After marrying a British citizen, we had to fly to Pretoria for an interview two days after our wedding for me to get a two year long settlement visa before I could come live and work in the UK with my husband, for which I had to present passports, marriage certificate, details of his employment and home and of my education and letters we've exchanged and heavens know what else.
Then after those two years I had to apply for Indefinite Leave To Remain, for which I had to submit passports, marriage certificate, bank statements, payslips, council tax documents, mortgage statements, medical correspondence, and another two folders full of miscelanious docs showing how we've been living together as a normal couple. I also had to write the Life in The UK test which makes you learn a book full of facts hardly anyone in this country knows.
Then after two years I could apply for naturalization, for which once again I had to submit payslips, bank statements and all the usual crap.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY BANK STATEMENTS I'VE SAVED OVER THE YEARS, or how full my filing cabinet is, or how paranoidly I hang on to any document from a remotely official source that has both our names and address on?
HOWEVER I'm not complaining. I am very, very happy as I thought the application might come through so late I'd have to come back to the UK on holiday to attend my naturalisation ceremony! You see, I am not a citizen yet, I am waiting for an invitation from Home Office to attend a ceremony where I'll be presented with a citizenship certificate. I can then use that to apply for a passport, after attending an interview.
I had to apply for citizenship if we ever wanted to move back to the UK as you lose Indefinite Leave to Remain after being out of the country for two years or more.
I will of course be retaining my South African citizenship too so from here on out the world is my oyster.
So yes, Moo is happy and thankful today.
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