Since, in a recent post, our focus was on becoming a Greek citizen, I thought it might be of interest to have a look at how to go about the equivalent procedure to acquire British citizenship.
Given our history there are different types of British nationality, just as there are different types of residency: Indefinite Leave to Remain Family, Indefinite Leave to Remain Employment, UK Settlement – which is Citizenship. This is our focus: the process of naturalization or becoming a British Citizen.
The Standard Eligibility Requirements are:
- Be over 18 years of age
- Be of sound mind
- Intend to continue living in the UK
- Have sufficient proficiency in the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language
- Have sufficient knowledge of life in the UK
- Be of good character
- Meet the residential requirements
The Residency Requirements are:
- 3 continuous years before the date of applying
- Not spent more than 270 days outside of the UK during these 3 years
- Not spent more than 90 days outside of the UK in the year before applying
- Have been living within the laws of the UK Immigration Rules during the entirety of this 3-year period.
All applicants have to pass the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK Test. (KOLL)
All citizenship applicants are required to be able to speak, understand and read (Scottish Gaelic or Welsh if applying there) English, to be demonstrated in one of 4 ways:
- Be national of a Majority English-speaking country
- Have obtained a degree taught in English
- Prove a knowledge of English equivalent to the Common European Framework of Reference for languages of B1 ( Intermediate)
- Obtain an ESOL speaking and listening qualification in English at Entry level 1,2 or 3 from an accredited institution using citizenship-based teaching materials.
Life in the UK Test
This tests your knowledge of UK customs, government, law and values.
The following topics are covered:
- The values and principles of the UK
- Traditions and cultures from around the UK
- Events and people that have shaped the UK’s history
- UK government and law
- How to get involved in the UK community.
The test, which must be booked 3 days beforehand and costs 50 pounds, is taken online in one of over 60 designated testing facilities in the UK. It lasts 45 minutes in which 24 questions must be answered. The pass mark is 75%.
Below are 10 sample questions:
Which British novelist created the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes?
Evelyn Waugh
Graham Greene
Robert Louis Stevenson
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Which of the following countries did not help to set up the EEC?
Ireland
Germany
Luxembourg
Belgium
How many people emigrated from the UK during Victoria’s reign between 1853-1913?
500 million
2 million
100,000
13 million
What event in 1851 took place at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park and showed goods and exhibits from Britain and across the world?
The Great Show
The Great Event
The Great Exhibition
The Great Occasion
Which Anglo-Saxon poem tells of its hero’s battles against monsters?
The Fight at Finnsburh
Deor
Beowulf
Waldere
Ian McEwan, Hilary Mantel and Julian Barnes have all won which literary prize?
The Mercury Prize
The Turner Prize
The Man Booker Prize
The Nobel Prize in Literature
What do you accept and agree to when you become a permanent resident of the UK?
Traditions of the UK
Protestant beliefs and values
Catholic beliefs and values
The right to be tried for crimes in your country of origin
How are the local authorities funded?
By funding from central government only
By taxation only
Local authorities are unfunded
By central government funding and by taxation
In a Crown Court, who decides what the penalty will be, in the case of a guilty verdict?
A police officer
The jury
The judge
A solicitor
The Battle of Boyne is celebrated with a bank holiday in which country?
Scotland
Wales
England
Northern Ireland
No comments:
Post a Comment