Timescale of british citizenship answer

[wooloomooloo]

Yes 4 weeks . The slight problem is that we live in Manchester and I asked for the ceremony to be in Manchester. And they give us Swindon which is no where near where we live

Something not right here. I would phone the hotline and request a local ceremony as I'm guessing that they've made an administrative error.

[marksm]

Yes 4 weeks . The slight problem is that we live in Manchester and I asked for the ceremony to be in Manchester. And they give us Swindon which is no where near where we live

Something not right here. I would phone the hotline and request a local ceremony as I'm guessing that they've made an administrative error.

I spotted the mistake straight away and called them to cap it off the number they give was un obtainable. After 2 hours getting pushed around I was given a email address . Which I sent them a nice polite email stating what has happened that was Monday last week.

I called them Friday not Hurd anything no email nothing . The Guy I spoke with said they was dealing with it and I should be sent a later this coming week ( finger cross )

I asked about the time frame because you get 21 days from the letter being sent out to book the ceremony and he said it will be sorted we see

[Waterloo]

Yes 4 weeks . The slight problem is that we live in Manchester and I asked for the ceremony to be in Manchester. And they give us Swindon which is no where near where we live

Something not right here. I would phone the hotline and request a local ceremony as I'm guessing that they've made an administrative error.

Got to agree Swindon is only about an hour from were we live it must be 4 to 5 hours from Manchester, that said for gods sake don't risk going past the deadline.

[Thongkorn]

Yes 4 weeks . The slight problem is that we live in Manchester and I asked for the ceremony to be in Manchester. And they give us Swindon which is no where near where we live

Something not right here. I would phone the hotline and request a local ceremony as I'm guessing that they've made an administrative error.

Got to agree Swindon is only about an hour from were we live it must be 4 to 5 hours from Manchester, that said for gods sake don't risk going past the deadline.

Just request that the Certificate ceremony is near you , Phone them up ,

[marksm]

I've phoned them but they have to put in writing and send it to us

[sotonfarang]

Call your local registry office and they should sort it out.

All they will do i get your certificate sent to them i presume

the certificate does`t say on it where it was issued (which registry office) so that would be ok and just book onto one of their ceremonies or request a private one, at a cost.

they can contact the home office very easily unlike us minnions

[Waterloo]

Well after one small hiccup yesterday documentation wise our application is away today, will report back how long it takes to process.

All credit to the NCS they kept our paperwork in the safe overnight whilst we retrieved the correct document and are dispatching today at no extra charge.

[bobrussell]

Congrats to Mrs Marksm.

Her 4 weeks turnaround makes Mrs Sotonfarang's lengthy delay even more inexplicable!

haha really? thats incredible, 4 weeks is fantastic

as mentioned it just makes our 11 months even more inexplicable

happy that you didn`t have to go through that, it was extremely painful

I don't think it inexplicable at all. My bet is that they mislaid the paperwork and did not want to admit to this!

If you used the National Checking Service they probably had to request copies of the documents! I would like to believe it was enhanced security that slowed things down but I suspect it was little more than a co*k up!

[marksm]

All sorted now ceremony booked for next month .

And it's on our Anniversary.

I'd like to thank everyone who has given us advice through this epic journey that we have to do to bring our love ones to the uk

[sotonfarang]

Nice one. Thats a nice added bonus to celebrate on your anniversary. Enjoy it.

[sotonfarang]

letter came today to book interview to verify ID et for passport collection.

it came 2 weeks after applying for the passport.

the appointment is next friday afternoon in Newport, as its the easter holidays i thought we could take our daughter on the ferry over to the isle of wight for a day out (rather do that than head into Portsmouth!)

they say that once this is complete the passport will be sent within 10 working days.

just letting you all know incase you need some info for future reference

[bobrussell]

Make sure she knows a bit about who signed the photo. Who they are, what the link is. I could hear the conversation when my wife was interviewed in Newport. Very friendly and conversational!

A nice day out!

The passport is probably ready to send out. My wife had hers pretty much by the next post!

Congratulations, end of a long journey! Just watch her face when she scoots through immigration control for the first time using her British passport! Also make sure when she shows it off on Facebook that the details are obscured!!!!!

[Waterloo]

congratulations

[sotonfarang]

thank you all

there is one more addition to this journey that i must add

we received our appointment confirmation yesterday for Newport

i requested a map from the indian chap after confirming the place 4 times

The map came in a different envelope for.................Newport, South Wales !

so after booking our car onto the ferry from Southampton i was not best pleased.

i called and just took one at Portsmouth for next tuesday, 3 days earlier instead.

as its easter holidays we are going to still use the ferry booking and have a look about over there

I think i am so used to being messed about now and we are surely nearing the end now that i just shrug my shoulders.

funnily enough if the passport comes a few days later on 10th of April that will be exactly 1 year to the day after we posted off the citizenship application.

holy moley, what a mission .

[wooloomooloo]

The map came in a different envelope for.................Newport, South Wales !

LOL, you're due some luck at some stage, soton.

[sotonfarang]

The map came in a different envelope for.................Newport, South Wales !

LOL, you're due some luck at some stage, soton.

Ha ha i must be due something

I reckon our luck will show when we all breeze through immigration each time we go anywhere

Oh yeah and my wife found out yesterday that she is pregnant so baby number 2 is on its way.

need luck for that too haha

[sotonfarang]

okay so this will be my last post on this thread, as i said before i am logging all this in the hope that is is helpful to others not for my own entertainment i promise !

at my wifes appointment (in Portsmouth) they asked her about the counter signature on her passport, name, relation, occupation etc.., where she obtained her passport forms (post office), what was sent off with her application ( citizenship certificate, photos etc ) what bank she banks with, what mobile phone network is she with, her daughters DOB and place of birth, place of citizenship ceremony, her parents DOB and marriage dates

blimey, was like an exam!

anyway, she was fine and got a text the next day saying she would get her passport soon, it arrived the next day, HAPPY DAYS !!!!!

just booked our flights to thailand to relax knowing that we are FINALLY BRITISH AS A FAMILY AFTER 8 YEARS and after applying for my wifes citizenship we got her passport exactly 1 year later to the day, weird.

thanks for all your input its been ever so helpful and i wish you all good luck for the future.

[Waterloo]

Phone call from the Wife a couple of hours ago our letter has arrived from the home office and her application has been approved, yippee cartwheels round the office.

Citizenship ceremony already booked for the 2nd June.

Application submitted to NCS on the 24th March so sent to home office on the 25th March, today being the 7th May I make that just over 6 weeks to get a decision.

Would definitely recommend using the NCS, apart from not being without our documents for that time we had mistakenly submitted the pass notification for the language test rather than the actual certificate.

Top marks to NCS, they held our application in the safe overnight and submitted the following day when the Wife returned with the certificate.

Good luck to all those still travelling on this road.

[sotonfarang]

amazing news, 6 weeks is a lovely turnaround, very happy for you both.

you can go wherever you want to soon in europe and most of the world together without needing visas, superb