Applying for naturatisation

[yasin333]

Hello All

My passport from country of origin (non eea) expired last year (Aug 2020). Im ILR (10yr route+ 3years). Im planning to apply for british passport and was looking at naturalisation procedure online. On the online form, under documents to be submitted, there is a tick box for "proof of living in the Uk for mr xxx for 5 years if applying in your own right or 3 years if applying as the spouse of a british citizen'.

And then it says below' if you are a non eea you need to prove you have lived in uk for the relevant 3 or 5 year period

If you do not have your passport or it was not stanped when you entered the uk, you need to include letters (for e.g from your employer or govt dept) as proof.'

My question is, does my passport although expired in aug 2020 cover residency uptil now? My passport was stamped on last entry (jan 2020) and i havent left the country since Aug 2020, neither on a new passport (which i didnt apply for) nor on a travel document. On that basis, will my passport suffice or do i need to have proof of residency from August 2020 till now?

Many thanks

[alterhase58]

I understand that you can apply with an expired passport - which would be your residency proof up to date of expiry. For the period between expiry and application date for naturalisation you need to provide alternative evidence, official type documents such as P60, Council Tax bills, HMRC notifications, DWP Pensions/child benefits, etc.

[yasin333]

Hello All

Im finally applying for naturalisation. Ive got my ILR in 2017 based on 10 years stay.

First thing first: Is it better to do online or form?

Secondly: Do I need an OISC adviser to help me? It seems simple enough but I have bad experience dealing with HO's incompetencies from before and just looking at the whole thing making me a bit sick.

Thirdly: I was out of my non eu passport between 2020 and 2021 (a period of around 7 days). My old passport expired and I applied for the new passport here in the UK at my embassy and got it in 2021 and then travelled with it. Does that mean that I cannot show residence for that time and will have to submit some documents for that period of time?

Thanks

[yasin333]

sorry meant a period of 7 months on the above, not 7 days!!!

[CR001]

First thing first: Is it better to do online or form?

Online. The paper form is for those who do NOT live in the UK.

Secondly: Do I need an OISC adviser to help me? It seems simple enough but I have bad experience dealing with HO's incompetencies from before and just looking at the whole thing making me a bit sick.

No you don't. Many do the application themselves. it is not a difficult application to make. It is simple, you either meet all the requirements or you don't, that is it.

Thirdly: I was out of my non eu passport between 2020 and 2021 (a period of around 7 days). My old passport expired and I applied for the new passport here in the UK at my embassy and got it in 2021 and then travelled with it. Does that mean that I cannot show residence for that time and will have to submit some documents for that period of time?

No issue. Submit payslips or P60 for that period if you have. You were told that in 2021 when you asked the same question.