Naturalisation as spouse of British Citizen queries

[spouse2018]

Hi All,

I have ILR since 8th February 2023 and I am married to a British Citizen. I will be looking to apply for naturalisation shortly and have the below 3 questions that I hope someone can shed some light on:

1. My British citizen wife will be in India on maternity leave at the time of my application submission. Is it mandatory for her to be physically present in the UK at the time of my naturalisation application submission? I know that I have to be but not sure if she also has to be as she is British citizen. I can show that my wife will be returning to UK in June 2024 and booked flight tickets as confirmation of planned travel but not sure if that would make any difference.

2. I worked remotely from India for my UK employer between November 2023 (4th November and 26th January 2024. This was something that was allowed by my company as part of their International Remote working process. I am PAYE employee and all my payslips were issued by the company as normal. Would this remote working have any impact on my naturalisation application and should I mention anything about this in my application?

3. I came to the UK on a entry clearance spouse visa in 2018 and then extended this to a leave to remain visa in 2020 and then got ILR in Feb 2023. I will also be completing 12 months on ILR next month in February 2024. As I am planning to apply for Naturalisation in early March 2024 am I eligible to apply under the 6(1) category in my own right also or as my spouse is UK citizen am I am only eligible under the 6(2) category for naturalisation.

Appreciate any light that can be thrown on the above questions.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

Hi All,

I have ILR since 8th February 2023 and I am married to a British Citizen. I will be looking to apply for naturalisation shortly and have the below 3 questions that I hope someone can shed some light on:

1. My British citizen wife will be in India on maternity leave at the time of my application submission. Is it mandatory for her to be physically present in the UK at the time of my naturalisation application submission? I know that I have to be but not sure if she also has to be as she is British citizen. I can show that my wife will be returning to UK in June 2024 and booked flight tickets as confirmation of planned travel but not sure if that would make any difference. No - you are the applicant not your wife!

2. I worked remotely from India for my UK employer between November 2023 (4th November and 26th January 2024. This was something that was allowed by my company as part of their International Remote working process. I am PAYE employee and all my payslips were issued by the company as normal. Would this remote working have any impact on my naturalisation application and should I mention anything about this in my application? No- you are a UK resident and get paid here, of course the absences need to be declared. Remote working is common these days you don't have to justify yourself.

3. I came to the UK on a entry clearance spouse visa in 2018 and then extended this to a leave to remain visa in 2020 and then got ILR in Feb 2023. I will also be completing 12 months on ILR next month in February 2024. As I am planning to apply for Naturalisation in early March 2024 am I eligible to apply under the 6(1) category in my own right also or as my spouse is UK citizen am I am only eligible under the 6(2) category for naturalisation. You could apply now as spouse, but if you wish to use the "5 year route" you'll have to wait 12 months from ILR date.

Appreciate any light that can be thrown on the above questions.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[spouse2018]

Thank You alterhase58 for your prompt responses. That sounds reassuring.

Any responses from any of the other experienced moderators is greatly appreciated.

Just a bit stressed with the queries and am desperately looking for some clarification

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

Thank You alterhase58 for your prompt responses. That sounds reassuring.

Any responses from any of the other experienced moderators is greatly appreciated.

Just a bit stressed with the queries and am desperately looking for some clarification

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

Don't stress yourself - we've been through it and other mods will basically give you the same answers.
Naturalisation is a relatively simple application (95% are approved), it's not a visa application. OK it's expensive.
If in doubt ask more questions here in this thread.

[Ticktack]

Thank You alterhase58 for your prompt responses. That sounds reassuring.

Any responses from any of the other experienced moderators is greatly appreciated.

Just a bit stressed with the queries and am desperately looking for some clarification

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

Not everyone comments on very post. We only do if we have a different opinion. If there's nothing else to be added, then you don't get any extras.

[AmazonianX]

Thank You alterhase58 for your prompt responses. That sounds reassuring.

Any responses from any of the other experienced moderators is greatly appreciated. alterhase58 has rightly attended to your enquiries, nothing to add or subtract. The more person's who respond does not mean more correct.

Just a bit stressed with the queries and am desperately looking for some clarification

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[spouse2018]

Hello All,

I have 2 more questions about referees for citizenship application:

1. What date should my referees look to sign the declaration form. Should this be before I submit my online application or can this be after I submit my online application. I have read numerous threads on this on this forum but could not get clarity on this hence this question.

2. One of my referees designation is Managing Director. He is the Managing Director of a Limited company in the UK that is VAT registered. However on companies house website his role is shown as director and occupation as Engineer. Also I know him since 2019 and worked with him till 2021 December and we do stay in touch even now. Hence is there an issue with me using him as a referee for my application since I don't work with him (i.e.former colleague) and would he still be classed under director of limited company category as his occupation on companies house is shown as Engineer.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated on the above.

Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

Hello All,

I have 2 more questions about referees for citizenship application:

1. What date should my referees look to sign the declaration form. Should this be before I submit my online application or can this be after I submit my online application. I have read numerous threads on this on this forum but could not get clarity on this hence this question.

