Careful - Cannot travel during naturalisation application!!!

[DocKnow]

If you are applying for naturalisation under UKVI's new front end service (UKVCAS), you may not be able to travel outside the UK while your application is under consideration:

This is what the official guidance says:

You should not leave the UK until you have received a decision on your application. If you travel outside the “Common Travel Area” (CTA) before the decision is made on your application, your application will be treated as withdrawn.
The CTA is:
UK
Republic of Ireland
Channel Islands
Isle of Man
If the decision is made while you are outside the UK and your current leave has expired you will not have a right to return to the UK and you may be refused entry at the UK border.

Here is the link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukvis-new-f ... ed-to-know

[CR001]

If you are applying for naturalisation under UKVI's new front end service (UKVCAS), you may not be able to travel outside the UK while your application is under consideration:

This is what the official guidance says:

You should not leave the UK until you have received a decision on your application. If you travel outside the “Common Travel Area” (CTA) before the decision is made on your application, your application will be treated as withdrawn.
The CTA is:
UK
Republic of Ireland
Channel Islands
Isle of Man
If the decision is made while you are outside the UK and your current leave has expired you will not have a right to return to the UK and you may be refused entry at the UK border.

Here is the link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukvis-new-f ... ed-to-know

It is nothing new and applies to immigration (visas and ILR) applications and NOT to citizenship applications.

[az121212]

If you are applying for naturalisation under UKVI's new front end service (UKVCAS), you may not be able to travel outside the UK while your application is under consideration:

This is what the official guidance says:

You should not leave the UK until you have received a decision on your application. If you travel outside the “Common Travel Area” (CTA) before the decision is made on your application, your application will be treated as withdrawn.
The CTA is:
UK
Republic of Ireland
Channel Islands
Isle of Man
If the decision is made while you are outside the UK and your current leave has expired you will not have a right to return to the UK and you may be refused entry at the UK border.

Here is the link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukvis-new-f ... ed-to-know

How did you miss the part of your posts that clearly states "your current leave has expired"?

Anyone applying for naturalisation will at least have ILR/NTL etc so there won't be any leave expiring.

[DocKnow]

Yes but nowhere does it say that naturalisation applicants can travel. It is an assumption on our part- I realise that previously travel was allowed but under the new system, they haven't specified.

Also, that last bit about leave expiring is irrelevant. The guideline clearly says that travel outside of the Common Travel area (with or without an expiring leave) leads to the application being withdrawn

[CR001]

Yes but nowhere does it say that naturalisation applicants can travel. It is an assumption on our part- I realise that previously travel was allowed but under the new system, they haven't specified.

Also, that last bit about leave expiring is irrelevant. The guideline clearly says that travel outside of the Common Travel area (with or without an expiring leave) leads to the application being withdrawn

You are wrong in your assumption.

It does not apply to citizenship applications as Nationality Laws are completely separate and independent of immigration rules.

[tancolocsiga]

Hi everyone - I'm new to the forum but have been reading it since I started my application process!

I thought it was worth weighing in on this as I just saw this on the gov.uk website after finishing filling in the online form and I was gutted as I have plane tickets home for Christmas (can't apply after because my wedding will be in Hungary too in the summer so can't then risk not having it by then!!). I saw a few people here said this does not apply if you have permanent residency (which I do), so that gave me some hope and I called the Home Office...

They said this is a new system so they do not have an answer for me just yet if I can travel or not after my application is made! (I told them I have PR) They said maybe I can try next week when they have more clarity on what this new system means.

So do not just disregard that note for now - maybe you can call too, see if they know, but my guess is the advisors in the contact centre haven't been told either.

Would still be interested to hear from those who said if you have ILR/PR this does not imply and where did they get their information from, because I'm interested in understanding, but as it stands now, I don't want to risk anything!

[alterhase58]

Naturalisation is not an immigration application. It comes under Nationality Laws. Ever since I have been on this board it was always the case that travel was not an issue. The implementation of a new application process doesn't invalidate this. Likely Steria are no too familiar with subtleties.

[tancolocsiga]

Naturalisation is not an immigration application. It comes under Nationality Laws. Ever since I have been on this board it was always the case that travel was not an issue. The implementation of a new application process doesn't invalidate this. Likely Steria are no too familiar with subtleties.

Thanks @alterhase58 that distinction makes a lot of sense and trust me I do hope you're right, I'm just still quite worried that the Home Office said "they don't know" when I asked if I'll be able to travel after I've handed in my citizenship application even though I have permanent residency...

[DocKnow]

Just an update on this - UKVI have now updated their page. It says the following:

If you are applying for leave to remain, or indefinite leave to remain, you should not leave the UK until you have received a decision on your application. If you travel outside the “Common Travel Area” (CTA) before the decision is made on your application, your application will be treated as withdrawn.

Here is the link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukvis-new-f ... ed-to-know


So yes, you can travel if it is a naturalisation application as the gurus have pointed out. Its good that UKVI have clarified officially as well.