Naturalisation – British Citizenship Application

Naturalisation is the legal term, which describes the acquisition of citizenship by individuals who were not British and had no prior British connection before first moving to the UK. You may submit your UK immigration enquiry here.

You may apply to become British if you meet the set criteria

The criteria to apply for British citizenship is clear and transparent. It enables anyone who is eligible to apply.

The basic criteria is this:

• Be of 18 years of age at the time of application;
• Pass Life in the UK test;
• Demonstrate your knowledge of English at B1 CEFR;
• 5 years of continuous legal residence in the UK;
• Intend to continue living in the UK;
• Be of good character;
• You are only eligible to apply if 12 months have passed since you received your indefinite leave to remain or settled status.

This criteria may apply slightly differently for you if:

• You are married to a British citizen;
• You come from an English speaking country, then your command of English is proved by your passport;
• You are legally exempted from the requirement to demonstrate your knowledge of English if you are over 65 years old.
• Some further exemptions may apply to you depending on your circumstances.

There may be circumstances where meeting these requirements may be not as straightforward.

During my day depending who I speak to I encounter individuals questioning whether applying for British citizenship now is the right choice for them.

My reply is that one should apply for British citizenship as soon as you become eligible. You can learn from regrets shared by Europeans who left it too late and were no longer eligible to apply because their own circumstances have changed and Brexit.

Additional Requirement under EUSS

EUSS stands for European Union Settlement Scheme. A strict deadline was introduced for EU/EEA/Swiss nationals and their family members to register and secure your UK immigration status to continue to remain in the UK.

A notable exemption applies to individuals who are not economically active in the UK. For instance, you moved to the UK and rely upon your capital to sustain your lifestyle in the UK.

This means that your circumstances are not entirely visible to the Home Office and HMRC. For instance, you do not need to be gainfully employed and PAYE administered.

PAYE is the abbreviation for Pay As You Earn. Your employer administers your PAYE and deducts tax and pays it to HMRC from your earnings.

If you are not gainfully employed or economically active, you need to demonstrate that you have comprehensive health insurance in order to be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

Keep Your Records and Provide Right Evidence

For your application to be successful you will need to retain and provide the right evidence and records. Failure to do so may result in rejection of your application.

This is the result we are definitely looking to avoid. You can be proactive on this. Much of the right evidence will be individual to you and adapted to your circumstances.

However, here’s a good idea of what it is generally expected of you. I encourage my clients to keep and retain many types of important records as this puts you in the driving seat.

British Citizenship Ceremony – what to expect on the day?

The day of the British citizenship ceremony is one of the most important life events. It is highly personable and can be a moving experience.

Your foreign status changes on the day as well as your circumstances.

Is Your British Citizenship forever? Can You lose it?

Yes. Technically, your British citizenship is intended to be for your lifetime. However, there are circumstances where you can either choose to no longer be British or can be deprived of your British citizenship.

British Citizenship is a Life Changing Event

Naturalisation allows you to acquire British citizenship even if you were never born in the UK or had no British connection.

As you become British you gain a number of privileges and guarantees. These include the ability to stay permanently in the UK and to actively participate in political life of the country.

Although British citizenship is of permanent nature, you may be deprived of it in certain circumstances.

Applying for British citizenship is an extensive process and commitment. You want to do it well and the necessary help is available.

Time to Become British?

I am an OISC regulated UK immigration adviser and I can help you to secure your British citizenship or an indefinite leave to remain (or settled status for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens), book a call with me.

You may submit your UK immigration enquiry here.

You will be first guided to a payment page when you choose “book a call” option. After making the payment, you will be able to choose the most convenient date and time for our Zoom meeting.

You can report a payment issue here.

Saule Voluckyte, M.A.E.S, LL.B, FAIA

I have been working exclusively with UHNWI in Mayfair, London since January 2008. I built specialist knowledge and expertise required to serve ultra high net worth individuals investing, operating and relocating to the UK or Switzerland.

Within the industry, I am the single adviser who is able to traverse the different areas of expertise and bring a comprehensive approach across: global structuring, UK immigration, international taxation and FOREX to develop their global wealth strategy, while they build, grow and expand their wealth worldwide.

Previous experience as one of the senior advisors for the government, made me a go-to person when delicate and uncomfortable scenarios involving heads of state need to be handled with care and preserve privacy.