Earned Citizenship, Permanent Residence & UK Citizenship

Each year thousands of Tier 1, HSMP, Tier 2, Work Permit & Ancestry visa holders work their way towards Permanent Residence & UK Citizenship. If you’re nearing the end of 5 continuous years you may be able to apply under the existing rules. However, if you’re a few years away you will probably need to apply through the new ‘Earned Citizenship’ system, due to be implemented in July 2011.

At the moment after 5 continuous years spent in the UK on a Tier 1 Visa, HSMP, Tier 2 Visa, Work Permit or Ancestry Visa an individual may apply for UK Permanent Residence (also known as Indefinite Leave to Remain). Permanent Residence allows an individual to remain in the UK permanently & take any form of work without the need for a separate work visa approval. After a further 1 year on Permanent Residence an application may be made for UK Citizenship & subsequently a British Passport.

How can Commonwealth Contractors help?

At Commonwealth Contractors we partner with:

OISC Registered Immigration Firms: Our OISC Partners specialise in professionally represented Permanent Residence & Citizenship applications for skilled professionals consulting in the UK.
Tier 2 Licensed Consultancy Partners: In order to gain Permanent Residence or Citizenship you need to be supported by your employer. Many companies (especially foreign IT Consultancies) shy away from supporting employees with Permanent Residence & Citizenship applications. At Commonwealth Contractors we are happy to partner with UK based Consultancies who are fully prepared to support consultants where required.

For more information call now on 0800 294 4388 or Submit your Details & we will get back to you.

Earned Citizenship (New System as of July 2011)

If you’re an Economic Migrant (e.g. Tier 1 or Tier 2 visa holder) with a few years to go before you reach 5 full unbroken years you will probably have to apply using the new ‘Earned Citizenship’ system (due to be implemented in July 2011).

In order to gain Permanent Residence or Citizenship under the new system you will need to clear 3 stages:

Stage 1: Temporary Residence

The Temporary Residence stage of ‘Earned Citizenship’ lasts 5 years for Economic Migrants. In order to pass to Probationary Citizenship you need to:

Obey the Law
Pass a Life in the UK Test
Prove that you have been Economically Active for 5 full years

This stage is largely the same as the existing 5 year requirement for economic migrants.

Stage 2: Probationary Citizenship

Once at the Probationary Citizenship stage you will either work towards:

British Citizenship (minimum 1 year, maximum 5 years), OR
Permanent Residence (minimum 3 years)

If you decide to work towards British Citizenship you can reduce the qualification period by 2 years if you participate in ‘Active Citizenship’. Those that participate in serving the community (e.g. taking part in an activity that advances education or health, social & community welfare, culture or sport, mentoring etc) will obtain Citizenship earlier than those that don’t.

In order to move to British Citizenship or Permanent Residence Status you need to prove that you have been economically active during the Probationary Citizenship stage.

Stage 3: British Citizenship or Permanent Residence

Once you’ve been through Temporary Residence & Probationary Citizenship you can apply for:

British Citizenship: Full entitlement to UK rights and benefits. Once UK Citizenship has been secured an individual can apply for a British Passport
Permanent Residence: Permanent Residence is available to those that don’t want to become full British Citizens; however it is possible to move to British Citizenship at a later date if required.

Permanent Residence (Current System – Until July 2011)

If you are an economic migrant nearing 5 full years on a qualifying visa you should be able to apply under the existing Permanent Residence rules.

Permanent Residence (or Indefinite Leave to Remain as it’s also known) gives you the right to stay in the UK for as long as you wish & work without restriction. However, it’s important to note that you can lose Permanent Residence status if you spend an extended period of time outside the UK (e.g. 2 years). Where this happens you will need to qualify all over again (i.e. 5 years on Tier 1 or Tier 2). If you hold Permanent Residence status and you wish to remain in the UK long term it’s a good idea to apply for UK Citizenship as quickly as possible.

If you hold a Tier 1 visa, HSMP, Tier 2 visa, Work Permit or Ancestry visa you will be able to apply for Permanent Residence after 5 continuous years in the UK so long as you have not spent any more than 90 days outside of the country in any one year. In addition you must show that you have the skills and experience to integrate into the UK, therefore you must pass a ‘Life in the UK’ test (www.lifeintheuktest.gov.uk/).

To apply for Permanent Residence you must submit an application to the UK Border Agency no more than 28 days before the end of your qualification period. Please be aware that applications must be made in the UK and before existing Leave to Remain expires. To apply you will need the following:

A fully completed & signed SET (O) Application Form
Original Passport for you and your dependents
2 recent passport sized photos for you and your dependents
Last 3 months Payslips or Bank Statements
Life in the UK Test Certificate
Work Permit copy & letter of ongoing employment (where applicable)
Payment for Visa Processing
Marriage Certificates (for dependent spouses)
Birth Certificates (for dependent children)
Police Registration Certificate (where applicable)
Current Tenancy Agreement (where applicable)

If you are considering applying for Permanent Residence in the UK Commonwealth Contractors can help. Our OISC Partners can prepare a professionally represented application and submit using a premium (same day) application slot if appropriate. To find out more about applying for Permanent Residence call Commonwealth Contractors now on 0800 294 4388 or Submit your Details & we will get back to you

UK Citizenship (Current System – Until July 2011)

UK Citizenship provides you with the same rights as any other British National, including the right to a British Passport (which will allow you to work freely throughout the European Economic Area (EEA)).

To qualify for UK Citizenship you must have met the following residency requirements:

You must have been living in the UK for at least 6 years before the date of application (if applying following time spent on Tier 1, Tier 2, HSMP, Work Permit or Ancestry)
During the 6 years you must not have been outside the UK for more than 450 days
During the last 12 months of the 6 years you must have held Permanent Residence Status
You must not have been in breach of immigration rules at any time during the 6 years

To apply for UK Citizenship you will need the following:

A fully completed & signed Form AN
Original Passport for you and your dependents
2 recent passport sized photos for you and your dependents
Last 3 months Payslips or Bank Statements
Life in the UK Test Certificate
Payment for Visa Processing
Marriage Certificates (for dependent spouses)
Birth Certificates (for dependent children)
Police Registration Certificate (where applicable)
Current Tenancy Agreement (where applicable)

If you wish to apply for UK Citizenship Commonwealth Contractors can help. We partner with OISC Immigration firms who specialise in Citizenship Applications.

For more Information call Commonwealth Contractors now on
0800 294 4388 or Submit your Details & we will get back to you

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