Is Your Partner A Naturalised British Citizen? Or Not Bothered?

[thaigirllondon]

Hello,

There are lots of posters here all discussing visas of all different kinds but do people, all of a sudden, not post after you get the visa for their partner?

So, how many of you have a partner who has become a British citizen?

Do you have a partner that has lived in the UK for a long time but never bothered to get naturalised?

Thank you

Noo Jazz.

[brit1984]

We don't really see the benefit of my wife getting naturalised; seems like a lot of hassle for nothing (especially as we are still young and not sure where we want to live eventually).

I have never bothered to check the exact rules but I have heard you need to stay in the UK almost non-stop (c.80% of the time) for a few years, which does not appeal to us.

We know other people who are living in the UK just because they want to get citizenship, even though it isn't their preferred home. To me that is crazy, people should just live where they are most happy.

Sent from iPhone; please forgive any typos or violations of forum rules

[7by7]

There are lots of posters here all discussing visas of all different kinds but do people, all of a sudden, not post after you get the visa for their partner?

Some continue to post in this forum and pass on their advice and experiences to others, some remain on ThaiVisa to read posts and news and sometimes post in other forums, some disappear until they have a question, others disappear forever.

The naturalisation process can seem a chore to some, but It isn't difficult, and the residency requirement for the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen is not too onerous; a maximum of 270 days out of the UK during the preceding three years with a maximum of 90 days in the final year. Even the standard residency requirement isn't too bad; a maximum of 450 days out of the UK in the last 5 years, a maximum of 90 days in the final year.

Which I make spending 75% of the time in the UK during the residential qualifying period. I wish we could afford to spend 25% of our time in Thailand or other places out of the UK!

The advantages?

• Far more countries allow visa free or visa on arrival entry to British passport holders than do to Thai passport holders. (I make no comment on the rights and wrongs of this.)
  
• ILR will lapse if the holder spends a continuous period of 2 or more years out of the UK. Even if an ILR holder makes regular trips to the UK their ILR can be canceled by an immigration officer at their port of entry if it is apparent that they are not a UK resident; although they will be allowed in as a visitor on that occasion. Citizenship once granted will never lapse and a British citizen can leave the UK for as long and as often as they wish in the certain knowledge that they will always be allowed back in.
  
• Children born after their parent has been naturalised as British will automatically be British, wherever they are born. Children born to an ILR holder will only be British if they are born in the UK or a qualifying territory; unless the other parent is British otherwise than by descent (see the link below for an explanation of British by descent and British otherwise than by descent).
  
• ILR can be removed and the holder deported from the UK if they are convicted of any criminal offence which results in imprisonment. A naturalised British citizen can have their citizenship removed, but only if it is deemed to be in the public interest. That basically means being convicted of an extremely serious offence such as terrorism. Even then it would not be removed if the person would be made stateless by doing so. Obviously both ILR and citizenship can be removed if either were obtained by fraud or deception.
  
• A naturalised British citizen can take a full part in their adopted home; vote, stand for elected office etc. An ILR holder cannot do this.
  

The disadvantages? Other than the filling in of the forms and providing the required documents, and the fee of course, I can't think of any.

However, it is a personal choice. A choice my wife made without a second thought. My step-daughter was under 18 at that time, and we asked her if she wanted it as well; she said yes. Neither have ever had cause to regret it.

Anyone considering naturalisation as British may find British Citizenship Basics useful.

[thaigirllondon]

Thats a great story, thanks 7by7. I guess your daughter wanted to me like her friends and not be different, that's a cool thing for a kid.

I guess there are others to

So, how many of you have a partner who has become a British citizen?

[endure]

I have a group of Thai friends who've lived in the UK for 20+ years. They own restaurants and have imported all the family (legally) as employees. Every last one who's qualified to apply for citizenship has done.

[bobrussell]

Most seem to apply for naturalisation. Under most circumstances it is irreversible, allows much easier travel abroad, is easy to do and the only downside is the expense. Thailand and the UK both allow dual nationality.

My wife will be applying in October!

I suspect many members lurk and keep an occasional eye on the forum. Some appear out of apparent nowhere from time to time to give advice and give a bit back to the forum for the help and advice they have received in the past!

[thaigirllondon]

I have a group of Thai friends who've lived in the UK for 20+ years. They own restaurants and have imported all the family (legally) as employees. Every last one who's qualified to apply for citizenship has done.

Hi

OK, so 2 questions if I may.

Q1: How many Thai friends do you have and do you know (or can you ask, Ka) how long they waited from submitting their citizenship application through to receiving the approval?

Q2: How did they 'import' their family to work in the restaurant? I ask as I was about to open a Thai restaurant but the business model cannot support the requirement for the Chef salary (to start with), so, I am sending my Brit nephew (an entry level chef) to Thailand for 3 months training as its easier and cheaper (and good for him) so he can be the chef on lesser salary than the UKBA says I must pay a Thai national chef!

Edited May 23, 2012 by 7by7
Font normalised. Please do not post in bold, except to emphasis a word or phrase. See forum rules.

[thaigirllondon]

Most seem to apply for naturalisation. Under most circumstances it is irreversible, allows much easier travel abroad, is easy to do and the only downside is the expense. Thailand and the UK both allow dual nationality.

My wife will be applying in October!

I suspect many members lurk and keep an occasional eye on the forum. Some appear out of apparent nowhere from time to time to give advice and give a bit back to the forum for the help and advice they have received in the past!

Good luck to your wife

Also, another advantage is an OA pension if you need it too I guess.

[7by7]

You don't need to be a British citizen to receive a state pension, you simply need to have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions.

Same for other state benefits. Once someone has ILR the prohibition on receiving public funds is lifted.

