British Citizenship

[IainBusby]

Just to let you all know that my wife Louella and my step-daughter Mary Grace attended their British citizenship ceremony yesterday so are now British citizens. Although Mary Grace didn't have to legally, she decided that she wanted to do the oath thingy. Louella even filled in the electoral registration form so she will be able to vote for the first time next year. Then last night we went online and filled in the passport applications for them both. Just got to wait now for the forms to arrive, sign them and send them off.

Iain

[Ji&Ma]

Good news - another reason to celebrate, our sincerest congratulations

[acs]

congrats Louella, Mary and Ian

[aromulus]

Louella even filled in the electoral registration form so she will be able to vote for the first time next year. Iain

Well done, congratulations.

I am sure Louella will vote Conservative.

[IainBusby]

Well done, congratulations.

I am sure Louella will vote Conservative.

I doubt it very much, she's quite a good judge of character and I don't think that Cameron will convince her to vote for him as she seems to have an inbuilt distrust of slick, slimy characters who appear to jump on every passing bandwagon. But you never know, she might just make a mistake with the voting slip.

[IainBusby]

Well done, congratulations.

I am sure Louella will vote Conservative.

Besides, she works for the NHS and being surrounded everyday by people who have experienced Conservative governments in the past and don't really believe that the NHS is safe in their hands, I don't think that I will need to give her any advice on this score.

[Dedworth]

Besides, she works for the NHS and being surrounded everyday by people who have experienced Conservative governments in the past and don't really believe that the NHS is safe in their hands, I don't think that I will need to give her any advice on this score.

The NHS has progressed in leaps and bounds under the Socialists - MRSA, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Stafford Hospital etc etc.

Still if she continues to work in the NHS she might get lucky and get on the gravy train joining the hundreds of NHS bureaucrats on the list of Public Sector "Employees" earning over £150000 pa. I bet these fat bloated leeches are quaking with fear at the return of a Tory Govt.

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/was...list-2009.html

[Doc Alan]

The NHS has progressed in leaps and bounds under the Socialists - MRSA

Congratulations to all three of you !
It's true Labour Government has failed to make clean hospitals a priority ... but resistance of "bugs" to antibiotics is a worldwide problem due to overuse and abuse of antibiotics in human and veterinary medicine. It's a bigger problem in the USA and also affects the Philippines.

[walesrob]

Besides, she works for the NHS and being surrounded everyday by people who have experienced Conservative governments in the past and don't really believe that the NHS is safe in their hands, I don't think that I will need to give her any advice on this score.

Gordon would be proud of you. A nu-liebour supporter to the bitter end

[IainBusby]

Gordon would be proud of you. A nu-liebour supporter to the bitter end

Not exactly, I dont' belong to any party and if there was another party I could believe in that had a cat in hells chance of gaining power I would vote for them. I just happen to believe that Cameron is a lightweight who will jump on any bandwagon to get himself elected. I also have a long memory and I remember all to well the divisive nature of the last tory government, looking after the haves and to hell with the have nots.

Just because the labour party has moved a bit too much to the right for my liking doesn't mean I'm going to vote for someone who only pretends to be somewhere near the middle just to get elected. David Cameron can pretend to be as modernistic as he wants to, but the party behind him are the same kind of people who were there with Maggie Thatcher and they still hold the same core beliefs.

[Sim11UK]

Not exactly, I dont' belong to any party and if there was another party I could believe in that had a cat in hells chance of gaining power I would vote for them. I just happen to believe that Cameron is a lightweight who will jump on any bandwagon to get himself elected. I also have a long memory and I remember all to well the divisive nature of the last tory government, looking after the haves and to hell with the have nots.

Just because the labour party has moved a bit too much to the right for my liking doesn't mean I'm going to vote for someone who only pretends to be somewhere near the middle just to get elected. David Cameron can pretend to be as modernistic as he wants to, but the party behind him are the same kind of people who were there with Maggie Thatcher and they still hold the same core beliefs.

I agree with you there Iain...never trust a Tory...would never vote for them, because like you say, their core beliefs....no thank you

[bornatbirth]

well done and a merry xmas to you

I am sure Louella will vote Conservative.

it would be funny if she did maybe bnp

[Sim11UK]

Congratulations! Enjoy your christmas

[Leo]

congratulations can I ask how many years it has taken you to get this far?

[IainBusby]

congratulations can I ask how many years it has taken you to get this far?

I met my wife in person for the first time in October 2005, got married in June 2006 and she arrived here at the end of September 2006. September 2008 we applied for and granted ILR and then one more year to qualify for British citizenship. Sent off the applications for citizenship at the end of October this year and that came through a few weeks later. So all in all, from arriving here through to citizenship was about 3 years and 3 months.

[sars_notd_virus]

I met my wife in person for the first time in October 2005, got married in June 2006 and she arrived here at the end of September 2006. September 2008 we applied for and granted ILR and then one more year to qualify for British citizenship. Sent off the applications for citizenship at the end of October this year and that came through a few weeks later. So all in all, from arriving here through to citizenship was about 3 years and 3 months.

Congratulations!!!! Can i ask if Louella bring Mary Grace straight away when she applied for settlement visa? as i have an 8 year old daughter and need to know if i can bring her with me to the uk when i applied for settlement ..tyvm!!

[IainBusby]

Congratulations!!!! Can i ask if Louella bring Mary Grace straight away when she applied for settlement visa? as i have an 8 year old daughter and need to know if i can bring her with me to the uk when i applied for settlement ..tyvm!!

Mary Grace was 8 years old when Louella got her visa and came here but we left her in the Philippines for almost a year until Louella had settled in and got used to things over here. Also at the time we didn't want to complicate things with regard to Louella's visa so, although it meant, making, paying for and going through another visa application process, we decided to wait a while and bring her here later.

With regard to bringing your daughter to the UK, I would recommend that you apply for her visa at the same time as your own if possible because, although it may take longer to process the visa application, it's much easier than trying to make a separate visa application from here in the UK to the British Embassy in the Philippines.

I don't know the situation with regard to your daughters biological father and this is usually the area which can be problematic when it come to getting a visa for a minor. Is your daughters biological father named on her birth certificate? Does he have contact with her? Does he support her in any way? You have to be able to show that you have sole responsibility for the child or that the biological father, if he is in the picture, has no objection to you taking her to live overseas.

Iain.

[September]

Congratz to you all, life is so quick parang kailan lang, ngayon brit cit na siya well done

[Tiggers0608]

Congratulations! to you and your family

[somebody]

Just to let you all know that my wife Louella and my step-daughter Mary Grace attended their British citizenship ceremony yesterday so are now British citizens. Although Mary Grace didn't have to legally, she decided that she wanted to do the oath thingy. Louella even filled in the electoral registration form so she will be able to vote for the first time next year. Then last night we went online and filled in the passport applications for them both. Just got to wait now for the forms to arrive, sign them and send them off.

Iain

Congrats to louella and Mary Grace. Good to read of a young citzen wanting to take part in such an important (i feel) ceremony sadly many when we went didn't bother it was all a bit of a chore for them

We do take the right to vote lightly and whoever Louella votes for or doesn't the important thing is she has the right to

I dont know where you are in relation to the nearest post office but the Wife went down to the local town centre post office and all of the counters even the currency exchange counters (which were not busy) had forms avaiable at the counters. I requested some blank forms to be sent and they never arrived in fact did it twice and on both occasions untill this moment months later i recieved nothing. So maybe worth if someone has the time to pop in and pick up a couple of forms

Im sure you did but dont forget to look at the spelling in the two passports and on the citzenship forms just in case they dont match.

Also worth researching where the three nearest passport interview offices are. The Wife ended up going to one which on the system is the third furtherest away but easier and nicer to go to

Once again well done to the two Ladies

[IainBusby]

We do take the right to vote lightly and whoever Louella votes for or doesn't the important thing is she has the right to

I agree and who she decides to vote for is her own business even if she takes a liking to the Monster Raving Looney Party.

I requested some blank forms to be sent and they never arrived in fact did it twice and on both occasions untill this moment months later i recieved nothing.

She actually filled in the forms online and it says on there that the completed forms will be sent out to her and Mary Grace to be signed and returned.

Im sure you did but dont forget to look at the spelling in the two passports and on the citzenship forms just in case they dont match.

She checked the citizenship forms for errors before we even got home.

Also worth researching where the three nearest passport interview offices are.

