The UK is one of the top desirable countries to live in the world. Since it provides so many opportunities in the terms of education, jobs, and life standard, it is not strange to hear that many people want to move there to the UK.
In fact, everyone who gets there is determined to settle permanently. In this article, we will explain how as an Indian you can get UK citizenship. In general, if you meet the requirements mentioned below that are defined by the UK government, you will easily get UK citizenship.
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What do you need for getting UK citizenship?
Before you apply for citizenship, you need to understand that the overall process will take time and money, and additionally if the application is rejected, you will not get your money back.
Now, let’s see what you need to prepare for the application.
Primarily, you will need to prove that you have lived legally in the UK for at least 5 years. Also, you will need to have ILR which is a short-term for Indefinite Leave to Remain for the period of at least 12 months. Despite that, you are going to meet the residency requirements. Next, you will need to have proof that you understand English and you will also need to pass the so-called ‘Life in the UK’ test.
Further, you will need to provide 2 people that will testify and prove your identity, those people are called referees. Finally, you will need to show that you have a good character and that you never broke the law or went bankrupt. As the last thing, you will need to tell them that you are planning to live permanently in the UK.
When it comes to the fees, you should expect that you are going to pay £1,330 for the adult citizenship application, and if you have children you are going to pay £1,012 for theirs. Additionally, as an adult person, you are going to pay £50 to do the Life in the UK Test, £150 for the English test, and £19.20 to the Home Office. You need to be careful when it comes to sending your documents because you will not get money in return if you make some mistake in the procedure.
Proving how long you have lived in the UK
Source: dhruvaoverseas.com
You are probably wondering how you are going to prove that you already lived in the UK. However, this is a residency requirement, and you need to do that even if you have done it before for getting some settled status. Now, you are going to find out what steps you need to follow.
Primarily, you need to work out when you were in the UK, during the last 3 years in the case you are married to someone with UK citizenship, or during the last 5 years if you are not married.
Additionally, you need to ensure that you were in the UK on the same day 3 or 5 years ago as the day you are obtaining the application. You should also know that you can be out of the UK only for up to 90 days in the year before you apply.
Evidence that will show you were in the UK
What you need to do is give your passport to the Home Office so they can see that you have been in the UK for the required period. They will see entry and exit stamps in your passport. In case you do not have a passport with an entry stamp, you need to take some other route in order to prove that you have lived in the UK. For instance, you can provide payslips and P60s, or a letter from either your employer or university. The letter from the Department for Work and Pensions will be very beneficial for you as well. Things like household bills can also be good evidence.
Passing the Life in the UK Test
Source: ukcitizenshipsupport.com
As we mentioned, you will need to pass the life in the UK test before you start the application process for UK citizenship. This test includes various questions regarding UK laws and UK legal system, as well as some life aspects that function in the UK. You can do the test any time before you apply.
However, it is important to prepare yourself well first for this test and you can achieve that by testing your knowledge here. One more thing that you should know is that you can do this test as many times you need to, however, you are going to pay the fee every time.
Proving you understand English
One more thing that it is important to obtain is that you understand and know how to speak the English language. You will be required to pass the speaking and listening test in the approved center. The cost of this test goes around £150 and this test will be valid for two years.
The process of checking whether or not you have good character
You are going to provide proof that you are having a good character before you start with your application procedure. The Home Office is responsible for checking various details regarding you. For instance, they can easily declare that you are not eligible if you have unpaid taxes if you have been declared for bankruptcy, or if you are having NHS debts.
Despite that, if you have a criminal record or you broke some of the immigration rules, you will not get UK citizenship. Additionally, if you have been an EEA citizen in the UK without a right to reside you should not even try to apply.
Source: globalcitizensolutions.com
You need to understand how important is, to be honest, and provide all details about yourself, even a criminal conviction if you have it. When Home Office realize that you lied to them and did not provide all details, they will immediately refuse your application.
Provide 2 referees that will testify to your identity
Finally, you are going to provide two names of the 2 referees on your application. Those people need to know you very well, in fact for at least 3 years, and to claim your identity.