Take British Citizenship, yes or no?

So I’m dual, hubby is US with ILR.  He meets the criteria to apply for British citizenship, the question is, should he?  We have no plans to return to the US, we are retired and at present plan to stay here, although there are some tax issues looming that could impact that.  I can’t think of any good reasons to take citizenship here, so please tell me what I’ve may have not thought of.  If he would take citizenship how does that impact his US citizenship? What about taxes and inheritance, anything there we should think about?  The only scenario I can come up with where he should take it is if we were to become non resident in the UK for an extended period of time but with the aim of coming back.  Ta.

So I’m dual, hubby is US with ILR.  He meets the criteria to apply for British citizenship, the question is, should he?  We have no plans to return to the US, we are retired and at present plan to stay here, although there are some tax issues looming that could impact that.  I can’t think of any good reasons to take citizenship here, so please tell me what I’ve may have not thought of.  If he would take citizenship how does that impact his US citizenship? What about taxes and inheritance, anything there we should think about?  The only scenario I can come up with where he should take it is if we were to become non resident in the UK for an extended period of time but with the aim of coming back.  Ta.

Taking citizenship of the UK will have no bearing on his US tax obligations. You don't even need to be a USC to have those!

The main advantage in your situation is that he can forget all about keeping up with UK immigration rules. There are no disadvantages.

Also with citizenship you can vote!

And you don't have to continue to keep up with UKVI rules.  For example, people who got ILR many many years ago have a sticker in their passport.  That sticker no longer works for proving Right to Work in the UK and they have to apply for a BRP which is several hundred pounds.  While that won't affect you guys, it's an example of how they move the goal posts and you don't know what you don't know!

You're still in the slight grasps of UKVI. They may introduce NHS surcharges for those on ILR, they could do anything. Also, you never know what the future holds. For whatever unforeseen reason you may need to have an extended stay in the US. Then you could come back to his ILR being cancelled and starting ALL OVER again with ever growing prices and criteria and wait times. He may not even meet the financial criteria through you depending on your income/savings. Just get out of the grasps and get another blue passport.

Also with citizenship you can vote!

Good point!  And as far as I’m concerned a general election can’t come soon enough😄. I did also think that in the unlikely event I would pre-decease him that could put him in the position of not being able to get citizenship.

I did also think that in the unlikely event I would pre-decease him that could put him in the position of not being able to get citizenship.

That would not be the case.

As he holds ILR, his immigration status is no longer tied to your relationship, so in that situation (or if you were to divorce), he would still be able to qualify for citizenship based on his ILR and UK residency.

He would need just need to show 5 years of UK residency to qualify (for those not married to UK citizens), instead of 3 years (for those married to UK citizens).


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I had decided not to become a UK citizen for only one reason. Under current status, my US military retirement is not taxed in the UK 
because of the mutual tax treaty. I read somewhere in this site that once you get your UK citizenship, this same US military
Retirement will be taxed in the UK.  As this retirement is almost half my total retirement, that would double my taxable income in the
UK.  If this is not correct. I would reconsider dual citizenship. I know my Social Security will be taxed.

Good point!  And as far as I’m concerned a general election can’t come soon enough😄. I did also think that in the unlikely event I would pre-decease him that could put him in the position of not being able to get citizenship.

In addion to what KSand has said, if you had died while he was on visa, he could have applied for ILR because his sponsor had died.

And it's not "take" British citizenship: it's applying for and being granted British citizinship. The UK govennments have always made it clear that British citizen is a privilege and not a right. That's how when the Labour government were last in power, they were able to make it easier to remove British citizenship from those who have another citizenship.

And it's not "take" British citizenship: it's applying for and being granted British citizinship. The UK govennments have always made it clear that British citizen is a privilege and not a right.

  And becoming less of a privilege every day as moronic Tories trash the economy and xenophobes make the place so unwelcoming we can't even get anyone to come here and work.   

  And becoming less of a privilege every day as moronic Tories trash the economy and xenophobes make the place so unwelcoming we can't even get anyone to come here and work.

I don't know what it was like in the rest of the country, but after Brexit when the eastern Europeans started leaving it was really obvious up in Glasgow. Service quality in restaurants really dropped and the same for the repair services for our flat. And everything done by the locals seemed much slower. Plus, they took some of the really cosmopolitan atmosphere we really liked with them when they left.

Even as non-EU and being "the right" color/ethnicity/educational background, etc. (as we were told more than once), we definitely felt a "you're not welcome here" from the UK government and some people. Not the Scottish government and rarely from the Scots. I can only imagine how the folks who didn't fit "the right kind" must have felt/feel.

Having now left, while I miss Scotland very much, in all honesty with things are as they are, I would wonder why anyone would want to go there unless they had family there or were in a much worse situation somewhere else. (Which would bring up the treatment of migrants again.)

  And becoming less of a privilege every day as moronic Tories trash the economy and xenophobes make the place so unwelcoming we can't even get anyone to come here and work.   

Many non-EEA nationals couldn't wait for Brexit and for them to have easier ways to get to the UK. The new visas created for Brexit, are much easier for those with skills. EEA citizens still move to the UK, but only those who have the skills for a visa. It's a much fairer system that now sees all immigrants treated the same e.g. now all pay for visas, can't have public funds for 5 years, have to pay to use the NHS or pay the IHS etc

It always seemed very unfair that as immigration is one of the things that has to be paid for by those that use it, that those who used UK immigration rules had to fund the EEA citizens and Non-EEA citizens who used the EU Regs and Rulings to be in the UK. 

