Is this normal?

[Ballboy]

My partner completed the online form at the beginning of March and supplied all original documents to notary at the council office and the next day took her biometrics at the post office however we have received no communication what-so-ever to confirm all is being processed or any sort of acknowledgement of receipt of documents 3 months later, other than the email received after making payment. Is this normal?

[muraenidae]

It's normal that you don't receive anything until your approval. With paper applications, you receive an acknowledgement letter and biometrics letter, but in the online application, this is all electronic at the time you submit.

Did you do a passport application at the same time at the council office? If so, you could check your bank account to see whether payment for the passport has been taken. This is not an indication that your application has been approved (they take the passport fee upfront), but it means it is being processed and looked at, at least.

[TheRock9]

My partner completed the online form at the beginning of March and supplied all original documents to notary at the council office and the next day took her biometrics at the post office however we have received no communication what-so-ever to confirm all is being processed or any sort of acknowledgement of receipt of documents 3 months later, other than the email received after making payment. Is this normal?

Hi Ballboy,

Sometimes it takes 5-6 months for the decision to come. Yesterday someone posted in December Timeline that they received decision after 5 months and few of there friends decision took the same duration.

It's normal that you don't receive anything until your approval. With paper applications, you receive an acknowledgement letter and biometrics letter, but in the online application, this is all electronic at the time you submit.

Did you do a passport application at the same time at the council office? If so, you could check your bank account to see whether payment for the passport has been taken. This is not an indication that your application has been approved (they take the passport fee upfront), but it means it is being processed and looked at, at least.

Hi Muraenidae,

Well this passport deduction fee thing is a grey area, because as per Council receipt they only take passport fee when the application is successful. Please see the below from council receipt of JCAP application with NDRS:

Following a successful citizenship application your passport application and payment will be sent to HM Passport Office, Payment will be processed within 5-14 days if receipt. HM Passport Office will not refund fee if your PASSPORT APPLICATION is unsuccessful or withdrawn.

So not sure why council are saying this.



Thanks

[muraenidae]

Hi Muraenidae,

Well this passport deduction fee thing is a grey area, because as per Council receipt they only take passport fee when the application is successful. Please see the below from council receipt of JCAP application with NDRS:

Following a successful citizenship application your passport application and payment will be sent to HM Passport Office, Payment will be processed within 5-14 days if receipt. HM Passport Office will not refund fee if your PASSPORT APPLICATION is unsuccessful or withdrawn.

So not sure why council are saying this.

Hi! Yes, I know they say that. But if you check timelines, the passport fee is usually taken quite soon, and then it still takes weeks or even months until the application is approved.

So either the home office approves applications really quickly and then sits on its hands for weeks/months (not impossible...), or the fee is taken upfront, maybe after some basic checks.

[TheRock9]

Hi Muraenidae,

Well this passport deduction fee thing is a grey area, because as per Council receipt they only take passport fee when the application is successful. Please see the below from council receipt of JCAP application with NDRS:

Following a successful citizenship application your passport application and payment will be sent to HM Passport Office, Payment will be processed within 5-14 days if receipt. HM Passport Office will not refund fee if your PASSPORT APPLICATION is unsuccessful or withdrawn.

So not sure why council are saying this.

Hi! Yes, I know they say that. But if you check timelines, the passport fee is usually taken quite soon, and then it still takes weeks or even months until the application is approved.

So either the home office approves applications really quickly and then sits on its hands for weeks/months (not impossible...), or the fee is taken upfront, maybe after some basic checks.

Hi,

What i checked on timeline is that the normal turn around after the fee deduction is 3-4 weeks and so far i haven't come across any case where Naturalisation has been declined after the passport fee has been deducted.

It could be the Passport office perform there own checks as well and then they send a final approval letter for ceremony booking. If you notice, then after the ceremony the passport is delivered within 2-3 working days. So i think passport office perform there own checks (because if anyone apply a renewal of British passport the standard turnout is around 3 weeks) before approval letter is sent out.


