Naturalization for Wife of EAA - British Citizen

[Pit]

I am EEA citizen and after 6.5 years in the UK I received my passport yesterday.

My wife is also EEA citizen but she‘s been in the UK for only four years. Can she apply on the basis of marriage to British citizen (since I have been granted citizenship last month). We have been married for five years.

I think that she is eligible to apply on the basis of three year qualifying period for spouse of British citizen but want to make sure I am correct before I spend £800 (Does it matter that I’ve been BC only for one month now?)

Thanks for your help .

[nax_72]

Your wife can apply now as a spouse of British citizen. Hope she is eligible.

[vinny]

She needs PR first.

[Pit]

Thank you for your replies.

Yes, she is eligible - she's been working here since June 2006.

Vinny - I don't think she needs PR as she is applying on the grounds of marriage to British citizen and as a citizen of EEA is free of immigration restrictions. Anyway I may wait until June as she will acquire her PR automatically being here five years.

[vinny]

From my third link above:

Persons not subject to restriction on the period for which they may remain

2.—(1) For the purposes of the 1971 Act and the British Nationality Act 1981(2), a person who has a permanent right of residence under regulation 15 shall be regarded as a person who is in the United Kingdom without being subject under the immigration laws to any restriction on the period for which he may remain.

(2) But a qualified person, the family member of a qualified person and a family member who has retained the right of residence shall not, by virtue of that status, be so regarded for those purposes.

[Pit]

This is just to close out this post:

The detailed requirements are outlined in leaflet BN7 “Naturalisation as a British citizenâ€