On what basis and what are you applying for?
The route is ? > ILR > Naturalisation > British Passport
? > ILR = takes from a few months to over a year (in some cases years)
ILR > Naturalisation = one complete year of ILR + a few weeks of processing time for Citizenship application
Naturalisation > British Passport = a few weeks

So, if all goes well within resonable times, the whole process takes at least 1.5 year to 2 years until you have British Passport in your hands.

Hope it gets you some ideas.

KM95

HI: Thanks for the reply KM95. I did pass the test and then went to the checking service with my form filled out to become a brit citizen. I there found out (after paying £60 ) that i needed to have my ILR in my passport which i didnt i just had  limited leave to remain, but thought that since i have lived here more than 5 years that i could skip that ILR...:( I was wrong.

So, i sent off my ILR form and got it back less than 2 weeks later with my nice and pretty ILR visa on my passport. Now the guy at the checking service said that as soon as i get my ILR i can go back to the checking service (another£60) and send off my AN form to become a British Citizen....Was he wrong to have said that or do i have to wait a whole year before i can send off the form like you say??? Who is right?

Thanks, Laura

As I mentioned in the previous post:
From ILR to Naturalisation, you can only apply for naturalisation after completing 1 full year of ILR. You cannot apply earlier than that. Also you must have been in the UK in the past 5 years (less than that in some cases ie married to a birtish citizen). So I would suggest you can only book the checking service on the 366th day of ILR date, otherwise the checking service won't approve for application.

KM95: I read "Standard requirements for naturalisation" on the home page and it says:

Residential requirements

To demonstrate the residential requirements for naturalisation, you must have:

• been resident in the UK for at least five years (this is known as the residential qualifying period); and


• been present in the UK five years before the date of your application; and


• not spent more than 450 days outside the UK during the five-year period; and


• not spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months of the five-year period; and


• not been in breach of the Immigration Rules at any stage during the five-year period

Also it says:

Immigration time restrictions

You must be free from immigration time restrictions when you apply for naturalisation. Unless you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you should have been free from immigration time restrictions during the last 12 months of the residential qualifying period.

So when the guy from the checking service said i can come as soon as i get my ILR and not have to wait 1 year...he was right. Because i am married to a british citizen.

Or am i still reading it wrong! I dont want to pay £60 for a checking service again! If you are right about the whole waiting a year thing. lol

Thanks so much,

Laura

Hi Laura,

The UKBA delight in being obtuse about all of this information, unfortunately! If you are married to a British citizen then you need to meet the following residence requirements:

"Requirements for naturalisation if you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen

In order to demonstrate the residential requirements for naturalisation you need to:

• have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least three years (this is known as the residential qualifying period); and


• have been present in the United Kingdom three years before the date of your application; and


• have not spent more than 270 days outside the United Kingdom during the three-year period; and


• have not spend more than 90 days outside the United Kingdom in the last 12 months of the three-year period; and


• have not been in breach of the immigration rules at any stage during the three-year period."

Whether or not you need 12 months residence after ILR you do need three years residence in the country. If you got ILR as soon as possible as a spouse - so after two years - you still need to wait another 12 months to meet the residence requirement.

If in doubt though, call the UKBA. They can answer these questions without you having to pay the NCS fee.

I hope this helps
George
www.lifeintheuk.net

Hi George:

That is why i was confused...I have been here for over 4 years all of those years married to my brit husband. 🙂

I came in with a fiance visa, then got my marriage visa, then got my residence visa, then my ILR...this all taking over 4 years. And over £5000 Lol

Thats why when i went to the checking service and asked about my citizenship he said to come back asap after recieving my ILR, because i have been in the country for so long.

So i am now reassured that i can apply for my citizenship.

Thanks so much for your reply.

Laura

Hi Laura,

It sounds like it's been quite a saga for you so far then. If you have four years' residence though, and you've got ILR then it sounds like you've made it - congratulations!

Just to dot the i's and cross the t's (it's best to be thorough with these things to my mind!) if you think you might have gone over the allowance for absences, or overstayed any of your visas - even by one day - then you should still check with the UKBA how this will affect your application.

You should also check the list of documents the UKBA require to support the application, if you ahevn't done so already. The form and guidance booklet are available on this page as well.

All the best
George
www.lifeintheuk.net

Hi Geaorge:

Yes I did dot all my i's and was on the safe side all these years i have'nt left the country at all. Too busy working my tail off and setting up my business. :)

I am going through the checking service to be even on the safer side and do it with them. I was just concerned about the waiting the year after i had my ILR as everyone was saying i had to ...So thanks for all the great advice!

Laura

I am taking my Life in the uk test tomorrow and wanted to get an idea of how long does it take from sending off my application (if i pass the test) to actually being able to apply for a british passport if all goes well. Does it take 1 year or less?? And how long does it take to get a passport once you do get approved? Thanks!