What can I do if my application for British citizenship is refused?

A number of legal requirements must be satisfied in order to successfully apply for naturalisation as a British citizen. Your application can be refused, if you do not fulfil all of the requirements.

It can be very upsetting to have your application for British citizenship refused, not least because it will delay you obtaining a British passport and is likely to result in additional expense.

There is no statutory right of appeal against the refusal of a citizenship application. However, if your application has been refused and you feel that the caseworker applied the law incorrectly or did not follow the due process, you can apply for a reconsideration of the decision.

Generally, the grounds on which you can apply for a reconsideration are where the caseworker did not make a decision on the application in line with the applicable law, neglected to consider pertinent facts of documentation that they had in their possession, or made a decision without giving enough time for any external enquiries to be completed.

As the grounds for reconsideration are relatively narrow, in the majority of cases, applicants will have to re-apply following a refusal, should they still wish to be naturalised.

Naturalisation applications can be refused for a variety of reasons. We can assist you whether you are preparing your application and want to maximise your chances of success, or if you have received a refusal and are unsure of your options going forward.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, 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 2023