British Citizenship Applications
British citizenship how to apply?
Becoming a British citizen means having full rights to live and work in the UK. For many people, it is the result of years of hard work and contribution to British society. To ensure an application is successful, it is important to understand and satisfy all of the application requirements.
Naturalisation
Naturalisation is the most common way to obtain British citizenship. You will need to meet the following general requirements:
- You are at least 18 years old
- You have not committed any immigration offences within the past 10 years
- You have not been charged with any serious criminal offences
- You have lived in the UK for at least 5 years
- You have not travelled extensively outside of the UK within the past year, except for holidays
- You are able to speak and understand English
- You have knowledge of life in the UK
If your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen and you have lived legally in the UK for 5 years, you are entitled to ask for British citizenship, subject to proving your knowledge of English and the UK way of life and showing that you are of good character.
Other ways to qualify for British citizenship
There a number of other routes to British citizenship, including the following:
- You are a British national from another British territory and as such are a British subject
- Your mother is a British citizen and you were born before 1 January 1983
- You were born in the UK after 1983 and either of your parents is a British citizen or has settled status at the time of your birth
EU citizens applying for British citizenship following Brexit
An EU citizen now needs to hold or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK before obtaining British citizenship. The application for settlement should be made via the EU Settlement Scheme by the deadline of 30 June 2021.
Submitting a British citizenship application
You can either submit your citizenship application yourself using Form AN or use the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services. Their nationality checking service makes sure applications for British nationality are completed correctly, with the right documents and fee. Alternatively, you can appoint an immigration lawyer. This is a good way of ensuring that your application is as strong as it can be and that all of the necessary documentation is included.
You will need to include some or all of the following documents:
- Proof of how long you have been living in the UK (the residency requirement). This would usually be at least 5 years prior to the application. You should also include a note of the number of days you were not in the UK during that period, for example, by providing your passport.
- Identification evidence, for example, a valid passport or valid travel document.
- Documentation showing that you have taken and passed the ‘Life in the UK’ test, unless you are under 18, over 65 or you have a letter from your doctor explaining that you are physically or mentally unable to take the test.
- Test results showing you have sufficient knowledge of English (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic).
- You must show that you have been granted permanent residence in the UK in at least the last 12 months prior to your application
- If you are applying based on your marriage to a British citizen, then you will need additional documents proving your marriage and your spouse’s status.
Other documents may also be needed, depending on your individual situation. It is important to include the correct information, as the Home Office may reject incorrect applications and your application fee will not be refunded.
The decision is likely to take around six months and you may be contacted in the interim with a request for further documentation.
Yomi Oni-Williams has extensive experience in working with people to obtain British citizenship. If you would like our help in submitting a successful application, feel free to contact us to discuss.
