Applying For Uk Citizenship - May 2009

[qpgwmh]

Hello,

I have been on the UK Border Agency website and done some searches on here to get the information that my wife needs to make her application for naturalisation as a UK citizen.

It all seems straightforward enough; she has ILR, she has been in the UK for over three years and we will make sure that she was in the UK on the date three years prior to when we send the application. Although we married here less than three years ago, I don't believe this to be an issue. I do have a few questions though:

• Is there a time by which she must apply (I think not)?
  

• Are the rules/fees/both proposed to change later in 2009 - and to what?
  

• What if she has not worked (but has an NI card)? She has been pregnant, mothering and then studying so has valid reasons.
  

Thanks

[7by7]

1) The residency requirement is a minimum of 3 years, there is no maximum. She can apply at any time after she has been in the UK for 3 years, assuming she satisfies the other criteria, even though she was not married to you when she first entered, e.g. if she first came with a fiance visa; even time spent as a visitor counts.

2) History has shown us that this government sees legal immigrants as a cash cow, so I'd advise applying as soon as she is eligble ibefore the cost goes up again.

3) Working is not a requirement for citizenship.

[qpgwmh]

Thanks 7by7. The reason I asked about proposed to changes to the rules is from another post that I found in this forum when I was searching for info (and typically can't locate now).

The way this post was written intimated that a change in the rules was mooted and that it would be quite severe - I hope this is not the case.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

My wife has just received hers it took only 4 weeks from submitting the application to receiving her invite to attend the ceremony.

I would apply asap.

[cuddleypete]

Hi there i would apply as soon as she is eligble before the government decide to make more money from us by putting fee's up. I.E anytime after the 3 years is ok.

pete

[steve187]

Hi

the fees went up in april here:-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/feestable060409 and here:- http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecont.../feesfrom060409

so in theory shouldn't go up again until next year but who knows, but yes apply asap as the rules can always change, and as thai visa express states they are coming through in quick time I hope they are this quick in october when my wife is due to apply.

all the best with the application

[benjy_a]

1) The residency requirement is a minimum of 3 years, there is no maximum. She can apply at any time after she has been in the UK for 3 years, assuming she satisfies the other criteria, even though she was not married to you when she first entered, e.g. if she first came with a fiance visa; even time spent as a visitor counts.

2) History has shown us that this government sees legal immigrants as a cash cow, so I'd advise applying as soon as she is eligble ibefore the cost goes up again.

3) Working is not a requirement for citizenship.

Can somebody please confirm that this is true....(about being able to use time as a visitor and fiance towards the threee years needed).

This would mean that for my wife she will be eligible to apply for citizenship as soon as she has ILR in October (we first came back to UK - her as a visitor - in September 2006 then fiance visa and married in UK in September 2007).

Has anybody else done this?....apply for citizenship as soon as ILR is received? I was under the impression that the time would be counted from when you were married (as it does for ILR) i.e. 3 years in UK as a Spouse of UK citizen?

Many thanks,

B.

[Eff1n2ret]

Can somebody please confirm that this is true....(about being able to use time as a visitor and fiance towards the threee years needed).

This would mean that for my wife she will be eligible to apply for citizenship as soon as she has ILR in October (we first came back to UK - her as a visitor - in September 2006 then fiance visa and married in UK in September 2007).

Has anybody else done this?....apply for citizenship as soon as ILR is received? I was under the impression that the time would be counted from when you were married (as it does for ILR) i.e. 3 years in UK as a Spouse of UK citizen?

Many thanks,

B.

It's true. She would be applying under S6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981, and the time limit requirements are specified as follows:

"Naturalisation as a British citizen under section 6(2)

3. Subject to paragraph 4, the requirements for naturalisation as a British citizen under section 6(2) are, in the case of any person who applies for it—

(a)that he was in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the period of three years ending with the date of the application, and that the number of days on which he was absent from the United Kingdom in that period does not exceed 270; and

(b)that the number of days on which he was absent from the United Kingdom in the period of twelve months so ending does not exceed 90; and

©that on the date of the application he was not subject under the immigration laws to any restriction on the period for which he might remain in the United Kingdom; and

(d)that he was not at any time in the period of three years ending with the date of the application in the United Kingdom in breach of the immigration laws;"

[Doggsy]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecont...abritishcitizen government green paper on proposed changes to citizenship which they hope to introduce late 2009. my wife is eligible end of October, I hope by late tehy mean December!

[benjy_a]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecont...abritishcitizen government green paper on proposed changes to citizenship which they hope to introduce late 2009. my wife is eligible end of October, I hope by late tehy mean December!

Same for me...wife will be eligible when we get ILR which she can apply for in September.....so fingers crossed this doesn't come in too quickly!

B.

[ThaiVisaExpress]

1) The residency requirement is a minimum of 3 years, there is no maximum. She can apply at any time after she has been in the UK for 3 years, assuming she satisfies the other criteria, even though she was not married to you when she first entered, e.g. if she first came with a fiance visa; even time spent as a visitor counts.

2) History has shown us that this government sees legal immigrants as a cash cow, so I'd advise applying as soon as she is eligble ibefore the cost goes up again.

