Post
by Christophe » Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:48 pm
A British citizen is entitled to enter (and re-enter) the UK at any time: citizenship is not lost by being outside the UK.
People who naturalise and who are not naturalising on the basis of marriage to or civil partnership with a British citizen must intend to make the UK their main home after naturalisation. However, of course, that does not preclude travel, nor does it preclude people changing their mind (or having their circumstances changed for them). Intending to do something does not necessarily mean that you do do it.
OCI = overseas citizenship of India; PIO = person of Indian origin. If you're not connected to India it is not relevant. They can be given to former Indian citizens, on application, and they are administered by the Indian government (nothing to do with the UK). (India does not allow dual citizenship, and essentially these statuses — both relatively new — allow people who were Indian citizens to retain a right to enter, live in and work in India, with some restrictions.)