British Citizenship and Naturalisation UK
Applying for British Citizenship and Naturalisation is an area of immigration law that our practice specialises in. We can advise and act on behalf of individuals, couples and families in the course of their UK naturalisation process.
If you have lived in the UK for over 5 years, you are eligible to apply for UK citizenship from the Home Office. If your application is successful, you will receive a permanent residence document and will be able to apply for a UK passport.
The current British citizenship application process is subject to the laws set out in several different acts of parliament and requires a proficient understanding of legal terms to complete.
To ensure that your application has the greatest chance of success, let our team of citizenship and naturalisation specialists prepare and submit an application on your behalf.
UK Naturalisation Advice
Overseas applicants who are married or in civil partnerships with a British citizen are also eligible to apply for UK naturalisation as long as they are over 18 years of age and have resided in the UK for 3 or more years. Applicants will need to prove they can converse in English, be of good character and be able to pass the Life In The UK Test.
If you have indefinite leave to remain (ILR), settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or a permanent residence document, you will be eligible to apply for UK naturalisation immediately.
- Advice on your Rights
- Assessment of your Claim Free
- Assessment of Good Character
- Prepare documents in support of claim
- Assessment on Financial Threshold
- Prepare your Naturalisation Application
- Keep you informed of all developments
British Citizenship and UK Naturalisation for Children
If you are applying for citizenship and UK naturalisation for a child born abroad before July 1st 2006, you can only apply for British citizenship if the mother was British or if the father was British and married to the mother.
In instances where a child’s parents were not married before 1st July 2006 and citizenship for a child is required, please get in touch with our office to arrange a meeting, where we will be able to review your case in more detail and provide you with advice on the best way to proceed.
Children automatically qualify as British citizens when the child is born in the UK and one of their parents is British or was settled in the UK at the time of the birth.
British Citizenship and Naturalisation UK FAQs
If you are not naturalised by birth as a UK citizen, the 3 main methods of attaining UK citizenship are by law, registration or naturalisation. During a consultation with us, we will be able to advise as to the most suitable method for your application.
In most instances, the applicant will be required to have been resident in the UK for a minimum of 12 months before they can apply for citizenship.If you are married to, or in a civil partnership with a British citizen you will not need to wait for 12 months.
Children must be under the age of 18 when UK citizenship is applied for.
Once they reach the age of 18 they must apply for British citizenship as adults, either by registration, entitlement, or naturalisation.
When you are registering your child as a UK National and completing the MN1 form, the application process can vary between 2 and 4 months depending on the time of year.
Applying for British Citizenship for an adopted child under 18 is covered by the British Nationality Act 1961 which states that children adopted on or after 1st January 1983 can apply for British Citizenship automatically.
A child who is not already a British Citizen becomes naturalised from the start of the adoption date in cases where the adoption is by order of a court in a qualifying territory or the UK, and the adopters are British Citizens.
This usually involves what we refer to as “acquisitioned rights”. Not all minors have entitlement to registration as a British Citizen. Please contact us to have your application assessed. Each application is assessed on a case by case basis and mitigating circumstances are assessed at the discretion of the Home Office.
Naturalisation allows someone to become a British citizen and obtain the same rights and privileges as someone who was born a British citizen;
If you were born on 1 January 1983, you became a British citizen under the British Nationality Act 1981 and if your connection with the British territory is because of the British citizenship of your parents or grandparents, who have acquired the same through birth, registration, or naturalisation.
There are 2 ways to obtain UK naturalisation, either on the basis of residence or as a spouse.There are set requirements for each route.
These requirements are:-
1] length and continuity of residence and immigration status;
2] an individual must be of good character;
3] have sufficient knowledge of the English Language and of life in the United Kingdom; and
4] intend to make their principal home in the United Kingdom or, if they intend to live abroad, that they work in Crown Service or for a UK enterprise.
There is no legal requirement to make the United Kingdom their permanent home, though spouses must consider the requirement of good character. English Language proficiency have the requisite knowledge of life in the United Kingdom. To understand which path you can apply under, please contact us.
British Citizenship and UK Naturalisation Testimonials
Our lead immigration lawyer Shabana Shahab and her team have helped countless domestic and corporate clients to gain naturalisation and British citizenship over the years. Take a moment to read some of the testimonials we have been sent by thankful clients.
