UK Permanent
Residence
Permanent
Residence and Citizenship are determined by the time a
candidate must spend continuously in UK.
Permanent
Residence
|
Visa
type
|
Time
needed before permanent residency
|
|
Ancestry
|
4
years
|
|
Work
permit
|
4
years
|
|
Marriage
|
1
year
|
|
Unmarried
partners
|
2
years
|
|
Investors
|
4
years
|
|
Writers,
composers and artists
|
4
years
|
|
Sole
reps
|
4
years
|
|
Persons
establishing themselves in business
|
4
years
|
|
Illegal
stay on any basis
|
14
years
|
|
legal
stay on any basis
|
10
years
|
Once permanent
residence has been granted, there are no longer any
immigration-related restrictions on the work or business a
candidate may perform in the UK, and no time limits on staying
in the UK.
|
|
Citizenship
and Naturalisation
Once a
person has had indefinite leave to remain for a year they may
apply for naturalisation as a British citizen.
Once a
candidate has been physically resident in the UK for a year as
a permanent resident, they may apply to become a naturalised
British citizen. Unfortunately, naturalisation applications
are likely to take one to one and half years to be processed.
Those who seek naturalisation other than by marriage to an UK
Citizen must meet the requirements outlined below:
General
Requirements:
- They
must be aged 18 or over and are not of unsound mind.
- They
must be of good character.
- They
should have a sufficient knowledge of the English language
(or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic). There are exemptions to
this requirement, for example if one is old or mentally
handicapped.
- They
should intend to live in the UK or in Crown Service abroad
(working directly for an UK Government organisation), or
be employed by an international organisation of which the
UK is a member, or be employed by a company or association
established in the United Kingdom.
|
In
addition the candidate should have fulfilled the five year
requirement as detailed below. The five year period is
measured from the five years the date the application reaches
the home office.
- The
candidate must have been in the United Kingdom at the
beginning of the 5 year period; and
- In
the 5 year period the candidate must not have been outside
the United Kingdom for more than 450 days; and
- In
the last 12 months of the five year period the candidate
must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days;
and
- In
the last 12 months of the five year period the candidate's
stay in the United Kingdom must have been not subject to
any time limit under the immigration laws; and
- The
candidate must not have been in the United Kingdom in
breach of the immigration laws at any time in the 5-year
period.
|
