Becoming a British citizen will mean you have the right to permanently live and work in the UK without any immigration restrictions. If you have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain or are married to a British citizen, you may be able to apply for British citizenship through either the process of registration or naturalisation.

NATURALISATION

There are different ways to become a British citizen. The most common is called naturalisation.

You can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation if:

•   you’re 18 or over

•   you’re of good character, eg you don’t have a serious or recent criminal record, and you haven’t tried to deceive the Home Office or been involved in immigration offences in the last 10 years

•   you’ll continue to live in the UK

•   you’ve met the knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements

•   you meet the residency requirement

And you must usually have:

•   lived in the UK for at least the 5 years before the date of your application

•   spent no more than 450 days outside the UK during those 5 years

•   spent no more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months

•   been granted indefinite leave to stay in the UK (or permanent residence if you’re an EEA national) - this means there’s no specific date that you have to leave

•   had indefinite leave to stay in the UK for the last 12 months (or permanent residence if you’re an EEA national)

•   not broken any immigration laws while in the UK

If you are a national of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or you are the family member of such a person, and you have exercised EEA free-movement rights in the UK for a continuous 5 year period you will automatically have permanent residence status. However, you must hold this status for 12 months before applying for naturalisation.

REGISTRATION 

You may instead be able to register as a British citizen, which is easier than naturalisation however, there are various categories. You may be eligible if:

•   you have another form of British nationality

•   you were born before 1 January 1983 to a British mother

•   you were born to a British father, even if he was not married to your mother

•   you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983

•   you’re under 18 and don’t fit into the other categories

•   you have a connection with Gibraltar or Hong Kong

•   you’re stateless

As well as belonging to one of these groups there are other eligibility rules for each category.

TIME RESTRICTIONS

When applying for British citizenship you must be free from immigration time restrictions on the day you make your application, which often means having gained settled status before you apply.

GOOD CHARACTER REQUIREMENT

An applicant who is 10 years or over must be of good character to apply for British citizenship. The Good Character requirement means that you must show respect for the rights and freedom of the UK, have observed its laws and fulfilled your duties and obligations as a resident.

SOUND MIND REQUIREMENT

Applicants must satisfy the full capacity requirement when applying for British citizenship. The sound mind requirement means that you are able to make your own decisions and understand the step you are taking in making your decision.

Once you have obtained British citizenship you will be free from UK immigration control and you will be able to apply for a British passport.

If you require assistance on your British citizenship application, call us on 0208 7811 992 or email us  info@ukeuils.com.