October 2014 - Naturalisation Application Timeline

[jaweb]

Although my is done and dusted and finally received my passport as well but I still come back from time to time to see whose received it.

Sorry to hear guys that you have been still waiting. Patience! That's all can say. My husband applied on 2nd March and we have been waiting for nearly 2 months and I have a feeling we will reach the 6 months mark


Good luck guys!

[waitwaitwait]

I check it time to time as well.
Mine took 6 months as well.
I applied on 10 October and got approval on 10 April.
Just got my British pp yesterday.
By no means it was quick for me either.
Good luck to everyone who is still waiting.

[fwd079]

I check it time to time as well.
Mine took 6 months as well.
I applied on 10 October and got approval on 10 April.
Just got my British pp yesterday.
By no means it was quick for me either.
Good luck to everyone who is still waiting.

But from 10 April (plus a few days of ceremony) to Passport on 27-28 April isn't bad at all.

[waitwaitwait]

I check it time to time as well.
Mine took 6 months as well.
I applied on 10 October and got approval on 10 April.
Just got my British pp yesterday.
By no means it was quick for me either.
Good luck to everyone who is still waiting.

But from 10 April (plus a few days of ceremony) to Passport on 27-28 April isn't bad at all.

Certainly, i got my approval/invitation for ceremony on 10 apr, arranged ceremony for 15th, posted my app for pp on 16th, interveiw on 23rd, got the pp on 27th.
I was shocked that everything was done in 6 working days for pp and i received it on 7th working day. Makes u wonder why other departments take 6months or more when hm pp office can do it so Quickly.

[fwd079]

Passport office came under media fire a few months ago, so that could be the reason.

[n1994]

Method of application: Solicitor
Application sent: 29/10/2014
Date of receipt by UKBA: 30/10/2014
Date of debit of fees: 07/11/2014 (debit card)
Date of receipt of acknowledgement: 14/11/2014
Date of receipt of approval: -
Date of Ceremony: -

My sister who had the same timeline as me received her approval today it was dated 7th April 2015 even though we sent a pre-paid envelope with our application and it came in the pre-paid next day delivery envelope as well. I am guessing hers got held back because mine was missing an old travel document so they probably were waiting for me to send my documents. My TD request letter was dated 7th of April too so I think they processed hers first and then realised mine was missing the TD. Aaah I hope mine is on the way!

[twistedcp]

Hi guys I need a bit of advice...my application is a few days over 6 months now. I rang two days ago and the contact centre rang me back today only to say that "you have passed the initial checks but unfortunately you have fallenin the category of the 5% who take longer than 6 months" prior to this conversation I have not had any request for extra documents or anything. Is this a bad thing? They can't tell me how long I am going to have to wait for? Please help

[Siraj ud-Daulah]

Hi guys I need a bit of advice...my application is a few days over 6 months now. I rang two days ago and the contact centre rang me back today only to say that "you have passed the initial checks but unfortunately you have fallenin the category of the 5% who take longer than 6 months" prior to this conversation I have not had any request for extra documents or anything. Is this a bad thing? They can't tell me how long I am going to have to wait for? Please help

Hi twistedcp,

No news is good news!

At least you have passed the initial checks and the 5% could probably mean backlog.

Senior members would be able to confirm but if they have not asked for any documents then absolutely nothing to worry about.

All the best!

[twistedcp]

Hi guys I need a bit of advice...my application is a few days over 6 months now. I rang two days ago and the contact centre rang me back today only to say that "you have passed the initial checks but unfortunately you have fallenin the category of the 5% who take longer than 6 months" prior to this conversation I have not had any request for extra documents or anything. Is this a bad thing? They can't tell me how long I am going to have to wait for? Please help

Hi twistedcp,

No news is good news!

At least you have passed the initial checks and the 5% could probably mean backlog.

Senior members would be able to confirm but if they have not asked for any documents then absolutely nothing to worry about.

All the best!

Thank you Siraj. Fingers crossed, it's just frustrating as I am missing business trips with work, he provided me with an email address to contact if I wanted further information, do I email and enquire or just be patient and wait for how ever long it takes. Cheers

[Siraj ud-Daulah]

Hi guys I need a bit of advice...my application is a few days over 6 months now. I rang two days ago and the contact centre rang me back today only to say that "you have passed the initial checks but unfortunately you have fallenin the category of the 5% who take longer than 6 months" prior to this conversation I have not had any request for extra documents or anything. Is this a bad thing? They can't tell me how long I am going to have to wait for? Please help

Hi twistedcp,

No news is good news!

At least you have passed the initial checks and the 5% could probably mean backlog.

Senior members would be able to confirm but if they have not asked for any documents then absolutely nothing to worry about.

All the best!

Thank you Siraj. Fingers crossed, it's just frustrating as I am missing business trips with work, he provided me with an email address to contact if I wanted further information, do I email and enquire or just be patient and wait for how ever long it takes. Cheers

You're welcome and fingers crossed for you!

Did they give you email for the case worker or the further nationality enquiries email?

I personally would not email FurtherNationalityEnquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk too often, you don't want to annoy them and then push your file to the back of the line. May be every 2 weeks.

[twistedcp]

Siraj he just gave me the address you posted. Maybe I will wait a few more weeks and see if I hear anything from them.

[waiz89k]

Hi guys I need a bit of advice...my application is a few days over 6 months now. I rang two days ago and the contact centre rang me back today only to say that "you have passed the initial checks but unfortunately you have fallenin the category of the 5% who take longer than 6 months" prior to this conversation I have not had any request for extra documents or anything. Is this a bad thing? They can't tell me how long I am going to have to wait for? Please help

why didn't u ask them that what is this 5% category and if checks r done then what is left behind to wait for another couple of months.
I think checks take time and If checks r done and ok then they just need to make a decision. Is ur case is with the case worker or not yet?

[twistedcp]

Hi guys I need a bit of advice...my application is a few days over 6 months now. I rang two days ago and the contact centre rang me back today only to say that "you have passed the initial checks but unfortunately you have fallenin the category of the 5% who take longer than 6 months" prior to this conversation I have not had any request for extra documents or anything. Is this a bad thing? They can't tell me how long I am going to have to wait for? Please help

why didn't u ask them that what is this 5% category and if checks r done then what is left behind to wait for another couple of months.
I think checks take time and If checks r done and ok then they just need to make a decision. Is ur case is with the case worker or not yet?

I did try and get more information but all he said was about me sending the email to that address. He said it was still.with the case worker. The guy I got was not helpful at all and was slightly rude like I spoke a different language to him. Most things I asked he just said "that's all the information I have on my screen anything else use that email address to enquire"

[waitwaitwait]

There is one thing that makes some apps take longer than others which is use of TOEIC certificate to support any visa application in the past be it flr or tier 4. Not necessarily ILR as toeic has been banned for a while. As per some online forums and people's experiences HO had to listen to all the recordings of "speaking" part of the english test to find out if it was genuine or someone else did the test on behalf of the applicant.
Quite a lot of people have been deported due to TOEIC issue, some people who got visa,ilr,went on holiday and were questioned by immigration officers on arrival in uk and some still got deported after that.
I'm not trying to scare anyone neither saying you have used TOEIC, just sharing news/info from other forums. So if someone has used toeic in the past it might delay app as HO wants to be sure it was done genuinely.
I wish everyone who's waiting , good luck.

[imraniqbal2010]

Are there any applicant from october still waiting for approval?

[twistedcp]

Are there any applicant from october still waiting for approval?

Yes I'm still waiting. It's been a week since my 6months was up *sigh*

[fwd079]

Many in August 2014 are also waiting. I wish good luck to all waiting.

[zeusmagnanimous]

.............
Quite a lot of people have been deported due to TOEIC issue, some people who got visa,ilr,went on holiday and were questioned by immigration officers on arrival in uk and some still got deported after that.
...................

Any links to back up this info? I visit the forum regularly but this is the first time I am hearing of this.

[waitwaitwait]

.............
Quite a lot of people have been deported due to TOEIC issue, some people who got visa,ilr,went on holiday and were questioned by immigration officers on arrival in uk and some still got deported after that.
...................

Any links to back up this info? I visit the forum regularly but this is the first time I am hearing of this.

Visa, Flr applications.

http://www.thelondonstudy.com/ukba-poli ... dents.html


http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analy ... 0-students

http://www.immigrationboards.com/uk-tie ... 65550.html

[mastavis]

Are there any applicant from october still waiting for approval?

Yes I am still waiting. I applied through Hounslow NCS on 15 oct 14. Still waiting........

[twistedcp]

Are there any applicant from october still waiting for approval?

Yes I am still waiting. I applied through Hounslow NCS on 15 oct 14. Still waiting........

Have you contacted the home office and if so what have they said to you? I'm still waiting for mine which I applied for on 28th October 2014

[naruto]

Hello everyone,

I've applied since 28-10-2014 and still no news yet even thou I called HO few times but same old story again and again however I've sent them an email few weeks ago requesting an update as Its been more than six months and this was their response l; could you please read and share your thoughts!!!!

Dear Sirs

Thank you for your email about your application for naturalisation as a British citizen, which was received on 29 October 2014.

I am sorry that it is taking longer than we would wish for your application to be processed and that you feel our service did not meet your expectations on this occasion.

As you may be aware, our service standard is that we will complete 100% of workable and straightforward cases within six months. The definition of a workable case, and what we expect from our customers, is available on our website at: http://www.gov.uk/government/organisati ... r-services. Where further information is required, the case will not be classed as workable, and may take longer to decide.

Naturalisation is not an entitlement and before granting British citizenship we must be satisfied that an applicant meets all statutory requirements. It is standard policy to undertake a number of enquiries before an application for naturalisation can be decided. Some of these enquiries are carried out by external agencies on our behalf and can sometimes take longer than six months to complete.

