When to apply for (AN) British Citizenship after acquiring PR

[markuk]

Hi Senior Members

Could you help me with understanding what I can use as evidence for residing in the UK for 5 years - when applying for British Naturalisation (AN) ?

So me and my wife have already Permanent Residence Documentation (ILR) and would like to apply for British citizenship in 2019. However it is not clear to me what documents will be sufficient to show evidence of our stay in the UK.

Correct me if I am wrong with these questions and assumptions then:

1.In the beginning of our stay we came by car to the UK on the ferry - should we supply email providing info about our entry? We also have Passports so it may be sufficient for their checks?

2. Periods before finding employment in the UK (unemployed): is it enough to show them rental agreements, email with my job search and application process?

3. Periods with the employment in the UK (employed): is it enough to show them P60/payslips only or I need to send all employment agreements as well?

4. Periods between jobs (looking for jobs, being self sufficient): should I supply all my emails with job applications/replies etc. along with my bank statements? Will it be enough?

Can you help?

[alterhase58]

Presumably you are an EU citizen, and have PR, not ILR.
As for the documents:
1. You just specify date and place of entry in the relevant section of the form.
2. Official documents such as council tax bill or HMRC are preferable
3. P60 or letter from employer confirming employment, contracts not needed.
4. As for 1 - you are not proving exercise of treat rights.

[markuk]

Thanks for that.
Yes indeed we are EU citizens who possess PR documentation already.

Now regarding your answer:

4. As for 1 - you are not proving exercise of treat rights.

Could you clarify this to make sure I understood this properly?
Does it mean I do not have to send any info for my gaps between employments?
Is it just an assumption that if you stay within the UK for 5 years then after this stay you can apply for British citizenship?

[alterhase58]

4. As for 1 - you are not proving exercise of treat rights.

Could you clarify this to make sure I understood this properly?
Does it mean I do not have to send any info for my gaps between employments?

Economic activity is not required for naturalisation - unemployed people and housewives apply regularly. You just state unemployed for the gaps you have.

Is it just an assumption that if you stay within the UK for 5 years then after this stay you can apply for British citizenship?
The general rule is that you must have held the PR document for one year after the five years exercising treaty rights, unless the date of acquisition of PR (as confirmed by UKVI) is already over a year back at the time of applying for naturalisation.

[markuk]

Thank you for the clarification.

[markuk]

Hi Senior Members

When to apply for (AN) British Citizenship after acquiring PR?

Please help me with the possible timeline for our Naturalisation process taking the following into consideration:

Main assumptions: me & my wife both EU citizens

1. We came back to the UK in the beginning of March 2014 after my contract abroad

2. We acquired PR in April 2014 (date of issue in the middle of April 2014) for the previous 5 years of working and living in the UK

3. Due to a number of days being abroad (before 2014) we needed to wait another 5 years for the naturalisation.

4. When we can send our AN naturalisation application then? Beginning of March 2019? April 2019? How to calculate this?

5. If this can be March 2019 - what evidence we need to provide for our stay in the UK for the period between our arrival in March 20118 and PR document issue date for the purpose of British naturalisation application?

[CR001]

Useful if you stated your absences in 2014 etc.

Also, one of the most important rules for citizenship is that you must have been physically present in the UK at the beginning of the 5 years immediately preceding your date of application for citizenship.

[markuk]

We were abroad until March 2014. So we were physically in the UK since March 2014 then.
What should be the time of our application then? I thought March 2019 again.

[CR001]

What was your absence prior to returning?

When did you leave the UK and how long were you away (in days)?

[markuk]

I do not have all my documentation right now but I remember it was less than 2 years of absence prior to our come back in March 2014. So I know it will be too many days of absence prior to March 2014 so the count had to restart in 2014.
Therefore we started counting the next 5 year period since March 2014.
Does it help?

[CR001]

March 2019 it is then, 5 years from the date you returned to the UK.