Checklist to Become a British Citizen!

Based on your situation, there are multiple pathways to make an application for citizenship to Britain.

Due to coronavirus (COVID-19), it now takes longer than the regular to process the applications. This won’t affect the result. Additional time shall be permitted to register biometrics, provide extra data & arrange a ceremony of citizenship. In case you require your documents returned by a particular date, then don’t apply via post.

In case your birth was in the UK

You won’t obtain British citizenship automatically even if you’re born in the UK. This is dependent on your parent’s situations and when you’re born.

You might have the eligibility to make an application for citizenship when you’re born in the UK & arent a citizen of Britain.

If you had shifted to the UK

You shall be allowed to make an application for citizenship based on your condition by ‘naturalization’.

If you are eligible in multiple ways you will be able to make choices as to the ways to make the application.

You are wedded to or are in a civil partnership with any citizen of  Britain.

To make an application as a civil partner or spouse of a citizen of Britain, you should’ve stayed in the UK for the previous 3 years.

You will also require to need one among the following:

• unlimited leave to continue
• established status under EU Settlement Scheme
• Document of Permanent Residence to verify that you have the PR status
• When you do, you will be able to apply immediately for citizenship.

You possess indefinite leave to remain (ILR)

Usually, you can make an application for ILR if you have stayed in the UK for five years.

To make an application for citizenship with ILR you shall typically have stayed in the UK for twelve months post obtaining it.

You possess a status of ‘permanent residence’ 

In the case where you or any member of your family are from EEA Switzerland or EU, you generally receive a PR status automatically post staying in the UK for five years.

To make an application with PR, you should typically have stayed in the UK for a 1-year post receiving PR status. You need also a PR documentation that demonstrates you have stayed in the UK for five years – it may be any five year period.

It shall mean that if this five year was longer than 1 year ago, you will be allowed to make an application for citizenship as early as you obtain your PR document.

You possess a ‘settled status’ within the EU Settlement Scheme

In case you & your family member are from Switzerland, EU, or EEA you may make an application for a ‘settled status’ post staying in the UK for five years.

To make an application for citizenship within a settled status applicants should generally have stayed in the UK for 1 year after receiving it.

The Settled status also is called as ‘indefinite leave to remain within  EU Settlement Scheme’.

Alternative ways that you will be eligible

To make an application for citizenship you could be eligible if:

• Your parent is British
• you possess alternative kind of Britain nationality
• you are stateless
• you formerly renounced or gave up your citizenship

In case you are Commonwealth citizen

The applicant can be qualified to make an application for citizenship within the Windrush Scheme when both:

• An applicant or either of applicants parents came to the UK prior to 1973
• you have stayed in the UK & not gone away for longer than 24 months.

In cases, where your parent came to the UK prior to 1973, then you should have either:

• have been born within the UK
• have come to the UK prior to attaining the age of 18

Few citizens of the Commonwealth have the ‘right of abode’ at the UK. It means that you may live/work in the UK without any immigration restrictions. 

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Diksha Garg

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