Furthermore, following recent clarification of the Nationality rules, greater levels of scrutiny will be applied to certain applications. This will be dependent on certain indicators within their immigration history that pre-date the application for naturalisation. Your case has been identified as such a case and it has not been possible to conclude it within six months.

We expect to make a decision on your application within the next 3 – 6 months, but we will write to you again if this is not going to be possible. Please note we will contact you with further updates and can advise that you do not need to contact us again unless your circumstances change significantly.



Please do not contact the UKVI Contact Centre regarding the progress of your case as they will not be able to provide any further information. This also applies to any family members whose applications for citizenship were submitted at the same time.



Please accept my apologies for the delay in deciding your application.


Regards,

Amber Robinson- AA03
Central Correspondence Team
Customer Service Operations
UK Visas & Immigration
Capital Building, New Hall Place, Liverpool, L3 9TT

[mastavis]

Are there any applicant from october still waiting for approval?

Yes I am still waiting. I applied through Hounslow NCS on 15 oct 14. Still waiting........

Have you contacted the home office and if so what have they said to you? I'm still waiting for mine which I applied for on 28th October 2014

I just received a letter yesterday from HO dated 08 May 15 as below.

"I am writing in regard to your outstanding application for British Citizenship,
We aim to process all applications within 6 months from the date submitted. However, in certain circumstances this target is not possible. Following our assessment of your case, unfortunately it appears your application will not be processed within the 6 months target.
Following recent clarification of the Nationality rules greater levels of scrutiny will he applied to certain applications. This will be dependent on certain indicators within their immigration history that pre-date the application for British citizenship. Your case has been identified as such a case and will not be decided within 6 months
We expect to make a decision on your application within the next 3 to 6 months but we will write to you again if this is not going to be possible. Please note we will contact you with further updates and can advise you do not need to contact us again unless your circumstances change significantly.
Please do not contact the UKVI Contact Centre regarding the progress of your case as they will not be able to provide any further information.
This also applies to any family members whose applications for citizenship were submitted at the same time."

Really upset to see this but lets see what happens now.

Application Date was 15 Oct 2014 which is 6.5 months now.

Eligibility criteria: Tier 1 general 5 years + 1 year ILR
Language criteria met : UK Degree Masters + Life in The UK Test
Method of application: Hounslow Council NCS
Date of application: 15/10/2014
Payment method: Cheque
Date of receipt by UKBA: Not sure
Date of acknowledgement: 30/10/2014
Date of debit or clearance of fees: 30/10/2014
Letter Received for taking more than 6 months: Dated 08 May 15
Date approval received: Longest wait ever
Date of ceremony:

[naruto]

I feel your pain too we r on the same boat I gues we have no choice but to be patient and optimistic about this as we have waited 6 months already so fingers crossed for everyone who's waiting all the best

Life goes on!!!! They no news is good news hey

[abundantgirl]

I received exactly the same email today and honestly after this I'm just going to stop chasing them. We will see what happens in the mean time. Best of luck!

Hello everyone,

I've applied since 28-10-2014 and still no news yet even thou I called HO few times but same old story again and again however I've sent them an email few weeks ago requesting an update as Its been more than six months and this was their response l; could you please read and share your thoughts!!!!

Dear Sirs

Thank you for your email about your application for naturalisation as a British citizen, which was received on 29 October 2014.

I am sorry that it is taking longer than we would wish for your application to be processed and that you feel our service did not meet your expectations on this occasion.

As you may be aware, our service standard is that we will complete 100% of workable and straightforward cases within six months. The definition of a workable case, and what we expect from our customers, is available on our website at: http://www.gov.uk/government/organisati ... r-services. Where further information is required, the case will not be classed as workable, and may take longer to decide.

Naturalisation is not an entitlement and before granting British citizenship we must be satisfied that an applicant meets all statutory requirements. It is standard policy to undertake a number of enquiries before an application for naturalisation can be decided. Some of these enquiries are carried out by external agencies on our behalf and can sometimes take longer than six months to complete.

Furthermore, following recent clarification of the Nationality rules, greater levels of scrutiny will be applied to certain applications. This will be dependent on certain indicators within their immigration history that pre-date the application for naturalisation. Your case has been identified as such a case and it has not been possible to conclude it within six months.

We expect to make a decision on your application within the next 3 – 6 months, but we will write to you again if this is not going to be possible. Please note we will contact you with further updates and can advise that you do not need to contact us again unless your circumstances change significantly.



Please do not contact the UKVI Contact Centre regarding the progress of your case as they will not be able to provide any further information. This also applies to any family members whose applications for citizenship were submitted at the same time.



Please accept my apologies for the delay in deciding your application.


Regards,

Amber Robinson- AA03
Central Correspondence Team
Customer Service Operations
UK Visas & Immigration
Capital Building, New Hall Place, Liverpool, L3 9TT