Citizenship

British citizenship gives you the right to live and work in the UK without ever having to worry about a visa.

But before you can apply for citizenship you need to be granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which means you can live and work in the UK indefinitely and also have recourse to public funds.  To get ILR you must also pass the Knowledge of Life in the UK test.

To apply for citizenship you must apply to be naturalised and you can only do this after holding ILR for a full year.

The specific eligibility for ILR and citizenship depends on what visa you hold.
1.    If you are on a visa (Tier 1, Tier 2, Ancestry) you need have to have lived in the UK for five years before applying for ILR. If you have been on a Tier 5 or working holiday visa, your time in the UK does not count towards those five years.
2.    If you receive FLR from your spouse, it will be granted for two years, after which you can apply for ILR before the FLR term ends.

For more information see the UK Border Agency’s website: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk