You can apply for naturalisation as a British Citizen using form AN if you are a member of the British Armed Forces who is exempt from immigration control and has been resident in the UK lawfully for at least 5 years. Members of the armed forces who are exempt from immigration control due to military service for the last 5 years and are still continuing to serve the HM forces can apply for naturalisation as British Citizens. An application for naturalisation as a British Citizen by members of the armed forces who are exempt from immigration control is submitted to the UKVI using application form AN.
Free Immigration Advice For Naturalisation As A British Citizen As A Member Of HM Forces
Our specialist team of immigration solicitors can provide one-off free immigration advice online in relation to your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen as a member of HM Forces. Ask a question online to our specialist team of immigration solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our immigration solicitors concerning your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen as a member of HM Forces.
What Are The Requirements For Naturalisation As A British Citizen?
The requirements to be satisfied for naturalisation as a British Citizen by a member or ex-member of the British Armed Forces include the following:
- The applicant should be free of immigration time restrictions on the date the application for naturalisation as a British Citizen is made to the Home Office, UKVI;
- The applicant must have lived in the UK continuously for 5 years preceding the date of application for naturalisation as a British Citizen
- The applicant should meet the good character requirement the same way as all other applicants for naturalisation are required to meet;
- The applicant must meet the requirement of Knowledge of Life in the UK and the English Language.
What Are The Residence Requirements For Currently Serving Members Of The Brigade Of Ghurkhas?
If, at the time of consideration, the applicant is currently serving in the Brigade of Gurkhas, the Home Office, UKVI should:
- calculate the number of days of technical absence in the qualifying period and exclude this from the residence count;
- combine technical absences with actual absences to obtain the total number of days of absence during the qualifying period;
- apply the normal levels of permitted absence (i.e. 450/270/90 days) and not waive any excess absence
What Is Discretion For Absences?
There is discretion within the British Nationality Act 1981 to overlook the requirement to have been in the UK on the first day of the 5-year qualifying period for a 6(1) application if the applicant is or has been a member of the Armed Forces.
The Home Office, UKVI should normally exercise discretion where:
- The applicant was a member of the UK armed forces on the first day of the 5-year qualifying period, and
- He or she was unable to be physically present on that date because of his or her service in the armed forces, and
- He or she meets all the other requirements for section 6(1).
In these cases, the Home Office, UKVI, should exercise discretion under paragraph 2(b) of Schedule 1 to the BNA 1981 and treat any "technical" absences during the qualifying period as residence. In addition, the Home Office, UKVI should, if necessary, be prepared to disregard any and all actual absences from the UK that were due to the applicant’s armed forces service.
What Is The Requirement Of Being Free From Immigration Control?
While in the armed services, applicants are exempt from immigration control and, therefore, free of immigration time restrictions. Applicants will have been free of immigration time restrictions throughout their period of service. In many cases, former armed services personnel will have been granted ILR on discharge and will meet the requirement to have been free of immigration time restrictions in the 12 months prior to the date of application.
In some cases, the former armed forces member will have been granted 28 days limited leave on discharge before being granted indefinite leave to remain. In such cases, the Home Office, UKVI, should exercise discretion over the requirement to be free of immigration time restrictions in the 12-month period before making the application. The Home Office, UKVI does not normally exercise discretion in this way if the former armed forces member had been granted a longer period of limited leave on other grounds.
Naturalisation For Spouses/Civil Partners and Children Of Members Of HM Forces
Spouses/civil partners and children of servicemen are not exempt from immigration control while residing in the UK. Instead, they are generally given leave to remain as long as their spouse/civil partner is in service. While they still have limited leave to remain, neither spouses/civil partners nor children will be able to meet the criteria to be free of immigration time restrictions (spouse/civil partner) or future intentions (children), and their applications can be refused if you have not held ILR for last 12 months.
The spouses/civil partners of servicemen exempt from immigration control, too, may have high levels of absences either because they have been accompanying their spouse/civil partner while overseas or because they have not been able to accompany him while he is in the UK. The Home Office can exercise discretion to disregard any absences due to service abroad in the same way as such discretion is exercised for the servicemen.
Any child born legitimately in the UK to a parent who is in HM armed forces is automatically a British citizen. Where a child is not already a British citizen, the Home Office, UKVI should consider the application in line with the parents and be prepared to waive the criterion for children over 13 years of age to have completed two years' residence in the UK.
How We Can Help?
