Citizenship application time frame queries

[travelagain1]

Hi i had a few queries with the correct time to apply for citizenship

I got ILR in July 21. That's the date on the ILR card. So I've done 12+ months on ILR.

1) Can I now apply for citizenship?

2) Regarding this point - " You must have lived in the UK for at least 5 years before the date of your application"

Does this mean that 5 years before the day I apply, I should have been in the UK? Suppose if I was on holiday exactly 5 years ago, I'll need to apply accordingly on the date after I returned ?

3) Other than this residency requirement, are there and other requirements I need to be aware of ?

4) Can I travel out of the UK while my application is being considered without affecting my application in any way ?

5) If I'm an Indian citizen, at what stage do I have to surrender my Indian passport ?

6) Once I get the decision, do I need to apply for British passport immediately if I want to travel internationally?

7) Does anyone have an idea how long does it take to get an OCI card and how long does it take to get a British passport ?

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel?

9) What is the average timeframe between getting citizenship and attending the ceremony ?

10) Does getting citizenship change my tax implications in my original country of birth?

11) Does my partner get automatic citizenship after i get citizenship if the partner has lived 3+ years in UK as dependant?

Thanks in advance

[meself2]

I'll answer some of those queries (1-6 + 11), others will fill in the gaps.

1) Can I now apply for citizenship?

If you meet other requirements, yes.

2) Regarding this point - " You must have lived in the UK for at least 5 years before the date of your application"

Does this mean that 5 years before the day I apply, I should have been in the UK? Suppose if I was on holiday exactly 5 years ago, I'll need to apply accordingly on the date after I returned ?

Yes, or even a few days after.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... accessible

If you are applying under section 6(1), you must have been in the UK exactly 5 years before your application was received. For example, if your application is received on 05/01/2022 you should have been physically present in the UK on 06/01/2017.

3) Other than this residency requirement, are there and other requirements I need to be aware of ?

KoLL (Knowledge of English and Life in the UK test) should be satisfied, plus absence requirement (shouldn't be outside UK for more than 450 days in last 5 years and 90 days in last 12 months).

4) Can I travel out of the UK while my application is being considered without affecting my application in any way ?

Yes, it's not an immigration application.

5) If I'm an Indian citizen, at what stage do I have to surrender my Indian passport ?

https://www.hcilondon.gov.in/page/surre ... -passport/

There is a grace period of three months after acquisition of foreign nationality (to be counted from the date of registration / Naturalisation Certificate and not from the date of foreign passport) for using Indian passport for travel. But the grace period is not applicable once the British/Foreign Passport is acquired, he/she should travel only on the British/Foreign passport once the same is obtained even if he/she is within the grace period of three months.

6) Once I get the decision, do I need to apply for British passport immediately if I want to travel internationally?

Since you're going to lose your Indian passport in 3 months, your best bet is to apply as soon as possible, so you can get your British passport in time.

11) Does my partner get automatic citizenship after i get citizenship if the partner has lived 3+ years in UK as dependant?

No. They need to apply as a spouse of BC, with similar requirements but 3 years instead of 5. Read the guidance linked above.

[Ticktack]

Hi i had a few queries with the correct time to apply for citizenship

I got ILR in July 21. That's the date on the ILR card. So I've done 12+ months on ILR.

1) Can I now apply for citizenship? If you fulfil the residency and other requirements.

2) Regarding this point - " You must have lived in the UK for at least 5 years before the date of your application"

Does this mean that 5 years before the day I apply, I should have been in the UK?Yes Suppose if I was on holiday exactly 5 years ago, I'll need to apply accordingly on the date after I returned ? Precisely

3) Other than this residency requirement, are there and other requirements I need to be aware of ? A list is generated when applying. LITUK, English, Good Character.

4) Can I travel out of the UK while my application is being considered without affecting my application in any way ? Yes

5) If I'm an Indian citizen, at what stage do I have to surrender my Indian passport ? You need to check with the Indian embassy. That's not exactly a question for British forum.

