§ Mr. TrickettTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how long applicants to the 553W High Commission in New Delhi for British nationality wait for an initial interview; and what instructions he has issued to expedite dealing with applications. [92192]
§ Mr. HoonAll applications for registration as a British citizen made to our overseas missions are passed to the Home Office for a decision. This process, at present, takes 20 months.
However, those resident overseas who feel that they may already have an entitlement to British nationality through circumstances of birth or descent are normally advised by the British mission to submit a passport application in order to establish their claim. They may be required to attend an interview if the entitlement is not clear.
All our overseas missions are governed by the Citizen's Charter. They aim to process properly documented passport applications within five working days.