A couple of questions regarding Naturalisation

[imranh]

Hi Guys

I just have some questions regarding my wife's impending naturalization application. For background information - she came here from Pakistan on spouse visa and got her ILR in early 2013. Now its time for her to apply for naturalization....

My questions are;

1) Can you book an appointment when applying for naturalization as we did for ILR? Is it only a postal application? I know that there is a checking service where they will send copies of your documents but I would rather pay more and go to an appointment and get it over and done with on the day

2) ESOL Entry 3 is the same as B1 right? is this correct?

3) Can a pharmacist be used as a reference provider? They are not on the home office list. If an immediate family member is an optometrist can they be used?

4) My wife's Pakistani passport will expire mid next year....although she has her ILR card (bio metric card) - could this be a potential problem? I was intending on sending both her ILR card and her Pakistani passport as part of the application. If her passport expires during the application process or expires just after the application - will this be a problem? I am very worried that this....

5) Following on above...if we decide to renew her passport but this new passport will not include her original spouse visa- could this be a problem? Or will they be satisfied with the ILR card.

Many Thanks in advance

Kind Regards

[CR001]

Hi Guys

I just have some questions regarding my wife's impending naturalization application. For background information - she came here from Pakistan on spouse visa and got her ILR in early 2013. Now its time for her to apply for naturalization....

My questions are;

1) Can you book an appointment when applying for naturalization as we did for ILR? Is it only a postal application? I know that there is a checking service where they will send copies of your documents but I would rather pay more and go to an appointment and get it over and done with on the day There is no same day option for citizenship applications, postal or using NCS only.

2) ESOL Entry 3 is the same as B1 right? is this correct? Yes

3) Can a pharmacist be used as a reference provider? They are not on the home office list. If an immediate family member is an optometrist can they be used? Yes, otherwise known as a 'Chemist' which is on the list

4) My wife's Pakistani passport will expire mid next year....although she has her ILR card (bio metric card) - could this be a potential problem? I was intending on sending both her ILR card and her Pakistani passport as part of the application. If her passport expires during the application process or expires just after the application - will this be a problem? I am very worried that this.... It makes no difference and you have to send passport and ILR BRP anyway. Use NCS, it is the better option than posting yourself.

5) Following on above...if we decide to renew her passport but this new passport will not include her original spouse visa- could this be a problem? Or will they be satisfied with the ILR card. You will then need to send both passports, the form clearly asks for the passport used to enter the UK originally. As already mentioned above, you have to send the passport and the BRP, it is not a choice of either one, it has to be both.

Many Thanks in advance

Kind Regards

[imranh]

Hi Guys

I just have some questions regarding my wife's impending naturalization application. For background information - she came here from Pakistan on spouse visa and got her ILR in early 2013. Now its time for her to apply for naturalization....

My questions are;

1) Can you book an appointment when applying for naturalization as we did for ILR? Is it only a postal application? I know that there is a checking service where they will send copies of your documents but I would rather pay more and go to an appointment and get it over and done with on the day There is no same day option for citizenship applications, postal or using NCS only.

2) ESOL Entry 3 is the same as B1 right? is this correct? Yes

3) Can a pharmacist be used as a reference provider? They are not on the home office list. If an immediate family member is an optometrist can they be used? Yes, otherwise known as a 'Chemist' which is on the list

4) My wife's Pakistani passport will expire mid next year....although she has her ILR card (bio metric card) - could this be a potential problem? I was intending on sending both her ILR card and her Pakistani passport as part of the application. If her passport expires during the application process or expires just after the application - will this be a problem? I am very worried that this.... It makes no difference and you have to send passport and ILR BRP anyway. Use NCS, it is the better option than posting yourself.

5) Following on above...if we decide to renew her passport but this new passport will not include her original spouse visa- could this be a problem? Or will they be satisfied with the ILR card. You will then need to send both passports, the form clearly asks for the passport used to enter the UK originally. As already mentioned above, you have to send the passport and the BRP, it is not a choice of either one, it has to be both.

