Nationalization Application Stages
First make sure you are applying at the right time and you have completed
your residency requirements. Watch out for these conditions in your residency
requirement.
- You have completed Three (3) years after your Marriage &
first Entry to UK or Five (5) years after your first entry to UK. - You have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in UK for at least One (1) year.
- You are not out of the country for more then 90 days in last 12
months.
If you don?t have any exceptional
circumstances, Home office will most likely reject your application, if above conditions are
not met.
WATCHOUT: This is probably the most confusing part of the application
process. If you were not in UK Three or
Five years (Depending on the basis of your application, See rule 1 above) prior
to your application, Home Office will most likely reject your application. This
is how they calculate. If you are applying on 1st may 2006 then you
must be present in the country on May 1, 2003 (on Marriage basis) or May 1,
2001 on 5 years basis.
If you
meet all above requirements then Prepare for the Life in the UK test and
pass it
Next,
when test is passed. Prepare your Application and find two referees
who can vouch for your character, know you for at least 3 years and can sign
your application. See the requirements below
For application and Guidance notes: http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/applying/british_nationality/application_forms.html?
SECTION 6: REFEREES
Your application must be supported by two referees. Each must have
known you personally (rather than just professionally) for at least 3 years
and be:
a British citizen
aged 25 years or over
not related to you
not related to the other referee
not your solicitor or agent
We will not accept a referee who has been convicted of an
imprisonable
offence during the last 10 years and the sentence has not become spent under the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 ? see page 24.
Once you have two referees and they have completed Section 6 you
should recheck the information you have provided and go to Section 7.
Read Instructions for
applications very carefully and fill it out properly. You may use services of
Citizen Advisory Bureau (provides free services). Check Internet or your Council/City Services
In the application process you will also
need:
Record of places visited. This means that
if you left the country and came back, you need to report those dates.
Make sure you send the proper fees (I used
my Debit card and they charged it to my account)
Nationality
Checking Service (May
charge fee around £30-40) http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/applying/british_nationality/nationality_checking.html
The Nationality Checking Service is a partnership between the Home Office
Immigration & Nationality Directorate and local councils in England and Wales. It allows those people
applying for British citizenship to make their applications, in person, at
their local council offices. For a small fee, participating councils will check
that applications are completed correctly and have been submitted with all the
necessary supporting documents and the correct fee. They will photocopy and
certify valuable documents such as passports and will send the applications to
the Home Office by special delivery post. Complete applications can be dealt
with more quickly than those that are incomplete. Those using the service will
be able to keep their passports rather than sending them to the Home
Next,
when you sent the application, you just have to
wait for Home office to Contact you as this may take a long time. Home Office
usually have estimate time of application completion on their Web Site. If you have not used Nationality Checking
Service for your application, you may get your original documents back in 1-3
months.
If you have plans to travel, I suggest that
you use Nationality Checking Service; its services are well worth the fee you
will be paying.
Good Luck
