Most of the migrants who go to the UK ultimately want to become the citizens of Great Britain. And for that, they must fulfill the naturalisation application process which can grant them British citizenship. The information below will give you a good idea about the process and how to approach and complete it successfully.
Eligibility For Naturalisation In The UK
There are a few main criteria into which the eligibility for British citizenship has been split. You should fulfill either of the criteria to become eligible:
- Born in Great Britain
- Your civil partner or spouse is the citizen of the UK
- Have received Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
- Your parents are British
- You have “settled statusâ€applicable to EU citizens or have a document denoting permanent residency status
- Were previously a British citizen and later on renounced citizenship
- You hold British nationality of another type
- Are a citizen of one of the Commonwealth countries
- You belong to Windrush Generation
If you can fulfill either of these criteria’s you can apply for British citizenship. Of course, the rules can vary from one individual to the other. That is why you must ensure your eligibility correctly before making the application. Making an application even if you are ineligible can jeopardize your chances of getting citizenship in the future.
How To Apply For Naturalisation In The UK?
The process of getting British citizenship is not easy. You will require the following things while applying:
- Documents that prove that you have been in the country for the last 3 years from the date of application
- A document proving your immigration eligibility statuses such as a British spouse or ILR
- Test results proving your English language skills- it can be different for different countries
- You must pass the standard Life UK test that is conducted to examine the applicant’s knowledge regarding life in the country. As an applicant, you must enter the specifics of this test in the application form.
- You must also pass the good character test which essentially checks your background related to criminal history and unlawful connections.
If you are successful at providing all the above information in the proper format your application will be successfully submitted to the new system of the government. The naturalisation in the UK process nowadays is carried out online and hence you will have to upload the documents in the format as deemed necessary by the system.
Once you have completed all the steps, you will have to pay the fees and then attend a branch of Post Office for fulfilling requisites of biometric data. You will receive a letter regarding this when you apply online. The result of your application is usually announced within six weeks.
In case your application is turned down due to lack of good character or for any other reason, there is not much you can do about it. However, there is one last way which is known as Request to reconsider. Through this process, you can ask the Home Office to reconsider your application for British citizenship.