British Citizenship by Naturalisation - Absences from the UK
Jun 17, 2020, 1:35 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 72
x
Last edited by cafeamsterdam; May 2, 2021 at 5:20 am
Jun 18, 2020, 1:57 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London, UK
Programs: Virtuoso, FSPP, Hyatt Prive, Hilton Impressario, Marriott Stars/Luminous, Roswood Elite, MO Fan Club
Posts: 560
If you had applied for indefinite leave to remain before your passport application, you'll automatically have this information. Just need to top it off with the previous one year history.
Jun 18, 2020, 2:10 am
#18
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 113
Have been looking at this, although not submitted yet: https://www.gov.uk/government/public...nd-immigration You can request a copy of "Entry and exit into and out of the UK. Your travel history can be provided for the past 5 years if a passport or travel document is submitted for this period"
Jun 18, 2020, 3:28 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: London
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold & GGL & CCR, HH Diam, Bonvoy Titanium, IHG Spire, Tastecard
Posts: 7,549
I have also done this not so long ago.
From memory, you online need to state trips that are over 2 nights or so?
Plus, the online forms runs out of space after 30 or so entries. So, similar to you, I feared I'd be adding hundreds of lines but it actually didn't allow me to go back further than a year or two. And I had no issue - i.e. despite the fact that I couldn't go back further than said 30 (or so) trips over a year or two, it all worked out in the end.
From memory, you online need to state trips that are over 2 nights or so?
Plus, the online forms runs out of space after 30 or so entries. So, similar to you, I feared I'd be adding hundreds of lines but it actually didn't allow me to go back further than a year or two. And I had no issue - i.e. despite the fact that I couldn't go back further than said 30 (or so) trips over a year or two, it all worked out in the end.
Jun 18, 2020, 8:17 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,045
It doesn't really matter if your list is exhaustive. And you can go way over the days limit as long as you were legitimately travelling for business. The main point is to ensure that you aren't pretending to have 5 years of residency whilst you were actually living and working elsewhere. Nobody at the Home Office is really spending the time to check...
Jun 18, 2020, 2:16 pm
#21
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 3,850
Do you know (or know where to find out) how far over the days limit one can go whilst travelling for business?
Jun 18, 2020, 3:13 pm
#22
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,281
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...olicy-guidance
Jun 18, 2020, 3:41 pm
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 69
In case this is useful for anyone in the future please find below the current requirements (as of June 2020) for the British Citizenship by Naturalisation online process regarding absences from the country:
To meet the residence requirements, you must have been in the UK:
If you are the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, provide details about trips from the last 3 years, otherwise provide details from the last 5 years.
- for at least 3 years if you are the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen
- for at least 5 years if you are not the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen
- on the first day of the 3 or 5 year qualifying period (the required period of time)
- spent more than 270 days outside of the UK in the 3 year period, or 450 days in the 5 year period
- been outside the UK for more than 90 days in the last 12 months
- been in the UK illegally in the 3 or 5 year qualifying period
If you are the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, provide details about trips from the last 3 years, otherwise provide details from the last 5 years.
Jun 19, 2020, 5:36 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: Latinpass Million Miler. BA Gold.
Posts: 3,544
Going through the online form now, as per the info on #19 can confirm that the system will only take information for 30 flights, what a relief...
Jun 19, 2020, 6:16 am
#26
Join Date: Oct 2005
Programs: BA GGL & GfL, AA LTP, Marriott (sigh) Ambassador, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,233
im still a year from being able to apply but this thread has reminded me to start getting this travel info since in lockdown i do have time to handle more personal admin!
having gotten my BA history, it was a bit alarming to see all the data but also to see i have actually been on 205 flights in four years? and thats just on BA, not even accounting for all my AA flights! here i thought i had been on a downward trend the past few years.
but when i applied for my visa, yes the form only accepted 30 entries but my immigration lawyer still had me compile the 5 year list regardless in the instance they would ask for it.
having gotten my BA history, it was a bit alarming to see all the data but also to see i have actually been on 205 flights in four years? and thats just on BA, not even accounting for all my AA flights! here i thought i had been on a downward trend the past few years.
but when i applied for my visa, yes the form only accepted 30 entries but my immigration lawyer still had me compile the 5 year list regardless in the instance they would ask for it.
Jun 19, 2020, 6:45 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: London, UK
Programs: Virtuoso, FSPP, Hyatt Prive, Hilton Impressario, Marriott Stars/Luminous, Roswood Elite, MO Fan Club
Posts: 560
Going through the online form now, as per the info on #19 can confirm that the system will only take information for 30 flights, what a relief...
At least for my indefinite leave to remain, that is what I had to do/was expected to do
I always go with the approach of giving more info than giving less info...
Jun 19, 2020, 7:04 am
#28
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 69
I thought the form has an option somewhere to supplement additional information. I think you'll be expected to provide the remaining information here
At least for my indefinite leave to remain, that is what I had to do/was expected to do
I always go with the approach of giving more info than giving less info...
At least for my indefinite leave to remain, that is what I had to do/was expected to do
I always go with the approach of giving more info than giving less info...
Jun 19, 2020, 1:29 pm
#29
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 57
So happy we did this back when we did. The tips from others so far would have been super useful back then. :-)
I am not 100% sure this is a requirement still but what caught lots of people our previously was you had to physically be in the UK at the beginning of your 3/5 year qualifying period. So if you applied on 1 July 2020 you had to physically in the UK on 1 July 2017/2015.
Hope that helps and good luck!
I am not 100% sure this is a requirement still but what caught lots of people our previously was you had to physically be in the UK at the beginning of your 3/5 year qualifying period. So if you applied on 1 July 2020 you had to physically in the UK on 1 July 2017/2015.
Hope that helps and good luck!
Jun 25, 2020, 2:18 am
#30
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA GfL & GGL, LH Sen, EK & VS Gold, Amex Cent
Posts: 1,719
I am not 100% sure this is a requirement still but what caught lots of people our previously was you had to physically be in the UK at the beginning of your 3/5 year qualifying period. So if you applied on 1 July 2020 you had to physically in the UK on 1 July 2017/2015.
When I submitted mine I used BA97 and created a spreadsheet that did the calculation and summed up the days out of the country - outbound minus inbound minus 1. Then just did the sum for the last year and the last 5 years. Went through my work calendar, BA timeline and photos to ensure I captured everything and got the occasional Eurostar trip etc. Printed and attached the spreadsheet to the form. Had to do the same for my other half. Painful. Must be a nightmare for cabin crew! They should really just change it to a box to tick stating that you have not been out under penalty of perjury, but it's all designed to make it difficult on purpose. TBH I thought they had changed it already to something easier, but clearly not!
Btw some (all?) local authorities provide a service where they check your application to make sure there are no errors and it's valid and submit it for you. Worth it to make sure you don't slip up on something random.