Citizenship Ceremony cancelled due to Covid-19

[ped4]

i received an email from my caseworker on 3/5/2020 that my citizenship application has been successful, and i should receive my ceremony letter in due course, waited for 3 weeks nothing, i then emailed him to asked why i have not received the invitation letter then he said due to covid no letter is been issued for now. then 1/july i called my council oldham, they said they will start contacting new citizens before end of month. on the back of that, i emailed my caseworker again just to check if they are sending out any ceremony letter he replied
"Unfortunately we do not currently have a date that ceremonies will begin again, I understand that this is frustrating for your but until we are given approval and it is agreed with local authorities how to go forward with ceremonies in a manner that is safe for both staff or the local authorities and attendees no invitation letters can be issued. There is no way for this process to speed up or answer to how long it will be until you are able to arrange your citizenship ceremony at this time. As soon as we are able to safely begin ceremonies again you will be sent out your invitation letter"

[Lopand]

i received an email from my caseworker on 3/5/2020 that my citizenship application has been successful, and i should receive my ceremony letter in due course, waited for 3 weeks nothing, i then emailed him to asked why i have not received the invitation letter then he said due to covid no letter is been issued for now. then 1/july i called my council oldham, they said they will start contacting new citizens before end of month. on the back of that, i emailed my caseworker again just to check if they are sending out any ceremony letter he replied
"Unfortunately we do not currently have a date that ceremonies will begin again, I understand that this is frustrating for your but until we are given approval and it is agreed with local authorities how to go forward with ceremonies in a manner that is safe for both staff or the local authorities and attendees no invitation letters can be issued. There is no way for this process to speed up or answer to how long it will be until you are able to arrange your citizenship ceremony at this time. As soon as we are able to safely begin ceremonies again you will be sent out your invitation letter"

This is so frustrating! My local council has resumed private ceremonies, but I'm unable to attend because the HO refuse to send invitations. Why don't they send the certificates to the councils and let them manage the ceremonies according to the guidelines? We're stuck in limbo.

[Ace1983]

This is an absolute lie. I have reached all levels from my council to mp. I have been told that the ceremonies have been suspended by the Home Office and not the councils. My councillor has passed this on to her colleagues at Westminister who will question it. They can open the pubs and the beer gardens but do not one to conduct citizenship ceremonies. Absolute Shambles!

[BoyTed]

Hello All,
My Caseworker emailed me today without me asking anything and says the same wording like the above gents looks like we will wait till the end of this month but incase there's a second waive of covid 19 even longer

[Ace1983]

Here is an update

https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/births-mar ... -message/4

[justprofessionalism]

There is some kind of communication barrier between Home office, councils & applicants. This is causing confusion amongst people hoping to complete their citizenship process by attending the citizenship ceremonies.

Edinburgh council: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/births-mar ... -message/4 and Wandsworth council: https://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/births-de ... -ceremony/. both of these councils are saying in their notification that they are waiting UKVI to issue guidance on how citizenship ceremonies may be safely conducted. Both council waiting for some kind of response. If that is the case I am wondering how many councils need to mutually agree with Home office in regards to Citizenship ceremonies I am guessing a lot.

meanwhile Merton council has already commenced citizenship ceremonies under new Covid secure arrangements https://www.merton.gov.uk/births-marria ... itizenship . Certain other councils have started private ceremonies and may be group ones.

So really don't know what is really going on it seems there is a lot of confusion. The lockdown has eased to very much wedding ceremonies are able to take place with 30 people. religious places are open. shops, pubs and bars are open. Officially in the latest lockdown easing nothing was specifically mentioned about "Citizenship Ceremonies". Hence a lot of confusion among the government departments specifically related to Citizenship Ceremonies that by the looks of it is very nice and simple to conduct as compare to wedding ceremonies.

Common sense obviously says that wedding ceremonies are allowed it should mean citizenship ceremonies should begin with ease as well. specifically private ceremonies should be encouraged and be available from the time indoor gatherings are allowed up to two household or few people taking into account the circumstances.

That is a question that may be asked by emailing Home office If you can be given an opportunity to arrange citizenship ceremony privately as the lockdown restrictions are eased. However again this depends on Home office agreeing to your request and council allowing that to take place. Hope things are sorted soon at the moment lot of confusion is in the air relating to future citizenship ceremonies.

[Moa7]

It doesn't matter if councils decide to restart ceremonies because for applications approved since March the Home office hasn't printed the citizenship certificates and posted it to the councils, therefore the councils cannot do the ceremonies for these applicants without the certificates!

