Nationality Application form and documentation question

[desperado]

Hello all,

In the AN (New) application guide. Documents to be sent in support of an application. It says:

Your passports for the last 5 years or 3 years if you are married to a British citizen and the passport showing that you are free from immigration time restrictions, or the Home Office letter showing that you are free from immigration time restrictions.

If you do not have these passports you should give the reasons on page 13 of the application form and provide:

* A letter from your employers confirming your dates of employment.
* Wage slips.
* Forms P60 or a letter from the Inland Revenue confirming payment of income tax and National Insurance.


My understanding is if I have the passport I don't have to send Employer letter, wage slips and P60 forms etc. Am I right?

The documents I'm sending are: Fully filled AN (NEW) Application form, Postal order Payment for £218, Passport, ESOL Level 3 certificate. That's it. I'm not sending any pay slips, P60 or employers letter.

Am I right in doing that? could someone please let me know?

Also in Section 7 the declaration part of the application form, one of the confirmation is "I confirm that I have enclosed the registration fee for my child(ren)" I don't have any children or I'm not sending any registration fee for my children. So do I simply strike the line out?

Any advice please?

[User]

Hi desperado,

Since you have done EOSL, can you tell us what was the test like?
Was it simple?

regards.

[desperado]

Hi user,

The exam is about grammer, vocabulary, reading, writing and personal interview. I took the exam at St. Giles College, Brighton. First it was a written test in grammer about 40-60 questions. It was a fill in the blanks kinda of question. It was very very easy. When I was at 1st Grade I had those types of questions. My 6 yrs old nephew will blast off those questions in minutes. It was that basic.

I was preparing for the exam thinking there will be questions about nouns, pronouns, verbs etc. But nothing like that. Here are few examples:

How ______ your day yesterday?
Did you _____ a good weekend?

Those types of basic questions.

Also in the exam you need to write in no less than 200 words, about yourself and why would like you to apply for naturalisation.

The exam costed me £40.

That was it. As simple as that. I don't think anyone here at the forum will have any problems passing those exams.

Good Luck to all!

Now coming back to my questions. Any ideas on my questions I have posted in my previous message please?

[User]

hi - your documentation list looks correct, going by the AN(New) guide.

Good luck.

regards.

[desperado]

Also in Section 7 the declaration part of the application form, one of the confirmation is "I confirm that I have enclosed the registration fee for my child(ren)" I don't have any children or I'm not sending any registration fee for my children. So do I simply strike the line out?

Any advice on this one please?

[User]

Hi - any item not applicable to your case, the application (1st page) says, simply strike it out.

So in your case, simply strike it out across the big box.

regards.

[AlexCh]

The exam costed me £40.

Khe-khe - did you pass it?

[desperado]

Yes I did It was child's play...very easy exam.

[desperado]

I'm about to take a postal order for £218 but in the payment slip.doc which I downloaded from the home office website, it asks for Reference Number? What reference number is it?

could someone let me know please?

Payment Slip contains:

Applicant's name
date of birth
town & country of birth

and a box to tick to say I attach a postal order crossed number____ for the sum of £ ____ made payable to the accounting officer, home office.

But on the top right hand side of the payment slip, the box contains Reference Number:

what reference number?

[John]

I would say ... don't worry about it! I suspect that reference box is for their office use. That is, someone in IND might enter a reference after the application has arrived.

This may sound very basic but do include that Payment Slip, and all those postal orders, in the same envelope as you are sending the actual application. And no doubt you will post the envelope Special Delivery, unless of course you are using the new checking service.

Post the payment slip and postal orders with the application form? Yes ..... I heard about someone who was confused by the reference on the form to "The Accounting Officer, Home Office" ... and posted the payment separately to IND. It delayed the application by months!

The last time I did the calculation IND in Liverpool were receiving an average of 430 new applications per working day! Its a very busy office there ... post the payment and the application together. You were probably going to do that anyway.

[desperado]

Thanks john.

[PB]

Hi Desperado,

What is the status of your application? Have you heard anything back?

Regards,
PB

[desperado]

Have anyone recently applied for BC in the last 7 or 8 weeks or so? Did you hear anything back after applying in the last 7 or 8 weeks. I applied on 23rd March 05 and received my acknowledgement 1st week of april. But I haven't heared anything back on my application yet.

It has been 7.5 weeks since I applied. But there has been 3 bank holidays and Election 05 in the last 7.5 weeks.

I'm just wondering whether there is a delay due to elections and bank holidays etc.

As far as I'm aware, four of us applied (me and 3 of my friends) in the last 8 weeks and none of heared anything back from home office yet.

