Nearing 6 months with no outcome

[danny80]

Hi

I applied on 1st Dec 2020 but did not do biometrics until 20th Jan 2021 (Tier 4 lockdown but I believe I was still in time, either way no issues at the appointment). I received the acknowledgment where it said it can take up to 6 months for a decision on the 2nd Dec.

I saw that December applications (mostly late December) are still trickling in. In my case, I’m worried I’ve missed the letter because I was sure they are emailed to you but now know that’s not always the case and didn’t properly check everything before April.

Is it the case I can inquire about my application anytime after 2nd June if I don’t hear back before then? Or is it 6 months after biometrics? What email should I use as I’ve seen a few?

Also, is it an issue I will be out of the UK at the time of inquiring (travelling to Amber country for medical reasons end of this month, returning from Green list in July)?

[danny80]

Can someone please kindly advise? I found nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk and a phone number. What’s my best bet after 6mo passes in 2 weeks?

[mmya]

did you get any response from home office yet?

[danny80]

did you get any response from home office yet?

Hi, I haven’t received an outcome and haven’t contacted via email yet as 6 months is yet to pass week after next. After that if I don’t get the outcome, I’m going to contact via email.

[Djsuccess]

Can someone please kindly advise? I found nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk and a phone number. What’s my best bet after 6mo passes in 2 weeks?

I have used furthernationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk in the past and got response in less than 24 hours ( pre covid)

[phetherweyt]

Hi,
Don't base your timeline on other applications as it entirely depends on luck and maybe your nationality.

Some nationalities have had it easy and some haven't and my information is based on statistics released by the Home Office.

My advice is to wait until the 6 months have passed from application date not biometrics and then start emailing both furthernationalities and nationalityfrontend, do not bother with complaints as they literally won't do anything for you.

If you don't get a response within a week, email your local MP and let them chase it up.

At some point you will either get a positive response or the standard email of "things are taking a bit longer due to covid". If that's the case, I would send an email every 2 - 3 weeks chasing it up until they get fed up and approve your application.

Be persistent but professional. This is what I had to do; my citizenship application took almost 9 months to get approved whereas my ILR was approved on the same day as my biometrics appointment.

Good luck.

[danny80]

Hi,
Don't base your timeline on other applications as it entirely depends on luck and maybe your nationality.

Some nationalities have had it easy and some haven't and my information is based on statistics released by the Home Office.

My advice is to wait until the 6 months have passed from application date not biometrics and then start emailing both furthernationalities and nationalityfrontend, do not bother with complaints as they literally won't do anything for you.

If you don't get a response within a week, email your local MP and let them chase it up.

At some point you will either get a positive response or the standard email of "things are taking a bit longer due to covid". If that's the case, I would send an email every 2 - 3 weeks chasing it up until they get fed up and approve your application.

Be persistent but professional. This is what I had to do; my citizenship application took almost 9 months to get approved whereas my ILR was approved on the same day as my biometrics appointment.

Good luck.

Thank you for your suggestions. Can I ask if you’ve sent an email to both email addresses at the same time or tried one particular one first?

I’d just like to add, I’m not particularly worried as there is nothing unusual about my application (other than applying on the first day of eligibility but I don’t imagine that’s bad). It’s just I’m going to have a busy summer and if my decision arrived only via a letter not email as I expected, there’s a real possibility I haven’t seen it.

[secret.simon]

my information is based on statistics released by the Home Office.

Could you link to these stats please?

I think the delays are based on the routes that the migrants will have taken, with refugee and Long Residence ILRs taking longer to verify, compared to say a Tier 2 General based ILR (whose immigration history would be more consistent and hence easier to verify).

[phetherweyt]

my information is based on statistics released by the Home Office.

Could you link to these stats please?

I think the delays are based on the routes that the migrants will have taken, with refugee and Long Residence ILRs taking longer to verify, compared to say a Tier 2 General based ILR (whose immigration history would be more consistent and hence easier to verify).

