You’ve reached the end of your immigration journey and have applied for British citizenship (also known as naturalisation) but now your citizenship application is delayed...

Application delays are extremely frustrating and cause prolonged uncertainty, stress and worry to applicants and their family members. In this blog, we outline the steps you can take if your citizenship application is delayed.

1. Application processing times

It is important to establish whether your application is in fact delayed. You should check when your application was submitted (date you attended a biometrics appointment) and whether your application is within the current processing times.

The Home Office aims to conclude naturalisation applications within six months from the date on which they receive your application. If your application is within the estimated timeframe then the Home Office is unlikely to provide an update. It is therefore advisable to wait until you reach the six-month mark before making contact.

Whilst the Home Office aims to process applications within six months, some applications may take longer. However you should be made aware of any delays. There are several reasons why your application may take longer to be processed:

• The Home Office requires further information from you;
• The Home Office is conducting external checks relating to your application (e.g., with other government departments);
• The Home Office is processing a higher volume of applications (e.g., Brexit, Covid-19 or war in Ukraine);
• Your case is particularly complex (e.g., multiple visas, gaps in residence history, adverse criminal or immigration history).

2. Contact UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI)

If your application has not been processed within the estimated timescales and you have not received an update regarding the delay, you should contact the Home Office and ask the matter to be escalated or fast-tracked as a matter of priority. You can find the contact details here.

You will be asked to provide your full name and Home Office reference number(s) which can be found at the top of the submitted application or on Home Office correspondence. The reference numbers will normally start with UAN or GWF.

We recommend keeping a record of all calls and correspondence with the Home Office, including the date and time you contacted them, the name of the call handler, the advice given and the steps you have taken.

3. Contact your local MP

If you do not receive a decision and/or update after contacting the Home Office, we would recommend contacting your local MP. It is not uncommon for MPs to receive a response quicker than legal representatives or applicants as there is a dedicated MP response unit within the Home Office.

You can email your local MP or write them a letter addressed to the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. You should provide them with all relevant information and the steps you have taken.

Many applicants have successfully asked their local MP to intervene which has expediated their case. However, if your MP does not receive a response then the next step is to lodge a complaint.

4. Complaint UKVI

The next step is to submit a complaint to UKVI. You can complete the online complaints form or send an email to complaints@homeoffice.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can write to them at:

Complaints Allocation Hub, Central Point of Receipt, 7th Floor, Lunar House, 40 Wellesley Road, Croydon, CR9 2BY

You will need to provide the following information:

• your contact details – it is important you include your address and phone number as the UKVI may contact you to resolve your complaint by phone or to request further information
• the names of the applicant/original complainant if you’re completing this on behalf of someone else – UKVI must have written authority to disclose information about another person’s case
• full details of the matter you’re complaining about, including times, dates and locations
• the names or identifying numbers of any staff you’ve dealt with
• details of any witnesses to the incident, if appropriate
• details of any reimbursement issues including papers and receipts to support your claim
• your Home Office reference details and any other references that will help UKVI to investigate your complaint, for example refund reference, appeal reference, UAN (unique application number), IHS reference and any payment references.
• if your complaint is in relation to the UKVI contact centre, we will need to know the date you called, the number you dialled and the number you called us from

The correspondence team will then investigate your complaint and respond within 20 working days, or they will contact you if they need further time.

5. Complaint to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

If your complaint remains unresolved, you can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. It is a free service and should only be used if your citizenship application is delayed and you have exhausted the above options.

The Ombudsman can only investigate complaints about UK government departments if an MP refers the complaint to them. You can complete the complaint form on your MP’s behalf and ask them to sign and send it.

You will need to provide the following information on the form:

• details of when the problem happened and the date you complained;
• your contact information, including an email address;
• the complaint form signed by your MP.

6. Pre-action protocol letter

If the above steps fail, you can file a pre-action protocol (PAP) letter on the Home Office. It is essentially a letter threatening to take them to court for acting unreasonably in processing your application.

The PAP letter allows the Home Office to consider the merits of your case and their position before proceeding to litigation (court). The Home Office has 14 days to respond, failing which you can lodge a judicial review with the High Court.

We can help draft the PAP to maximise your chances of receiving a detailed response and/or decision on your delayed application.

7. Judicial Review

Judicial review should only be considered as a last resort when your citizenship application is delayed. It is a costly, complex and time-consuming process that involves challenging the Home Office delay before a judge in court. We would recommend seeking expert legal advice before considering this route.

Contact our immigration team

Please get in touch today if your citizenship application is delayed and our team would be happy to help. You can also read our guide, which outlines additional reasons why a citizenship application may take longer to process.

Related News, Insights & Events