Apply for British Citizenship | Advice & Assistance 

Have you been trying to apply for the coveted British passport and be a citizen of the UK without success? You are not alone. Research shows that many people from many other countries would want to work and stay in the UK and that is why the queues are long in most of the embassies. On this page, you will understand a few things on how to apply for British citizenship; the terminologies, how to obtain UK citizenship or, solicitors for British citizenship application. You will also get to know how to obtain a partner visa.

Naturalization

Naturalization is where one obtains citizenship of another country through work, business, marriage, and other circumstances that are approved by the country. Every country has its own requirements that you must satisfy and the best thing would be to instruct solicitors who would take you through the process and ensure that you get the naturalization rights.

How to Apply for British citizenship Online?

Becoming a British citizen can either be through marriage, work, business, and asylum or could even be through ancestral rights. Here, you must comply with the residency period demands, life in the UK test, and an English competency certificate- this would prove that you can speak the English language and therefore you will easily integrate into British society.

British citizenship is normally obtained through birth or adoption, marriage, or residence. In some cases, British nationality can be acquired by registration in the United Kingdom, for example when a person has been adopted by a British citizen. The most common method of acquiring British nationality is by birth in the UK to parents who are British citizens or have "settled" in the UK (in other words, who have permission to stay indefinitely). There are several ways of registering as a British citizen under section 3(1) of the 1981 Act: In general, anyone born outside the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies on or after 1 January 1983 will automatically acquire British citizenship at birth if at least one parent was a British citizen otherwise than by descent at the time of their birth.

A child whose parent is a British citizen by "settlement" acquires British citizenship automatically, regardless of whether they are born in or outside the UK. A child whose parent is a British citizen by naturalisation automatically acquires British citizenship on the date on which they would otherwise have lost it because of absence for longer than two years.

The 1981 Act provides that people who acquire British citizenship through naturalisation, registration, or acquisition as a minor will be treated as having "settled" in the United Kingdom (i.e., they will not need permission to stay once they reach age 10). However, under transitional arrangements people who became citizens between 1 January and 30 June, 1987 will need to register if they wish to stay in the United Kingdom after age 10.

Former British Overseas citizens are still subject to some restrictions on their rights of abode under certain circumstances, despite having acquired British citizenship by means of naturalisation or registration. Certain persons may acquire British citizenship automatically on a discretionary basis - for example, people born in countries that were formerly part of the British Empire or who have at least one grandparent with "right of abode".

Who can apply for British citizenship?

There are three main ways to become British: by birth, by marriage or civil partnership, and by naturalisation. You may be eligible to apply for British citizenship if you've lived in the UK for a certain period of time on either family or work-related visas (or through your ancestry) and meet the criteria of British citizenship by naturalisation. British citizens may also hold British Overseas Territories Citizenship (BOTC) or British National Overseas (BNO) status.

British citizenship by Birth

If you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983, you are automatically a British citizen if at least one of your parents were a British citizen or a British protected person at the time of your birth - British protected persons mainly include British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British protected persons.

Even if you were born in the UK before 1 January 1983 to parents one of whom was a British citizen and one of whom was a non-British citizen, you may also hold British citizenship by descent. British citizens by descent are British overseas citizens, British subjects, or British-protected persons in the eyes of UK law. All British citizens can pass on their citizenship to their children born overseas - even if they themselves were not born in the UK. 

If your parents weren't married when you were born, you can only claim British citizenship from one of them if British nationality laws apply in their country of origin. This means that if your mother is a British parent, the child must have been born before 1 July 2006 - children born after this date to British mothers can pass on British citizenship. If your father is a British parent and the child was born after 1 July 2006, British nationality laws apply in your father's country with the help of Best Immigration Lawyers.

If you were born outside the UK and British Overseas Territories to a British mother or British father before 1 January 1983, you will automatically become a British citizen if your parents register your birth as British overseas - this also applies to those born between 1 January 1983 and 31 December 1986. British citizenship by descent is only passed on to children born outside the UK when both parents are British citizens or one parent is British before the child's birth. 