6) Once I get the decision, do I need to apply for British passport immediately if I want to travel internationally? Once you get decision, you're still not British until you attend the ceremony. After the ceremony, you're required to cut up your ILR card and return it. So if you plan on travelling out and returning back to the UK after that, Yes you need a British Passport to do that.

7) Does anyone have an idea how long does it take to get an OCI card and how long does it take to get a British passport ? That's a question for a different forum. This is strictly for British Citizenship.

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? Nope. Same way you couldn't travel out of India until you got an Indian passport.

9) What is the average timeframe between getting citizenship and attending the ceremony ? Depends on your council. You can check the timeline thread for that.

10) Does getting citizenship change my tax implications in my original country of birth? Not here in the UK. You'd have to research about your country and it's tax laws.

11) Does my partner get automatic citizenship after i get citizenship if the partner has lived 3+ years in UK as dependant? If it was that easy, Brits that have married foreigners would have been having a ball. Everybody has to go through the same hoops to get to the final destination. The only silver lining here is that your partner can apply for citizenship immediately they get ILR without waiting for 1 year, if they fulfil all other requirements and has lived here for 3 years.

Thanks in advance

[travelagain1]

Thanks both. Appreciate your help

Just a few follow on questions

3) Other than this residency requirement, are there and other requirements I need to be aware of ? A list is generated when applying. LITUK, English, Good Character.

a) I have an existing IELTS which I had passed for ILR, can I use that without having to give this exam again ?
b) Similarly I completed LITUK for ILR, so can I use that ?
c) Regarding good character, wanted to know if I have got tickets for like parking in a wrong area/zone , do I need to disclose those ? I had paid all those parking fines immediately whenever I received them, but I don't think I have a record of all of them. If I do need to show all parking related tickets, is there any place online where I can get the details of those ?
d) And for personal references, do the referees need to write me some kind of letter or do I just have to share their names and addresses ?

11) Does my partner get automatic citizenship after i get citizenship if the partner has lived 3+ years in UK as dependant? If it was that easy, Brits that have married foreigners would have been having a ball. Everybody has to go through the same hoops to get to the final destination. The only silver lining here is that your partner can apply for citizenship immediately they get ILR without waiting for 1 year, if they fulfil all other requirements and has lived here for 3 years.

No. They need to apply as a spouse of BC, with similar requirements but 3 years instead of 5. Read the guidance linked above.

Just to confirm, my partner is on PBS dependant right now. So do I keep renewing that PBS dependant for 5 years total, and then apply for ILR for partner and then again for citizenship ?

[secret.simon]

3) Other than this residency requirement, are there and other requirements I need to be aware of ? A list is generated when applying. LITUK, English, Good Character.

a) I have an existing IELTS which I had passed for ILR, can I use that without having to give this exam again ?
b) Similarly I completed LITUK for ILR, so can I use that ?

You should be able to reuse both if you have already used them for ILR.

c) Regarding good character, wanted to know if I have got tickets for like parking in a wrong area/zone , do I need to disclose those ? I had paid all those parking fines immediately whenever I received them, but I don't think I have a record of all of them. If I do need to show all parking related tickets, is there any place online where I can get the details of those ?
d) And for personal references, do the referees need to write me some kind of letter or do I just have to share their names and addresses ?

I will leave these for others to respond to as I am not au fait with details for these.

11) Does my partner get automatic citizenship after i get citizenship if the partner has lived 3+ years in UK as dependant? If it was that easy, Brits that have married foreigners would have been having a ball. Everybody has to go through the same hoops to get to the final destination. The only silver lining here is that your partner can apply for citizenship immediately they get ILR without waiting for 1 year, if they fulfil all other requirements and has lived here for 3 years.

No. They need to apply as a spouse of BC, with similar requirements but 3 years instead of 5. Read the guidance linked above.

