New Hurdles For Those Applying For British Citizenship

[Mahout Angrit]

You may be interested in the new rules which have appeared on the Home Office site

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/nationality/

Important announcement:

Changes to the character requirement with effect from 4 December 2006.

An important change to nationality law is due to take place with effect from 4 December 2006. Most applications received on or after that date in respect of applicants aged 10 and over will be subject to a statutory requirement to be of good character.

Character checks will be carried out in all such cases. These will include, but are not restricted to, enquiries of the police, Security Service and HM Revenue and Customs. Any outstanding police action must be notified to the Home Office while an application for naturalisation is under consideration.

The exceptions to this are applications from

*

British overseas citizens,

*

British protected persons, and

*

British subjects

who do not hold another citizenship and who apply to register as British citizens under section 4 B of the British Nationality Act 1981.

Applications under Schedule 2 to the 1981 Act on the basis that the applicant is stateless are also unaffected by this change.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Mahout Angrit

[the scouser]

The good character requirement has been in force in respect of naturalisation applications for as long as I recall, it would just seem that it is now to be enforced more rigorously, as well as being extended to some minors.

Occasionally, people have previously been declined naturalisation on grounds of character, but only when it's suited - Mohammed Al Fayed, for example.

Scouse.

[the gent]

Contributions to the Labour Party will of course be viewed as sufficient evidence of good character in the absence of any other more orthodox criteria...........

In many respects the sleaze enveloping this tenth rate little country is every bit as apparent as that pedalled by the Thai Chinese in the LoS. Trouble is, the allegedly more sophisticated electorate of Albion seems to be as powerless as the Isaan country bumpkin to upend the trough in which the pigs gorge themselves.

God how I hate this........

[Eff1n2ret]

God how I hate this........

Hate what exactly? Yes, the sleaze is there, as it was in Mrs Thatcher's time, and going back in my political memory, in Harold Wilson's as well, but is it really that different from any other era, when for example the Victorian brewers and coalowners bought their peerages?

Perhaps it's just that in this day and age Jack's as good as his master, so we're all less inclined to accept whichever establishment holds sway over us.

I don't see that any of that is an argument against refusing citizenship to foreign scumbags - we've got enough of our own. And with regard to Labour politicians' palms being greased, we have at least had the satisfaction of seeing David Blunkett getting booted out for fast-tracking a visa, and then when Blair brought him back, he got nobbled again! Wonderful!

[rio666uk]

It should be noted that these new requirements are not just for Applying for Citizenship but also Applying for ILR Status

http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/n...ctionofnewrules

[Nignoy]

The good character requirement has been in force in respect of naturalisation applications for as long as I recall, it would just seem that it is now to be enforced more rigorously, as well as being extended to some minors.

Occasionally, people have previously been declined naturalisation on grounds of character, but only when it's suited - Mohammed Al Fayed, for example.

Scouse.

This will put the citizenship of liverpudlians in question can see them all being banished to purgatory in Warrington or worse still Wigan Nignoy