LondonSquirrel

My DH was eligible to apply for British citizenship in about 2003 but he didn’t want to do it then. I recently convinced him it was a good idea and I bought the ‘Life in the UK’ book and practice questions book, which he studied, and I started testing him. I set him up with an online account so he could book his test.


Last summer he unfortunately got the time of the appointment wrong and so I lost my £50. I told him that was OK but next time he pays the £50 himself. He eventually took and passed the test in November. He said it was so easy he could have cried, and he completed it, including checking, in 8 minutes!


I had already filled out most of the application form. They kept having different versions of the form, first March 2015, then July 2015, then October 2015. I was worried they’d come up with another version before we could apply! The only difference for the October one that I could see was that they wanted a 10 year work history. Fortunately as of 13 December, DH had been in the same job for 10 years (although the company had changed its name and he had been TUPE-d from one company to another).


We got the passport photos done and hubby got his boss and one of his colleagues to do his references (he works in an office). If anybody else is applying, don’t worry too much about the whole ‘professionals like a doctor or lawyer’ thing. Bosses are fine, and the second referee doesn’t have to be a manager anyway, just over 25. They have to put their passport number if they have a valid one. His boss did, but his colleague’s passport was out of date, so he didn’t fill out the passport number bit. To thank them, I bought both referees a nice bottle of wine, which they were very happy with.


As we had applied based on DH’s marriage to me, we only had to list trips outside the UK for the past 3 years, (pre-July 2012 rules), rather than 5 years, although he would have been eligible for citizenship even if we were no longer married.


We submitted the application via the Nationality Checking Service on 16 December. We told the guy at Bromley Council that we were one of their success stories as we had been married at the Civic Centre just over 17 years previously, and he said the registrar who married us still worked there in the office.


We received the biometrics letter in January and I went with DH to the Post Office for the fingerprinting and photographing in early January. We had a hairy moment when their system ‘froze’ and we were about to walk out and plan to come back another time, when we were called back to say it was OK. (They destroy the fingerprints after your citizenship ceremony).


DH got his letter of approval about 24 February, and we’ve booked the ceremony for 5 April. We could have done it much sooner, but we wanted his mum to come. In the end she couldn’t because she was recovering from surgery and didn’t think she’d be strong enough, but we kept the date. My mum is coming and hopefully a couple we are friends with. You get to shake hands and have a photo taken with the Mayor or Deputy Mayor and have tea and biscuits in the old Bishop’s Palace afterwards.


I have bought a royal blue dress and a red, white and blue fascinator to wear, and I got DH a tie with US and UK flags on it, to honour both his citizenship of birth and the new one he’ll be gaining.

Hopefully we can get him on the Electoral Roll in time for the London Mayoral election and EU referendum.


I paid for the citizenship which was a lot at £1005, (extra for test and biometrics, I think the biometrics was about £20), considering that when DH was first eligible to apply it was only £108 with no test or ceremony. Having said that, it’s going up by about £250 on 1st April, and it will keep going up and up I’m sure, so it was better late than never. Besides which, studying for the test was actually fun and interesting for both of us, and I hope the ceremony will be nice too. I doubt it would be very special just going to a solicitor to take the oath and certainly not anything to invite your mum to! We even got a book on US citizenship so DH could test me on those questions, just for fun (and to even things out a bit)! I did OK!


OK so apart from applying for his first British passport (already fleshed-out the form!), after the citizenship ceremony he is done with British immigration for good, Thank God!

BritInParis

Well done, glad to hear you both took the time and effort to do it. Too many stories about spouses of British citizens who lived in the UK for years, left the UK without bothering and now can't get back in again.

LondonSquirrel

Just one more thing that I hope may help someone else.

Going through the application for DH's first British passport, it asks under his parents' details, that if born after 1983 or born abroad, you have to list all four grandparents' details. This is related to your claim to UK nationality, so I didn't see that this was relevant to somebody applying for a passport who has just been naturalised. And the info wouldn't be that easy to get except for his mum's mother who is still alive and kicking at 98.

So I phoned the passport helpline (not easy to find the number!) The person on the phone went to ask somebody else, then came back and said they don't need that info if applying as a naturalised Briton.

LondonSquirrel

Well it was a really nice day Tuesday, I think they did a good job of it for the new citizens and their friends and family.

Here's us with DH's citizenship certificate and my mum:

LondonSquirrel

Oh and DH has registered to vote already and he's in time for the London mayor elections in May (close date is 18 April). He'll also get to vote on the EU referendum.