Just to confirm, my partner is on PBS dependant right now. So do I keep renewing that PBS dependant for 5 years total, and then apply for ILR for partner and then again for citizenship ?

The only time British citizenship is automatically acquired is if specific conditions are met at the time of birth of the person.

At any time after birth, even just the day after, for the person to acquire British citizenship, they need to either register (normally reserved for children nowadays, though there are rare adult exceptions) or naturalise (the normal path for adults) as British citizens.

To naturalise as a British citizen, either on one's own or as the spouse of a British citizen, ILR Is a must.

So, for your wife to become a British citizen, she needs to follow and complete whatever route she is on to ILR, apply for and be granted ILR.

After ILR, she can then apply immediately to naturalise as the spouse of a British citizen, assuming that she meets the absences and physical presence requirements for that route.

[Ticktack]

Thanks both. Appreciate your help

Just a few follow on questions

3) Other than this residency requirement, are there and other requirements I need to be aware of ? A list is generated when applying. LITUK, English, Good Character.

a) I have an existing IELTS which I had passed for ILR, can I use that without having to give this exam again ? Yes, providing it's still on the HO list.
b) Similarly I completed LITUK for ILR, so can I use that ? Yes, it doesn't expire.
c) Regarding good character, wanted to know if I have got tickets for like parking in a wrong area/zone , do I need to disclose those ?PCN's don't need to be disclosed. I had paid all those parking fines immediately whenever I received them, but I don't think I have a record of all of them. If I do need to show all parking related tickets, is there any place online where I can get the details of those ?
d) And for personal references, do the referees need to write me some kind of letter or do I just have to share their names and addresses ? Names, address, passport number (if British) and profession. No letters involved.

11) Does my partner get automatic citizenship after i get citizenship if the partner has lived 3+ years in UK as dependant? If it was that easy, Brits that have married foreigners would have been having a ball. Everybody has to go through the same hoops to get to the final destination. The only silver lining here is that your partner can apply for citizenship immediately they get ILR without waiting for 1 year, if they fulfil all other requirements and has lived here for 3 years.

No. They need to apply as a spouse of BC, with similar requirements but 3 years instead of 5. Read the guidance linked above.

Just to confirm, my partner is on PBS dependant right now. So do I keep renewing that PBS dependant for 5 years total, and then apply for ILR for partner and then again for citizenship ? Yes.

[sathyauk]

7) Does anyone have an idea how long does it take to get an OCI card and how long does it take to get a British passport ?
First you need to surrender your Indian passport possibly takes around 2 weeks to get your surrender certificate. Second you need to apply for OCI, time line will be around 2 months but you can apply for visa, if you want to travel

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? - You have 90 days in between the citizenship and surrender of your Indian passport

9) What is the average timeframe between getting citizenship and attending the ceremony ?
Citizenship should get within 6 months, may extend if the case is complicated

10) Does getting citizenship change my tax implications in my original country of birth?
It will not change your tax implications, should follow the same tax rules as is

[meself2]

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? - You have 90 days in between the citizenship and surrender of your Indian passport

Be aware that you have to return your BRP after naturalization and submit your naturalization certificate when applying for British passport; you can leave the country, but coming back to UK would be a different story, as you'll have nothing to show airline staff to board a UK flight.

[Ticktack]

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? - You have 90 days in between the citizenship and surrender of your Indian passport

Be aware that you have to return your BRP after naturalization and submit your naturalization certificate when applying for British passport; you can leave the country, but coming back to UK would be a different story, as you'll have nothing to show airline staff to board a UK flight.

How would the OP leave the country when applying for a British passport? If OP still has a valid passport (not submitted to the Indian authorities yet) at the time of making the application, passport would also need to be submitted to the HMPO as part of the passport issuance process.

[meself2]

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? - You have 90 days in between the citizenship and surrender of your Indian passport

Be aware that you have to return your BRP after naturalization and submit your naturalization certificate when applying for British passport; you can leave the country, but coming back to UK would be a different story, as you'll have nothing to show airline staff to board a UK flight.