[nnn15]

i received an email from my caseworker on 3/5/2020 that my citizenship application has been successful, and i should receive my ceremony letter in due course, waited for 3 weeks nothing, i then emailed him to asked why i have not received the invitation letter then he said due to covid no letter is been issued for now. then 1/july i called my council oldham, they said they will start contacting new citizens before end of month. on the back of that, i emailed my caseworker again just to check if they are sending out any ceremony letter he replied
"Unfortunately we do not currently have a date that ceremonies will begin again, I understand that this is frustrating for your but until we are given approval and it is agreed with local authorities how to go forward with ceremonies in a manner that is safe for both staff or the local authorities and attendees no invitation letters can be issued. There is no way for this process to speed up or answer to how long it will be until you are able to arrange your citizenship ceremony at this time. As soon as we are able to safely begin ceremonies again you will be sent out your invitation letter"

Have you asked them why there are no timelines and no clear criteria for when the certificates can be sent? Given that pubs, restaurants and hospitality sector have reopened by now and weddings took place this weekend, it makes no sense that naturalisation certificates still cannot be sent due to covid.

[justprofessionalism]

i received an email from my caseworker on 3/5/2020 that my citizenship application has been successful, and i should receive my ceremony letter in due course, waited for 3 weeks nothing, i then emailed him to asked why i have not received the invitation letter then he said due to covid no letter is been issued for now. then 1/july i called my council oldham, they said they will start contacting new citizens before end of month. on the back of that, i emailed my caseworker again just to check if they are sending out any ceremony letter he replied
"Unfortunately we do not currently have a date that ceremonies will begin again, I understand that this is frustrating for your but until we are given approval and it is agreed with local authorities how to go forward with ceremonies in a manner that is safe for both staff or the local authorities and attendees no invitation letters can be issued. There is no way for this process to speed up or answer to how long it will be until you are able to arrange your citizenship ceremony at this time. As soon as we are able to safely begin ceremonies again you will be sent out your invitation letter"

Have you asked them why there are no timelines and no clear criteria for when the certificates can be sent? Given that pubs, restaurants and hospitality sector have reopened by now and weddings took place this weekend, it makes no sense that naturalisation certificates still cannot be sent due to covid.

If anyone wish to have their citizenship ceremonies as soon as possible I think best thing is to email Home Office and request them to let you have the opportunity to at least attend the private Citizenship ceremony (Paid). Request them to send your certificate to your local council. Explain to them that you are willing to book private ceremony and pay extra. If your council is offering this then provide a link of their website where this is mentioned as part of the email. I am assuming another reason for the delay could be due to backlog. However yes It seems there is some confusion between government, Home Office, Local councils and applicants relating to proceeding of "Citizenship Ceremonies" in particular after the easing of latest restrictions of Lockdown. Lets hope for best in coming future. just giving my opinion. stay safe.

[Anny ali]

Hi good morning from hounslow council they updated yesterday on their website Tuesday 7th July 2020:
We understand that for many people there has been months of uncertainty surrounding the final stage of their citizenship application. We are aware of this and are doing all we can to provide this final step and allow our applicants to collect their naturalization certificates in these unprecedented times.

Until we receive further guidance from the Home Office, we cannot deliver group ceremonies.

In the meantime, we will be implementing a system to offer individual citizenship ceremonies in date order based on the initial ceremony booking. Our citizenship team will contact you and reschedule your ceremony. Please do not to telephone the office as an increase in calls will delay the citizenship team.

Please be advised that no adverse decisions will be made on applications because of delays caused by Coronavirus.

Thank you for your continued patience.

Please check this website for further updates or email us on citizenship@hounslow.gov.uk

For more information, please contact the Home Office on 0300 123 2253.
So if anyone waiting since march April they will get a call soon hope for the best

[Malikg123]

Hello everyone I received my documents back fro home office yesterday along my decision letter dated 24 March 2020 in letter it says I will contacted by local council within 3 weeks I tried calling my council for update but their are not responding ask me to email which I did and waiting. I’m confused home office already sent my certificate to local council or they did now after sending me documents also I received decision email in June from home office now this letter dated 24 March 2020 so confusing.
I notice my neighbouring council already start doing citizenship ceremonies link attached below.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death ... p-ceremony

[Lopand]

Hello everyone I received my documents back fro home office yesterday along my decision letter dated 24 March 2020 in letter it says I will contacted by local council within 3 weeks I tried calling my council for update but their are not responding ask me to email which I did and waiting. I’m confused home office already sent my certificate to local council or they did now after sending me documents also I received decision email in June from home office now this letter dated 24 March 2020 so confusing.
I notice my neighbouring council already start doing citizenship ceremonies link attached below.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death ... p-ceremony

Which documents did they send to you? Did they send the invitation letter?