Fairer too that the EU can no longer insist that those who came to the UK under their rules, cannot be deported, while those under UK immigratiom rules could: now all are treated the same. Their protesting at Trafalger Square for their EU rights after Brexit, didn't work. The easier rules to remove British citizenship that Labour brought in last time they were in government, is likely going to hit those who arrived under the EU Regs and Rulings, the hardest.

Many non-EEA nationals couldn't wait for Brexit and for them to have easier ways to get to the UK. The new visas created for Brexit, are much easier for those with skills. EEA citizens still move to the UK, but only those who have the skills for a visa. It's a much fairer system that now sees all immigrants treated the same e.g. now all pay for visas, can't have public funds for 5 years, have to pay to use the NHS or pay the IHS etc

It always seemed very unfair that as immigration is one of the things that has to be paid for by those that use it, that those who used UK immigration rules had to fund the EEA citizens and Non-EEA citizens who used the EU Regs and Rulings to be in the UK. 

Fairer too that the EU can no longer insist that those who came to the UK under their rules, cannot be deported, while those under UK immigratiom rules could: now all are treated the same. Their protesting at Trafalger Square for their EU rights after Brexit, didn't work. The easier rules to remove British citizenship that Labour brought in last time they were in government, is likely going to hit those who arrived under the EU Regs and Rulings, the hardest.

  In all that word salad there wasn't any answer to my point, xenophobia has made the UK a vastly worse place to live over the last 15 years.  The hostile environment and Brexit made this a significantly less great country and consequently being a UK citizen is less of a big deal than it used to be. 

  In all that word salad there wasn't any answer to my point, xenophobia has made the UK a vastly worse place to live over the last 15 years. 

Don't let the facts get in the way of your rant.

The hostile environment and Brexit made this a significantly less great country and consequently being a UK citizen is less of a big deal than it used to be. 

The "hostile environment" was created to make it hard for illegals (those who enter the UK illegally or overstay their visas); others who have also committed criminal offences in the UK or in another country;  those who seek to harm those who live in the UK; those who have used deception.

To strengthen that aim, new Acts (laws) were created though the House of Parliament and the House of Lords. I'm not sure where your "last 15 years" figure come from? Removing British citizenship from those born British and who have another nationality, has to be one of the biggest changes and that was mentioned in about 2004 but  pushed through with the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London.

In the late 1960s, (also more than "15 years" ago) the UK ended another type of Free Movement to the UK for millions, by creating the The Immigration Act 1971.

Ironically, that  Immigration Act 1971 was the same law used to end the EU's Free Movement. It's also the same law you applied under when you wanted to stay in the UK when the EU Cards were no longer valid in the UK. Athough in your case, as a non-EEA citizen you had to rely on a European Court of Justice Ruling for your EEA citizen spouse to sponsor you:  then rely on a Supreme Court Ruling to be able to stay in the UK under the UK's EUSS. Which is why you could not apply online to stay in the UK and had to fill in the paper application with lots of questions about your EU citizen sponsor, to see if you were allowed to stay in the UK or had to find another visa to be able to live in the UK.

The "hostile environment" was created to make it hard for illegals

No, the hostile environment was created to appease moronic xenephobes who don't recognise that immigration is what could make this country great again. It worked in that it kept the Tories in power, it failed in that it destroyed everything good about this country and made us an international laughingstock. I guess it's hard for you to understand because you are not American, a country built on welcoming immigrants.  No surprise that the result for the UK has been a significant lessening in international importance with the US not even allowing the UK to have lap-dog poodle status anymore.   

Not sure why you continue to do that creepy thing where you regurgitate what you think you know about my personal immigration status.  Nobody cares, not even me, that I "had to fill in the paper application".     Anyway,  I've made my point and I am bored now so won't respond to this again.   

No, the hostile environment was created to appease moronic xenephobes who don't recognise that immigration is what could make this country great again.

That's not what the new laws showed. They made it hard for those who choose to overstay and for other illegals. They ended the known abuses of the immigration rules; which is also much fairer to the majority who keep to the immigration rules. Sadly, there will still be those who abuse the system, which always means more changes and sometimes harder again for the honest migrants.

The new skilled worker visas are easier for those that have the skills the UK wants and  fairer to everyone who wants to live in the UK. Those who have a connection to UK, can also get a visa. EEA citizens still come to the UK to live, but now they need a visa.

Many non-EEA nationals couldn't wait for Brexit and for them to have easier ways to get to the UK. The new visas created for Brexit, are much easier for those with skills. EEA citizens still move to the UK, but only those who have the skills for a visa. It's a much fairer system that now sees all immigrants treated the same e.g. now all pay for visas, can't have public funds for 5 years, have to pay to use the NHS or pay the IHS etc

It always seemed very unfair that as immigration is one of the things that has to be paid for by those that use it, that those who used UK immigration rules had to fund the EEA citizens and Non-EEA citizens who used the EU Regs and Rulings to be in the UK. 

Fairer too that the EU can no longer insist that those who came to the UK under their rules, cannot be deported, while those under UK immigratiom rules could: now all are treated the same. Their protesting at Trafalger Square for their EU rights after Brexit, didn't work. The easier rules to remove British citizenship that Labour brought in last time they were in government, is likely going to hit those who arrived under the EU Regs and Rulings, the hardest.