The requirements for UK citizenship

Cecil John Rhodes is reputed to have opined that to be born British is to have won first place in the lottery of life. Certainly, UK citizenship makes residence in the UK a lot easier, particularly because it opens up work opportunities and a British passport also facilitates world travel. So, how to obtain it?

Birth

Birth in the UK or birth to British parents abroad can confer British nationality in certain circumstances. Previously, only children of British fathers could exercise this right, but this has been extended to include children of British mothers.

Foreign nationals

Foreign nationals have various routes to obtaining UK citizenship, usually following a long-term period of residence in the UK, supported by a visa. Working holiday visas and student visas can never confer British nationality.
Marriage
If married to a British citizen, a foreign national may enter the UK on a spouse’s visa and apply for indefinite leave to remain after two years of residence. After three years of residence in the UK, an application for a British passport can be made.
Working and ancestry visas It is also possible to obtain long-term residence in the UK via an ancestral visa, which is available in certain conditions for residents of Commonwealth countries who can prove that a grandparent was a British citizen. An ancestral visa is also available for those whose skills and qualifications mean that they are granted a right to work in the UK. Some applicants obtain a working visa through their employer, who has to prove that the job they are recruited to do could not be filled by a British citizen. There is also provision for highly skilled migrants to apply for their own visa and seek work on arrival. After five years of unbroken residence, such visa-holders will be permitted to apply for indefinite leave to remain. A year thereafter, they can apply for British citizenship.

Other requirements

Applicants have to meet other requirements to be successful in a naturalisation application. For example, they may not have left the UK for more than 90 days a year, in any of their years of residence. They also have to complete a citizenship test, and prove a certain level of competence in day-to-day English. The UK permits dual nationality, so applicants will not have to surrender their old passport when they apply for UK citizenship.