Our expert team of immigration solicitors in London can represent you in your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen and carry out all the work on your application until a decision on your application is received from the Home Office UKVI. As part of our professional legal services in relation to your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen, our expert team of immigration solicitors will carry out the following immigration casework:
Assessment of eligibility: Our immigration solicitors will assess your eligibility for naturalisation as a British Citizen by considering all the relevant information including your past immigration history;
Advice on chances of success: Our immigration solicitors will advise you on the chances of success in your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen and will draw your attention to any weaknesses in your application;
Advice on documents: Our immigration solicitors will advise you on the list of documents to be submitted in support of your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen;
Assessment of documents: Our immigration solicitors will assess all the supporting documents to ensure that the documents you provide duly satisfy the Home Office UKVI requirements for naturalisation as a British Citizen;
Completing application form: Our immigration solicitors will complete the application form AN online, submit the same online, help you pay the Home Office UKVI fee for naturalisation as a British Citizen and schedule your appointment with the UKVCAS appointment centre for enrolment of your biometrics;
Preparing a detailed cover letter: Our immigration solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of the application explaining in detail your eligibility for naturalisation as a British Citizen by referring to all the relevant information, documents, laws and requirements;
Uploading documents online: Our immigration solicitors will upload all the supporting documents online to be considered in support of the application including our cover letter prepared to support your application;
Follow-up work: Our immigration solicitors will carry out all the work on your application for naturalisation as a British citizen until a decision is received from the Home Office UKVI regarding your application.
Why Choose Us For Naturalisation As A British Citizen As A Member Of HM Forces?
There are a number of reasons why you can choose our British nationality law solicitors and lawyers in London to handle your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen as a member of HM Forces. The main reasons include the following:
High-Quality Legal Services: Our team of the best nationality law solicitors in London provides high-quality legal services for applications to naturalise as a British citizen and a member of HM Forces. The high quality of UK visa and immigration legal services provided by our best team of immigration lawyers is self-evident from the 5-star Google Reviews rating by 99% of our clients.
Remote Legal Services: Our specialist nationality law solicitors and lawyers can provide you with expert immigration advice and legal representations remotely for your naturalisation application from our offices in London. Using modern technology, our specialist nationality law solicitors and lawyers can handle your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen as a member of HM Forces remotely without the need for you to visit our offices. Whilst we are more than happy to welcome clients into our offices, if this is their preference, we are proud to be able to offer our legal services for naturalisation applications remotely to save your time and travel costs.
Open 7 Days A Week: We are open seven days a week and pride ourselves on providing dedicated advice and legal representation for naturalisation applications.
All Work Carried Out By Qualified Specialist Immigration Solicitors: Our specialist team of fully qualified and experienced nationality law solicitors, who have extensive experience dealing with naturalisation applications, will carry out all the casework on your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen and member of HM Forces.
Free Immigration Advice Online: Our specialist team of nationality law solicitors and lawyers can provide one-off free immigration advice online for naturalisation as a British Citizen as a member of HM Forces through our website enquiry form.
Fixed Fees With Payment Plan: Our nationality law solicitors and lawyers charge reasonable and affordable fixed fees for an application for naturalisation as a British Citizen as a member of HM Forces with the option to pay our fixed fee in two instalments whereby you pay half of the agreed fix fee when we start our work on your naturalisation application and the remaining half when we have fully prepared the naturalisation application and it is ready for submission to the Home Office UKVI.
How Much Does An Application For Naturalisation As A British Citizen Cost?
The costs associated with your application for naturalisation as a British Citizen are outlined below:
Our Fixed Fees for Your Naturalisation Application
Our fixed fee for your naturalisation application ranges from £800 + VAT to £1,200 + VAT. Our fixed fee will cover all our work on your application including advising on documents, checking your documents, completing the application form and submitting the naturalisation application online, booking an appointment for biometrics enrolment, preparing a cover letter in support of the naturalisation application, uploading all supporting documents to be considered in support of the naturalisation application, and carrying out all other follow up work until decision by the Home Office UKVI on your naturalisation application.
Our agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of your case and the volume of work involved in your naturalisation application. You will make an initial payment of half our fee when we start our work on your matter, and the remaining half is due once we have fully prepared the naturalisation application and it is ready for submission.
Unable to afford the cost of the full service? You have the option to book an appointment online for our one-off immigration advice and consultation service for a fixed fee of £100 (including VAT) or our immigration document checking service for a fixed fee of £300 (including VAT).
UKVI Fees for Your Naturalisation Application
In addition to our fixed fee for assisting you with your application, you must pay the Home Office UKVI fees separately.