I Am Eu Citizen, Have Just Obtained Document Certifying Permanent Residence In May 2016 Can I Still

I am an EU Citizen, have just obtained a document certifying permanent residence in May 2016. Can I still apply for British Citizenship, with that certificate, after the cut-off date, which has been set to 29 March 2017 or shall I have to wait for the new scheme to take effect from 2018 and then re-apply for settled status first?

I am an EU Citizen, have just obtained a document certifying permanent residence in May 2016. Can I still apply for British Citizenship, with that certificate, after the cut-off date, which has been set to 29 March 2017 or shall I have to wait for the new scheme to take effect from 2018 and then re-apply for settled status first?

Public Answer

Thank you for your enquiry.

You will be eligible to apply for naturalisation IF you meet the following requirements:

– Aged 18 or over;

– Of good character;

– You must have the intention to make the UK your permanent home;

– You must meet the knowledge of English and Life in the UK requirement;

– You must meet the residency requirement.

You must have lived in the UK for 5 years before the date of your application for naturalisation. In those 5 years, you must not have spent more than 450 days outside of the UK and no more than 90 days outside of the UK in the last 12 months before the date of the application.

As you are an EU citizen, you must have had permanent residence in the UK for the last 12 months.

If you meet the requirements of naturalisation now, we suggest you submit an application immediately to avoid any future complications as a result of Brexit.

Someone will be in touch with you shortly to see how we can help you further.

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 contacting us on 0207 936 9960 or through our contact form.

We look forward to hearing back from you soon.

Best regards,

OTS Solicitors

[This question has been successfully answered by our lawyers in a private e-mail]