carna wrote: ↑Thu Nov 12, 2020 6:31 pm
Thanks for sharing more.
Called helpline 2 times in last 2 weeks, heard the (home office) department working with ceremonies is no longer working (due to lockdown - unsure if this is correct) and that they (helpline) can't act on anything. They told me to respond to the email I had received in June (which I had already done) and wait.
Why would someone need a helpline that can't act on anything?..
Anyway, apparently different departments within the HO are responsible for decision-making and printing the paperwork. The team that responded to you probably doesn't have control over printing your paperwork, but they could download a decision on your application in pdf and send it to you as they did it for me - try asking them. There is a difference between getting it in pdf or in the body of the email - the pdf has the case worker details, official Home Office logo and most importantly the full text. The email response I got in June basically had the text of the approval letter, but they removed the first sentence "I am pleased to confirm that your application for British citizenship has been successful"). After having waited for a month, in July I asked for a pdf, and it had a confirmation that my application was approved.
Probably the HO is doing this deliberately - consideration of a case can take however long they want, so by not communicating that a decision was made or what the decision was they can justify any delays. But inability to print the paperwork on already decided applications or digitise the entire procedure in so many months is abysmal quality of service.
Also you could try emailing
Citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk (apparently they deal with all nationality enquiries, but are very slow),
FurtherNationalityEnquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk (also slow, I never got any response, but some members of this forum did).