If you have been granted ILR, indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom or Settled Status in the UK, you will be eligible to apply for British Citizenship by Naturalisation. You must be at least 18 years of age to quality by Naturalisation. If you are under 18, the rules to qualify are not the same.
Contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
If you have not been granted ILR you will not be able to qualify for the naturalisation as a British citizen. You can only apply after being granted indefinite leave to remain, settled status or permanent residence in the UK
Yes you can subject to the other country of nationality that you hold. Some countries do not allow dual nationality and therefore it is important to understand once you are naturalised as a British citizen, you will renounce your old one.
If you have been granted ILR on the basis of your marriage, you can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen subject to meeting the specified requirements and then apply for a British passport.
On average it can take between 3-6 months for a Caseworker to reach a decision on your application for naturalisation as a British citizen. You will also be required to conduct a citizenship ceremony post naturalisation.
There are different ways to apply for British citizenship (or ‘naturalisation’) based on your circumstances. You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if:
The requirements for British Citizenship by Naturalisation vary depending on whether you are married to a British citizen or not married to a British citizen to qualify. You can qualify if you are married naturalisation after three years in the UK as a spouse of an UK Citizen in the UK as oppose to five years.
It is imperative that you provide the correct documents to the Home Office for your application to be successful. The Home Office will expect to see:
Yes, once you have applied for British Citizenship, you can travel outside the UK while your application is pending. When you apply for British Citizenship, you can submit a full certified copy of your passport and keep your original passport with you. You can then use your original passport to travel overseas.
Most British naturalisation applications take between 3-4 months to be processed. Straight forward applications can be decided within 2 months, and more complex can take up to 6 months. Processing times will also vary depending on the Home Office’s caseload.
Once you are issued with a Certificate of Naturalisation, it will usually take between 3-4 weeks for you to be issued with a British passport.
If your application is unsuccessful and is refused by the Home Office, you will not be given a right of appeal to challenge the decision to refuse your application for naturalisation as a British citizen. That said, you will be given the option to challenge the decision by way of Administrative review or submit a new application.
Once instructed, please feel assured we will include the following:
