You may be eligible to apply to settle permanently in the UK after you have lived legally in the UK for a certain period of time. If you have settled status you are eligible to apply for naturalisation if you have resided in the UK for five continuous years; however, there are exceptions.

We can assist you with your application for naturalisation to become a British citizen.

If your application is successful, you will be granted British citizenship and you will be permitted to hold a British passport.

There are particular requirements which must be met in order to apply for British citizenship through naturalisation, you must:

  • - have “settled status” i.e. been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least 12 months or hold Permanent Residence
  • - be over 18 years old
  • - be a person of “good character” and have not broken immigration laws or have been convicted of a serious crime in the last 10 years
  • - be currently residing in the UK and meet the “residency requirements”
  • - travelled outside of the UK for no more than 90 days in the last 12 months and 450 days in the last 5 years
  • - Have sufficient knowledge of the “English language” and pass the “Life in the UK” test, unless, you are exempt

If you are eligible to apply, you must submit an application to UK Visas and Immigration, including all relevant information and supporting documentation.

If your application is successful you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony at your local authority where you will be issued with your Certificate of Naturalisation. Thereafter, you can apply for a British Passport.

Commonwealth Citizens

There are 54 countries that are members of the Commonwealth nations. These are:

Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Dominica, Fiji, The Gambia, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, The Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papa New Guinea, Rwanda, St Christopher and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Uganda, Vanuatu and Zambia.

You may have the right to abode in the UK if one of you parents was still a Commonwealth citizen after 13 December 1982.

In addition, if you are a woman who is a member of a Commonwealth nation and is or has been married to a British citizen before 1 January 1983, you may have the right to abode in the UK. If you are a child of such a mother then you may also have the right to abode in the UK.

Furthermore, there may be other routes available for an individual who is a member of a Commonwealth nation and who has ancestral routes to the UK.

 

Professional fees:

Normally, instructions in respect of all UK immigration matters are undertaken on the basis of an agreed fixed fee having consideration of the complexity of the matter and the level of expertise involved. All disbursements are additional such as the Home Office / Visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge fee. If we are unable to agree a fixed fee, our standard hourly rate will be £300 plus vat equating to £360 (if applicable).

Our agreed fixed fee usually includes meeting with one of our experienced solicitors to establish the details of your case, advice on your option(s) and merits in the matter, guidance in collating supporting and relevant documents, preparing and submitting the application/representations with the Home Office / British High Commission in your home country and advising you on the likely outcome(s) of your matter.

Time scale:

Upon receiving instructions, we will provide you with an initial list of documents. Thereafter, we shall provide a comprehensive list of documents tailored to your individual circumstances. If your matter is urgent it will be dealt with as a priority. As soon as we have received the requested information and supporting documents and we have reviewed your matter, we shall prepare and submit your application with the relevant Immigration department bearing in mind applicable deadlines. The timescale on when a decision will be received will depend on the type of application being made and backlog of the decision making body. On average it may take 6-9 months to get a decision from the Home Office. We shall keep you informed of the progress of your matter throughout the entire application process.

Please contact us today for further advice and assistance on 020 3002 9147, 075 8293 2830 or email us at info@aschfordslaw.com.