Hello,
I am applying to the Royal Marines as a Commonwealth citizen. I send in my application through the Royal Navy portal on the 16th of November, and it is currently under assessment. Previously, I thought it would take a week to get a response and move on to the next step. However, all I got from the AFCO at Aberdeen was a response stating they received my application and are currently processing it. 2 weeks went by and I still didn't hear from them, so I got in touch with the Commonwealth team and they directed to the office in London. After I contacted the London office, they sent me a medical questionnaire via e-mail. I am to fill it in and send it back to them. In one of the forms I received, it stated that I required police verification from my host country and that this verification could take up to 6 months. My questions are as follows:
1. Will it be easier (or allowed) if I get the police verification, etc, done myself and then just presented the papers to the concerned department in the UK, so as to save them (and myself) the time and hassle of doing it on a much later date?
2. Can the medical questionnaire I was sent me filled out by hand, and a scanned copy sent to the same e-mail I received it from?
3. I was told that the London office is currently dealing with a 4-week backlog of applications. When would be a good time to get back in touch with them? (Just an approximation). Its been over a month since my application process is still on the "Assessing Suitability" tab in the Royal Navy portal and I am getting a bit anxious.
4. Through the news, I was informed that the UK military is operating at a 5% deficit in personnel and this is why the 5-year residency requirement is lifted. Do outsiders (those without the 5-year requirement) take a lower priority in the applications process?
I am grateful for any help or advice on the matter.
Thanks
Josh
I am applying to the Royal Marines as a Commonwealth citizen. I send in my application through the Royal Navy portal on the 16th of November, and it is currently under assessment. Previously, I thought it would take a week to get a response and move on to the next step. However, all I got from the AFCO at Aberdeen was a response stating they received my application and are currently processing it. 2 weeks went by and I still didn't hear from them, so I got in touch with the Commonwealth team and they directed to the office in London. After I contacted the London office, they sent me a medical questionnaire via e-mail. I am to fill it in and send it back to them. In one of the forms I received, it stated that I required police verification from my host country and that this verification could take up to 6 months. My questions are as follows:
1. Will it be easier (or allowed) if I get the police verification, etc, done myself and then just presented the papers to the concerned department in the UK, so as to save them (and myself) the time and hassle of doing it on a much later date?
2. Can the medical questionnaire I was sent me filled out by hand, and a scanned copy sent to the same e-mail I received it from?
3. I was told that the London office is currently dealing with a 4-week backlog of applications. When would be a good time to get back in touch with them? (Just an approximation). Its been over a month since my application process is still on the "Assessing Suitability" tab in the Royal Navy portal and I am getting a bit anxious.
4. Through the news, I was informed that the UK military is operating at a 5% deficit in personnel and this is why the 5-year residency requirement is lifted. Do outsiders (those without the 5-year requirement) take a lower priority in the applications process?
I am grateful for any help or advice on the matter.
Thanks
Josh