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Naturalisation is the legal process by which a person becomes a natural citizen of the UK. You can become a British citizen either by birth or you can apply for naturalisation if you are aged 18 or over. To be eligible to become a British citizen, you need to prove that you have been in the UK on Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status for at least three years, and that you have never broken UK law, including immigration breaches.
Once your permanent residence status request is approved, you can live, work and study in the UK permanently, without any immigration restrictions. You will also be able to travel and spend time abroad without the need to worry about losing your status.
To qualify for British citizenship, you must demonstrate your “good character”. In deciding whether you are a person of good character, the Home Office will consider your criminal record, if any. British nationality law is quite strict, and thorough background checks are an important part of validating your legal right to claim citizenship in the UK. The Home Office will also review any criminal offence committed overseas and UK immigration-related issue. Generally, the UKVI and the Home Office will not consider applications if a person has held a custodial sentence for four years or longer. Furthermore, those who fail to disclose the full details of their criminal history will also have their application automatically refused. The Home Office will, however, consider any contributions that you may have made to the society since you have been in the UK.
It can be extremely difficult to navigate through the naturalisation process, having a member of our expert London-based team guide you effortlessly through the process will not only put your mind at ease but give you the best chances of success.
According to your circumstances, there are several routes you can follow to register as a British citizen. These are following:
The eligibility requirements to become a British citizen are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981. You need to meet the following requirements to be eligible to become a British citizen:
Situations where evidence of proficiency in the British language would not be required for a Naturalisation application, are:
To apply for British citizenship, you can complete the relevant Home Office naturalisation form. This is Form AN Application for Naturalisation as a British citizen. You will be required to provide documentary evidence to support your application.
Your biometric details (photograph and fingerprint scans) need to be collected at your nearest UKVCAS Centre. The Home Office may contact you to let you know if you can provide your information at a local post office. If you wish, you can get in touch with the Home Office directly.
You can submit your forms and documents either from abroad or from within the UK.
You will also be required to provide details of two referees, who will need to sign a Referee Declaration form to confirm that the information you have provided on your form is correct.
The application process usually takes from three to six months. If your application is approved, you will receive an invitation to attend a Citizenship ceremony to obtain your Certificate of Naturalisation.
When you are applying to become a natural British citizen, you need to ensure that you have a list of documents to prove that you meet the eligibility requirements. These can include the following:
Our fees can be found on our website but please check the Home Office website for the latest application fees.
FORM AN
This application form is for those who seek to become a British citizen through the process of naturalisation. The requirements that need to be met when making this application will depend on whether you are applying on the bases of marriage/civil partnership with a British citizen or not.
Form AN is a comprehensive form 30 pages long, which requires detailed information about yourself. It is necessary to provide as much detailed information as possible to give you the best chance of success. Some of the information which you will need to include as a part of FORM AN are:
FORM MN1
These applications are in reference to a child naturalising as a British citizen. There are many different possibilities for a child qualifying under this route. They are as follows:
Once the appropriate fee has been paid the Home Office will begin processing your application. Generally, British Nationality applications are decided within 6 months. Once your application is approved, you will need to wait until you are summoned for your Citizenship ceremony to receive your Naturalisation certificate and thereafter apply for your British Passport.
There are many factors which play a key role in how long it takes for an application to be processed, less complex cases may receive an answer sooner than the expected six month wait time, whereas complex cases can take more than the average sixth months. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that you provide thorough and sufficient documentation to support your claim. Having a member of our specialist immigration team review your case before submission will be extremely beneficial in aiding your claim, as our expert immigration solicitors will thoroughly go through the application process, ensuring all necessary processes are completed with all relevant documentation attached to give you the best chance of success.
There are numerous reasons why a British Naturalisation application may be refused, some of the most common reasons for refusal are:
Your Naturalisation may be refused on the basis of a previous conviction, but attention may be given to the type of sentence received (whether it was custodial or non-custodial), the length of time served, and whether the nature of the crime occurred once or reoccurred on multiple occasions.
Unfortunately, in the event of a refused naturalisation, there is currently no grounds for appeal. If however you believe your case is strong enough to have the original decision overturned, it is possible to submit a Request to Reconsider application which costs £372.
Alternatively, you can reapply for Naturalisation on a fresh basis, though you would be required to pay the application fee of £1,330 again.
If you are uncertain of anything, or you have any doubts that your application may be refused, contact one of our London offices, where our specialist Immigration advisors will give you, accurate advice gained from their years of experience.
Although ILR (including permanent residence and EU settled status) and British citizenship entitle you to the same rights, these are two distinct statuses under Immigration law.
You can apply for ILR after five years of continuous residence in the UK. Once you are granted ILR, you will be officially a British settled person, and you will be able to live permanently in the UK, access public funds, be joined by your family and leave and re-enter the country without the need to apply for a visa.
Holding ILR is a mandatory step before you can naturalise in the UK as a citizen. However, it is essential to note that you can lose your ILR status if you live outside the UK for more than two years. You must have held ILR for at least 12 months to become eligible to apply for British citizenship. This is the same requirements for those who hold Indefinite Leave to Enter, and to EU and EEA citizens who have held EU settled status for a specific amount of time. During the 12-month qualifying period, you cannot spend more than 90 days away from the UK. You may be asked to provide details about any absence that you had made before submitted your request.
On the contrary, British citizenship will grant you full rights and responsibilities, including the ability to vote in parliamentary and local elections and to obtain a British passport. Most importantly, you will be able to leave the UK for unlimited periods of time without worrying about losing your status.
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