There are multiple ways to acquire British Citizenship, and marriage is one of them. If your spouse is a British citizen, you can be eligible for British citizenship by marriage. However, it is not that easy to obtain UK citizenship in one go. To get citizenship through marriage, you need to process your British Citizenship application accurately. Here’s a step-by-step guide that can help you understand the process of applying for British citizenship by marriage.
Step By Step Guide to Apply for UK Citizenship by Marriage
#Step 1. Eligibility Requirements
To become eligible to apply for UK citizenship, you must meet the following requirements:
- You must be legally married to a British citizen.
- You must have lived in the United Kingdom for at least three years before your British citizenship application date.
- You must not have any immigration restrictions that prevent you from staying in the UK.
- You must have passed the Life in the UK test and meet the English language requirement as per the UKVI law and regulations.
#Step 2. Gather Required Documents
Before submitting your British citizenship application, you will need to gather several essential documents. Here is the list of all the documents that you may require to get British citizenship by marriage.
- Your current passport or travel document.
- Your spouse’s British passport or naturalisation certificate.
- Evidence of your marriage, such as your marriage certificate.
- Proof of your address in the United Kingdom, such as utility bills, council tax bills, or bank statements.
- Evidence of your employment in the country, such as payslips or a hiring letter from your employer.
- Your biometric information consists of fingerprints and digital photos.
Step 3: Complete the Application Form
Once you have collected all the required documents, you can begin the process of completing the application form. The form is called the “Application for Naturalisation as a British Citizen”. You can find the form on the UK government’s website. When completing the form, you will be asked to provide information about yourself, your spouse, and your time in the UK. You will also be asked to declare any criminal convictions or other legal issues.
Step 4: Pay the Fees
Once you have completed the application form, you will need to pay the fees to the UKVI. The current fee for applying for UK citizenship is £1,330. This fee should be paid right after submitting your application. So if you want to submit your application successfully, you must arrange this amount prior.
Step 5: Submit Your Application
After you have completed the application form, you require to gather all the required documents and pay the fees; before you can submit your application. You can submit your application by post or online, depending on your preference. Make sure to affix the address and other information correctly if you send your application via post.
Step 6: Attend a Citizenship Ceremony.
Once your application for UK citizenship gets approved by the UKVI, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony. At this ceremony, you will take an oath of allegiance to the UK at the ceremony and receive your naturalisation certificate. This ceremony is precisely to make people devoted towards British society, culture, rules & regulations.
Step 7: Receive Your British Passport
After attending the ceremony and receiving your certificate of naturalisation, you can apply for a British passport. To get one, you need to fill out a passport application form and provide two recent passport-sized photos of yourself.
After following all these processes accurately, you are all set to fly to your spouse and stay together in your city of dreams. But here, you need to take care of one thing: you can not lose this opportunity because of the mismanagement of documents and ignorance of any other aspects.
Conclusion
Applying for British citizenship by marriage can be a complicated and time-consuming process. One mistake can become the primary reason behind the refusal of your British citizenship application. However, by following these steps and working with an experienced immigration lawyer, you can increase your chances of success. If you need assistance with your application, it may be wise to seek the help of a professional immigration lawyer who can guide you through the process and help ensure that your application is approved. In this regard, you can contact A Y & J Solicitors to diminish such devastating issues. An experienced solicitor can help you with the entire process and arrange everything on your behalf of you. Hence, it is recommended to hire a solicitor general instead to get your application denied by the UKVI. So, it will be best to make this happen appropriately and precisely. British citizenship through marriage is indeed a complex process, and one may need to seek assistance.