British Citizenship by Marriage for Irish Citizens

You must prove that you have lived in the UK for a continuous period of three years before submitting your citizenship application.

Meeting the residential requirements implies that you:

• Spent less than 270 days outside the UK during the three-year period before your application
• Spent less than 90 days abroad in the last 12 months before submitting your form
• Have not have broken any UK immigration law at any time during your residency in the UK

When applying for British citizenship by marriage, your knowledge and proficiency of the English language is critical. You can demonstrate this by passing an English language test at the B1, B2, C1, or C2 level from a registered centre or by demonstrating that you have a degree taught in English. You do not, however, need to demonstrate English language proficiency if you fall into any of the following categories:

• You are over the age of 65
• You have a long-term mental or physical condition that refrains you from taking the test
• If you are a citizen from one of these countries where English is the official language. These countries include Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Ireland, Malta, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the USA.

After confirming that you meet the eligibility requirements for British citizenship by marriage, you can begin your citizenship application by filling out form AN (Become a British Citizen by Naturalization) on the Home Office website. after submitting the online form, you will be asked to make an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric information. To submit your supporting documents, you can either:

• Upload copies of your documents online; or
• Have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment

It costs £1,330 to apply for British citizenship by marriage. This application fee is non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of your application process. Thus, ensure that you prepare a powerful application to avoid being rejected and incurring extra costs.

During your application, you may incur other costs such as:

• Costs of taking English language test – £150e
• Costs of taking the Life in the UK test – £50
• Collection of biometric information (fingerprints and photos) – £19.20
• Costs associated with Translation of documents

You should receive a response from the Home Office within 6 months of submitting your application. However, in some cases, the processing of your British citizenship application may take longer. It may take longer if you do not provide sufficient supporting documents or if you make any errors when filling out your forms.

If you receive a positive decision, you will be asked to attend a Citizenship ceremony to confirm your British citizenship.

If your situation changes during your application, for example, you change your house address house, get divorced, or are arrested, you should contact UK Visas and Immigration immediately to report the change. If you fail to report your situational change, you may be penalised.

If your application is approved, you will be sent a certificate of British citizenship. You must return your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) to the Home Office within five working days of receiving your British citizenship certificate; otherwise, you may be fined up to £1,000.

Your biometric residence permit will no longer be viewed as a valid document with which you can enter the UK. Instead, you will enter the UK using your citizenship certificate until you can apply for your British passport.

The citizenship ceremony is an official ceremony that you must attend to complete your British naturalization process.

Once your application for British citizenship is approved, the Home Office will send you an invite to the citizenship ceremony.

You must book your ceremony within three months of receiving this invite.

Typically, the ceremony is held as a group event with other successful naturalization applicants.

The group event costs £80 however if you prefer a private vent, arrangements can be made for one.

Total Law’s excellent immigration lawyers are vastly experienced in dealing with British citizenship by marriage and provide advice and support to make your application process smooth.

Our professional immigration lawyers will help you determine that you meet the eligibility criteria for British citizenship by marriage and will advise you detailedly on which supporting documentation you should have. In addition, years of experience with this process have made us aware of the common mistakes that applicant make that causes application refusal. Therefore, we will help you avoid these errors to ensure that your application is consistent and readily accepted.

If you’ve had a previous refusal, Total Law’s dedicated immigration lawyer can help you file an appeal or walk you through the re-application process to ensure you get accepted. So contact us today at (+353) 061 518 025 to start your journey towards a successful UK citizenship application.