So I was wondering anyone applied in the last 8 weeks heared anything back from home office regarding BC application?

PB, As you can figure out from my email I haven't heared anything back from home office yet on my application.

[desperado]

Dear all,

On saturday I've received letter from HO saying that my british citizenship application has been successful. It took nearly 10 weeks but I think the delay must have been due to Election 2005 because all my other friends who applied around same time as mine also got their citizenship approval this week.

My application was 4 yrs WP + 1 ILR and Never married.

Thank you all (and specially john, joseph, user) for the help and support given on this website.

Today I received invitation letter for citizenship from HO and also invitation letter from local county council but I was surprised to see the next available citizenship ceremony date is 27th July. I have plans to go abroad next month and would love to attend citizenship ceremony earlier.

My question is: Can I ring them and tell them abt my travel plans abroad and request them whether they can give me an appointment little earlier like end of this month or early next month?

any suggestions please?

[John]

Desperado ... many congratulations! Enjoy your Citizenship Ceremony, whenever it is!

County Council next ceremony? The frequency varies very considerably. In centres of large population they will be much more frequent than in less populated rural areas. Here in Birmingham they hold ceremonies on two days per month, and have at least two separate ceremonies on each of those days.

By law the local authority is merely required to hold ceremonies to enable successful applicants to attend a ceremony within the three month maximum. 27th July obviously complies with that. You ask if you can try to switch to an earlier ceremony .... there may not be an earlier ceremony in your area! But no harm in asking.

Your documentation says that you can arrange for a private Citizenship Ceremony .... for an additional fee. Do you want to go down that route? I don't know what that additional fee might be, but again, no harm in asking.

Obviously too late for you Desperado but there is a section on the naturalisation application form that can be filled in if the person wants their Citizenship Ceremony in a place other than that in which they live. Anyone living in a rural area, but not too far from a large centre of population, might contemplate completing that section.

[desperado]

Thanks john.

Your documentation says that you can arrange for a private Citizenship Ceremony .... for an additional fee. Do you want to go down that route? I don't know what that additional fee might be, but again, no harm in asking.

Wowwww.... private citizenship ceremony. I won't mind doing that and won't mind the cost either. I would be very glad to get my certificate earlier because I have got plenty of overseas trip to make next month and don't want to go through the trouble of applying visa for my trips.

Eitherway I will give them a call tomorrow and request for earlier date or private ceremony. Thanks again john.

[John]

I have got plenty of overseas trip to make next month and don't want to go through the trouble of applying visa for my trips.

Hi, don't overlook the facts that at the Citizenship Ceremony what they are not going to do is hand you a British Passport! What they will in fact hand you is a Certificate of Naturalisation and armed with that, getting a British passport will be no problem at all.

How to get a British passport fast? Use the High Street checking service ... probably your nearest main (not sub) Post Office will offer that service. For a small fee they check the application and then send it off to the Passport Office. That office gives priority to applications submitted via a High Street Partner.

My wife and step-daughter attended their Citizenship Ceremony last June. Later that same day their passport applications were checked at a Post Office. About 10 days later their British passports arrived!

If you have not already done so, get a Passport application form from your local main Post Office.

[desperado]

I spoke with my local county council for a earlier citizenship ceremony date but they said they can't do anything earlier then 27th July 05. It is really frustrating to hear that. Heck it didn't even take that long to process the application but it takes so long to receive your certificate.

Very disappointed.

Hi, don't overlook the facts that at the Citizenship Ceremony what they are not going to do is hand you a British Passport! What they will in fact hand you is a Certificate of Naturalisation and armed with that, getting a British passport will be no problem at all.

Thanks john. Last night I went to home office website for citizenship ceremony and watched a sample ceremony video. So I learned what to expect in a citizenship ceremony

How to get a British passport fast? Use the High Street checking service ... probably your nearest main (not sub) Post Office will offer that service. For a small fee they check the application and then send it off to the Passport Office. That office gives priority to applications submitted via a High Street Partner.

Passport office offer same day service, is it only for old/lost passport or also for 1st adult passport? do you know?

If I can't get the same day passport then I was planning to book an appointment with passport office and go to passport counters and go for guaranteed 1 week fast track service. It costs £70 i think. But again the county council is not prepared to give a earlier date so I have to wait until August to receive passport. That's a real shame.

If you have not already done so, get a Passport application form from your local main Post Office.

I haven't done it yet. Will popin to post office this afternoon and get a passport application.

Thanks for the valuable comments and advice john. I really appreciate it and thank you for the help.

[John]

That is disappointing.

As regards the passport application, unless you think a few days will make all the difference, I would apply using a High Street Partner. I think first applications, as distinct from renewals, are subjected to more strutiny, so whether you apply in person or by using the Post Office will probably make less than a week's difference.