3) Working is not a requirement for citizenship.

Can somebody please confirm that this is true....(about being able to use time as a visitor and fiance towards the threee years needed).

This would mean that for my wife she will be eligible to apply for citizenship as soon as she has ILR in October (we first came back to UK - her as a visitor - in September 2006 then fiance visa and married in UK in September 2007).

Has anybody else done this?....apply for citizenship as soon as ILR is received? I was under the impression that the time would be counted from when you were married (as it does for ILR) i.e. 3 years in UK as a Spouse of UK citizen?

Many thanks,

B.

Yes i just used this my wife first arrived in March 06 on a tourist visa we applied March 09 and we had no problems.

[benjy_a]

1) The residency requirement is a minimum of 3 years, there is no maximum. She can apply at any time after she has been in the UK for 3 years, assuming she satisfies the other criteria, even though she was not married to you when she first entered, e.g. if she first came with a fiance visa; even time spent as a visitor counts.

2) History has shown us that this government sees legal immigrants as a cash cow, so I'd advise applying as soon as she is eligble ibefore the cost goes up again.

3) Working is not a requirement for citizenship.

Can somebody please confirm that this is true....(about being able to use time as a visitor and fiance towards the threee years needed).

This would mean that for my wife she will be eligible to apply for citizenship as soon as she has ILR in October (we first came back to UK - her as a visitor - in September 2006 then fiance visa and married in UK in September 2007).

Has anybody else done this?....apply for citizenship as soon as ILR is received? I was under the impression that the time would be counted from when you were married (as it does for ILR) i.e. 3 years in UK as a Spouse of UK citizen?

Many thanks,

B.

Yes i just used this my wife first arrived in March 06 on a tourist visa we applied March 09 and we had no problems.

Thanks very much this is great news (so long as the rules don't change too soon!!).

[7by7]

Just check that during the three year period she has not spent more than 270 days out of the UK, with no more than 90 days in the final year.

[tlusername]

Hi

the fees went up in april here:-http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/news/feestable060409 and here:- http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecont.../feesfrom060409

so in theory shouldn't go up again until next year but who knows, but yes apply asap as the rules can always change, and as thai visa express states they are coming through in quick time I hope they are this quick in october when my wife is due to apply.

all the best with the application

£850!!!!

I suppose someone has got to pay back the MP's expense claims.

[steve187]

£850!!!!

I suppose someone has got to pay back the MP's expense claims.

it looks like its £720.00 for a single application and only £850.00 if its a couple, not many people bringing over thai wives will apply as a couple, so it looks like we are propping up the treasury again. as if we haven't already done it with visa and ilr costs

[DC1066]

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecont...abritishcitizen government green paper on proposed changes to citizenship which they hope to introduce late 2009. my wife is eligible end of October, I hope by late tehy mean December!

November for us, so I hope it is December.

Has anyone heard anymore on this? I;ve looked on the UK Border Agency site and done a wider search, but can't come up with anything definite. It would really be a pain if the goalposts move a month before we can apply.

[Brigante7]

it looks like its £720.00 for a single application and only £850.00 if its a couple, not many people bringing over thai wives will apply as a couple, so it looks like we are propping up the treasury again. as if we haven't already done it with visa and ilr costs

£720!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the reason the missus won't be getting a UK passport anytime soon not that she needs one, she has ILR which is all she needs to stay in the Uk and lets be honest apart from easier access to the USA what benefits will she have from having a UK passport that ILR won't give her?

Brigante7.

[DC1066]

it looks like its £720.00 for a single application and only £850.00 if its a couple, not many people bringing over thai wives will apply as a couple, so it looks like we are propping up the treasury again. as if we haven't already done it with visa and ilr costs

£720!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the reason the missus won't be getting a UK passport anytime soon not that she needs one, she has ILR which is all she needs to stay in the Uk and lets be honest apart from easier access to the USA what benefits will she have from having a UK passport that ILR won't give her?

Brigante7.

£720 - and don't forget the £80 for the citizenship ceremony - so £800 in total.

The debate over citizenship v ILR has been done many times, so I won't go into it, but we'll be applying despite the cost, not least because the goalposts are likely to keep changing in the future.

So I'd still like to know if anyone has heard an update as to when the new system will be in place.

[steve187]

it looks like its £720.00 for a single application and only £850.00 if its a couple, not many people bringing over thai wives will apply as a couple, so it looks like we are propping up the treasury again. as if we haven't already done it with visa and ilr costs

£720!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's the reason the missus won't be getting a UK passport anytime soon not that she needs one, she has ILR which is all she needs to stay in the Uk and lets be honest apart from easier access to the USA what benefits will she have from having a UK passport that ILR won't give her?

Brigante7.

£720 - and don't forget the £80 for the citizenship ceremony - so £800 in total.

The debate over citizenship v ILR has been done many times, so I won't go into it, but we'll be applying despite the cost, not least because the goalposts are likely to keep changing in the future.

So I'd still like to know if anyone has heard an update as to when the new system will be in place.

the £720 includes the ceremony, I haven't heard of any update to the changes, maybe with jacqui smith going and the fury over MP's expenses it will all come to nothing