Naturalisation Fee

[Siggi]

I have just been looking at the BIA site and would appear that when you apply for naturalisation as a family you paid £735, for husband and wife.

Then a further £400 for each child under the age of 18.

Can anyone confirm this or I'm reading incorrectly?

[John]

Correctly, as per the fee table.

The £735 includes the fee for the Citizenship Ceremony. No Citizenship Ceremony fee for the child(ren).

[Siggi]

Hi John,
Thanks for the speedy reply, not what I really wanted the hear, so I must just cough up £1135.

[John]

That is correct, but :-

Then a further £400 for each child under the age of 18.

-: is not quite right, because that £400 covers for one or more children applying at the same moment in time. It is not £400 per child.

So the £1135 you mention is correct, irrespective of the number of children involved.

Have both you and your wife been in the UK for at least 5 years? And you have both passed the Citizenship Test?

[Siggi]

John,
Yes the UK test has been passed and no we have only been here four and half years.So I know we still need to do the ILR thing too.
But I'm added up the costs now and wondering if we should'nt call it a day and return to our homeland and forget that we ever had a history with England ie, Grand parents, Mother and uncles that die in two world wars.

[JAJ]

John,
Yes the UK test has been passed and no we have only been here four and half years.So I know we still need to do the ILR thing too.
But I'm added up the costs now and wondering if we should'nt call it a day and return to our homeland and forget that we ever had a history with England ie, Grand parents, Mother and uncles that die in two world wars.

Are you seriously suggesting that British citizenship is not worth the naturalisation fee?

Your choice of course, but if you choose to abandon your ILR there's no easy way to get it back later on, usually.

[Siggi]

Jaj,

Your reply really suprises me.

So you agree that the visa fees and everything is in line with inflation.
Is this not just another underhanded way of trying to get rid of English speaking Commonwealth Citzens, who by in large have strong links to the UK in favour of non English speaking Eastern Europeans with no links the the UK>

[JAJ]

Jaj,

Your reply really suprises me.

So you agree that the visa fees and everything is in line with inflation.
Is this not just another underhanded way of trying to get rid of English speaking Commonwealth Citzens, who by in large have strong links to the UK in favour of non English speaking Eastern Europeans with no links the the UK>

I don't think the thinking has anything to do with "English speaking Commonwealth citizens", either eay. It's got a lot to do with introducing a financial barrier to ILR and naturalisation for those in lower skilled/paid occupations.

I suspect the naturalisation fees will need to be looked at again in due course, but that won't happen any time soon.

And incidentally - Eastern Europeans who want to become British citizens will also have to pay the naturalisation fee (and do the same test).

Your choice on how to proceed but the fees are a done deal for the time being, so you can:

- stay in the UK as a foreigner with ILR; or
- abandon your ILR and go home; or
- re-prioritise things financially and find the money for the naturalisation/registration fee

[Siggi]

You are in part right ie "setting up financial barriers" to curb lower skilled workers.
Either way Eastern Europeans are now been favoured over Common Wealth Citizens as they do not have the same financial restriction placed on them in terms visa costs.
IT IS A DISGRACE ANYWAY YOU LOOK AT IT
I meet a poor fellow re-writting his Englishness test for the third time,he was from India and I'm sure he could not really afford the £34 each time he wrote the test and failed.
Dont forget how Imperial Great Britain exploited many of the Common Wealth countrys and it seems they are repeating this bit of history again.

[jjustyy]

You are in part right ie "setting up financial barriers" to curb lower skilled workers.
Either way Eastern Europeans are now been favoured over Common Wealth Citizens as they do not have the same financial restriction placed on them in terms visa costs.
IT IS A DISGRACE ANYWAY YOU LOOK AT IT
I meet a poor fellow re-writting his Englishness test for the third time,he was from India and I'm sure he could not really afford the £34 each time he wrote the test and failed.
Dont forget how Imperial Great Britain exploited many of the Common Wealth countrys and it seems they are repeating this bit of history again.

Comparing the EU to the Commonwealth isn't fair. Also, you can't blame anyone but the guy doing the test for failing it twice - it's not that difficult if you revise well.

[rogerroger]

Comparing the EU to the Commonwealth isn't fair. Also, you can't blame anyone but the guy doing the test for failing it twice - it's not that difficult if you revise well.

by opening up the markets to the EU employees, we are getting some really poorly trained employees(some of them are doctors). you think a comparison of asian doctors and EU doctors is fair? how about a comparison of the english speaking abilities of the asians and the EU citizens. i dont want to start a debate here. there are definitely some places where the average EU citizen shines and there are some where the asian shines.

Discriminatory practices where the EU guy is placed on a higher pedestal is not on.



Have you ever seen the EU lorries whiz past you on the M25 (no signals, just change lanes), do you realise that since they are right hand drives, there is a greater chance for them to have an accident than say an ..... asian truck driver.



An integrated EU economy is good, but dont make it difficult for good Asian Doctors, IT specialists, financial people to become part of the great UK/EU dream.

else the UK economy may be reduced to a mediocre economy in the times ahead.

[jjustyy]

Rogerroger, I'm not arguing those facts I agree with you.

My wife is a Mauritian with a UK PhD and BSc (Hons)- her English skills and talent is greater than most Brits, yet alone those from the EU - I know the strengths of commonwealth citizens and have been through years of annoying visa applications with her.

The point is that the Commonwealth and the EU are very different. The Commonwealth is just a voluntary association; we all know the EU is far from voluntary...

[rogerroger]

i am not arguing for a work permit free environment, free entry for all non EU citizens ....

but there has to be a more sensible approach

e.g. 655 for naturalisation, now that takes the ....

[John]

655 for naturalisation

£655 + £80 = £735 for Naturalisation. The £80 is for the Citizenship Ceremony and needs to be paid up front. The £80 ends up being refunded if the application is (very exceptionally) rejected.

[SYH]

Siggi dont you have to apply for ILR before naturalisation that fee per person is around 750 pounds so naturalization is a bargain

[Siggi]

SYH
No, ILR is a £950 fee per application, which include all dependants.

[John]

ILR is a £950 fee per application, which include all dependants.

Well it is if you apply in person at a PEO ..... but the figure of £750 quoted by SYH is correct .... if the application is made by post.

[Siggi]

John,
Certainly the last time I check, ILR was £950 per application and not per person and yes that is the premium service.

[John]

So you now agree? Both £750 and £950 are correct? Respectively by post or in person at a PEO.

[Siggi]

John
If you read what SYH said on his earlier mail, he states £750 per person, which is incorrect .
It is per application and you may have your wife and 10 childern on the application for either £750 or £950 depending on which route you go.
I never disputed the amounts payable.

[SYH]

talk to the kids, let them apply for naturalisation when they earn money

[Siggi]

SYH
I don't always agree with you but, I think you have a good point!