Naturalisation Application-Change of Address Details

[JK019]

Hi,

I'm seeking advise and potential direction as to where to send information to. My timeline :
-Naturalisation Application Submitted - September 2020
-Application Approved- November 2020
-Approval letter from Home Office-Yet to receive this
-Invitation to Citizenship Ceremony - Yet to receive this.

I have moved house since December 2020. I'm in a dilemma as to, if I should go ahead and notify Home Office of my new address details or just wait for the approval letter to be sent to my previous address. Going by the timeline of others, I suspect my approval letter would be sent soon(this January) and I do not want any further delays with receiving the approval letter(if I notify them of the address change).

What email address do I send my new address details to?

Any advise on the best way to proceed would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[CULLINAN]

The best would be to get it delivered to the old address. Keep a contact there. Even if you change the address now, 95% chances it will not be updated and the letter will be posted to your old address. Do not mess it up with changing your address now if you have access to the old address also. Also note, ceremony invitation might be posted or emailed. But keep a check on post/email.
Also, you will have to attend the ceremony in the same council. Changing the council (if you moved out of it) at this stage will be a real nightmare. So do not even think about it.

However if you still wish to change:

https://visa-address-update.service.gov.uk/

[JK019]

Thank you so much @CULLINAN.

I had same thoughts as well, trying to change anything now would be a nightmare. Yea, my new address would require a council change so I would stick with waiting it out to receive the approval letter at the old address and using the council for my old address. Hopefully, I hear back soon, as the waiting is exhausting to say the least.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

[CULLINAN]

Thank you so much @CULLINAN.

I had same thoughts as well, trying to change anything now would be a nightmare. Yea, my new address would require a council change so I would stick with waiting it out to receive the approval letter at the old address and using the council for my old address. Hopefully, I hear back soon, as the waiting is exhausting to say the least.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Note, if you disclose you moved address to your old council, they may insist to get your address changed with HO first. So just stay quiet and attend at the old council. In case that council offers virtual ceremony, your naturalisation certificate will also be sent to your old address.

[mashayekh_hosein]

I thought choosing the council as part of the application form is at the applicant's choice, so it does not necessarily have to be the same council where you are living in.
I am under impression that changing the address to HO will only change the correspondence address and the ceremony council can remain the same. Is that not the case? Also, will a Royal Mail Redirection Service work for the Ceremony Invitation Letter?

[CULLINAN]

I thought choosing the council as part of the application form is at the applicant's choice, so it does not necessarily have to be the same council where you are living in.
I am under impression that changing the address to HO will only change the correspondence address and the ceremony council can remain the same. Is that not the case? Also, will a Royal Mail Redirection Service work for the Ceremony Invitation Letter?

These days many councils are carrying out virtual ceremonies. So the certificate is posted after. As long you have access to the address it should be okay. The council does ask if you live at that address as the certificate will only be sent there. Had someone moved house and wants the certificate at the NEW address, the council will question and deny unless the address is changed with HO. Basically council (which you chose to attend) should hold the same address HO holds for the applicant. OP’s case is different than your situation.

[mashayekh_hosein]

I thought choosing the council as part of the application form is at the applicant's choice, so it does not necessarily have to be the same council where you are living in.
I am under impression that changing the address to HO will only change the correspondence address and the ceremony council can remain the same. Is that not the case? Also, will a Royal Mail Redirection Service work for the Ceremony Invitation Letter?

These days many councils are carrying out virtual ceremonies. So the certificate is posted after. As long you have access to the address it should be okay. The council does ask if you live at that address as the certificate will only be sent there. Had someone moved house and wants the certificate at the NEW address, the council will question and deny unless the address is changed with HO. Basically council (which you chose to attend) should hold the same address HO holds for the applicant. OP’s case is different than your situation.

Thank you CULLINAN for your clarification. Can you also confirm to me and the OP if the ceremony invitation letter will be posted or emailed?

[JK019]

Hi @CULLINAN

Reading the thread got me thinking.....For council tax purposes, I had notified the council for my old address(Salford Council) that I had moved houses back in December. Based on what you have said about not notifying them which I have, I wonder if that would affect receiving the invitation letter/ attending the ceremony at Salford council or if I just go ahead and change my address details with Home Office.

The council for my new address is Oldham council. I'm just confused now or which way to proceed.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[londuk1]

I will tell you my story. The address changes were a nightmare for me.

I applied online in June, then in July I left the UK (and my flat) and uploaded a cover letter with my supporting documents mentioning my temporary address where I wanted the invitation letter to be delivered. I also set up a redirection service to that temporary address (A friend’s)
Then in November I came back and found a new flat. I used the change of circumstances form on UKVI site to update my new address on 3/11. It was too late, the invitation letter was already posted on the 2/11 to my old address, not the temporary address I mentioned in my cover letter. So they never read that cover letter.
Thanks god I had the redirection service set up and it was delivered to the temporary address on 3/12.

UKVI updated their system to my current address after 2 months (29/12). that caused me a problem because my virtual ceremony was on 17/12 and the council said they can’t post the certificate to my address because it wasn’t in the system therefore I had to travel to the council my self to pick it up.


Honestly it was so stressful with the invitation letter because I didn’t know where it was going to be delivered. My recommendation will be to update UKVI to your new address as soon as possible using the change of circumstances form because it can take months for them to process the change

[JK019]

Hi All,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. Goodnews !I have now received the invitation letter from Home Office. The letter arrived at my new address(due to the mail redirection I had set up) and was dated 14/01/21 but arrived 22/01/21.

I have contacted my previous council to book a date for the ceremony. Ceremony scheduled for 02/02/21. I'm just going to stick it out using my old address details to avoid any confusion or delays.

Thanks once again and good luck to all who are still waiting, you would receive a response soon.