Applying for British Citizenship

Hiya,  have been married to my Brit. hubby for over 3 years and just yesterday found out I can apply for Brit. citizenship without losing my US citizenship status. Does anyone know the steps I have to take to achieve Brit. citizenship?
Many thanks
Pebbles

The IND website that elle gives the link for in her "Iportant Information" posting above has pretty much all the info you need as far as the steps you need to take.

Good luck!

This website will be your LIFELINE when applying for British Nationality - http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/en/home/applying/british_nationality.html? BOOKMARK IT because you'll be using it all the time.

Here are a few important points for you to get your started:


1. You want to use the forms for BN1 : British Citzenship. The form is called AN(New).

2. The application fee for Naturalisation as a British citizen on the basis of marriage to a British citizen is   £214, which includes the £68 fee for the manditory citizenship ceremony. You'll be presented with a certificate which you take to the passport agency to get your beloved red booklet. If you withdraw your application or it fails, only the £68 will be refunded.

3. Its taking 7.6 months to process applications (!!!)

4. If youre married to a British Citizen you must have been in the UK for 3 years before you can apply for British Nationality (as you know).

5. On the day you apply (officially that is the day the Home Office recieves your application at their offices) you must have been phyisically present in the UK 3 years ago to the day. For instance if you qualified for citizenship on June 25 2004 but were out of the country on June 25 2001 to July 1 2001, you would have to wait to send in your application until July 1 2004 to meet the phyiscal presence requirement.

4. On the day your application is recieved by the Home Office you must not have been out of the UK (even if you were still in the EU) for more than 270 days. In the 12 months leading up to the day your application in made, you must not have been out of the UK more than 90 days. In unusual circumstances, such as compassionate leave or caretaking for an ill relative abroad, they'll consider allowing absences up to 300 days, sometimes more if you can show that you have established your family and a substantial part of your estate and meet all the other requirements.

5. On the day you apply you must be free from time restrictions. In otherwords, you have to have your Indefinite Leave to Remain. You do not need to have had this for 12 months before applying if you are married to a British Citizen.

6. If you intend to travel while you appliction is being processed (especially during the first 12 weeks) you should not send your original passport. Instead, send a notarized copy (a copy of each page signed by a solicitor to say it is a true copy of an original). It cost me £35 for this.

7. You do not need to intend to remain in the UK after you are granted citizenship if you are married to a citizen.

8. As of the 28th of July you have to show that you can speak english. LOL. yeah, I know. I'll tell you more about it when I know, right now the requirements are sketchy.


There are other requirements regarding crime convictions, good character, references etc etc. But for the most part those are the key points. It sounds like a ballache but it isnt really. Good luck!

5. On the day you apply (officially that is the day the Home Office recieves your application at their offices) you must have been phyisically present in the UK 3 years ago to the day. For instance if you qualified for citizenship on June 25 2004 but were out of the country on June 25 2001 to July 1 2001, you would have to wait to send in your application until July 1 2004 to meet the phyiscal presence requirement.

I arrived in the UK on October 7, 2003.  So I would qualify for citizenship on October 7, 2006.  Let's say I'm out of the UK a total of 20 days during that three year duration....does that mean I'll need to wait to apply until October 27, 2006? 

In other words, do we need to "make up" every day we spend in another country (on holiday, for example) when applying for citizenship?

Wow thanks so much for all the information. Its not something im in a hurry to do but something I want to do basically just because I can  
I guess the only reason I would want to apply now is because immigration laws change so quickly.
I am going to go to the website now and do some reading.
thanks again!
Pebs

no no no. You can be out of the country a total of 270 days without penalty during the three year period preceeding your application. No more than 90 of those 270 days are allowed in the 12 months leading up to your application. So if you were only out 20 days you have loads and loads of days left to "spend" before youd have to start making the time up. Make sense?

And, Pebbles, I think I read somewhere else that you brought a child with you?  You can apply on their behalf as long as they are under 18 at the time of the application.  I brought 2 sons with me and they'll both be under 18 at the time we're eligible so I'm applying for dual citizenship on their behalves as well at the time.

Hey everyone I applied for British citizenship with the use of a T Form for someone who was born on or after January 1st 1983 and has lived here up until the age of 10, I applied near the end of march so didn't have to input biometrics as I was part of the few who escaped the increase of payment moving on , I received acknowledgement , on 30th of march from UKBA saying they where considering my application , I am 24 Years of age and have never left the country in my life and was born here (England - London) my father is British but I have no contact with him and my mothers nationality is unclear as she lost her documents which has made me take this route after trying so many different avenues but she was born in switzerland , my time line is below and I have not called or tried to get in contact with UKBA.

Date of Application : 24/03/2015
Date of Acknowledgement: 30/03/2015
Date of Decision: TBA
Date of Ceremony:TBA

After looking at this information you will find I am approaching 4 months in waiting time , is there any advice anyone can give me , and will it upset my application if I call in and ask before the 6 months required , one of my concerns is that many of people in this forum say that some are getting emails and some are getting letters saying they are approved , due to me working very much I am rarely at home so I am afraid that if I miss the letter I will have no idea.

Thank you in advance to everyone who responds , this forum is extremely helpful , I have been a silent reader for about 2 months and it has given me much faith in knowing some people are going through the same situation , in the best way possibly said.

Hey everyone I applied for British citizenship with the use of a T Form for someone who was born on or after January 1st 1983 and has lived here up until the age of 10, I applied near the end of march so didn't have to input biometrics as I was part of the few who escaped the increase of payment moving on , I received acknowledgement , on 30th of march from UKBA saying they where considering my application , I am 24 Years of age and have never left the country in my life and was born here (England - London) my father is British but I have no contact with him and my mothers nationality is unclear as she lost her documents which has made me take this route after trying so many different avenues but she was born in switzerland , my time line is below and I have not called or tried to get in contact with UKBA.

Date of Application : 24/03/2015
Date of Acknowledgement: 30/03/2015
Date of Decision: TBA
Date of Ceremony:TBA

After looking at this information you will find I am approaching 4 months in waiting time , is there any advice anyone can give me , and will it upset my application if I call in and ask before the 6 months required , one of my concerns is that many of people in this forum say that some are getting emails and some are getting letters saying they are approved , due to me working very much I am rarely at home so I am afraid that if I miss the letter I will have no idea.

Thank you in advance to everyone who responds , this forum is extremely helpful , I have been a silent reader for about 2 months and it has given me much faith in knowing some people are going through the same situation , in the best way possibly said.

It helps if you start a new thread rather than posting in one from 2004.

I'm not familiar with form T or registering as a citizen, but are you sure you aren't already a British citizen? If you were born in the UK to a British father, aren't you already British?

Skimming the Wikipedia article might be a good place for you to start:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_nationality_law#British_citizenship_by_birth_in_the_United_Kingdom

Just out of curiosity, what do you think is your current nationality? If you think you're not British and you don't know your mother's nationality, what other nationality do you have? You don't sound like you are stateless.