British Citizenship | UK Naturalisation Advice (2024)

FAQs

British Citizenship | UK Naturalisation Advice? ›

If you are not married to or the civil partner of a British citizen (the 5-year route), you should have been free from immigration time restrictions for 12 months before applying for citizenship. This means that you may need to wait until you have been in the UK for at least 6 years before you apply.

The three-year rule is for a lawful permanent resident who is married to a US citizen; such is eligible after only three years. That means a conditional permanent US resident can apply for citizenship after three years instead of five.

The majority of British naturalisation applications are processed in 6 months. Decisions on more straightforward and well-prepared applications can be made in as little as 3-4 months, while more complex applications can take longer than six months.

The “good character” requirement applies to those who are aged 10 or over. Those under 10 years are not required to meet this requirement. Being of “good character” means that you have observed the law in the UK and you have shown respect for the rights and freedoms of British citizens.

The Four Year and One Day Rule

This rule provides an advantage, allowing you to apply for naturalization after waiting for just four years and one day from the date of your return to the United States, rather than the standard five years [Source: 8 CFR 316.5(c)(1)(ii)].

A. Continuous Residence Requirement

An applicant for naturalization under the general provision must have resided continuously in the United States after his or her lawful permanent resident (LPR) admission for at least 5 years prior to filing the naturalization application and up to the time of naturalization.

British citizenship by naturalization

This is the most common route to British citizenship for Americans. In most cases, you will be eligible for British citizenship if you have lawfully lived in the UK for at least six years (which includes one year of Indefinite Leave to Remain status).

If you have lived in the UK for 5 years and have had Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least 12 months, you are eligible to apply for UK citizenship. You are also able to apply if you are from the EEA and have had permanent residency for 12 months.

You can check if you are already a citizen on the government website. However, if you're not automatically a British citizen, you can become one through the process of naturalisation. Being a citizen is a status, while naturalisation is a legal process to acquire it!

What is the success rate for the British citizenship test? ›

Applicants are required to get 18 of the 24 questions right, a 75 per cent pass rate.

A good moral character can be defined as an individual who is an upstanding citizen of society with no serious criminal charges against their name. Any individual who adequately fulfills their obligation as defined by law can be judged as having a good moral character.

For the purposes of naturalization: A trip abroad that is less than 6 months will not disrupt continuous residence. A trip of more than 6 months but less than one year is presumed to break your continuous residence. A trip 12 months or longer will definitely break your continuous residence.

While there is no specific time limit, staying outside the United States for an extended period can have consequences. If you remain outside the United States for over a year without getting a re-entry permit or returning to the country, you may lose your permanent resident status.

The general rule is that a naturalized citizen who voluntarily resides outside the US for an uninterrupted period of more than one year may be presumed to have abandoned their US citizenship.

Who Qualifies For Citizenship? All green card holders, as long as they meet key conditions, can apply for U.S. citizenship after five years (known as the “five-year rule”) — but those with a U.S. spouse and a green card through marriage can apply after only three years (known as the “three-year rule”).