Argh. [Partly for my own reference]

[ewt]

When I apply for indefinite leave to remain I have to have formal evidence (ie bank statements) of my ability to support myself for three months. That'd be January, February, March, then, wouldn't it? Which means I do need to get my act together a bit more than I have (it is okay, I just feel really poor right now because I am not busking this week because of my audition, and it is the first week of the month so I've just paid rent and so on, AND it is that time of quarter when all the bills come - next month should be a bit better).

Also the earliest I can send it in is four weeks before my 'time' (four years continuous residence) has been completed. I got here 13th May 2000, so the earliest I can send in the forms is around 15th April 2004. Grah, because I'll get my uni entrance offer (hopefully!!) back in March and they'll want it by the end of March and I will have to phone them and explain. I can pay £100 extra to go and get this done in person but it will still not be something that can be done before the middle of April. Anyone know how long they usually take to process these things? They claim about three weeks, or thirteen weeks at the very most. The British High Commission in Canada was always quite quick, couple of weeks at most, but I have no idea what the actual home office will be like here.

Then I get to go through the whole damn rigamarole again in another year, to get nationality, grah, and nationality applications can take months. Although, once I have indefinite leave to remain then the nationality could in theory wait until I can actually be _bothered_ with it, but having dual citizenship would be a good thing, I figure it is better to deal with it sooner than later.

Comments

[wintrmute.livejournal.com]

From what i've heard from Carrie, the British High Commision in Canada is a shining gemstone of hope and efficiency, and the UK equivelent is just as useless as the rest of the UK services.

[reddragdiva]

The British High Commission in Canberra is also startlingly efficient.

However, the IND here were quite reasonably quick with Liz's paperwork.

[elmyra.livejournal.com]

As an EU citizen, I never bothered. Does having British citizenship have *significant* benefits for you that are worth the hassle (and money) of getting it?

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

It would make the queues go a lot faster when I travel, for one thing...

Yes, there are benefits. If I ever need Jobseeker's Allowance or Housing Benefit or Income Support or even Council Tax Exemption or Disability Allowance, being a naturalised citizen means I am eligible for them. At the moment I am not entitled to any of these things. Now, I'd prefer not to need them, but if I'm going to pay taxes - and I do have to pay taxes - then I may as well be eligible for the benefits, just in case something happens and I do need a bit of help.

It also gives me the option of all the European stuff for which I am not currently eligible, which is an issue as shevek might not necessarily want to spend the rest of his life in either Britain or Canada, and those are the only two places I can work at the moment. Having my own bit of paper that says I can go places and work there is far more convenient than having to get married and be a dependent.

It will also make it easier for my children to get dual citizenship if/when I have them, which means that in addition to being allowed to live and work in Canada they will be allowed to live and work in the UK and Europe. This offers a significant advantage.

[elmyra.livejournal.com]

Hmm... Not entirely sure how this whole "paying taxes but not being eligible for the benefits" works. Sounds thoroughly dodgy to me, not sure how the law in the rest of Europe stands on this either. Hmmm.

But, yes, I can see what you mean. The EU is a huge advantage. (I was born a Bulgarian citizen and am now Austrian...)

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

I get NHS coverage and various other things, but I'm not allowed, under my current visa, to not earn income and still be looked after by the government. I have to support myself.

If this were not the case then anyone with UK Ancestry (in this case, being a citizen of a Commonwealth country and having a grandparent born in the UK) could just move here and claim Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance and whatever else without contributing anything back, ever, and there aren't mechanisms in place between Commonwealth countries to ensure that this doesn't screw things up (I don't know what EU provisions there are either).

[elmyra.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I can see that. But surely after you've been living in a country for a while and paying taxes you should be entitled to some of the benefits that other people get from your tax money...