Current naturalisation/citizenship waiting times

It's pretty straightforward - the bigest advantage to the NCS is retaining your passport and other original documents. You'll be fine I'm sure :-).

That's the one and only reason we used it, I couldn't see any other advantage, agree with vadio, I don't think it makes any difference in the actual application.

Best of luck

castabear, is there a typo in your signature timeline?  It says you got ILR in November '14...?

Same as the others, the only advantage to using the NCS for me was retaining my documents.  Especially after my mother died unexpectedly the other year, I am very wary of giving them up for an indefinite amount of time.

And a slight timeline update--I got my acknowledgement letter yesterday

Date of Application: Thu 18/12 (NCS Hammersmith)
Date of receipt by UKBA: Fri 19/12
Date of debit of fees: Mon 29/12 (per online banking figures; cleared 30/12)
Date of receipt of acknowledgement: Mon 05/01 (dated 29/12)
Date of receipt of approval: ...
Date of ceremony: ...

I'm British!!!

Citizenship ceremony done this afternoon, followed by a surprise fish and chips dinner with ten friends who were waiting outside the council house with red, white and blue flowers and balloons.

Timeline review:
NCS appt Nov 4 2014
Application rec'd Nov 6 2014
Approval Dec 5th 2014
Ceremony Jan 6th 2015

So happy to have this long journey finished. Well, as soon as I get that passport, anyway!
Thank you so very much to everyone who patiently and helpfully answered my questions along the way!!!

Congratulation..What does being 'British' mean to you?

Honestly, being able to let go of the worry that one day, someday, we might not meet whatever visa/immigration rules that might be in place, and being forced to live separately. I know it seems like a small thing to worry about, but just the few months apart while I was back in the States waiting for my spouse visa, with a two year old who didn't quite understand why she could only see Daddy on the computer...that was enough to make me want to do whatever it took to keep us together.

It isn't a small worry Texasgirl - just having an IO who is having a crap day, or is on a power trip can scare the crap out of me, and has done in the past. Becoming British means freedom from all that worry.

Congratulations!!

Congratulations Texasgirl 

Congratulations Texasgirl! I hope to have my application going in by the end of this week.

Thanks Vadio, Teuchtar, and BeatlesCowgirl for the replies. That puts my mind at ease... and yest beatlescowgirl... that was a typo... definitely had my full year on ILR first! ha!

Just an update, I see that £906 has been taken from my credit card. It's progress!

I just came home to a lovely letter from The Home Office saying that my application has been approved! 

NCS Wandsworth Appointment: 3 Dec 2014
Application Signed for by Home Office: 5 Dec 2014
Payment taken from Bank Account: 15 Dec 2014
Acknowledgment Letter Received: 18 Dec 2014 (dated the 12 Dec 2014)
Approval Letter Received: 08 January 2015 (dated 24 December 2014)

I'm going to call first thing in the morning to book my ceremony. Good luck to everyone else who is waiting!

My citizenship invitation arrived! It was dated 11 December and my ceremony will be on 6 Jan. In total, only 16 days for a decision!

My ceremony was on Tuesday, I am officially a citizen! I've even registered to vote...

woo hoo    Brilliant news and so fast too!

Current timeline:

Date Application Mailed: Thu 12/1
Date of receipt by UKBA: Fri 13/1

Current timeline:

Date Application Mailed: Thu 12/1
Date of receipt by UKBA: Fri 13/1

Good luck, things seem to be moving pretty fast

Date of NCS Application: 19/11/14
Date of receipt by UKBA: 20/11/14 (next day)
Date of debit of fees: 30/11/14 (12 days later)
Date of receipt of acknowledgement: 04/12/14 (dated 30/11/14 - 16 days later)
Date of receipt of approval: 18/12/14 (dated 11/12/14 )
Date of ceremony: 14/1/15

Had a bit of trouble booking my original ceremony. The first three times I called I wasn't in the system yet so they couldn't book me a ceremony. I am guessing mostly because it was the holidays and then I had to leave because I was going back in the states to see my family. They wouldn't let my husband book it for me and I didn't have the paper with me in USA so without the reference number they wouldn't let me book it from the USA originally when they finally DID have me in the system. I had to wait until my husband was able to get it and email to me and then they didn't have any more space for last Wednesday (Jan. 7) which I had off so instead had to take off a half day's work. Aggravating to say the least, but now I can officially say I'm BRITISH!

My husband posted online to all his friends and family how he has a British Wife now and he took the morning off to come with me. Which was great.

What a relief, now onto getting a British Passport. Not looking forward to sending in my US passport again and limiting my availability to travel until it's returned, but so glad I'm through all the hurtles and this is the last thing left.

Good luck everyone who is waiting!