ILR granted

Hi, everyone I so happy to finally reach this milestone! My ILR application was granted a few weeks ago! It did take 1 week over the 6 month mark to receive an email stating the application was successful and that I will receive my brp via post.

My question is now how beneficial is to apply for British citizenship? Just to avoid having to travel with the brp every time I leave the country or having to renew the card? My current brp saying indefinite leave to remain will expire on 31.12.2024

I am trying to decide what to do? Keep the brp and continue to renew it every time or apply for citizenship


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Hi, everyone I so happy to finally reach this milestone! My ILR application was granted a few weeks ago! It did take 1 week over the 6 month mark to receive an email stating the application was successful and that I will receive my brp via post.

My question is now how beneficial is to apply for British citizenship? Just to avoid having to travel with the brp every time I leave the country or having to renew the card? My current brp saying indefinite leave to remain will expire on 31.12.2024

I am trying to decide what to do? Keep the brp and continue to renew it every time or apply for citizenship


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Congratulations! 

Without a shadow of a doubt, it's best to apply for citizenship. The main reason being that ILR is only valid for as long as you stay resident in the UK. If you leave for more than 2 years, you would have to start from the very beginning again. And although you may currently have no intention of leaving, you never know what might happen down the road. We have several members who are having to go through it all again and it never gets quicker, easier or cheaper.
Do it now or you may find you never get around to it.

Congratulations! 

Without a shadow of a doubt, it's best to apply for citizenship. The main reason being that ILR is only valid for as long as you stay resident in the UK. If you leave for more than 2 years, you would have to start from the very beginning again. And although you may currently have no intention of leaving, you never know what might happen down the road. We have several members who are having to go through it all again and it never gets quicker, easier or cheaper.
Do it now or you may find you never get around to it.

Great big congratulations to you!

I agree 100%--just do it.

I put in my citizenship application almost immediately after receiving my ILR. My main concern was rising fees (which, as larrabee correctly mentioned, seem to go up by obscene measures each time they announce it) and longer waiting periods. I knew I wouldn't be doing any traveling during the pandemic, which made it the perfect time to be in an ongoing state of citizenship limbo.

My citizenship ceremony is one week from today. Then I apply for my British passport and I'm FINISHED.

Congratulation on getting your ILR… I have to agree with the others about citizenship, do it now and you will have no regrets.  My husband has his citizenship ceremony on 10th June and we are so excited to be done with immigration forever. No more saving for fees, no more hoarding mail to have proof that we are together at the same address, no more STRESS as you wait for someone to approve your latest application and a much simpler process at the UK border when returning for abroad.

Once you’re a British citizen, the rules don’t change. If you ‘only’ have ILR, you still have to pay attention to the changes in the rules.

They changed the rules a few years ago about needing to have a BRP instead of a vignette in an expired passport to prove your right to work if you had ILR. It caught out a lot of people who then had to unexpectedly fork out a few hundred pounds and wait several months while not being able to work... these were people who had already thought they’d jumped through all the hoops.

Or just look at all the EU people who have been trying to get their heads around the rule changes. Many had never formally applied for settlement or British citizenship. And then Brexit. So it probably felt like they’d had the rug pulled from under them.

Being British means changes no longer apply to you.

Plus you can vote in elections even if you live outside Scotland.


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Once you’re a British citizen, the rules don’t change. If you ‘only’ have ILR, you still have to pay attention to the changes in the rules.

They changed the rules a few years ago about needing to have a BRP instead of a vignette in an expired passport to prove your right to work if you had ILR. It caught out a lot of people who then had to unexpectedly fork out a few hundred pounds and wait several months while not being able to work... these were people who had already thought they’d jumped through all the hoops.

Or just look at all the EU people who have been trying to get their heads around the rule changes. Many had never formally applied for settlement or British citizenship. And then Brexit. So it probably felt like they’d had the rug pulled from under them.

Being British means changes no longer apply to you.

Plus you can vote in elections even if you live outside Scotland.


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Excellent points.

I also suspect the system will get more bogged down/complicated as more people (including new people coming from the EU) start applying for UK citizenship. They are going to have to go through this whole painful process (like we suffered through), and I honestly don't know if the system can handle it.

Thank you all! I have decided to start the process even when the cost is very high I would really love a holiday with the family! I have taken all into consideration and finalise this process! Wish me luck


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Good decision! Best of luck!