Tips to ensure a smooth Britis

Tips to ensure a smooth British Citizenship Application

Clients who receive their first UK Visa, often think of the British Citizenship application as something that needs to be handled somewhere in the distant future. The truth is however that one needs to prepare for the British Citizenship application from the first day you set foot in the United Kingdom!

Tips to ensure a smooth Britis

The consultants at Breytenbachs Immigration have brainstormed a couple of tips for persons on their route to British Citizenship, to ensure a smooth and successful outcome!

Travelling

  • Keep a record of all your out of country travels.
  • Do not travel out of the country for more than 90 days in the period preceding the date that you plan to lodge your British Citizenship application.
  • If you are not married to a UK National, you should ensure that you don’t travel out of the country in excess of 450 days in the 5 year period preceding the date that you plan to lodge your British Citizenship application.

Stay out of Trouble!

  • If you have a criminal conviction, it could affect your application depending on the date of conviction, amount of convictions and the sentence issued. You must always keep the relevant documents, that comes with it and be truthful and honest about any convictions. Checks are done on all applicants.
  • Pay your taxes! Applicants have to ensure that their tax affairs are up to date, as the obligation to pay income tax and National Insurance contributions are one of the checks for the good character requirement of British citizenship.
  • The applicant will have to provide details of all civil judgments which have resulted in a court order, as well as any civil penalties under the UK Immigration Act. Details of family law proceedings are not required. Details of bankruptcy charges must also be provided, and where an applicant is an undischarged bankrupt, it is unlikely that the application will succeed.
  • All Visas issued for Entry Clearance and Further Leave to Remain come with requirements. Ensure you know what these are and that you are following them up to the point of application and continue to do so if you are extending your visa. Not adhering to your visa requirements, may affect your Indefinite Leave to Remain and British Citizenship applications.

Keeping Records

  • Keep records to proof your residence in the UK. Three to four items of correspondence per year should suffice.
  • Whether it is your birth certificate, marriage certificate, degree certificate or any other original documentation required for your application, make sure you know where they are and have them to hand. Even if the documents have been provided to the UK Home Office before, you should have these in a safe place and ready to be given in with the application to the UK Home Office if required. 

Please note that at the time of publishing this, all of the above information is correct. Requirements for Immigration change and evolve regularly. We understand that there is lots of information to take in and lots of requirements to meet, and it can be very overwhelming. Why not arrange a consultation with Breytenbachs and allow us to ease the burden and help you with the application? We offer a professional, friendly and exemplary service that will put your mind at ease and ensure that the application process is smooth and efficient!

www.bic-immigration.com or info@bic-immigration.com


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