[Humble123]

Hello everyone I received my documents back fro home office yesterday along my decision letter dated 24 March 2020 in letter it says I will contacted by local council within 3 weeks I tried calling my council for update but their are not responding ask me to email which I did and waiting. I’m confused home office already sent my certificate to local council or they did now after sending me documents also I received decision email in June from home office now this letter dated 24 March 2020 so confusing.
I notice my neighbouring council already start doing citizenship ceremonies link attached below.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death ... p-ceremony

Did you apply online or via post please ?

[learner29]

Hello everyone I received my documents back fro home office yesterday along my decision letter dated 24 March 2020 in letter it says I will contacted by local council within 3 weeks I tried calling my council for update but their are not responding ask me to email which I did and waiting. I’m confused home office already sent my certificate to local council or they did now after sending me documents also I received decision email in June from home office now this letter dated 24 March 2020 so confusing.
I notice my neighbouring council already start doing citizenship ceremonies link attached below.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death ... p-ceremony

i never sent any documents do I still have to receive any documents? or just invitation letter to the ceremony. Why dont HO send invitation letters and we ll see when can we attend the ceremony. I have to change my address, my contract is over where I am living but waiting for the invitation letter

[RugratsRUs]

I sent an email to Monmouthshire council asking about citizenship ceremonies and certificates. They replied saying they have not received any certificates since the start of lockdown nor have they been notified of a despatch date. They would keep hold of my information and contact me when they find out any new information.

My timeline, for those interested is as follows. I applied for citizenship while having ILR related to a spousal visa and have been living in the UK for almost 8 years.

I applied and booked a biometric appointment right before lockdown and so my appointment was cancelled. They recently opened up a temporary centre in Cardiff Bay and I booked a slot for the 23rd of June. I received an email noting my application had been approved only a week later on the 30th of June. It was also noted that the ceremonies were currently not happening due to Covid-19. I have not received an invitation yet.

Good luck to everyone and let's hope that ceremonies start up real soon, and quickly get through any backlog.

[Doc2020]

I wonder what we (people waiting for their certificate / ceremony) can do to push for the home office to send our certificates and allow us to attend private ceremonies? Any suggestions?

[rozearo]

Just to update everybody. I have contacted my local council (Trafford) who are restarting private citizenship ceremonies. They said that the HO has not sent any certificate since 23 March. They currently allowing private ceremonies which I’m keen to attend.

I’m not sure why the HO has not sent any invitation letters to successful applicants, nor citizenship certificates to relevant councils.

Anyway, I sent a request to the HO asking for my certificate to be sent to my local council to be able to book a private ceremony. Hopefully they will process my request.

For your info, I got my approval email mid May.

[justprofessionalism]

Just to update everybody. I have contacted my local council (Trafford) who are restarting private citizenship ceremonies. They said that the HO has not sent any certificate since 23 March. They currently allowing private ceremonies which I’m keen to attend.

I’m not sure why the HO has not sent any invitation letters to successful applicants, nor citizenship certificates to relevant councils.

Anyway, I sent a request to the HO asking for my certificate to be sent to my local council to be able to book a private ceremony. Hopefully they will process my request.

For your info, I got my approval email mid May.

This is probably the best way to go forward about this. If possible please update when you receive the response. thanks.

[Lopand]

I contacted the Home Office 10 days ago to let them know that my council has resumed private ceremonies and requested for an invitation letter to be sent to me and for my citizenship certificate to be sent to my council, as I'm willing to pay for a private ceremony and it can't be performed without it (my council told me that they haven't received any new certificates since March).

I received the following answer today:

I refer to your application for British Citizenship and your email enquiry. Upon investigation I can confirm that your citizenship ceremony documents have not yet been printed or despatched to the local authority. Your citizenship paperwork will be generated in coming weeks when current restrictions due to Coronavirus are eased.

In normal circumstances customers were required to book their citizenship ceremony within three months of being sent an invitation from the Home Office. Due to the current circumstances we have extended this period to six months. We will keep this under constant review. Please be assured that no adverse decisions will be made on your application because of delays caused by Coronavirus (unless there is a material change in your circumstances, for example, you are convicted of a criminal offence).

