Good character

[Lina1380]

Hello everyone and sorry for long and messy post .Asking in advance pls be kind , we all make mistakes.
I came to U.K. as a student and overstayed .In 2007 was caught shoplifting, brought into police station where they established my identity, took fingerprints , recorded everything and let me go in the morning in condition I will come to sign somewhere next day.I didn’t show up and tried to wipe it up from my memory , got my lesson in life .
Met my now ex husband and got married in 2011, with the help of solicitor applied for a 5 years visa according to European law and got it.Divorced in 2014 , retained my rights and got my ILR later on .My solicitor knew about incident in 2007 from day 1 and I am still not 100% sure what was in my previous applications.
Now 17 years after and 11 of legal stay , good job , mortgage and paying taxes I finally decided to apply for citizenship.Was sure I will be forgiven when a friend mentioned I have declare absolutely everything Mo matter when it happened .Start digging through my entire life and remembered being stopped in airport about 9 years ago with cigarettes above allowed , everything was confiscating and I was issued with smth , probably a warning , but definitely not a penalty .
I will be happy to declare everything on my application, but I don’t remember dates and what actually confess to , shoplifting , absconding, breaking immigration law , customs law ? Do I even have a tiny chance ? Can admitting my faults in the past affect my status now ?I Will appreciate any advice .

[Ticktack]

Hello everyone and sorry for long and messy post .Asking in advance pls be kind , we all make mistakes.
I came to U.K. as a student and overstayed .In 2007 was caught shoplifting, brought into police station where they established my identity, took fingerprints , recorded everything and let me go in the morning in condition I will come to sign somewhere next day.I didn’t show up and tried to wipe it up from my memory , got my lesson in life .
Met my now ex husband and got married in 2011, with the help of solicitor applied for a 5 years visa according to European law and got it.Divorced in 2014 , retained my rights and got my ILR later on .My solicitor knew about incident in 2007 from day 1 and I am still not 100% sure what was in my previous applications.
Now 17 years after and 11 of legal stay , good job , mortgage and paying taxes I finally decided to apply for citizenship.Was sure I will be forgiven when a friend mentioned I have declare absolutely everything Mo matter when it happened .Start digging through my entire life and remembered being stopped in airport about 9 years ago with cigarettes above allowed , everything was confiscating and I was issued with smth , probably a warning , but definitely not a penalty .
I will be happy to declare everything on my application, but I don’t remember dates and what actually confess to , shoplifting , absconding, breaking immigration law , customs law ? Do I even have a tiny chance ? Can admitting my faults in the past affect my status now ?I Will appreciate any advice .

Like you rightly said, everyone makes mistakes. Especially in the younger formative years. It's been over 10years of clean living. That counts for a lot.
You've never been to Jail, so a massive plus.
Cigarettes smuggling isn't really a horrible crime if done once, when done multiple times is when you're knowingly trying to break the law. It probably was a warning you got. Naturally, immigration would have flagged your passport for extra scrutiny anytime you're entering the UK.

You should be fine. But yeah, mention them in your application, it should have no effect.

[Lina1380]

I really appreciate your reply.What worries my the most that none of those were mentioned in my previous applications ,so I am getting completely paranoid imagining myself in handcuffs being deported and my ILR revoked .
I am not even sure how to word it -stealing while being illegal and failing to report later on , most probably the address I reside wasn’t right either )
Would it make sense to request SAR just to know exact year and what exactly is mentioned ? Also don’t have a clue when cigarettes thing happened , but definitely 7-8-9 years ago .
I might be seriously overthinking it , but if I declare it it would look awful on my application and refusal guaranteed .

[vinny]

SAR may be helpful. It may be worst if you fail to declare what they ask you to declare.

[Lina1380]

I will obviously declare but honestly does it even make sense to apply ?

[Davido9177]

It is not as bad as you are making it to be. get the SARS request from the HO and declare EVERYTHING! It been 10 year of clean and law abiding living which I believe will count. All the best.

[Davido9177]

It is not as bad as you are making it to be. get the SARS request from the HO and declare EVERYTHING! It been 10 year of clean and law abiding living which I believe will count. All the best.

[Ticktack]

I will obviously declare but honestly does it even make sense to apply ?

Unfortunately, when you decide to apply for BC, it's time to fess up! Everything that the police have, the HO has access to it.
British Citizenship can be withdrawn if you're later found out to have lied to obtain it.
I'm not an immigration lawyer, but if that's withdrawn at any point, I'm not sure you'll be taken back to ILR. We can only advise, it's ultimately your choice to make.

[Lina1380]

Thank you .I am just trying to understand if these incidents where not put into my first 5 years visa and then ILR applications would it put me into trouble with my present settled status ? Was I supposed to declare absolutely everything for previous applications or it should be so accurate just for BC ? I am prepared to declare everything, but scared to open bigger can of worms .I already consulted one was the solicitors who said that both of these incidents were not material for previous applications, but relevant for BC .I am so confused …

[Lina1380]

What if I don’t remember when cigarettes were confiscated in airport? I doubt it will show on SAR so how do I even mention it as dates are required ?

[AmazonianX]

What ifs and more what ifs till you convince yourself no need to declare and perpetuate the deception.
Fess up now, provide the details you recall as accurately as possible, if the HO needs to check they have means to reference and cross reference things for clearer picture.
SAR helps however note that currently may take more than 3months to hear back on the SAR enquiry.

[Lina1380]

What ifs and more what ifs till you convince yourself no need to declare and perpetuate the deception.
Fess up now, provide the details you recall as accurately as possible, if the HO needs to check they have means to reference and cross reference things for clearer picture.
SAR helps however note that currently may take more than 3months to hear back on the SAR enquiry.

Thanks for your reply .Do you mean SAR from HO or Police ACRO?