I don't know where you check that online, but her friend who also lives in Coventry recently attended her interview in Warwick which is only about 10 miles from us.

[somebody]

I agree and who she decides to vote for is her own business even if she takes a liking to the Monster Raving Looney Party.



She actually filled in the forms online and it says on there that the completed forms will be sent out to her and Mary Grace to be signed and returned.

I know of the service you mentioned but blank or filled in as you say we had not joy. The good old fashioned post office which seem to be becoming rarer saved the day.

She checked the citizenship forms for errors before we even got home.



I don't know where you check that online, but her friend who also lives in Coventry recently attended her interview in Warwick which is only about 10 miles from us.
The Wife as you can imagine wanted her passport as soon as possible she was offered a date i think two or more weeks of in a shady part of london where if you do some googling-binging will tell you they are reported not to be very friendly and due to the high levels of applicants for first passports heavily over subscribed. There is a list of the offices somewhere and the opening times they have.

The third choice for us was Reading further away but far nicer surroundings and the staff were very friendly to us both Plus we could make a day out of it. They also had far more convient times for us both ie a saturday

Basically when Louella or anyone else rings up if she knows which offices she can apply for and the distance/ ease of it makes it far easier as in the Wifes case I was at working when she got the letter and meant she kept having to ring me and the interview booking line to decide on the best date.

Of course if your not in a great hurry then im sure you just pick the nearest and wait

Heres a list of the Passport interview offices which can be different to passport offices..

http://maps.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirec...terviewoffices

[IainBusby]

Heres a list of the Passport interview offices which can be different to passport offices..

http://maps.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirec...terviewoffices

Thanks for that, I just entered our postcode and it came up with Warwick as the nearest and next came Birmingham which for me makes it a no brainer, I never go anywhere near Birmingham if I can help it.

[somebody]

Thanks for that, I just entered our postcode and it came up with Warwick as the nearest and next came Birmingham which for me makes it a no brainer, I never go anywhere near Birmingham if I can help it.

Cool as im sure your aware as well as wanting to help you and your family, I added in case it may help others when they search

Such a joy to organise holidays, hear about long business trips which i might want to invite the missus along on or simply enter competions without worrying that we dont have to jump any special hoops just for the Wife if we won a holiday abroad which could be quite depressing for her.

[jam07]

congratulations!

[IainBusby]

My wife and step daughter just received their British passports today. That's very quick, Dec 23th citizenship ceremony, filled in the online passport applications the same day, received the letter to make an appointment for the passport interview on Thursday the 14th of Jan (well I suppose the they deserved to have some time off over Christmas), phoned up that very night at about 8:00pm, got an interview appointment the very next day at 4:45pm and the passports both arrived today.

[joebloggs]

My wife and step daughter just received their British passports today. That's very quick, Dec 23th citizenship ceremony, filled in the online passport applications the same day, received the letter to make an appointment for the passport interview on Thursday the 14th of Jan (well I suppose the they deserved to have some time off over Christmas), phoned up that very night at about 8:00pm, got an interview appointment the very next day at 4:45pm and the passports both arrived today.

end of the gravy train for you all

i've still not got my misses and daughter a uk passport yet, the passports will have to wait, i've just had to pay £410 registration fee to the GMC

oh and about £300 to get 3 bits of A4 paper shipped from the phils so my misses can register

nearly there, and the gov can

[Ann07]

My wife and step daughter just received their British passports today. That's very quick, Dec 23th citizenship ceremony, filled in the online passport applications the same day, received the letter to make an appointment for the passport interview on Thursday the 14th of Jan (well I suppose the they deserved to have some time off over Christmas), phoned up that very night at about 8:00pm, got an interview appointment the very next day at 4:45pm and the passports both arrived today.

indeed very quick well done

Now its my turn hopefully everything will be ok for my cit application

[lenboy]

Just to let you all know that my wife Louella and my step-daughter Mary Grace attended their British citizenship ceremony yesterday so are now British citizens. Although Mary Grace didn't have to legally, she decided that she wanted to do the oath thingy. Louella even filled in the electoral registration form so she will be able to vote for the first time next year. Then last night we went online and filled in the passport applications for them both. Just got to wait now for the forms to arrive, sign them and send them off.

Iain

Well done, congratulations to you and wife and child !!

[Steve.r]

Congratulations to you all