Lots more information on the Passport Agency website.

[Chess]

John/Deperado,

You guyz have lost me a bit in your discussions. can you summarise the procedure for getting a BP.? for say someone who has resided in the UK for 5 years (3 years for marriage route)

In summary, I thought the process is as follows:

1). Complete AN (New) and use the pilot checking service at some councils in London or Newcastle

2). Application is sent to Liverpool who then issue Naturalisation certificate?! or do they advise that Certificate will be obtained at Ceremony?

3) Get certificate at Ceremony and then re-apply at Passport office in Liverpool?!?


Is the above correct?

[desperado]

John/Deperado,

You guyz have lost me a bit in your discussions. can you summarise the procedure for getting a BP.? for say someone who has resided in the UK for 5 years (3 years for marriage route)

Chess,

Here is what I know from my experience and i'm sure john will correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Fill AN (New) application form and use new fast track checking service or send it by registered post to Naturalisation dept. HO in Liverpool
1a. Receive acknowledgement letter from naturalisation dept. liverpool if the application was sent directly to liverpool office
2. Receive approval letter from HO, Liverpool
2a. HO sends your Citizenship certificate to your local county council
3. Receive Citizenship invitation letter from HO, Liverpool
4. Receive questionaire form and instructions from local county council regarding citizenship ceremony along with avilable dates.
5. Send completed questionaire to your local county council with your desired date for citizenship ceremony
6. Receive the confirmation of your desired citizenship ceremony date and guest invitation letter from your local county council
7. Attend citizenship ceremony and receive your citizenship certificate
8. Fill the passport application form and submit all the required documentation via local fast track service offered by Post office or Passport office.
9. Receive your passport from passport office and liverpool.
And live happily ever after... and also help others by posting your experience..

[User]

"1a. Receive acknowledgement letter from naturalisation dept. liverpool if the application was sent directly to liverpool office "

I don't think that is correct.

I applied using the checking service, and i did receive an acknowledgement fom the Liverpool office telling me what documents they have recd., etc.

Still waiting Its just been 5 weeks though

Ta!

regards.

[desperado]

"1a. Receive acknowledgement letter from naturalisation dept. liverpool if the application was sent directly to liverpool office "

I don't think that is correct.

I applied using the checking service, and i did receive an acknowledgement fom the Liverpool office telling me what documents they have recd., etc.

I wasn't sure about checking service so I mentioned sent directly. So whether applied directly or via checking service, you will receive an acknowledgement.

Still waiting Its just been 5 weeks though

I think you can expect it in a 1-3 weeks. I think HO has started processing the application after a brief break during election period.

[John]

Just picking up on this question :-

3) Get certificate at Ceremony and then re-apply at Passport office in Liverpool?!?

-: you certainly do not get the passport from IND. There is a separate agency, the Passport Agency, who issue British Passports. They have a number of offices around the country, but the great majority of applications are submitted by post, or by using the High Street checking service, as provided by the likes of the Post Office.

Much more information available at the Passport Agency website.

There you will see that there is a Passport Agency office in Liverpool but that is just one of seven offices around the UK. Look upon the fact that there is one of those seven offices in Liverpool as a co-incidence. If you post your application, the documentation with your application form will tell you where to send it .... it depends upon where you live in the UK. If you use the High Street checking service ... and it is highly recommended that you do .... you have not even got to bother about which office will get your application ... the High Street partner will forward it.

[desperado]

I spoke with my local county council for a earlier citizenship ceremony date but they said they can't do anything earlier then 27th July 05. It is really frustrating to hear that. Heck it didn't even take that long to process the application but it takes so long to receive your certificate.

Very disappointed.

Here's a twist. Last week I disappointedly sent the completed questionaire accepting my 27th July 05 citizenship ceremony date. Along with the questionaire I sent a very polite letter asking for any earlier date explaining to them about my travel plans and on friday I received a call from county council saying there has been a cancellation and would I want to attend a ceremony on wedensday 15th June? I was pleasently surprised and accepted the date. And tomorrow it is my citizenship ceremony. Will post my experience on citizenship ceremony.

As regards the passport application, unless you think a few days will make all the difference, I would apply using a High Street Partner. I think first applications, as distinct from renewals, are subjected to more strutiny, so whether you apply in person or by using the Post Office will probably make less than a week's difference.

I got the passport application form from the post office today and in the application form there is a section about countersignatures. Can my project manager sign as my countersignatory? The company I work for is a private limited company and my manager's designation is "e-business developement manager". Is he eligible to be my countersignatory?