British citizenship via marriage or civil partnership

If you're married or in a civil partnership with someone who is British, you may be able to apply for British citizenship, British nationality, or British Overseas citizenship. For British citizenship to be granted the British spouse must be 18 years old. If you are in a civil partnership with your British partner, British immigration law does not allow UK visas to unmarried couples - even if you are married in another country.

British citizenship by naturalisation

You may be able to apply for British citizenship by naturalisation if you have been living in the UK with British permanent residence status (settled) for at least six years. If you are aged 18 to 59, time spent as a British citizen's spouse or civil partner counts towards your qualifying period - even if that person is no longer your British spouse or partner.  There are some additional requirements for British citizenship by naturalisation, including the requirement to pass the British citizenship test. British immigration law does not allow British citizens' spouses or civil partners to apply for British immigration visas.

If you hold British nationality in another country and meet certain British residency requirements, British immigration law may allow you to make an application for British citizenship by naturalisation if you were not British at birth. British immigration law does not allow British citizens' spouses or civil partners to apply for British immigration visas. Brought to you by [naturalisation] British citizenship | British national (overseas) | British overseas citizen | British subject | British protected person.

How to apply for British citizenship?

To become a British Citizen, you must first be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC). This means you were either: Born in the UK & Islands before 1 Jan 1983; or have lived here for 5 years plus at least 1 year as a lawful CUKC, Indefinite Leave to Remain holder, or with leave as a refugee or person granted asylum. You could also qualify if one of your parents is an Irish citizen, but not an EEA national. If you think you may qualify under this rule, see our information on "Irish citizenship”.

There are other ways to become British after becoming a CUKC. These include: by marriage (you must be married to someone who is already British); by "naturalisation" (you must be of good character); or you must have served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces for at least 3 years.

If you are over 18 and want information about becoming a British Citizen by applying, your nearest office is listed below under "Information". If you are less than 18, please get help from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

To apply for British Citizenship, you must submit an application form together with supporting documents to your nearest Consulate or High Commission. The requirements are different depending on where in the world you are. You can find details in our guide " Applying for British Citizenship " or contact our Expert Immigration solicitors.

What documents do I need to apply for British citizenship?

• Evidence of your identity and permanent residence statuses, such as your passport, birth certificate, or any valid travel document.
• Your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), residence card, or any proof that you hold Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status.
• Evidence of your previous immigration status and your right to remain in the UK, including any visa that you held before you settled in the UK.
• Proof of English language and knowledge of life in the UK. You will receive a valid pass certificate after completing both the Life in the UK Test and the ESOL language exam. If you have already completed the Life in the UK Test when you obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain, you do not need to resit the exam.
• Evidence of lawful residential presence in the UK during the qualifying period. As a resident of the UK, you must have always respected all the immigration laws.
• Travel details of any period of absence that you have spent outside the UK. To become a British citizen, you need to show that you have not been absent from the UK for more than 450 days during the five-year residence period
• Proof showing that you are free from UK immigration time restrictions and you have the right to remain in the UK.
• You meet the good character requirement and you have never been in breach of any UK immigration laws.
• Proof that you have exercised treaty right in the last 3 or 5 years, depending on your immigration status. To this end, you can provide letters confirming your current employment, bank statements, or letters from your education establishment.

How long does it take to get British citizenship after applying?

In order to apply for citizenship, you must complete a number of steps. First, you will need to be in the UK. You then have to prove that you have been living in the UK with a permanent residence status for at least five years and regularly paying tax and national insurance (if applicable). After this is done, you need to apply for 'indefinite leave to remain', which allows you to live in the UK indefinitely - with no time limit on how long you can stay. This type of visa is available if:

• You entered or stayed in the UK before 1 January 1983; or
• You entered the country as a child (you were under 18 when entered); or
• You're from an A list country; or
• You're from a country that is not on the list but has been added because of reciprocity - some countries allow UK citizens to stay for a certain period, so if you are from one of those countries, you can also stay there.

After this visa has been granted, you must wait another year before applying for citizenship. During these years, you have to make sure that your actions do not breach any laws and continue living in the UK as described above with no time limit on how long you can stay. Once five years have passed since your indefinite leave to remain was granted, you may apply for British citizenship application by naturalisation or registration - depending on whether or not your ancestors come from Ireland. If neither of these conditions applies to you, you can apply for citizenship by registration as a commonwealth citizen from the year of your indefinite leave to remain.