How would the OP leave the country when applying for a British passport? If OP still has a valid passport (not submitted to the Indian authorities yet) at the time of making the application, passport would also need to be submitted to the HMPO as part of the passport issuance process.

Fair point; nevertheless, even if OP would attempt to travel before even applying, it would be next to impossible to prove OP's right to go to UK, since naturalization certificate won't work for airlines.

[Ticktack]

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? - You have 90 days in between the citizenship and surrender of your Indian passport

Be aware that you have to return your BRP after naturalization and submit your naturalization certificate when applying for British passport; you can leave the country, but coming back to UK would be a different story, as you'll have nothing to show airline staff to board a UK flight.

How would the OP leave the country when applying for a British passport? If OP still has a valid passport (not submitted to the Indian authorities yet) at the time of making the application, passport would also need to be submitted to the HMPO as part of the passport issuance process.

Fair point; nevertheless, even if OP would attempt to travel before even applying, it would be next to impossible to prove OP's right to go to UK, since naturalization certificate won't work for airlines.

I already told OP above.

8 ) If there is any emergency and I need to travel after getting the citizenship, but before getting the passport, is there anyway to travel? Nope. Same way you couldn't travel out of India until you got an Indian passport.

[travelagain1]

Thanks So travel after citizenship and before getting the new passport is out of the question.

I think after going through all the requirements, I am facing a hurdle trying to find appropriate references for the citizenship application. I know this has been discussed in a lot of places but had a few specific queries with regards to this -

1) Is it a strict rule to have known the referees for exactly 3 yrs or more? Suppose I have known them for 2.5 yrs, and they meet the other requirements, is that acceptable? And how would they know exactly how long I've known them?

2) Secondly, suppose if a referee is currently out of the UK but only temporarily, is that ok ? They are British citizens just that out of the UK at the moment...No fixed date on their return...

3) Worst case scenario if I am not able to find a referee who work in the specified required professions , does that mean i will never be eligible for citizenship?

I mean the type of people you encounter in your life here depends on a lot of circumstances, where you work, etc. And it is possible to not know someone for 3 years who happens to have a specific profession ?

4) Can the company I am currently working for, refer me ? Or does it have to be a person only ?
Can it be a past employer or only current employer?

[Ticktack]

Thanks So travel after citizenship and before getting the new passport is out of the question.

I think after going through all the requirements, I am facing a hurdle trying to find appropriate references for the citizenship application. I know this has been discussed in a lot of places but had a few specific queries with regards to this -

1) Is it a strict rule to have known the referees for exactly 3 yrs or more? Suppose I have known them for 2.5 yrs, and they meet the other requirements, is that acceptable? And how would they know exactly how long I've known them? Not sure they'd go into the finer details of 2 years 10.5 months. It's a requirement however and nice to try and fulfil it as much as possible.

2) Secondly, suppose if a referee is currently out of the UK but only temporarily, is that ok ? They are British citizens just that out of the UK at the moment...No fixed date on their return... Guess that might work. There's no requirement that the person has to stay put in the UK during the process.

3) Worst case scenario if I am not able to find a referee who work in the specified required professions , does that mean i will never be eligible for citizenship? British citizenship isn't a right but a privilege. You want to be British, hence they need to know that you've fully integrated into the society. If you've done that, you would have crossed path with someone on the long list. Someone with such an integrity that can vouch for you. It's like renting a house. You need a guarantor that also works and meet certain criteria, to be able to vouch for you. You can't just get the average Joe off the streets.

I mean the type of people you encounter in your life here depends on a lot of circumstances, where you work, etc. And it is possible to not know someone for 3 years who happens to have a specific profession ? It's the requirements as stated above.

4) Can the company I am currently working for, refer me ? Or does it have to be a person only ?
Can it be a past employer or only current employer? Anyone you know or knows you, current or past. Person not company, like your director.