British Citizenship for Americans

As mentioned above, there are a number of different routes to British citizenship for Americans.

British citizenship by naturalization

This is the most common route to British citizenship for Americans. In most cases, you will be eligible for British citizenship if you have lawfully lived in the UK for at least six years (which includes one year of Indefinite Leave to Remain status).

British citizenship by birth or by decent

You may automatically be recognized as a British citizen if you were born in the UK after 1^st January 1983 – this is known as British citizenship by birth. You could also be eligible if one of your parents or grandparents was a British citizen when you were born, the latter being called British citizenship by double descent. A British great grandparent can also lead to eligibility for British citizenship, this is known as British citizenship by triple descent.

British citizenship by marriage (technically a form of naturalization)

You can apply for British citizenship by marriage as the spouse or civil partner of a UK citizen if you have spent at least three years living in the UK. In these circumstances, you can apply for citizenship as soon as you have a permanent residence document, Indefinite Leave to Remain status, or indefinite leave to enter the UK.

Nationality for those who have renounced it

If you renounced your British citizenship in the past, you could eventually be permitted to reclaim citizenship.

The most optimum route to take to British citizenship for Americans depends on your individual circumstances, such as your ancestry, place of birth, and the nationality of your partner.

Contact IAS if you are unsure of the best route to British citizenship as an American, we have many years of immigration experience behind us and can assist you with regard to both U.S. and UK immigration rules.

British citizenship by naturalization is the most common route towards British citizenship. You could be eligible for British citizenship after you have spent a certain period of time lawfully living in the UK.

In order to be eligible for British citizenship by naturalization, you will need to meet the following conditions:

• Must be aged 18 or above
• Must have held Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least twelve months
• Must not have spent more than 450 days outside the UK during your qualifying residency period
• Must have passed the Life in the UK test. This is a series of questions based on the culture, customs and history of the UK
• Be able to demonstrate that you meet the ‘good character’ requirement
• You must not have breached any immigration conditions during your UK residency

To find out more about your eligibility for British citizenship by naturalization and whether you qualify as an American, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our immigration legal experts on +1 844 290 6312.

A key requirement of a British citizenship application is the good character requirement. You must be able to demonstrate that you are a law-abiding member of British society.

Your criminal history will be examined, including whether you have abided by the immigration conditions pertaining to your UK immigration permission.

This requirement has a significant bearing on your application for UK citizenship. If you have committed criminal offences, even if they are spent, you might not be eligible for British citizenship.

The ‘good character’ applies to anyone over the age of 10 who applies for either registration or naturalization as a British citizen.

As well as evaluating your criminal record, the UK Home Office will also take into consideration positive contributions to society, including any charity work and your financial situation.

You will need to provide a substantial portfolio of evidence to prove your eligibility for British citizenship. Your portfolio of evidence is the most crucial part of your UK citizenship application.

All your documentation will be assessed by the Home Office, and it must adhere to all necessary administrative standards in order to be considered. UK immigration officials will assess your supporting documents to ascertain whether you meet the requirements.

Some of the documents which you will need to provide includes:

• Proof of your identity: This can take the form of your passport, your birth certificate, driving licence or other specific travel documents
• Confirmation that you were lawfully resident in the UK during your qualifying period
• Proof that you have Indefinite Leave to Remain status in the UK
• Proof of your previous immigration status (including prior to settling in the UK)
• A letter to confirm you have passed the Life in the UK test
• Details of any time spent outside the UK during your qualifying period

British citizenship for Americans is available if you were born in the UK before 1983. In these cases, Americans are automatically eligible for British citizenship by birth.

However, if you were born in the UK after 1982, you are not automatically eligible to become a British citizen. One of your parents must have been born in the UK in order for you to be eligible for British citizenship by birth in these circumstances.

This ruling means that if you were born in the UK but both of your parents were American (or any other nationality) at the time of your birth, you will not be eligible for British citizenship by birth.

You will still, of course, be able to apply for British citizenship via the naturalization route, even if you don’t qualify for British citizenship by birth.

You could be eligible for British citizenship by descent if one of your parents was a British citizen at the time of your birth, even if you were born outside the UK. However, there are specific rulings around the ‘British citizenship for a child born abroad‘ route, which are complex.

If you were born outside of the UK on or after 1^st July 2006 to a parent who was a British citizen at the time of your birth and also had the right to pass British citizenship onto you, you will automatically be a British citizen.

Whether your parent is able to pass their citizenship onto you depends on how they acquired UK citizenship themselves. They must have been either born or adopted in the UK and acquired citizenship after applying for British citizenship themselves or, alternatively, they were working as a Crown servant at the time of your birth.

If one of your grandparents is or was British, you may be eligible for British Citizenship by descent (grandparent), also known as double descent. You will need to meet certain guidelines depending on when you and your grandparents were born.

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is a form of permanent residence and gives you settled status in the UK, enabling you to live and work in the UK without any restrictions. Typically, you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain after you have spent five years lawfully living in the UK.

