Nationality checking service

Shropshire County Council is delighted to offer a Nationality Checking Service in partnership with the Home Office. This service will be available through the Shropshire Registration Service at its head office in Shrewsbury. Shropshire County Council's advisors have been trained by specialists from the Immigration Service and are committed to provide a first rate service.

The aim of this partnership is to ensure that the application process is speeded up for its applicants. Applications submitted via this service have fewer errors or omissions requiring them to be rejected or additional information to be provided.

For a fee, as part of the service we will:

• complete blank application forms and provide leaflets for applicants
• check that application forms have been completed fully and correctly
• check that all relevant documents are present
• check that the correct fee has been submitted
• photocopy valuable documents, such as passports and marriage certificates
• collect in and submit Life in the UK certificates and other evidence as competence in the English language
• certify the copies and return the originals to you
• forward applications to the Nationality Group by special delivery

Our advisors will not:

• act as agents for you
• our officer involvement is complete when the application is sent to the Home Office
• offer any advice on nationality, other than in respect of the correct completion of the application form
• offer any advice on matters such as visas, immigration or asylum

This service is provided strictly by appointment only. Appointments can be made by contacting the Shropshire Registration Service on 0845 678 9016 (via Customer Service Centre).

All appointments will be held at the Shropshire Register Office, Column Lodge, Preston Street, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY2 5NY.

Earned Citizenship

Please note that proposed changes to the way people become British citizens will not be introduced until late 2010. Until then existing arrangements for naturalisation will continue.

The following information is reproduced from a Home Office information flyer:

Naturalising as a British citizen in the future

What are the proposed changes?

On 20th February 2008 the Government published the Green Paper 'The path to Citizenship: Next Steps in Reforming the Immigration System'. In this document we outlined our proposals for changing the way that someone can become a British citizen or remain here as a permanent resident. These proposals are collectively called 'Earned Citizenship'. Under these proposals migrants will be expected to pass through three key stages and demonstrate certain requirements. Our aim is to make the journey clearer, simpler and easier for migrants and the public to understand.

The three stages are:

1) Temporary residence.
2) Probationary citizenship.
3) British citizenship/permanent residence.

Further information on the implementation of the proposed changes will be announced following parliamentary approval in 2009. Existing arrangements for naturalisation will continue until these proposals come into effect.

Please follow the Border and Immigration Agency link for the UKBA website and further information.

Fees

Please follow the Border and Immigration Agency link to check citizenship application fees. Shropshire Registration Service understands that there will be no increase in these fees this year. Our own fees for providing the nationality checking service will change on 1 April 2008. They can be viewed by following the Shropshire Registration Service fees link. Please note that we have increased the number of children covered by a family application from two to four.

Useful phone numbers:

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) helpline (0845 000 0046)

For other useful websites please follow the links on this page.

If you have a complaint, comment or compliment about this service, or any of the other services provided by the Shropshire Registration Service please let us know by printing and completing the form attached to this page. Alternatively you can contact us by phone, post or e-mail by selecting the 'contact' link.