Changes to the good character guidance: can refugees still apply for British citizenship?

The Home Office has updated its good character guidance for naturalisation applications. The latest changes apply a renewed focus on an applicant’s mode of initial arrival to the UK and are, therefore, most likely to impact refugee applicants.  

What is the good character guidance?

The good character guidance is a policy document published by the Home Office for use by its caseworkers. The guidance aims to provide caseworkers with practical advice on how to assess if an applicant for British citizenship can be considered of ‘good character’.

The good character guidance is wide-ranging, covering all sorts of aspects, including criminality, financial soundness and immigration history, to name just a few areas.

What changes have been made to the guidance?

Effective from 10 February 2025, the guidance has been updated to reflect that a naturalisation application will “normally be refused” where:

• The applicant arrived in the UK via illegal entry – prior to 10 February 2025, this refusal ground only applied in cases where less than 10 years had passed since arrival to the UK; and

• The applicant arrived in the UK via dangerous journey – this is a new refusal ground that has been added into the guidance.

What does illegal entry mean?

Illegal entry covers:

• Individuals arriving in the UK without the necessary advance visa; and

• Individuals arriving in the UK with a visa but with an intention that is incompatible with the terms of that visa. For example, someone arriving in the UK with a Visit or Student visa, but who then claims asylum on arrival at the UK border, could be considered to have entered illegally.

Updated: 12 February 2025

What should I do if I am worried about my eligibility for citizenship?

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK immigration and nationality matters. We have an extensive grasp of the good character guidance, which can be confusing to navigate alone.

If you are concerned about the new changes, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

©Gherson 2025