British Citizenship
Naturalisation
Naturalisation is the process whereby a Non-British Citizen apply to the Home Secretary to be made British. British Nationality Act 1981, Section 41 is to be amended by the 2014 Immigration Bill so as made mandatory for anyone applying for British Citizenship to provide Biometric Information. Different rules apply for both Standard Naturalisation and Naturalisation of Spouses of British Citizen.
We advice and represent clients to apply for Naturalisation as a British citizen. We always come up in the search for a Naturalisation solicitor / lawyer / agent.
Registration
Registration deals with the Applicants who have not yet reached the age of majority (age 18), intending to become British Citizens under the following categories
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Birth in the UK to parents who are now settled in the UK or have become British Citizens
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Birth in the UK to parents who have joined the Armed forces.
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Child whose parents are applying for British Citizenship.
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Birth abroad to parents who are Britishby Decent and have lived in the UK or a British Overseas Territories.
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Children adopted abroad by British Citizen Parents.
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Children whose parents had renounced and subsequently resumed British Citizenship.
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Any other case not listed above where it is considered to be in the child’s best interest to be granted British Citizenship.
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Birth abroad to parents serving in the Armed forces.
UK Ancestry
An applicant wishing to apply for Entry Clearance or Leave to Enter the UK on the grounds of UK ancestry must satisfy the requirement of Paragraph 186 of the Immigration Rules. The Applicant must demonstrate that he/she:
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Is a Commonwealth Citizen; and
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Is aged 17 or over; and
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Is able to provide proof that one of his grandparents was born in the UK and Islands and that any such grandparent is the applicant’s blood grandparent or grandparent by reason of an adoption recognised by the laws of the UK relating to adoption; and
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Is able to work and intends to take or seek employment in the UK; and
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Will be able to maintain and accommodate himself/herself and any dependants adequately without recourse to public funds
Acquisition of British Citizenship at Birth
Whether or not a person has acquired British Citizenship at Birth depends on one or more of the following four factors:
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His/Her date of Birth
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His/Her place of Birth
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The Immigration status of his/her parents; and
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The legitimacy of his/her birth to the father
Acquisition of British Citizenship via Adoption
Application for registration of children adopted either under the terms of the Hague Convention or inter-country adoption or adopted in territories designated under the Adoption (Designation of Overseas Adoptions) Order 1973 will be considered by the Home Secretary’s discretion if:
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Atleast one of the adoptive parents is a British Citizen otherwise than by decent; and
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If necessary, both adoptive parents have signified their consent to the registration; and
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There is no reason to refuse on character grounds; and
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The Secretary of State is satisfied that all relevant adoption laws have been adhered to. This includes the laws of the country in which the adoption has taken place, the country of origin of the child and the country in which the adoptive parents are habitually resident;
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The Adoption must be bonafide
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The child must be under 18 when the application is made; and
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The Secretary of State is satisfied that the adoption is not one of convenience arrange to facilitate the child’s admission to the UK
Right of Abode
The Right of Abode means that the person who possesses it is entirely free from UK Immigration Control. In other words, he/she does not need to get permission from an Immigration Officer to enter the UK and he/she can live and work in the UK without restrictions.
