Naturalisation

According to the Border and Immigration service website applications for Naturalisation are currently taking approximately 7 months to complete. Passports can usually be returned in the initial stages of the application so that you may be free to travel.

The most common ways of Naturalising are under the '3 year rule' or the '5 year rule'. The '3 year rule' is on the basis of being married to a British citizen and holding Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). In this instance the applicant must be married to a British citizen, hold ILR and have resided in the UK for a full 3 years without having spent more than 270 days in total outside of the UK in the most recent 3 years.

What is known as the '5 year rule' is on the basis of having held Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for at least 1 year after previously spending a continuous period of 5 years on a visa that leads to settlement, such as an Ancestry Visa or Work Permit status, and not having spent more than 450 days outside of the UK in the most recent 5 years.

The applicant must have also been physically present in the UK at the beginning of the 3 or 5 year period, and not at any time been in breach of the Immigration Laws.

Home Office fees for naturalisation have recently been updated and now include the processing fee for the service and a newly implemented ceremony fee.

The aforementioned ways of applying to be Naturalised tend to be the most common. However should you wish for more detailed information concerning the service we are able to provide or any aspect of the Naturalisation and Immigration process, please contact one of our consultants and we will be happy to advise you further.