British Citizenship - Waiting Time

Congratulations!! 

Congratulations!! 

Thanks, Julie. 

I just got back from two weeks in the States to find that my citizenship application has been approved!  Talk about a good way to kick off the New Year.... Thanks to everyone who posts on this board and keeps information flowing!  My timeline:

06/10/08 – Applied via the Camden NCS in London
14/10/08 – Acknowledgement letter received from Home Office/payment accepted
19/12/08 – Date on Home Office acceptance letter
24/02/09 – Next available citizenship ceremony in my borough (too bad there's nothing this month)

It all happened so fast – I was thinking it would be at least another month before I heard anything.

ooh that's great news, jmarocks, congratulations! And not just because you applied a week or so before me so I'm hoping mine comes soon! 

Quick question-

I attended my citizenship ceremony this evening and am now dual US/UK!!

I'm going to the States on 10 February and am worried that if I apply for my British passport, I won't get it in time. Am I still able to travel on my US passport only? Do I need to bring along my naturalisation certificate?

I searched for an answer in the archives-sorry if this is blindingly obvious!

Thanks-
Katherine

It's not blindingly obvious...

But, if you have ILR in your US passport, you'll find the answer in this thread, succinctly stated by Vicky in the second to last post (but the whole thread is interesting reading IMO):

http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=49802.0

Really amazing timing on my application!! 

28/11/2008 Submitted papers via local (Islington) NCS appointment
(held by them until the following Monday as I was going to France on a day trip that weekend)
01/12/2008 Sent from Islington to Home Office
09/12/2008 Letter acknowledging receipt
19/01/2009 Letter from Home Office congratulating me on the approval of my application! (Received today 22/01/2009)

The letter says that I'll have notification from the local council within 2 weeks of my citizenship ceremony date, and that I'll get my certificate then. I was fully expecting to wait another four months!

Holy moly, that was fast!

And so was mine!

08/12/2008 - NCS appointment in Warwick
22/12/2008 - letter acknowledging receipt (dated 15/12)
23/01/2009 - letter acknowledging approval!  (dated 20/01)

As with baylor, I'm supposed to get the actual invitation within two weeks.  Someone is clearing up some serious backlog at the Home Office, evidently!

Good stuff, they're obviously getting ready for the onslaught of applications before the fees go up/rules change. 

My NCS appointment is 2/2/09, so we'll see how long it takes.

Aww, no fair!  I applied in October and I'm still waiting...

Were you two December applicants on the family path? Maybe the working path is on a different timescale or something...

Were you two December applicants on the family path? Maybe the working path is on a different timescale or something...

I was on the family path, yes.  Sorry to hear that it wasn't a general speed-up.   

I do kind of wonder, though - I've heard here of people getting processed who had applied in September, and then suddenly this leap to December, and no one here with an Oct/Nov application date has reported having a decision?  I wonder if someone picked up the wrong pile from the in-tray...

I applied on the 10th of November 2008 and had a letter saying the payment had not gone through (they put the wrong number in) sent the payment back off the 18th ish of November 2008 and have not heard anything since and its now January 09  and I am on the family route to so hope that helps, we did call and they said they are back logged with everyone panicking about the changes that are going to take place.

They have not called my references (as yet) as far as I know.

Is there any way of finding out if they have the paper work and are dealing with it? the payment went off the card so we know they had that.

Indy and Sonya

I applied on 10 December 08, so hopefully I'll hear something back soon.  I'm on the family route as well.     (fingers crossed)

I applied on the 10th of November 2008 and had a letter saying the payment had not gone through (they put the wrong number in) sent the payment back off the 18th ish of November 2008 and have not heard anything since and its now January 09 

If it makes you feel any better, the exact same thing happened to me - I got a letter about the payment failing, so I rang up and gave them the correct number (the CCV on the back of my card was badly smudged), got verbal confirmation that the payment went through, but never got a confirmation letter. So I've been assuming all is fine since the payment came off my card, but I really wish they'd decide soon. My application was straightforward so I don't know why it should take so long or why others are getting approved ahead of me!

VVV sorry, to clarify - I just gave them the new CCV number over the phone, not the entire credit card number

I had to resend the payment they would not take it over the phone said they do not do that errrrrr, so I am wondering if I should call again and just ask to make sure they are actually processing it and its not just sat somewhere, when I called about the payment they did say 6 to 7 month wait as they had that many people apply and my application seemed simple and we had it all checked as well.

Fingers crossed for both of us then.

Indy