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Written question asked by Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 28 August 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. It was answered by Jo White (Labour) on Wednesday, 2 September 2026 on behalf of the Home Office.


British Nationality: Applications

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long her Department usually takes to obtain good character references for British citizenship applications; what the maximum length of time taken for such a reference to be obtained is; and how many British citizenship applications are currently waiting for good character references to be obtained.

Answer

The Home Office does not routinely request character references for British citizenship applications. Where further evidence is required, applicants are normally given 14 calendar days to provide it. The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
22567
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Applications British nationality
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk