The requirements for naturalization as a spouse of a British citizen or someone settled in the UK are as follows :
You are legally married to each other
Your marriage is subsisting
You must have been living in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the three-year period
On the date that your application is received in the Home Office, you must have permanent residence (ILR) in the UK
During the three-year period you must not have been outside the UK for more than 270 days (approximately 9 months)
During the last 12 months of the five-year period you must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days
You must not have been in breach of any UK immigration rules at any time during this three-year period of residence in the UK
The three years of the residency requirement is counted from the date your naturalization application is received by the Home Office.
The following are additional requirements in order for you to be granted British Citizenship :
You must be aged 18 or over
You must be of good character
You must be of sound mind
You should be able to communicate in the English language (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic). There are exemptions to this requirement, for example if you are elderly or mentally handicapped or are over 65
You should intend to live in the UK or in Crown Service abroad (working directly for an UK Government organization), or be employed by an international organization of which the UK is a member, or be employed by a company or association established in the United Kingdom (and not intend to use a British passport as means of exercising a Right of Free Movement and employment in EU)
You must pass a test which confirm your knowledge of the above mentioned languages and knowledge of life in the UK
Naturalization for workers, businessmen, investors
If you are not married to a British Citizen you will need to meet the following requirements to apply for naturalization on the basis of your work, business or investment in the UK :
You must be aged 18 or over
You must be of sound mind
You must be of good character
You should be able to communicate in the English language (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic). There are exemptions to this requirement, for example if you are elderly or mentally handicapped
You must pass a test confirming your knowledge of the above mentioned languages and knowledge of life in the UK
You should intend to live in the UK or in Crown Service abroad (working directly for an UK Government organization), or be employed by an international organization of which the UK is a member, or be employed by a company or association established in the United Kingdom (and not just use a British passport as means visa-free travel overseas or employment in EU)
The following are additional requirements that must be met in order for you to qualify for naturalization on the basis of 6 year residence :
You must have been living in the UK exactly five years before the date the application reaches the Home Office
During the six-year period you must not have been outside the United Kingdom for more than 450 days (about 15 months)
During the last 12 months of the six-year period you must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days
During the last 12 months of the six-year period your stay in the United Kingdom you must have held permanent residence/ indefinite leave to remain (ILR)
You must not have been living in the United Kingdom in breach of the UK immigration rules at any time during the five-year period ending with the date that the application is received by the Home Office.
The processing time for naturalization applications depends on a particular type of an application and can be from 3.5 months for registration of minors as British citizens and up to 18 months for recognized refugees. Those who apply for naturalization on the basis of marriage or work, business or investment in the UK, including those with HSMP visas, can expect their application processed in approximately 7 months, although in some cases the Home Office may consider applications faster. We have seen naturalization applications granted in just 3 months.
Those, who are granted British citizenship are required to attend a special ceremony, similar to the one in the United States.
What we can do for you
As British lawyers, we will do our best and even go that extra mile for you. We can help you with the necessary paperwork that will be needed to ensure that your application meets the Immigration requirements.
Please expect us to do the following for you, when you instruct us to represent you or a member of your family:
Full and professional assessment of your case
Advice on whether you should consider a different immigration programme or category
Strong and weak points of your application
Advice on correct list of documents
Advice on evidence required
Instructing your sponsor, relative, employer or college (if required)
Final check of your documents before submission to the Home Office/British Diplomatic Post
Creating a professionally looking paginated immigration bundle
Drafting representations and cover letters to the Home Office/British Diplomatic Post
Working with interpreters (if required)
Submission your application to the Home Office/British Diplomatic Post
- Correspondence with the Home Office/British Diplomatic Post
Keeping you updated by post, E-mail or phone on the progress of your application
If something goes wrong : requesting a review or reconsiderationAny further in-country/out-of-country immigration assistance
The above list is not exhaustive as we treat every client's case individually. Please do not hesitate to contact us for a professional immigration advice.
