Absent 90-100 days - delay?

[muraenidae]

Hello!

I will be eligible to apply for naturalisation in September. I expect that if I apply on the first day I am eligible (4 September), I will have been absent for 98 days in the last 12 months.

I know that you should not have been absent for more than 90 days, but that up to 100 days are "normally disregarded". Does anyone know whether it delays my application if I have been absent for more than 90 but less than 100 days? Or is it just as fast/slow as when 90 days have been met?

I could also wait until 15 October, by then my absences in the last 12 months should drop to 88 days. But I am very anxious for my application to go through before Brexit, because only then can I keep dual citizenship. (I am a German citizen, and you lose German citizenship if you take another citizenship, unless it's an EU citizenship.) So don't want to delay the application if possible.

Any experiences of being absent between 90 and 100 days, and how long the naturalisation application took?

[muraenidae]

So, basically, which option will likely be faster? Which one makes it more likely that I will have my ceremony date before Brexit?

A) Apply 4 September with 98 days absences in the last 12 months.

B) Apply 15 October with 88 days absences in the last 12 months.

[Twine]

On page 8, Booklet AN outlines that up to 100 days absence during the last 12 months of your qualifying period can be disregarded, so you really do not need to worry provided that everything else is in order. You could always include a copy of that page in your application documents to 'remind' the Home Office official...

Also, I know this is silly, but make sure you are counting your days of absence correctly. Note that for a given trip, the day that you leave the UK and the day that you enter should NOT be included in your tally.

Perhaps this drops your total below 90 days by 4 September? However, as an EU national with a relatively straight-forward case (assumption?), you should be British well before Brexit day even if you apply in October.

I recommend that you apply online. Most people who have used the new online application seem to be getting their ceremony appointments within three months but of course your mileage may vary.

Hope this helps!

[fahadii123]

Hello!

I will be eligible to apply for naturalisation in September. I expect that if I apply on the first day I am eligible (4 September), I will have been absent for 98 days in the last 12 months.

I know that you should not have been absent for more than 90 days, but that up to 100 days are "normally disregarded". Does anyone know whether it delays my application if I have been absent for more than 90 but less than 100 days? Or is it just as fast/slow as when 90 days have been met?

I could also wait until 15 October, by then my absences in the last 12 months should drop to 88 days. But I am very anxious for my application to go through before Brexit, because only then can I keep dual citizenship. (I am a German citizen, and you lose German citizenship if you take another citizenship, unless it's an EU citizenship.) So don't want to delay the application if possible.

Any experiences of being absent between 90 and 100 days, and how long the naturalisation application took?

Hi
I had a somewhat similar case. I had been out of UK for around 95 days in the past 12 months but I still went ahead and applied for it because they do disregard up to 100 days.

I submitted my application on 27th February, gave biometric around 10th-12th March and received my approval on 6th April (Letter dated 26th March). So it actually took me less than a month to get the approval.

Hope this helps.

[muraenidae]

Thanks both!

I am indeed counting the absences correctly (i.e., not counting day of departure/return), but thanks for checking!

Yes, I think my case should be straightforward. I can't think of any other things that would make it difficult, other than maybe the 90 days thing. It's nice to hear that it normally only takes 3 months or so, as the Brexit deadline makes me nervous.

fahadii123's experience seems to suggest that 90-100 days applications aren't any slower than <90 days, so I might go for a September application.