Many Thanks in advance

Kind Regards

Hi CR001 - Many many many thanks for your response.

Just a final follow up just for my understanding.

My worry is that when my wife applies via NCS (which makes most sense) her passport may have expired without applying for a new one.
If she renews her passport at the Pakistani embassy/consulate in Manchester - I don't know if they will retain her old passport which will not contain her UK entry spouse visa stamp!!! This is what stressing me out and why I am worried about sending an expired passport (which contains the spouse visa).

If however the Pakistani consulate returns the old passport then all is good

[zeusmagnanimous]

Hi Guys

I just have some questions regarding my wife's impending naturalization application. For background information - she came here from Pakistan on spouse visa and got her ILR in early 2013. Now its time for her to apply for naturalization....

My questions are;

1) Can you book an appointment when applying for naturalization as we did for ILR? Is it only a postal application? I know that there is a checking service where they will send copies of your documents but I would rather pay more and go to an appointment and get it over and done with on the day There is no same day option for citizenship applications, postal or using NCS only.

2) ESOL Entry 3 is the same as B1 right? is this correct? Yes

3) Can a pharmacist be used as a reference provider? They are not on the home office list. If an immediate family member is an optometrist can they be used? Yes, otherwise known as a 'Chemist' which is on the list

4) My wife's Pakistani passport will expire mid next year....although she has her ILR card (bio metric card) - could this be a potential problem? I was intending on sending both her ILR card and her Pakistani passport as part of the application. If her passport expires during the application process or expires just after the application - will this be a problem? I am very worried that this.... It makes no difference and you have to send passport and ILR BRP anyway. Use NCS, it is the better option than posting yourself.

5) Following on above...if we decide to renew her passport but this new passport will not include her original spouse visa- could this be a problem? Or will they be satisfied with the ILR card. You will then need to send both passports, the form clearly asks for the passport used to enter the UK originally. As already mentioned above, you have to send the passport and the BRP, it is not a choice of either one, it has to be both.

Many Thanks in advance

Kind Regards

Hi CR001 - Many many many thanks for your response.

Just a final follow up just for my understanding.

My worry is that when my wife applies via NCS (which makes most sense) her passport may have expired without applying for a new one.
If she renews her passport at the Pakistani embassy/consulate in Manchester - I don't know if they will retain her old passport which will not contain her UK entry spouse visa stamp!!! This is what stressing me out and why I am worried about sending an expired passport (which contains the spouse visa).

If however the Pakistani consulate returns the old passport then all is good

If (and many people I know) have renewed Pakistani passport a couple of times and they always return the old passport. At most they will put a stamp on the old passport saying that a new passport with number XXXXXX has been issued.

[nawaz]

I have renewed my Pakistani passport at the High Commission for Pakistan in London and they returned my old passport.

Note that the referees cannot be related to you. The application form mentions it and I was also asked about it during my appointment at NCS.

[imranh]

I have renewed my Pakistani passport at the High Commission for Pakistan in London and they returned my old passport.

Note that the referees cannot be related to you. The application form mentions it and I was also asked about it during my appointment at NCS.

Thanks alot for the response guys -Can she renew the passport at the Pakistani consulate in Manchester?

Also when can she renew? is it no earlier than a month before the expiry date?

[nawaz]

I have no experience with that but it should be possible to renew the passport at one of the consulates.

I don't remember how far in advance did I apply but my new passport was issued one and half month before the expiry date on my previous one.

[fwd079]

I have renewed my Pakistani passport at the High Commission for Pakistan in London and they returned my old passport.

Note that the referees cannot be related to you. The application form mentions it and I was also asked about it during my appointment at NCS.

Thanks alot for the response guys -Can she renew the passport at the Pakistani consulate in Manchester?

Also when can she renew? is it no earlier than a month before the expiry date?

No not in Manchester I am sorry. Its only London and Bradford for Pakistani passports. My passport expired in March 2013 and I renewed it in Sept 2014, got passport in post in Oct 2014.