for a fixed fee. Both times the same.

5. Your role is to establish that you are Irish. This can be by birth certificate or passport or both. Personally I sent both with my application. Both certified as stated in point 4.

Other points to understand about applying from NI. You should obtain a PSNI Criminal Record Check (search for this form) it costs £10 and takes a week or so to arrive. My first application was refused cause I didn't realize any period 6 weeks outside Island of Ireland was not included. So make sure all holidays and leave outside is not longer than 6 weeks. Also they would not recognize the period before my marriage in NI as valid, however a Northern Ireland MLA is writing to the Irish government to ask why my first one was refused. So you should make sure you have a full 3 years worth after your marriage.

Finally the best bank for a bankers draft is Ulster Bank as they have their offices in Dublin so they can draw a bankers draft from their in Euros. Just go in with the payee name and then come back 2 days later to collect and pay the amount.

Good Luck

[chaoclive]

Thanks a lot Crisbella218!

Was your second application accepted? I hope so!

My partner is also from China!

[crisbella218]

Thanks a lot Crisbella218!

Was your second application accepted? I hope so!

My partner is also from China!

I am currently in initial stage since I put my application in on 3rd October 2016. Seems to be a delay in processing mine. I have notice on the timeline someone else got second stage letter a few weeks ago and they applied a week after mine. So dunno whats going on. Their application was not from NI though but was a marriage to spouse application.

If you partner is also from China just to note about birth certificates. In China they did not provide what people in the West know them as. They were just a confirmation from the government office. So I noted that on my cover letter. They have provided birth certificates to people born since around 2000 however. So if your partner does not have something like this she will need to ask her parents to go to the relevant office in the province of birth and get a confirmation of birth. It should be all stamped and in english and chinese so a copy certified by your solicitor will be fine.

[chaoclive]

I hope your invitation letter comes through soon! I don't know that they process in order of receipt. They might be given out to different caseworkers who work through their lot at their own pace! Fingers crossed!

We got the birth certificate from the Beijing People's Hospital. My partner was born in 1987 and it seems fine. I have had it translated by Flex Language Services in Belfast for £48. They also put a stamp on the other side of the translation to say that they had seen the original document. I hope that part will be ok! I can also get the solicitor to certify that they have seen the original and translation as well, just in case.

There are so many documents that will need to be certified. I just hope I can get a solicitor to do a flat fee.

[ajmm]

Chaoclive! What about yee!

I have been hoping you would come online here again at some point!

You could say that I am in a similar predicament that you were and I´m dying to get any info from anyone else in NI.

[crisbella218]

For you guys applying from Northern Ireland an update to my timeline showing the length of time for processing:

Application Based On: married to Irish citizen from Northern Ireland
Applied On: 3rd October 2016 (new form)
Application received On: 5th October 2016
Acknowledgement and return of passport : 24th October 2016
Second Letter: 25th Feb 2017
Awaiting On Approval: Pending

In my letter today they say that 70% of applications will be done in 6 months but may take longer if complex and the processing of enquires takes longer.

[rabguy]

Hi guys, I too am Irish cit living in N.I. Got great help and info on here from chaoclive before , glad to see we are at nearly the same stage again. I renounced my BC and my wife (thai) got the UKFP. We have been living nearly 3 years on the isle of Ireland (ni) and the next stage will be i hope the Irish citizenship. 1st of all, Before i got my wifes UKFP and before i renounced my BC we successfully got Ctype irish visa SPOUSE OF BC (JUNE 14) issued under the directive. The day my wife arrived in Dublin i applied for my Irish passport and we just came on over the boarder to the North where i renounced my BC. We had to wait near 6 months for the certificate and when it came we then travelled South and applied for the UKFP ISSUED UNDER DIRECTIVE AS SPOUSE OF IRISH CIT in DUBLIN office (MARCH 15). I guess the rules where slightly bent by myself regarding crossing the boarder etc but im not sure if they where broke due to no boarder nor passport control making an Irish act and also renouncing BC.
Do yous know if they will hold this against us on the citizenship application ?. OR Will we have to wait until the UKFP has been issued 3 years to apply. We wont go down the UKRC route due to the hassles of the British gov and the rule changes and refusals they unlawfully make. Cant be bothered with them tbh.