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Topic: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question  (Read 1584 times)

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ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« on: March 22, 2013, 12:48:21 PM »
Hi All,

Just back from getting my ILR at the Glasgow PEO.  Not much to say, really.  It went fine, and, aside from the 'bouncers' at the doors, everyone else (including security staff) were very friendly and helpful. 

We were way early for the appointment, 'cause that's just how I roll :p, but it was completely unnecessary.  The 'half-hour prior' that they suggest would have been more than enough time.

The only comment I would have for them is that they might want a better sign directing people to the correct building within the compound.


So, now that that's all settled, my next question is about citizenship.  For people who've claimed it after 3 years on basis of marriage/partnership, how long has it taken to be approved?  I'm trying to figure out whether, if I apply as soon as possible (mid-march) I'd be likely to have it by mid-August, when I imagine the cut-off for voter registration for the referendum will be.

Also, for anyone who's done it from Scotland, or from a very remote/rural area, did they actually arrange a 'ceremony' within your Local Authority Area, or did you have to travel to a city?


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2013, 01:33:42 PM »
Congrats! Glad you were able to get it all sorted. My citizenship took about 3 months to get approved back in November 2011, but a friend of mine who applied in September 2012 had hers back in a month. I'd be very surprised if you didn't have it by August. My ceremony was in my local council, but not in my town. Fife seems to rotate the ceremony around to different locations, and it only has monthly ceremonies. Your best bet is to get in touch with your council directly, because it may be that the Western Isles don't do them and you'd need to go to Highland Council for it.
Arrived as student 9/2003; Renewed student visa 9/2006; Applied for HSMP approval 1/2008; HSMP approved 3/2008; Tier 1 General FLR received 4/2008; FLR(M) Unmarried partner approved (in-person) 27/8/2009; ILR granted at in-person PEO appointment 1/8/2011; Applied for citizenship at Edinburgh NCS 31/10/2011; Citizenship approval received 4/2/2012
FINALLY A CITIZEN! 29/2/2012


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2013, 02:21:18 PM »
Also, for anyone who's done it from Scotland, or from a very remote/rural area, did they actually arrange a 'ceremony' within your Local Authority Area, or did you have to travel to a city?

I was living in West Lothian at the time I got mine, and 'they' (whoever they are... i cant remember) scheduled it for Bathgate.  I would have preferred Edinburgh (where i was working) or Glasgow (where my friends and family were), but they didn't offer me a choice.  They seemed to assume that because I lived in West Lothian, I would want my ceremony there too.  :-\\\\  S'pose I could have got it changed, but I couldnt be arsed.


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2013, 02:50:54 PM »
it may be that the Western Isles don't do them and you'd need to go to Highland Council for it.

Probably, with my luck.  ::)

Did you have to pay anything for the ceremony?  I'm guessing not, if they held regularly scheduled ones anyway. 

I'm just not looking forward to having to shell out cash so that the local councillor up the road can, what?  Hand me a flag and some co-op vouchers?


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2013, 06:35:14 PM »
I have heard of someone in Orkney having a citizenship ceremony here in Kirkwall, and I'm hoping that will be the case for us!

Why are you assuming that this August will be the cut-off for voter registration for the 2014 Scottish independence referendum?  I haven't heard anything like that ...


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2013, 06:43:56 PM »
Well, the referendum is set for 18 September.  Don't they generally make the registration cut-off about 4 weeks ahead of the election?  I didn't think you could do same-day registration.


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2013, 06:45:43 PM »
The referendum is September 2014, not 2013 ...  :)


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2013, 06:52:33 PM »
The referendum is September 2014, not 2013 ...  :)

And the OP won't qualify for citizenship until mid-March 2014. It's not clear from her post but her signature line says she's lived in the UK for about two years so won't qualify until about a year from now.


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2013, 09:35:35 PM »
Ah, fair enough.  Sorry, didn't get that she meant a year from now.


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #9 on: March 23, 2013, 10:23:27 PM »
Does it really only take one to three months for a citizenship application to go through?  I was thinking something more like six to eight months?  I know the time frames change pretty quickly, but are they currently processing them that quickly?!


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #10 on: March 23, 2013, 10:36:50 PM »
Does it really only take one to three months for a citizenship application to go through?  I was thinking something more like six to eight months?  I know the time frames change pretty quickly, but are they currently processing them that quickly?!

I found a thread about current processing times on another immigration forum a couple of weeks ago which was showing that applications sent using the NCS are taking about 3-4 weeks and applications sent without using the NCS are taking about 4-6 weeks at the moment.


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #11 on: March 24, 2013, 12:47:31 AM »
Thanks ksand!


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Re: ILR PEO experience and Citizenship question
« Reply #12 on: March 24, 2013, 03:58:06 AM »
Wow!  That is much quicker than I would have thought!  Thanks, ksand!


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