Grant Application for Certificate of Naturalisation - next??

[jspruit]

Hello everyone on the forum, I've gotten alot of useful info on here so far from reading other posts but I have a few questions which I hope that someone people can help out with.

I applied for my Naturalisation Citizenship in July 2010 and then received a letter of receipt for my application in August 2010. They sent me an email about 2 weeks ago saying that they had been trying to reach me lately with correspondence, but I did not receive any other letters or phone calls or emails from them during the past 2+ years. After I responded to their email I got a letter a few days later from INIS saying that they would Grant Application for Certificate of Naturalisation and I should be ready for the December 13th ceremony at 15:20.

Does this mean that their review process for my application is over and concluded? From reading on this forum I expected more back and forth communication from the INIS based on their possible request and need for additional information. Assuming that I can be at the ceremony and I give them the required 950 euro, photos, GNIB card, and form by November 23rd, should I just get the time off of work and not ask any more questions and go for it? Other than the 2+ years of waiting and enormous cost, it almost seems too easy now.

The letter also says that the ceremony takes 30 minutes. Does anyone have experience of then taking their certificate of naturalisation down to the post office right after the ceremony and getting their passport express process started? I'd like to be able to take care of it all in one day but I see that sometimes they ask for the passport application to be filled out in front of Garda at a station-can this be done earlier in the day without the actual certificate of naturalisation that will be received later in the afternoon? I have read forum posts about the passport express service and I can have all of the documents that are required, but I'm a bit worried that they will ask for my current country passport and I can't surrender that as I will need to use it to go back to visit family the following week for Christmas. If my current country passport is not technically required according to the passport.ie website, then how/why can they ask for it?

Thanks in advance for your responses and help.

[jeupsy]

Just send the fee and documents, and you will be Irish on the 13th of December.

The first sentence on your letter should be saying the minister intends to grant you request for citizenship at the ceremony right? - so the decision is made

[kim_202]

Hello everyone on the forum, I've gotten alot of useful info on here so far from reading other posts but I have a few questions which I hope that someone people can help out with.

I applied for my Naturalisation Citizenship in July 2010 and then received a letter of receipt for my application in August 2010. They sent me an email about 2 weeks ago saying that they had been trying to reach me lately with correspondence, but I did not receive any other letters or phone calls or emails from them during the past 2+ years. After I responded to their email I got a letter a few days later from INIS saying that they would Grant Application for Certificate of Naturalisation and I should be ready for the December 13th ceremony at 15:20.

Does this mean that their review process for my application is over and concluded? From reading on this forum I expected more back and forth communication from the INIS based on their possible request and need for additional information. Assuming that I can be at the ceremony and I give them the required 950 euro, photos, GNIB card, and form by November 23rd, should I just get the time off of work and not ask any more questions and go for it? Other than the 2+ years of waiting and enormous cost, it almost seems too easy now.

The letter also says that the ceremony takes 30 minutes. Does anyone have experience of then taking their certificate of naturalisation down to the post office right after the ceremony and getting their passport express process started? I'd like to be able to take care of it all in one day but I see that sometimes they ask for the passport application to be filled out in front of Garda at a station-can this be done earlier in the day without the actual certificate of naturalisation that will be received later in the afternoon? I have read forum posts about the passport express service and I can have all of the documents that are required, but I'm a bit worried that they will ask for my current country passport and I can't surrender that as I will need to use it to go back to visit family the following week for Christmas. If my current country passport is not technically required according to the passport.ie website, then how/why can they ask for it?

Thanks in advance for your responses and help.

Pay 950, attend the ceremony, collect naturalisation cert in ceremony.

But for the first time u must goto passport office n apply for passport.

It's upto u that u can go urgent or ordinary 15 days....

Remember new stuff bring some additional proof of address for th e first time apply for passport, need 2 proof.
Best of luck

[jspruit]

Thank you for the quick responses.
I'll get to paying the fee and sending the items back in the mail to INIS and plan on being at the ceremony on 13 December.
For the passport application - do you think that a letter from INIS with my address and a letter/statement from my bank with my address suffice?

[Ben]

But for the first time u must goto passport office n apply for passport.

It's upto u that u can go urgent or ordinary 15 days....

No you don't. You can apply for an Irish passport via Passport Express if you wish (cheapest method), like any other Irish citizen.

[jspruit]

Is it correct that when I receive my CON at the ceremony I can then go right to the Garda station afterwards to verify my passport application and then right to the post office for my passport express? I might be able to take care of this all in one afternoon then, has anyone tried to take care of the passport application right after the actual citizenship ceremony like this?

[Ben]

Is it correct that when I receive my CON at the ceremony I can then go right to the Garda station afterwards to verify my passport application and then right to the post office for my passport express? I might be able to take care of this all in one afternoon then, has anyone tried to take care of the passport application right after the actual citizenship ceremony like this?

Yes, and you might have your passport in your hand 5 working days later.

My wife and I received our Certificates of Naturalisation at the ceremony on 15/10.

We applied for our passports on the same date via Passport Express. The applications were received by the Passport Office on 16/10 and due to issue on 30/10 (10 working days later - the service purchased).

The passports actually issued on 23/10 (after just 5 working days) and received by us today, 24/10.

So, the 10 working day An Post Passport Express service actually worked twice as fast. Outstanding service and also the cheapest way of getting an Irish passport.

Perhaps your friend who was waiting four weeks didn't provide the correct documents?

http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewto ... 764#725764

[jspruit]

Thanks Ben.
Did you goto the Garda to verify the passport application before the ceremony without your CON or did you have to wait until afterwards? Did you have to goto your local Garda or did you just goto the nearest Garda station? Because my ceremony is set for 15:20 I'm not sure if I'll have time to goto the Garda and to the post office all before 18:00 but that would sure be nice.

[Ben]

I went to my local Garda station in Waterford. Firstly the night before, but the jobsworth wouldn't do it, as I didn't yet have my CoN in my possession. Obviously, that's immaterial as the Garda's role is merely to verify identity, having had sight of my driver's licence (or other acceptable form of photo ID), and not to decide the person's nationality status. That decision is to be made by staff in the passport office. Some Gardaí, unfortunately, think they are entitled to make up the rules as they please.

So I went again early the following morning, on the way to Dublin for the ceremony. The Garda on duty completed the form accordingly with no fuss.

I proceeded to Dublin, attended the ceremony, received my CoN, went to the nearest Post Office to purchase the Passport Express service, five working days later the passport is through my letterbox.