Thanks

[muraenidae]

What i checked on timeline is that the normal turn around after the fee deduction is 3-4 weeks and so far i haven't come across any case where Naturalisation has been declined after the passport fee has been deducted.

But people who apply with JCAP tend to be more organised with their application in general, and aware of the requirements. They also go through NCS or NDRS where some basic checks are performed. I would bet that the approval rate in general is higher in this set of applicants.

I once looked for examples or counterexamples for the passport fee claim. I could not find a single refused applicant who wrote they had used JCAP. Bu there aren't that many people who post here about getting refused, and if they do they don't tend to give complete information, so I gave up looking after a while.

It could be the Passport office perform there own checks as well and then they send a final approval letter for ceremony booking. If you notice, then after the ceremony the passport is delivered within 2-3 working days. So i think passport office perform there own checks (because if anyone apply a renewal of British passport the standard turnout is around 3 weeks) before approval letter is sent out.

But wouldn't this mean that applications with JCAP take longer than applications without JCAP? I don't think they do.

They probably print the passport either when they deduct the fee, or when you get your approval letter, but before the ceremony. That's why you receive the passport quickly after the ceremony.

[TheRock9]

What i checked on timeline is that the normal turn around after the fee deduction is 3-4 weeks and so far i haven't come across any case where Naturalisation has been declined after the passport fee has been deducted.

But people who apply with JCAP tend to be more organised with their application in general, and aware of the requirements. They also go through NCS or NDRS where some basic checks are performed. I would bet that the approval rate in general is higher in this set of applicants.

I once looked for examples or counterexamples for the passport fee claim. I could not find a single refused applicant who wrote they had used JCAP. Bu there aren't that many people who post here about getting refused, and if they do they don't tend to give complete information, so I gave up looking after a while.

yeah possibility is that people are not posting about there refusal or if we look at the bright side possibility is that once the fee is deducted that means Application is successful.

It could be the Passport office perform there own checks as well and then they send a final approval letter for ceremony booking. If you notice, then after the ceremony the passport is delivered within 2-3 working days. So i think passport office perform there own checks (because if anyone apply a renewal of British passport the standard turnout is around 3 weeks) before approval letter is sent out.

But wouldn't this mean that applications with JCAP take longer than applications without JCAP? I don't think they do.

They probably print the passport either when they deduct the fee, or when you get your approval letter, but before the ceremony. That's why you receive the passport quickly after the ceremony.

I don't think so JCAP is slower than normal first time passport application. Because one of my friend applied Naturalisation just through NCS and then applied the passport separate after the ceremony and it took around 3 weeks or so. Even if you use Post Office check and send service for first passport they say it will take 3-4 weeks.

[muraenidae]

I don't think so JCAP is slower than normal first time passport application. Because one of my friend applied Naturalisation just through NCS and then applied the passport separate after the ceremony and it took around 3 weeks or so. Even if you use Post Office check and send service for first passport they say it will take 3-4 weeks.

What I mean is: The citizenship+JCAP does not seem to be slower than citizenship without JCAP. If, as you suggest, for JCAP the passport office does its own checks and writes back to the home office who only then send their approval letter, this would mean that citizenship+JCAP approvals takes longer than citizenship alone. This does not seem to be the case.

[TheRock9]

I don't think so JCAP is slower than normal first time passport application. Because one of my friend applied Naturalisation just through NCS and then applied the passport separate after the ceremony and it took around 3 weeks or so. Even if you use Post Office check and send service for first passport they say it will take 3-4 weeks.

What I mean is: The citizenship+JCAP does not seem to be slower than citizenship without JCAP. If, as you suggest, for JCAP the passport office does its own checks and writes back to the home office who only then send their approval letter, this would mean that citizenship+JCAP approvals takes longer than citizenship alone. This does not seem to be the case.

ummm this seems right