Qualifying period for naturalisation after ILR

[newperson]

I thought that members applying for citizenship might perhaps find this interesting.

My one year period on ILR ends on May 12th, 2010. I rang up Westminster Council this week to request an NCS appointment. I originally thought that I could have my NCS appointment on Tuesday, May 11th, knowing that my application would likely arrive at the Home Office on Wednesday the 12th, on my one year anniversary of ILR.

When I said this, the lady booking my appointment said I couldn't do that. The application had to reach the HO at least one day after my one year on ILR was completed. So the soonest that I can have my appointment is the 12th, with the application getting to the HO on the 13th.

Interesting, sort of. I thought the ILR period was one year, but apparently it's one year and a day. Of course this is with the usual caveats that you were physically present in the country exactly five/three years before and will be in the country for at least five days after the application is submitted. Not really a big deal, but still. And who knows, maybe this one year-plus-a-day on ILR is just a Westminster Council thing.

Also, the lady made it VERY clear that my photo needed to be glued or stapled to the application BEFORE I arrived at my appointment. If I try to do it there, they would not accept the application. Apparently the referee's main role is to vouch for your identity, so if your photo isn't on the sheet where the referees sign, it brings that whole issue into doubt. So make sure it's attached, otherwise they won't let you apply and you'll have to pay and come back on a different day. Again, maybe this is just Westminster.

[bani]

thanks for the very helpful post.

first point about the date isn't just westminster. NCS in Cambridge held my application for 2 days before sending it out too. I had my appointment on 30 Nov 2009 (I completed five years on 1 Dec), they held on to the application and posted it on 2 Dec (because they were closed on 1 Dec). they were OK to hold an application for up to a week just to get you to the right date.

good tip about the photo page. it does make sense and they should mention it in the guidance notes.