However, even if you have Indefinite Leave to Remain, this does not mean that your rights are identical to British citizens. For instance, if you spend over two years outside the UK, your ILR status will be revoked. Also, you cannot apply for a British passport with ILR status.

As a British citizen, you are free to work in, live in, and enter and exit the UK without any restrictions. You will be able to apply for a British passport too and enjoy the full benefits of British citizenship.

UK citizenship also enables you to participate in British elections and referenda and, you could even stand for public office if you wish.

If you wish to apply for British citizenship by naturalization, you must first apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, which is possible after you have spent a certain period of time in the UK, typically five years.

You must have held Indefinite Leave to Remain for 12 months before you are eligible to become a British citizen, and your circumstances must not have changed significantly.

The exception to this is if you have gone down the British citizenship by marriage route. In this case, you can apply for British citizenship as soon as you receive ILR status.

Also, it is important to bear in mind that if you have spent more than 90 days outside of the UK in the 12 months leading up to your British citizenship, you will not be eligible to apply.

If you want to apply for British citizenship, you will first need to ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for the route you wish to go down.

It is prudent to prepare your portfolio of evidence before completing your British citizenship application form. Once your portfolio of evidence is ready for submission, you can start to complete the application form.

The form which you will need to complete for British citizenship by naturalization is the Form AN – Application for Naturalisation as a British Citizen.

The form is a comprehensive one, which includes information about your finances, UK residency, employment status and the immigration permission you have been living under. You must complete the application form to all necessary standards – failure to do so could result in an automatic rejection.

As mentioned, you must provide substantial evidence to prove your eligibility for British citizenship. Unfortunately, one of the most common reasons for applications being refused is an insufficient portfolio of evidence.

It can be difficult to establish exactly what you need to include in your portfolio of evidence if you are unaccustomed to the nature of British immigration law. This is why hiring a professional can be a prudent step.

We understand the UK immigration system and the process of British citizenship applications. We can help you to prepare your portfolio of evidence and we can also complete your application form. We will even write a letter of representation to support the merits of your case.

Call us now on +1 844 290 6312 to find out more about how we can help you to secure British citizenship as an American.

Yes, when you apply for British citizenship you will need to provide details of two referees. This is a requirement because the Home Office needs confirmation from a trusted source that the information you have provided is factually correct to their knowledge. Bear in mind that your referees will need to provide their signature on your application form.

You must have known your referees for at least three years prior to submitting your application and both of them must not have held any criminal convictions in the previous ten years.

At least one of your referees must hold a professional position such as a teacher, doctor, Minister of Religion, or a member of a professional body.

Also, one of your referees must be a British national and must hold a British passport, and be at least 25-years-old.

It is important to note that your referees cannot be the immigration professional who is representing you in your case and must not work for the UKVI.

Can I Hold British and American Dual Citizenship?

Yes, it is possible to apply for British citizenship and retain your American citizenship, which will make you a dual citizen.

This is a particularly attractive option that enables you to live in both the United Kingdom and the United States without any restrictions.

You do not need to apply for dual citizenship separately if you wish to keep your American citizenship. You still apply for British citizenship in the same way as you would if you were planning to renounce your American citizenship.

That being said, it is important to keep in mind that if you decided you wanted to apply for citizenship in another country in the future, you may need to renounce your British and/or U.S citizenship.

As each individual application is different, it is impossible to give a specific timeframe for the processing of a British citizenship application.

The UK Home Office states that all applications will be processed within six months of the date they are received. This applies to all forms of British citizenship, including British citizenship by birth, British citizenship by descent and British citizenship by double descent (through grandparents).

As a general guideline, you can expect to receive a decision between 3 and 6 months after your application is received by the Home Office.

If your application is particularly complex, you can expect the turnaround to be longer. Also, if your portfolio of evidence is insufficient and is missing information, this will, of course, delay the application processing time. In these circumstances, the Home Office will request additional documentation.

Ultimately, the processing time all depends on the particular intricacies of your application.

What is the Fee for a British Citizenship Application?

The current British citizenship application fees are £1,330 for British citizenship by naturalisation

Yes, it is possible to renounce your British citizenship should you wish.

It is worth bearing mind that you do not necessarily need to renounce your UK citizenship if you want to apply for citizenship in another country, in the same way that you don’t need to renounce your American citizenship when applying for British citizenship.

Indeed, it is possible to hold multiple citizenships provided that all the countries which you wish to be a citizen of permit this kind of arrangement.

If you renounce your British citizenship, this will only affect your own status in Britain. Any family members who hold British citizenship, including your children, will not be affected by your decision.

However, it is important to keep in mind that the status of any future children you have could be affected.

As an American, you can renounce your British citizenship if:

• You are over 18
• You already have another citizenship/nationality
• You will acquire another citizenship or nationality after renouncing your British citizenship

If your application for the renouncement of your status is accepted, you will receive a ‘Declaration of Renunciation’ certificate. This can be used as evidence that you are no longer a citizen of the United Kingdom.

It is also possible for you to apply for the resumption of your status if you change your mind in the future. You will need to prove that you still have substantial connections to the UK and the Home Office to be eligible.