2. One of my referees designation is Managing Director. He is the Managing Director of a Limited company in the UK that is VAT registered. However on companies house website his role is shown as director and occupation as Engineer. Also I know him since 2019 and worked with him till 2021 December and we do stay in touch even now. Hence is there an issue with me using him as a referee for my application since I don't work with him (i.e.former colleague) and would he still be classed under director of limited company category as his occupation on companies house is shown as Engineer.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated on the above.

Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

1. Either before or after is fine, within reason of course (not months before!).
2. That should be fine, you don't have to work with him, but he knows you anyway. We don't know whether they go to check at companies house. If he is MD of a VAT registered company shouldn't be an issue.
You do get various suggestions on this which is fine, if they want a different referee they'll let you know, it's not a case for refusal. With many aspects of these applications there is no official guidance to the nth degree.

[AmazonianX]

Hello All,

I have 2 more questions about referees for citizenship application:

1. What date should my referees look to sign the declaration form. Should this be before I submit my online application or can this be after I submit my online application. I have read numerous threads on this on this forum but could not get clarity on this hence this question.
If you can get it done and dated before submission.


2. One of my referees designation is Managing Director. He is the Managing Director of a Limited company in the UK that is VAT registered. However on companies house website his role is shown as director and occupation as Engineer. Also I know him since 2019 and worked with him till 2021 December and we do stay in touch even now. Hence is there an issue with me using him as a referee for my application since I don't work with him (i.e.former colleague) and would he still be classed under director of limited company category as his occupation on companies house is shown as Engineer. It is not an issue, he can be your referee.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated on the above.

Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[spouse2018]

Hi All,

Many thanks for your responses to my previous queries.

I have a few more questions that I hope somebody can shed some light on:

1. If my employer makes me redundant either before, during or after my naturalisation application submission do I have to inform the Home Office about this?. I am aware that employment is not a prerequisite for naturalisation but they have mentioned in the AN guide document that if there are any changes to your circumstance then we should inform although employment has not been explicitly mentioned as one of those circumstances.

2. As mentioned in my previous post my British citizen wife is currently in India on maternity leave and will be returning to the UK in June 2024. She has been in India since November 2023 and therefore I was wondering if her lengthy absence from the UK (November 2023 till June 2024 i.e. 7 months) at the time of my application would cast doubts from a future intentions perspective for my application which I will be looking to submit in March 2024 (I have not spent more than 90 days in last 12 months and nor I have spent more than 270 days in the last 3 years). I have a permanent home here in the UK, full time job here and both my wife and son are British citizens which are strong enough points to show UK as my permanent home but just wanted your expert views on this. I am aware that for naturalisation applicants who are spouses of British citizens there is an exemption from this future intentions requirement as per the AN guide but wanted to be sure about this.

3. Do I need to include all pages of my wife's British passport in my application or would just the photo and biodata pages showing place of birth, date of birth, expiry date of passport etc. be sufficient.

Any suggestions on the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[contorted_svy]

Hi All,

Many thanks for your responses to my previous queries.

I have a few more questions that I hope somebody can shed some light on:

1. If my employer makes me redundant either before, during or after my naturalisation application submission do I have to inform the Home Office about this?. I am aware that employment is not a prerequisite for naturalisation but they have mentioned in the AN guide document that if there are any changes to your circumstance then we should inform although employment has not been explicitly mentioned as one of those circumstances. No, no need to inform UKVI should this happen AFTER naturalisation application has been submitted. The information has to be accurate to the day you submit your application.

2. As mentioned in my previous post my British citizen wife is currently in India on maternity leave and will be returning to the UK in June 2024. She has been in India since November 2023 and therefore I was wondering if her lengthy absence from the UK (November 2023 till June 2024 i.e. 7 months) at the time of my application would cast doubts from a future intentions perspective for my application which I will be looking to submit in March 2024 (I have not spent more than 90 days in last 12 months and nor I have spent more than 270 days in the last 3 years). I have a permanent home here in the UK, full time job here and both my wife and son are British citizens which are strong enough points to show UK as my permanent home but just wanted your expert views on this. I am aware that for naturalisation applicants who are spouses of British citizens there is an exemption from this future intentions requirement as per the AN guide but wanted to be sure about this. her absences have nothing to do with you and you respect the absences requirements. Rest easy on this one.

3. Do I need to include all pages of my wife's British passport in my application or would just the photo and biodata pages showing place of birth, date of birth, expiry date of passport etc. be sufficient. I think only photo and biodata pages are necessary to show she has a British passport.

Any suggestions on the above would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[spouse2018]

Hello,

Thanks to contorted_svy for your response.

Anyone else got anything further to add on my below queries from yesterday.

Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[PM74Juve]

The lack of responses is because of agreement most likely with advice given. I agree with it.

On your point 3...we included full scan of passport of spouse (me) but that is probably beyond the photopage likely sufficient. If anxious then scan and upload it in full.

