submitted application for naturalisation

[kp1]

Hello All, Great forum, very informative.

I have just submitted my application to liverpool for naturalisation. How long should i expect to wait for, before I get a decission from. Also, does anyone know where citizenship ceremonie are held in nottingham, asssuming my application is successful?

Thanks

KP

[John]

Hi, the IND website is now talking about an average of four months for naturalisation applications, but a read of postings on this Board will show that many hear quite a bit quicker than that.

In Nottingham? In a city such as that I would expect in the City Hall, that is, wherever the City Council meets for its meetings. But is that important at this moment in time? If your naturalisation application is approved you will also get a letter from the Local Authority telling you the detail of the citizenship ceremony.

[kp1]

Thank you. I had read on the IND site that its takes an average of 4 months, but when i had called them for a query, they said 6 months. HOwever reading the posts here. it seems to be taking a lot lesser than that. I am assuming it is based on the complexity or simplicity of your individual application. is anybody aware or familiar with their protocol for dealing with applications or is it a simple case of joining the bootom of the pile and gets dealt with when 'its' turn comes up.

Also i am paying by debit card, so wold it mean that my application is nearing a decission when i see the monies taken from my account, or is that something that happens as soon as they receive my application?

Thanks

[John]

KP1, a number of points there. Firstly as regards payment. No, that is not the way it works. They will take payment shortly after the application is received and indeed only after they know they have the application money will the application be passed to the next stage.

But the fact that you are sensibly paying by Debit Card, rather than cheque, means that IND will get instant confirmation of payment rather than needing to wait for a cheque to clear, so at least there is no delay in passing that payment stage.

Allocation of cases? I am not sure we know exactly how it works, except those applying via one of the six pilot Checking Service sites are being given priority. Nevertheless hopefully you will hear in under the average time of four months.

[kp1]

I dont have an NCS in my local authority, its a bit unfair, i sppouse that i have to wait for months while people using NCS have to wait for days or weeks.

As far as i am aware, my application is straight forward, i meet all the criteria, have no criminal convictions tc, have only been out of the country for 6 days in the last 3 yrs (basis of marriage)...so can i assume that it will require not as many queires as a complex application, which in turn would reduce the waiting time....

Also, i have read most of the posts, but candidates who heard from the IND insdays/weeks rather than months, have they all applied via NCS or had some applied directly..? I am sure i have read posts which say applications were made directly..

[John]

Hi, you say that you are applying on the basis of marriage to a British Citizen after 3 years in the UK. My wife was in that situation in April last year. At a time when the average delay as stated on the IND website was 8 months, my wife got her "application successful" letter after just 5 weeks. Hopefully you will be end up getting the same sort of treatment.

[kp1]

Thanks John, Hopefully I will hear from them sooner rather than later... So if she applied in April last year it would have been directly to IND as there were no NCs then. Impressive turnaround.

What amazes me is the fact that they state these long wait times when they can clearly deal with applications much faster. I can only hope that my application lands on the desk of someone who is on the ball, rather than the ball being on him!

[John]

KP1, yes my wife applied direct by post before the NCS started.

I suspect the average time of say four months might well be correct, but many will get dealt with much quicker than that ..... and more difficult cases will take a year or more.

[kp1]

..... and more difficult cases will take a year or more.

John,

In your experience, how would you define difficult cases? Examples of any scenarios?

KP

[John]

KP, there is no reason to think yours is a difficult case?

Sorry I was using that term loosely. Maybe criminal record? Maybe previous breach of immigration legislation?

But certainly not someone who has come to the UK on a spouse visa, or a fiancé(e) or other visa and then converted that to a spouse visa, then got ILR. I would imagine that as long as all the required supporting documents have been supplied, and the form is fully complete, and there are not excessive days out of the UK, and the person was physically in the UK exactly three years before IND receive the application form, then such applications are usually dealt with promptly these days.

[kp1]

John,

Thanks once again, no need to apologise, I was just curious to see what kind of scenarios would delay processing time.. thats all. Fingers crossed for speedy response....

KP

[kp1]

I just called the IND to confirm receipt of my application, which they did. The nice lady went through to explaing the process to me.. she said

''now that we have received your forms, it will take about 10-12 weeks to be passed onto a case worker...they may then contact you if they need any further information etc... and only once they are satisfied with the information they have received.. they will make character checks which may take days or weeks or even longer. Once all this has been done, we will let you know of our decission''

This doeent make sense, how do applicants, who have not applied via NCS, get responses back in days/couple of weeks?

Is it me or does it not add up? or is the IND much more efficient than they claim to be?

I am confused

or maybe i am very impatient?

[John]

KP .... I really do feel that, yes, you are being impatient. There was no need for you to phone today, after all, presumably, you sent the application etc to Liverpool by Special Delivery or at least Recorded Delivery, so the Post Office Track and Trace facility will tell you that it arrived safely.

Now just sit back and wait! The average is four months according to the IND website. Do nothing .... until at least 2006! But hopefully well before the end of 2005 you will have heard.

[kp1]

oooops, my apologies