Success Timeline for submission, absences and UKVCAS appointment (w/ settled status)

[barlando]

Hi all,

I’m not sure which section this post should go, so please apologies and in case don’t hesitate to move it.

I’m putting together my application for naturalisation, and although I had a look at the various sections of the forum and read what I think is relevant, I’m still unsure about some aspects of the application, in particular the timeline.

Here’s my situation so far:

• I’ve got settled status, obtained on 15 April 2020, so it’ll be 1 year on 15 April 2021;
• I’ve booked both English Test and Life in the UK for the end of March, and I’m fairly confident I can pass both;
• I’ve go my two referee;
• I have a “parking ticket” for failing to comply with a sign to pass to the specified side of the sign, but a part from this I think I can be able to meet the Good Character requirement;
• I plan to submit my application during the first week of June

Now what is less clear to me:

• I’ll probably have to temporarily leave the UK for work for a few months in early April and be back likely in August;
• This will add to my days of absence, and I’ve calculated that, as of 8 June 2021 I’ll have 360 days of absence in the past 5 years and 84 in the last year. My first question is: does the counting stop on the day of submission of the application?
• My second question is: will I be able to book my UKVCAS appointment in August? Is this a realistic timescale?
• My final question for the moment is probably minor: I did not get exactly the timing of the date-sign of the photos by the referee. Would this fit my timescale above?

Apologies for the length of the message and many thanks for your help.

[Site Admin]

• I plan to submit my application during the first week of June

Now what is less clear to me:

• I’ll probably have to temporarily leave the UK for work for a few months in early April and be back likely in August;

Afternoon,

When you start on the form, you have to say whether you are in the UK or not, if you are not in the UK then you need to follow a different process to apply from abraod and send documents by post, etc. rather than having a UKVCAS appointment in the UK, so I'm not sure how this is going to work.

• This will add to my days of absence, and I’ve calculated that, as of 8 June 2021 I’ll have 360 days of absence in the past 5 years and 84 in the last year. My first question is: does the counting stop on the day of submission of the application?

Yes, everything cuts off on the day you submit online and pay.

• My second question is: will I be able to book my UKVCAS appointment in August? Is this a realistic timescale?

Applicants are usually given 8-9 weeks to book an appointment, so from June to August you'd be at the end of this period.

• My final question for the moment is probably minor: I did not get exactly the timing of the date-sign of the photos by the referee. Would this fit my timescale above?

There isn't anything in the guidance that says how long in advance you can get the referee declarations signed.

But I'm a bit concerned here, because it looks like you are trying to apply in the middle of your posting abroad just to meet the absences criteria. I would say it would be much easier if you just waited till you came back and timed it when your excess absences have droped off the last 12 months.

[Site Admin]

We have put together the following resources which should be your starting point.

• Ovierview of the citizenship process
• Step-by-step guide.

Also refer to this post: Issues, mistakes, errors and ommisions

....and, before going further, you should also be aware of the potential impact on family members you may wish to sponsor in the future.

Please note that, if applying with settled status, it may also be necessary to show you were exercising treaty rights for the previous 3 or 5 years, as noted here:
Employment, financial requirements and treaty rights for citizenship - UKCEN Citizenship and Residence for European Nationals and their families

[barlando]

Good morning,
Many thanks for all your helpful comments.

I did not know that there are two different paths for applications from the UK and from abroad, I'll have a better look at that.

The reason for submitting in June 2021 would be because, due to absences, my next window of opportunity will likely be Aug-Sept 2022. I'll start drafting my application on the website in the coming weeks and see how it pans out. In case I don't submit it and decide to wait, will a non submitted draft application affect my chances in 2022?

Please note that, if applying with settled status, it may also be necessary to show you were exercising treaty rights for the previous 3 or 5 years, as noted here:
Employment, financial requirements and treaty rights for citizenship - UKCEN Citizenship and Residence for European Nationals and their families

Thanks for the advice. I've read this through and I think I should be easily covered. I've been working with the same employer since 23-03-2015 and I've got contracts to demonstrate that, if need be.

[Site Admin]

Good morning,
Many thanks for all your helpful comments.

I did not know that there are two different paths for applications from the UK and from abroad, I'll have a better look at that.

Morning,

A handful of people have applied from abroad, but do bear in mind that those who are not married to a British spouse are subject to the future intentions requirement, ie. intention to continue living in the UK and, if making an application from abroad, are likely to be asked questions and provide evidence of plans to return to the UK.

The reason for submitting in June 2021 would be because, due to absences, my next window of opportunity will likely be Aug-Sept 2022. I'll start drafting my application on the website in the coming weeks and see how it pans out. In case I don't submit it and decide to wait, will a non submitted draft application affect my chances in 2022?

A non submitted application doesn't go anywhere so it doesn't affect anything, I've kept one running for 3 years now which I use to answer queries here and do screenshots. You only need to log in regularly to keep it alive, otherwise it gets deleted, I think this happens after 70 days if you don't log in.

