Many people yearn to be citizens of a tier-one country. For the UK, it is a dream for many to live and have children there. The UK is one of the places in the world where there is access to basic amenities. The UK is also known to be a hospitable place. Every year, foreigners become citizens there. One of the ways they become a citizen is by marriage. When it comes to citizen by marriage, you need to meet certain requirements. In light of this, this article aims to discuss the process involved in becoming a UK citizen through marriage.
Citizenship By Marriage: Possible or Myth?
It is possible to become a United Kingdom citizen through marriage. Of course, when you are married to a UK citizen, you may want to reside with the person.
However, before you can be allowed to be a citizen, there are certain steps to take. You may need to fulfil some requirements. The next subheading discusses the requirements to meet before you can become a citizen of the United Kingdom.
Requirements To Meet To Become A UK Citizen
These are some requirements to meet before becoming a UK citizen through marriage:
• You must be 18 years of age.
• You must be in a civil relationship or married to a UK citizen.
• All married persons must meet the UK residency requirements
• You must possess a resident permit
• All applicants must be of good character.
• English Language Criteria
All applicants for UK citizenship by marriage must pass the rewired English Language test. Alternatively, you should possess a degree that was taught or researched in the English language.
However, there are some limitations to this. You must be at least 65 years of age to be exempted from this. You would be exempted from this if you are from any of the following countries:
The USA.
Ireland
Malta
Canada
St Lucia
Dominica
Guyana,
Barbados,
Jamaica
New Zealand
St Kitts and Nevis
The Bahamas,
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Antigua and Barbuda,
Australia
Belize
The British Territories
Anguilla
Bermuda
Turks and Caicos Islands
Montserrat
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
British Indian Ocean
British Indian Ocean Territory
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar
Ascension
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena
Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Saint Helena
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Dhekelia
Also, a key requirement for a UK citizen to married is to possess a permanent resident requirement.
Permanent Resident Requirements For UK Citizens by Marriage
Of course, one of the requirements of UK citizen marriage is a resident permit. In your portal, you must possess a ‘settled status’ in all of the documents stated below:
Indefinite Leave To Remain (ILR)
Indefinite Leave To Enter The UK (ILE)
European Union Settlement Scheme.
However, you might be exempted from this if you are married to a UK citizen. This is because since you are married, the settled status might not show up for up to 12 months. Moreover, do not forget that this is compulsory when applying for citizenship based on a permanent settlement.
Residency Requirements Of UK Citizens by Marriage
The UK residency requirements by marriage are very straightforward. It requires that you must have resided in the UK for at least 36 months. During your stay, you must become a holder of a UK Spouse Visa Holder.
It is also imperative to note that you must have been outside the UK for 7 months and above. Another note to consider is that your record must be clean in the UK. This means that you have not broken any immigration rules in the UK.
How Do I Become A British Citizen Through Marriage
To become a UK Citizen through marriage, there are several steps you would complete:
Step 1: Make sure your country allows dual citizenship. Most countries allow dual citizenship. For authentication, you need to confirm this.
Step 2: Do well to fill and submit an online copy of UK naturalization. This is to ascertain that you are in a civil relationship or married to a UK citizen.
Step 3: Pay the Application fee through the portal.
Step 4: Visit the UK Visa and Citizen Application Service (UKVCAS) to provide your biometric details.
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Step 5: Take along with you any supporting documents. These documents are needed to authenticate your UK citizen application.
After submission, you will receive feedback after 6 months. You will receive a ‘Congratulatory message’ via your email if your application is successful. Additionally, you would book a citizenship ceremony.
This ceremony would be done by the local authority. The purpose of this ceremony is for you to swear an oath. It is to confirm that you would respect UK laws and order throughout your stay there. After that, you would be issued a certificate.
Will My Children Become UK Citizens Automatically?
No. They would not become UK citizen automatically. However, if your children were born in the UK, then they would acquire citizenship by birth. Your child would also acquire a resident permit such as the ILR.
Can I apply for UK Citizenship If My Spouse Dies?
It is not possible to acquire citizenship in the UK if a citizen dies. You may consider going through the normal route of becoming a citizen.
Conclusion
As long as you meet the criteria, you may be given a chance to become a citizen. The UK admits foreigners every year. They also issue certificates of citizenship to foreigners who meet the required conditions. So, you have nothing to fear. Follow the required criteria and you are on your way to becoming a citizen in the UK.