Contribution based benefits and some other public funds can be claimed before ILR as well.

[7by7]

How did they 'import' their family to work in the restaurant?

Note that the rules on 'importing' non EEA national workers have changed considerably over the last few years. So endure's friend's experiences may no longer be relevant.

See Working in the UK.

Note that a trained Thai chef may be eligible as a skilled worker, waiting and kitchen staff wouldn't be. You would have to recruit them locally (or from within the EEA). Whilst it is understandable that a Thai restaurant would want Thai staff, at least as waiters and others who meet customers, you would be breaking the law were you to insist that they were.

May I ask that as this has nothing to do with British citizenship that you start a new topic if you have any more questions on this matter.

[thaigirllondon]

You don't need to be a British citizen to receive a state pension, you simply need to have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions.

Same for other state benefits. Once someone has ILR the prohibition on receiving public funds is lifted.

Contribution based benefits and some other public funds can be claimed before ILR as well.

True, to a degree. But as a british passport holder will receive alternative Income support if the contributions aren;t enough. Also, passport holder can leave for 20 years and make voluntary contributions if they want (class 3).

Also, passport holder can claim, for example, disability when living abroad for years at a time (and not returning between periods).

So, how long did you say your wife and daughter in law waited for their citizenship to be granted after they submitted the form?

[7by7]

I haven't brushed up on all the relevant regulations; but I am sure that anyone living in the UK can claim and receive the same benefits, whether they are a British citizen or just have ILR, or the equivalent.

I am also sure that anyone who has paid sufficient NI conts will receive their state pension, regardless of their nationality and whether they remain in the UK or not.

But I take your other points.

If memory serves, it was about three months for the decision and just a couple of weeks for the citizenship ceremony. But it was 8 years ago and so no guide to present times.

Citizenship applications are not like visa applications.

In a visa application the ECO basically checks through the application and supporting documents and makes a decision. They may sometimes want to talk to the applicant or make enquiries of a third party, which can delay the application. But for the majority of applicants the processing time is the same. Which is why comparing processing times can be useful in visa applications.

Citizenship applications are different. References have to be checked, maybe other things to, in all appliocations. They have to wait for a reply to these enquiries. Two people can submit at the same time but have completely different processing times. So comparing citizenship processing times will yield little useful information.

You keep on asking this question, so assume that you have applied or are about to. All that can be said is; be patient. You should hear within 3 to 6 months and have your citizenship ceremony and then passport shortly after that. But as I have already said to you; you should allow about 8.5 months to be sure.

I have deleted your off topic post on working in the UK; please see the last line of my previous.

[thaigirllondon]

With all due respect, I know what you have said but you are not the oracle and not a professional so please could you let someone else have some input? I am looking for poster opinions, not just your take on it all. Is that OK? I am sure you have better things to do on thi lovely summer's night.

You keep on asking this question

Yes and no. I keep trying to find a way of asking the question which meets your requirements.

[Boo]

my husband got his citizenship within 4 years of being in UK, it would have been the 3 years but I had a baby during year 3 so we were a bit pre-occupied with other things. He applied for his citizenship as soon as he passed his life in the UK & had his passport application 2 days after his citizenship ceremony. That was 4 years ago & it has made all of our lives so much easier for travel as well as giving him security that if something should happen to me in the future, he is able to remain in UK without restriction or at the mercy of future visa changes if he so chooses.

the processing time was approx 12 weeks from submitting his application to receiving confirmation, we then had to wait a couple extra weeks for the citizenship ceremony.

[thaigirllondon]

Thank you so much, Boo.Good for him and your baby too

Thank you again

Jazz

[7by7]

You keep on asking this question

Yes and no. I keep trying to find a way of asking the question which meets your requirements.

No, you keep on starting new topics to ask the same question in different ways ( seven, yes 7, so far, and you've only been a member for 24 days!) or ask it in non related topics because so far only Boo and I have answered you!

If no one answers you, no one will. No matter how many topics you start.!

I will not have this forum clutterred up with duplicate topics (7!) and other topics dragged off topic because you can't get anyone to answer your question!

I am sorry to have to do this in public rather than by PM, but you repeatedly comment on moderation in public. Strictly speaking that is against the rules, as you well know.

If you have any further comments to make on moderation either PM the mod concerned or, if you are uncomfortable doing that, another mod.

Any further public comments by you on moderation or other off topic posts will result in a long posting holiday.

[thaigirllondon]

So, any irregular readers who check in every 23 days like to comment on this (like the ons who visit not so often as their partners already got the visas and are living happily in the UK for years)? Thank you in advance and thank you to Boo and Endure so far.

So, how many of you have a partner who has become a British citizen?

Do you have a partner that has lived in the UK for a long time but never bothered to get naturalised?

[LucidLucifer]

My wife and I moved back to the UK six years ago and she is naturalised. We're back in Thailand now, and it is likely we will stay here, or maybe somewhere else in Asia, depending on where my work takes me.

And well done 7by7 for noticing the duplication of topics, all asking the same question....it had come to my attention

I too have previously answered the OP.

Edited May 24, 2012 by LucidLucifer

[Puccini]

thaigirllondon, it usually helps to formulate a question clearly, and this is what you have done. In the context of British Citizenship through naturalisation, ie in the context of your topic title and of your first post in this topic, "partner" means, in its unabbreviated form, "civil partner"¹. Therefore, you should perhaps consider the possibility that not many Thaivisa members living in the UK have a civil partner of Thai nationality and that this may be part of the reason why you have received few or no answers to your multiple topics asking your question.

¹http://www.bia.homeo...izen/?version=1

[Romfordboy]

I think she's on another visa forum, too, with a slightly different username, but still asking the same things.