Thanks for the advice. I've read this through and I think I should be easily covered. I've been working with the same employer since 23-03-2015 and I've got contracts to demonstrate that, if need be.

Employment contracts only show that you entered into a contract on a certain date, they don't show you have been working there ever since, so you'd need your P60s and/or payslips.

[barlando]

Thanks again.
I totally intend to come back to the UK and live here, I'll try to optimise the timing for my application submission.
I can provide all the P60s and payslip they want, I've got them all since 2015.

[Site Admin]

Thanks again.
I totally intend to come back to the UK and live here, I'll try to optimise the timing for my application submission. I can provide all the P60s and payslip they want, I've got them all since 2015.

Morning,

I realise that, however, I'm not sure your plan will work.

Tim M (lawyer) Would you be able to comment on this?

Basically they'd like to apply midway through their stay abroad to avoid exceeding the absence allowance in the last 12 months.

[Tim M]

if you are outside the UK when you apply online then they usually request you to enrol biometrics outside the UK so you need to be aware of this in your planning. More of an issue however is that when you are living outside the UK then this may cause them to doubt your intention to settle and live in the UK. You should read further on this so that you can understand the risks and make an informed decision. See "Future intentions requirement" section in this guidance Link

[Site Admin]

barlando Please see our lawyer's response above, you'll find details on pages 33-38 of the linked document.

[barlando]

Tim MSite Admin

Hello and thanks again for your helpful comments.
I'll read the resources you recommended and decide what's best to do. I intend to live in the UK: I've got a house, a job, and my son is enrolled in a nursery and supposed to start in Sep 2021.

Anyway, if I see that the application is at risk of not being approved, I'll ultimately wait until next year, hoping that the rules and laws won't change in the meantime.

[Site Admin]

Tim MSite Admin

Hello and thanks again for your helpful comments.
I'll read the resources you recommended and decide what's best to do. I intend to live in the UK: I've got a house, a job, and my son is enrolled in a nursery and supposed to start in Sep 2021.

Anyway, if I see that the application is at risk of not being approved, I'll ultimately wait until next year, hoping that the rules and laws won't change in the meantime.

Morning,

I'd say that would be the best thing to do to be on the safe side. Just for the record, the applicable law is the British Nationality Act 1981, passed in January 1983, so you can see it's been in place for nearly 40 years. There have been some changes to the requirements over the years, but nothing significant, what has changed the most has been the fees, but it should be noted there's been no increases in the last two years, the new fees for 2021/22 are staying the same.

[barlando]

Morning,
many thanks for your help with my application so far.

I've realised that I might have an opening to submit my application next week, on the 23rd of April.

My question now is about Biometrics appointment;

How likely is it that I can find and book an appointment (I'm aiming for an Enhanced service with scanning facility, so not a free one) within 10 days from submission, i.e. within the first week of May 2021? I'll say this because it's quite possible that'll have to go abroad for a few months after that date (my work trip mentioned above has been pushed back)...

I'm willing to travel a bit if necessary, I'm based in Cambridge but can go to London/Peterborough/Norwich...

Do you think this would be a feasible plan?

[Site Admin]

Morning,
many thanks for your help with my application so far.

I've realised that I might have an opening to submit my application next week, on the 23rd of April.

My question now is about Biometrics appointment;

How likely is it that I can find and book an appointment (I'm aiming for an Enhanced service with scanning facility, so not a free one) within 10 days from submission, i.e. within the first week of May 2021? I'll say this because it's quite possible that'll have to go abroad for a few months after that date (my work trip mentioned above has been pushed back)...

I'm willing to travel a bit if necessary, I'm based in Cambridge but can go to London/Peterborough/Norwich...

Do you think this would be a feasible plan?

Hello again,

I'm afraid we can't really answer that question, as availability changes on a daily basis. Obviously the more flexible you are regarding travel and cost, the more likely you are to find one within the timeframe.

Other members have reported success either in the "wee" hours (after midnight) or at 9am, when new appointments are released on a daily basis.

[barlando]

Hello again,
many thanks for the support you give people with this forum, that's really appreciated.

I think I am ready to submit my application, and I will do that tomorrow, 23rd April 2021. I just wanted to go through the documentation I got to double-check it's reasonable.

The documents the system asks me are as follows (bold is verbatim from gov.uk application website, italics my comments):


1. The passport issued by Italy for Mr barlando
I've got two passports, the current one and an expired one, and I'll provide them both.

2. Evidence that you have been in the UK lawfully for your 3 or 5 year qualifying residence period. This should be evidence that you were here as a worker, student, self-employed, self-sufficient, retired or incapacitated person.
I've got P60s from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020. For the last 12 months, I've got the payslips, as my employer has not provided me with a P60 yet. Both P60s and payslips are only in PDF format, as my employer only issues them like that.
I can provide Council tax invoices from Dec 2019
I can provide HRMC UTR for self-assessment.
I also got NiN letter from 2015.

