I Have Just Been Granted Indefinite Leave To Remain In The UK; Can I Now Apply For A British Passport?

In the majority of cases, you cannot apply for British citizenship immediately after obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

To qualify for naturalisation as a British citizen most people will need to have held ILR for at least 12 months prior to applying for naturalisation. For example, if you were granted ILR on 12 July 2022, you may be eligible to apply for naturalisation from 12 July 2023 (subject to meeting the other eligibility criteria).

There are some limited exceptions to this rule:

• Marriage to a British citizen – if you are married to a British citizen at the time of applying for naturalisation, you may be eligible to apply immediately upon obtaining ILR, i.e. without waiting for 12 months to pass.

• EEA nationals – if you have been living in the UK as an EEA national/qualifying family member for at least 6 years by the time you come to apply for Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be eligible to apply for naturalisation immediately upon obtaining Settled Status.

How can we help?

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in citizenship applications. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your options, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, 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 don’t 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.

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