Hi,

Here you go.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... -2020.xlsx

I did a few pivot tables with vlookup looking at the data for 2020 and this is what I arrived at...

Spain approval rate was 65% for 2020, Germany was 51%.

I'm from Sudan and the approval rate was 53.4%

Every application was straightforward and same day approval (Spouse route and without financial support) except for the naturalisation so I don't think the type matters, there are definitely other factors at play.

[phetherweyt]

Thank you for your suggestions. Can I ask if you’ve sent an email to both email addresses at the same time or tried one particular one first?

I’d just like to add, I’m not particularly worried as there is nothing unusual about my application (other than applying on the first day of eligibility but I don’t imagine that’s bad). It’s just I’m going to have a busy summer and if my decision arrived only via a letter not email as I expected, there’s a real possibility I haven’t seen it.

Both at the same time and I did the same, I didn't wait long either. I'm 100% sure you didn't miss the email, just look at my last post and you'll see why you haven't been approved yet.

[secret.simon]

Here you go.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... -2020.xlsx

I did a few pivot tables with vlookup looking at the data for 2020 and this is what I arrived at...

Spain approval rate was 65% for 2020, Germany was 51%.

I'm from Sudan and the approval rate was 53.4%

Every application was straightforward and same day approval (Spouse route and without financial support) except for the naturalisation so I don't think the type matters, there are definitely other factors at play.

I am not convinced that the approach to the anaylsis (comparing no of applications to no of approvals per quarter) is necessarily correct. The applicantion consideration process do not take either a fixed time frame or fit into the same quarters. Also the date of naturalisation would be impacted by local council delays (I presume that that is the date of the oath/affirmation, not the date of approval).

Furthermore, the data would be muddied by more EEA citizens applying in the immediate runup to the end of the Transition Period in December 2020, whose applications may still be under consideration or whose citizenship ceremonies are pending due to local council delays.

Can you repeat the same anaylsis over a longer period of time (perhaps over the last five to ten years)? Even then, the issue of aligning the dates of application and the dates of naturalisation remains.

[danny80]

Thank you for your suggestions. Can I ask if you’ve sent an email to both email addresses at the same time or tried one particular one first?

I’d just like to add, I’m not particularly worried as there is nothing unusual about my application (other than applying on the first day of eligibility but I don’t imagine that’s bad). It’s just I’m going to have a busy summer and if my decision arrived only via a letter not email as I expected, there’s a real possibility I haven’t seen it.

Both at the same time and I did the same, I didn't wait long either. I'm 100% sure you didn't miss the email, just look at my last post and you'll see why you haven't been approved yet.

I’ll do just that if I don’t hear back by the 6 months mark. Just to clarify, I could’ve missed the letter if it had arrived by April without me emailed. I check my email all the time and spam as well since April (although no reason for it to arrive there I think because the acknowledgement, payment and all the UKVCAS stuff arrived in my email just fine).

[phetherweyt]

I am not convinced that the approach to the anaylsis (comparing no of applications to no of approvals per quarter) is necessarily correct. The applicantion consideration process do not take either a fixed time frame or fit into the same quarters. Also the date of naturalisation would be impacted by local council delays (I presume that that is the date of the oath/affirmation, not the date of approval).

Furthermore, the data would be muddied by more EEA citizens applying in the immediate runup to the end of the Transition Period in December 2020, whose applications may still be under consideration or whose citizenship ceremonies are pending due to local council delays.

Can you repeat the same anaylsis over a longer period of time (perhaps over the last five to ten years)? Even then, the issue of aligning the dates of application and the dates of naturalisation remains.

Hi Simon,

I didn't run it per quarter but for the whole of 2020. So over the past year, assuming an even spread of applicants, from different nationalities, the application approval rate should be somewhat similar. Yes there are so many factors at play but the numbers tell a different story.

What I saw is that some nationalities had an over 100% approval rate (grants) and some as low as 50% over the whole year.

If you want to check the work, here's the file

https://we.tl/t-dAzp83Tlvt

Check the following tabs
Approval Percentage and CIT_D02