People applying for United Kingdom citizenship will find the process quicker and more straightforward under a new system introduced by North Yorkshire County Council.
The council’s Registration Service, in co-operation with the UK Border Agency, is offering a Nationality Checking Service at the Register Office in Harrogate. As with the passport checks offered by the Post Office, the service will streamline the process by checking that all forms have been correctly completed and that all the necessary supporting documents are in order.
“Applying for citizenship can be a long and sometimes difficult process,” said County Councillor Carl Les, Executive Member for the registration service.
“This Nationality Checking Service will remove much of the uncertainty, and help to keep delays to an absolute minimum.”
The staff involved have all been fully trained by the Home Office. The service costs £50 for an adult, £25 for a child, or £100 for a family. The County Council does not make a profit from the scheme.
One of the first people to take advantage of the service was Evgenia Thompson, who is 32 and comes originally from Siberia. She met her husband Paul, a serving member of the British Army, while he was stationed in Germany ten years ago. The couple married and now live in Ripon with their seven year old son.
“It was much more convenient to come to Harrogate, rather than having to go outside of the county to take advantage of the Nationality Checking Service,” said Evgenia. “I’m more confident now that I know I’ve got all my documents right.”
To find out more about the service, contact Harrogate Register Office on 0845 034 9480, or email registrars.harrogate@northyorks.gov.uk
