Hello, I Am Us Citizen And I Have Lived Continuously In The Uk Since 1973 With Indefinite Leave To

Hello, I am a US citizen and I have lived continuously in the UK since 1973 with indefinite leave to remain since 1977. I am now 59, and am in full time employment in the UK, as I have been for the past 40 years. I would now like to apply for UK citizenship. However, with all the recent stories in the papers about long-term residents in the UK being refused ILR or citizenship on what appear to be technicalities, and sometimes even being deported, I am very concerned, if I apply for citizenship, whether my one previous criminal conviction, 32 years ago for shoplifting (non-custodial - fined £60) would have a negative impact on my application on the basis of "good character". In your opinion, do I need to be concerned?

Hello, I am a US citizen and I have lived continuously in the UK since 1973 with indefinite leave to remain since 1977. I am now 59, and am in full time employment in the UK, as I have been for the past 40 years. I would now like to apply for UK citizenship. However, with all the recent stories in the papers about long-term residents in the UK being refused ILR or citizenship on what appear to be technicalities, and sometimes even being deported, I am very concerned, if I apply for citizenship, whether my one previous criminal conviction, 32 years ago for shoplifting (non-custodial - fined £60) would have a negative impact on my application on the basis of "good character". In your opinion, do I need to be concerned?

Public Answer

Thank you for your question. It is likely the most important aspect of your application regarding your minor criminal conviction is that you make full disclosure. If you don’t you may risk having your British Citizenship revoked at a later date. We can assist you with you application and draft a covering letter explaining your circumstances. Someone will be in touch with you shortly to discuss this.

Please note, this answer cannot be taken as a legal advice until we have your full instructions. The answer provided above is for information purposes only, if you would like to proceed to full legal advice and consultation with our Immigration solicitors, please let us know your availability for an appointment by contact us on 0207 936 9960 or through our contact form.
I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Best regards,
OTS Solicitors

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