I need to give some background here. Since I moved to the UK, I've lived at 4 addresses:
- 18/03/2015 to 22/03/2015 Address 1 (AirBnB): this is the address I gave to apply for the NiN, and the NiN letter arrived at this address although I had moved by the time the letter came.
- 22/03/2015 to 24/08/2015 Address 2
- 24/08/2015 to 12/12/2019 Address 3
- 12/12/2019 to today Address 4: This is the address I've got council tax invoices for, and also associated with my self-employment.
Only the two latter addresses concur to the 5 year qualifiying period, if I'm not mistaken.

There's an issue with my P60s from 2015-2016 to 2017-2018, which is that they report Address 2, not Address 3, due to miscommunication and delay of my employer HR. I will explain this in the cover letter. Do you think this might be a problem?

3. If you spent some of that time in the UK as a student or as a self-sufficient person, and had comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI), a copy of your sickness insurance policy
I've never spent time as a student or a self-sufficient person, so I guess this does not apply to me.

4. Mr barlando's proof of Nationality.
As point 1 above, I can provide my passport(s).

5. Mr barlando's certificate proving you have a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher
I've got my IELTS Life Skills B1, obtained in March 2021.

6. Proof of living in the UK for Mr barlando for 5 years if applying in your own right or 3 years if applying as the spouse of a British Citizen. If you are an EEA National, you need to include letters from employers, educational establishments or other government departments, indicating your presence in the UK during the relevant 3- or 5-year period.
As mentioned above I've got P60s, payslips, NiN, and council tax invoices.
I have a self-assessment tax return for the year 2019-2020.
I have the Status Outcome letters for Pre-Settled (9 Dec 2018) and Settled (15 April 2020) statuses
I've also got a discharge letter from the hospital in London where I had surgery in March 2017.
I have got a letter from the council with confirmation of the Application to vote by post (April 2021).
I have got a letter from my employer's HR confirming a promotion (Jan 2020)
I also got tons of back account statements/credit card statements with transactions, but there are hundreds of pages. Is it worth uploading them as well or the above is enough?

10. Two referee declarations for Mr barlando.
I have got them, one dated 18th April 2021, the other one will be dated 25th April 2021

11. Mr barlando's most recent tax year account statement and corresponding HMRC tax return as proof of self-employment
I think this is asked because I selected both "An employee" and "Self-employed" when asked. My main source of income and main work is as an employee, but in September 2020 I have registered as self-employed to do some weekend extra consultancy work.
I have provided details of my employer in the application online form and I will include details of my self-employment in my cover letter.
The most recent self-assessment tax return I've submitted is the 2019-2020 one. I have not done the 2020-2021 one yet as I need some extra info I'll get in the next few months (and there's time until Jan 2022 to submit it).
What is not clear to me is what the "tax year account statement" is. Any idea?


---
One final question: is there any chance that I'll be asked to send/provide my physical current Italian passport, so that I'm left without a passport while my application is considered? I will need it for all sorts of things and I'd rather keep it with me...

[Site Admin]

Hello again,
many thanks for the support you give people with this forum, that's really appreciated.

I think I am ready to submit my application, and I will do that tomorrow, 23rd April 2021. I just wanted to go through the documentation I got to double-check it's reasonable.

The documents the system asks me are as follows (bold is verbatim from gov.uk application website, italics my comments):


1. The passport issued by Italy for Mr barlando
I've got two passports, the current one and an expired one, and I'll provide them both.

Afternoon,

Passports only need to cover the last 5 years, so you only need to send the old one if your current one was issued less than 5 years ago.

2. Evidence that you have been in the UK lawfully for your 3 or 5 year qualifying residence period. This should be evidence that you were here as a worker, student, self-employed, self-sufficient, retired or incapacitated person.
I've got P60s from 2015-2016 to 2019-2020. For the last 12 months, I've got the payslips, as my employer has not provided me with a P60 yet. Both P60s and payslips are only in PDF format, as my employer only issues them like that.
I can provide Council tax invoices from Dec 2019
I can provide HRMC UTR for self-assessment.
I also got NiN letter from 2015.

I need to give some background here. Since I moved to the UK, I've lived at 4 addresses:
- 18/03/2015 to 22/03/2015 Address 1 (AirBnB): this is the address I gave to apply for the NiN, and the NiN letter arrived at this address although I had moved by the time the letter came.
- 22/03/2015 to 24/08/2015 Address 2
- 24/08/2015 to 12/12/2019 Address 3
- 12/12/2019 to today Address 4: This is the address I've got council tax invoices for, and also associated with my self-employment.
Only the two latter addresses concur to the 5 year qualifiying period, if I'm not mistaken.

There's an issue with my P60s from 2015-2016 to 2017-2018, which is that they report Address 2, not Address 3, due to miscommunication and delay of my employer HR. I will explain this in the cover letter. Do you think this might be a problem?

Please note that you don't need to provide proof of address, just residence and lawful residence, so the address on those documents doesn't really matter. In 5 years, I've never seen anyone being questioned over address discrepancies, however, you may wish to write a brief note in your cover letter.

You only need to provide evidence of residence and lawful residence for the last 5 years, so starting from April 2016, nothing from 2015.