What are the British Citizenship requirements?

To become a British citizen, you must have been resident in the UK for 4 years (known as 'the residential qualifying period') and hold indefinite leave to remain. After 3 years of residence, you can apply for naturalisation; and meet the other eligibility requirements; and pass the Life in the UK test – this is also known as "English for Speakers of Other Languages" or ESOL. You may be able to get extra help with your English if you need it; and bring your spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner who has lived with you in the UK for at least 3 years on a family permit which was valid on the day you applied. We call this person your 'sponsor'. Sponsorship ends when you become a British citizen. The person who sponsors you should be your husband, wife, or civil partner; and pay an application fee

Point-Based Work Visa Route

If you look forward to securing the highly coveted UK citizenship then you can do that as a skilled worker. Here, you need to comply with Tier 2 requirements and you must have stayed in the country for a minimum of five years and you have been granted indefinite leave to remain.

Private life visa

If you have been living in the UK for quite some years, and you have some exceptional circumstances on why you should remain here. For instance, you have been living here and got married or your engagements that are genuine and which you must attend. You have secured indefinite leave to remain in the UK then you may qualify for British Citizenship.

Asylum protection visa

This is a special visa given to those people who flee their countries because their life is in danger.  Here, you will be granted six years of living under asylum or refugee status after which you can apply for indefinite leave to remain free of charge and later for your citizenship. Again, for you to apply for British citizenship, several screening processes must go through by the immigration department. It may take up to six months to get a decision on your application.

The ancestry visa

This is a visa that is applied by those people who belong to the commonwealth countries and have at least one grandparent who was born in the UK. You can use this visa to work or even to gain eligibility to acquire indefinite leave to remain (ILR).  Following is the summary of the requirements;

As you apply for this visa from outside the UK, not for those that are already living in the country.

You must be from among the fifty-three member states of the commonwealth.  You will not qualify for this kind of visa if your country is not a member of the commonwealth.

You must show proof that one of your grandparents was born in the UK and that you are able and would like to work in the UK. You must be aged above seventeen years and have enough money that can support you and any other dependents.  Again, you’ll be required to prove that the said grandparent was born in the UK, the Isle of Man, and the Channels Islands. However, you cannot claim ancestry through grandparents.  With this type of visa, you have no limitations on the type of work that you can do. You could begin a business, self-employed, and this makes the ancestry visa more attractive and the most preferred than the business-related visa scheme.

When you want to "Can I apply for British citizenship", you will need to show your birth certificate, grandparent’s birth certificate, the marriage certificate for your parents, In case you or your parents were adopted, you’ll need to show proof for that also. Most importantly, you will need to show evidence that you have enough money to sustain yourself and your dependents if any.

It is important to note that if you have a different type of visa existing, you cannot apply for the ancestry visa.  With this visa, you are allowed to work anywhere and you can even move around the country freely- it’s such a flexible visa type. That means you can also study as you work on a part-time basis when you have this type of visa.

What is a British citizenship ceremony?

In a citizenship ceremony, people take an oath of allegiance to the queen and this is the last step toward becoming a citizen of the UK.  In this ceremony, all the successful applicants of UK citizenship who are above eighteen years must take an oath. The ceremony is conducted by the local registrar. The ceremony is celebrated with a lot of pomp and a welcoming note. Here, the participants have an opportunity to bond with others and get assimilated into the local communities. During the oath, your identity will be verified.

How can citizenship be obtained for a child?

Often, citizenship is usually obtained through the parents. If you are born to UK parents, then you’re eligible to be registered as a British citizen. The issue of nationality in the UK is guided by the British Nationality Act of 1981. As a child, you will be required to show that you were born in the UK on or after 1st January 1981. At least one of the parents must be a citizen of the UK at the time of birth and upon application; the person should be a minor.

If you are looking forward to becoming a citizen of the UK, then you need to follow the guidelines on registration carefully. This will help you avoid frustration and delays that may inconvenience you as you apply for British citizenship through a British citizenship application lawyer Again, you need to look for an immigration solicitor who will take you through the process smoothly