[nnn15]

I've also contacted the Home Office asking them if it's possible to send the citizenship paperwork given my council has restarted private ceremonies and will post here if I get any response.

[rozearo]

I contacted the Home Office 10 days ago to let them know that my council has resumed private ceremonies and requested for an invitation letter to be sent to me and for my citizenship certificate to be sent to my council, as I'm willing to pay for a private ceremony and it can't be performed without it (my council told me that they haven't received any new certificates since March).

I received the following answer today:

I refer to your application for British Citizenship and your email enquiry. Upon investigation I can confirm that your citizenship ceremony documents have not yet been printed or despatched to the local authority. Your citizenship paperwork will be generated in coming weeks when current restrictions due to Coronavirus are eased.

In normal circumstances customers were required to book their citizenship ceremony within three months of being sent an invitation from the Home Office. Due to the current circumstances we have extended this period to six months. We will keep this under constant review. Please be assured that no adverse decisions will be made on your application because of delays caused by Coronavirus (unless there is a material change in your circumstances, for example, you are convicted of a criminal offence).

Thanks for sharing that, you have mentioned that you contacted the HO 10 days ago which was before the ease of lockdown.

I think situation has changed and I would encourage applicants waiting for their certificate to request the HO to send their certificates. Most of councilS are allowing private ceremonies at the moment!

I can not understand why the HO has not publish any update yet. Private ceremonies are more safe than going to pubs or restaurants!

[BoyTed]

Hi all,

Called my council Hammersmith and Fulham they said they haven't received any certificate since March.
To me it looks like January 2021

[Lopand]

I contacted the Home Office 10 days ago to let them know that my council has resumed private ceremonies and requested for an invitation letter to be sent to me and for my citizenship certificate to be sent to my council, as I'm willing to pay for a private ceremony and it can't be performed without it (my council told me that they haven't received any new certificates since March).

I received the following answer today:

I refer to your application for British Citizenship and your email enquiry. Upon investigation I can confirm that your citizenship ceremony documents have not yet been printed or despatched to the local authority. Your citizenship paperwork will be generated in coming weeks when current restrictions due to Coronavirus are eased.

In normal circumstances customers were required to book their citizenship ceremony within three months of being sent an invitation from the Home Office. Due to the current circumstances we have extended this period to six months. We will keep this under constant review. Please be assured that no adverse decisions will be made on your application because of delays caused by Coronavirus (unless there is a material change in your circumstances, for example, you are convicted of a criminal offence).

Thanks for sharing that, you have mentioned that you contacted the HO 10 days ago which was before the ease of lockdown.

I think situation has changed and I would encourage applicants waiting for their certificate to request the HO to send their certificates. Most of councilS are allowing private ceremonies at the moment!

I can not understand why the HO has not publish any update yet. Private ceremonies are more safe than going to pubs or restaurants!

I actually sent it after the ease of the lockdown was announced and clarified that my council has resumed private ceremonies. Regardless, this response is from today, so it is the most updated information, indicating that they have no intention to send particular certificates. We will all need to be patient and wait until they make the decision to print and send them all out.

[Malikg123]

Hello everyone I received my documents back fro home office yesterday along my decision letter dated 24 March 2020 in letter it says I will contacted by local council within 3 weeks I tried calling my council for update but their are not responding ask me to email which I did and waiting. I’m confused home office already sent my certificate to local council or they did now after sending me documents also I received decision email in June from home office now this letter dated 24 March 2020 so confusing.
I notice my neighbouring council already start doing citizenship ceremonies link attached below.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death ... p-ceremony

Which documents did they send to you? Did they send the invitation letter?

I send my application by post and they send me supporting documents back yesterday 07/07/2020
letter was dated 24 March 2020 letter stated i will get invitation letter in 3 weeks but it had old date so don't know when i will get the invitation letter.

[Malikg123]

Hello everyone I received my documents back fro home office yesterday along my decision letter dated 24 March 2020 in letter it says I will contacted by local council within 3 weeks I tried calling my council for update but their are not responding ask me to email which I did and waiting. I’m confused home office already sent my certificate to local council or they did now after sending me documents also I received decision email in June from home office now this letter dated 24 March 2020 so confusing.
I notice my neighbouring council already start doing citizenship ceremonies link attached below.

https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/birth-death ... p-ceremony

Did you apply online or via post please ?

post i received decision by email on 3rd June 2020 and now documents back with decision letter dated 24 march 2020