On your point 2 - this is your naturalisation application. Over 95% of applications are successful. There should be no concern on this point of your wife's travels.

[spouse2018]

Hello Again,

Thank you all for your responses so far. Your inputs are greatly reassuring.

There are a couple more things that are concerning me regarding my naturalisation application.

1. What should I look to put down as the date when I first arrived in the UK? I came to the UK in September 2009 on a Tier-4 student visa and left the UK after graduating in 2013. I had a couple of visits to the UK in 2016 and 2017 however I returned on an entry clearance spouse visa as spouse of UK ILR holder in January 2018. Therefore should I look to put September 2009 or January 2018?. I went through a lot of posts on this on the forum and found contradictory suggestions so thought of asking here.

2. My British citizen wife is currently in receipt of Child Benefits in her name. Do I have to declare this for my naturalisation application and would there be any impact of this on my application?.

Any advice on the above is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

1. 2018
2. Your wife receiving CB has nothing to do with you applying for naturalisation. It’s you who is being assessed not your family. Naturalisation isn’t a visa application, there are no financial requirements or public funds issues. And no dependency.

[spouse2018]

Hi Alterhase58,

Thanks for your prompt response.

Can I please ask why you think it should be 2018 and not 2009 as I came to UK on a 4 year Tier-4 student visa i.e. 2009-2013.

I just wanted to be double sure before I put this information into the application form as I don't want Home Office to reject my application on this basis.

Appreciate your response to the above.

If anyone else has anything further to add or a different view please let me know too.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

This is always taken as the date when you arrive with long term leave such as Work or Spouse Visa. Your student visa was issued with the condition that you leave after your course. Applicants won't be refused just like that, there are very few reasons you will be refused, based on statutory requirements.

[AmazonianX]

Hi Alterhase58,

Thanks for your prompt response.

Can I please ask why you think it should be 2018 and not 2009 as I came to UK on a 4 year Tier-4 student visa i.e. 2009-2013.

I just wanted to be double sure before I put this information into the application form as I don't want Home Office to reject my application on this basis.

Appreciate your response to the above.

If anyone else has anything further to add or a different view please let me know too.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

The date for the long term term visa culminating in the current application you are making is what is used.

[PM74Juve]

Hello Again,

Thank you all for your responses so far. Your inputs are greatly reassuring.

There are a couple more things that are concerning me regarding my naturalisation application.

1. What should I look to put down as the date when I first arrived in the UK? I came to the UK in September 2009 on a Tier-4 student visa and left the UK after graduating in 2013. I had a couple of visits to the UK in 2016 and 2017 however I returned on an entry clearance spouse visa as spouse of UK ILR holder in January 2018. Therefore should I look to put September 2009 or January 2018?. I went through a lot of posts on this on the forum and found contradictory suggestions so thought of asking here.

2. My British citizen wife is currently in receipt of Child Benefits in her name. Do I have to declare this for my naturalisation application and would there be any impact of this on my application?.

Any advice on the above is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Spouse2018

I agree with the advice given. 2018 as that is the start of your current immigration route to Citizenship. And on your wife... there will not be questions about this on the form... this is not a Visa application... this is your naturalisation application... they're not interested in whether you get benefits (unless of course you'd been getting them illegally which would cast doubt on character) so they absolutely are not interested in anyone else getting them.

But I sense you suffer some anxieties. There is a simple way of dealing with that. If you feel uneasy about information provided or not provided then detail it in a cover letter and upload that as evidence. For example you could clarify your first entry to the UK of 2018 as a partner but give basic details of your previous immigration history (not holidays here!)

[spouse2018]

Hi All,

Is it ok to include both naturalisation certificate and british passport for my British citizen wife. The AN guidance document suggests either is fine. Is there a preference for one over the other for UKVI. Like to know your thoughts.

Thanks,

Kind Regards
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

It’s a choice. Each will be accepted as proof you are BC. Neither is better than the other. Nothing to worry about. Standard procedure ever since I know about it (many years).

[contorted_svy]

The guidance suggests either is fine, so either is fine. Not necessary to overthink this - not everyone has a naturalisation certificate, so they give you both options.

[spouse2018]

Hi All,

I am currently filling up the online naturalisation application form.

Under the previous immigration application section for applications made from outside UK they have asked us to state where the application was made from.

All my applications were submitted at VFS global in Dubai and were then sent to British Embassy Abu Dhabi for processing and all my visas show Abu Dhabi. What do you suggest I put down Dubai or Abu Dhabi. As an example they have said New York or British Consulate in New York in the online form but in my case as the application was submitted in one city and processed in another I am not 100% sure how to answer this question.

Any suggestions from the valued members of this forum is highly appreciated. I don't want to get anything wrong and hence I thought best to seek advice prior to filling in and submitting the application.

Thanks.

Kind Regards
Spouse2018

[alterhase58]

Dubai is fine.

[contorted_svy]

They ask.you where you were when you submitted, not where we're they processed, so answer accordingly. This is a minor detail, unlikely to create issues.