Naturalisation

By its definition, naturalisation is a legal process through which someone changes their nationality. Successful applicants for British naturalisation are officially considered British citizens internationally, and carry all the same rights, both nationally and internationally, as anyone born in the UK.

At its most basic level, British naturalisation is the most commonly used route for people with foreign citizenship to apply to become a British citizen. If you are successful and become naturalised as a full British national, you’ll gain the same rights as anyone born here. You’ll be able to live and work in the UK freely, without being held subject to immigration control or immigration laws. For a lot of people coming to the UK with the intention of finally settling here as a British national, UK naturalisation is an important final step in their immigration route.

In order to be eligible to apply for British naturalisation, you’ll have to meet certain criteria. As well as this, you’ll need to also demonstrate certain characteristics that prove you are an appropriate candidate for becoming a British subject, which might include:

• Passing the Life in the UK test – an official government test set by the Home Office, in which you will have to prove an understanding of British culture, customs and tradition.
• Proving that you have spoken and written proficiency in a recognised British language – This may include having to take an IELTS Language test to prove your proficiency. It’s worth noting that this doesn’t necessarily have to be English – you are also eligible if you can speak, read and write Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.
• Demonstrating you have ‘good character’ – The clearest and obvious way to discern this is usually a criminal record. If you have a proven criminal record, you may be in danger of being perceived to not have ‘good character’ in your UK naturalisation application.

At its most basic level, British naturalisation is the most commonly used route for people with foreign citizenship to apply to become a British citizen. If you are successful and become naturalised as a full British national, you’ll gain the same rights as anyone born here. You’ll be able to live and work in the UK freely, without being held subject to immigration control or immigration laws. For a lot of people coming to the UK with the intention of finally settling here as a British national, UK naturalisation is an important final step in their immigration route.

In order to be eligible to apply for British naturalisation, you’ll have to meet certain criteria. As well as this, you’ll need to also demonstrate certain characteristics that prove you are an appropriate candidate for becoming a British subject, which might include:

• Passing the Life in the UK test – an official government test set by the Home Office, in which you will have to prove an understanding of British culture, customs and tradition.
• Proving that you have spoken and written proficiency in a recognised British language – This may include having to take an IELTS Language test to prove your proficiency. It’s worth noting that this doesn’t necessarily have to be English – you are also eligible if you can speak, read and write Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.
• Demonstrating you have ‘good character’ – The clearest and obvious way to discern this is usually a criminal record. If you have a proven criminal record, you may be in danger of being perceived to not have ‘good character’ in your UK naturalisation application.

UNDERSTANDING THE ‘GOOD CHARACTER’ REQUIREMENT

An important but sometimes confusing part of the naturalisation application process is the need for applicants to prove themselves to have a ‘good character’.

This essentially boils down to showing that you have always shown respect and abode by UK laws while in the country, while also maintaining an excellent history of abiding by the laws of other countries too.

One of the most important UK citizenship requirements is to demonstrate that in the previous years you have spent living in the UK, you have done so legally and responsibly.

Having your citizenship application approved means earning all the same rights as anyone born in the UK. Crucially, this also means being able to apply for a British passport.

For these reasons, the Home Office will scrutinise your background history, including any previous immigration status you have held, your travel history, your financial history, and any history of criminality.

British nationality law is quite strict, and these background checks are an important part of validating your legal right to seek citizenship in the UK.

Because of this, those with criminal records may find themselves considered to not have ‘good character’ and eligibility for UK naturalisation.

As a general rule, the UKVI and the Home Office will not consider applicants who have held a custodial sentence of four years or longer to be of ‘good character’, and their citizenship application will be automatically denied on these terms.

Similarly,  any applicants who fail to disclose the full details of their criminal history and any relevant records with the UK authorities as part of their application will also have their application automatically refused.