Peter Shannon
UK Personal Immigration Specialist
With over 8 years of experience, Peter is our dedicated UK immigration specialist. Connect with Peter on Linkedin. Find out more about our team.
Even if someone has lived in the UK for years and holds settled status, they still do not have the right of abode conferred upon those who have attained British citizenship.
They remain subject to immigration control and must continue to rely on digital status, which can be vulnerable to system errors, policy changes, or increased scrutiny at the border.
A growing number of those with settled status are beginning to realise that the security they enjoy today may not look the same tomorrow.
With the government signalling potential reforms to both settlement and citizenship pathways, including proposals to lengthen qualifying periods and tighten eligibility criteria, the case for naturalising sooner rather than later is becoming stronger.
Recent government proposals include:
- Extending the qualifying period for settlement and citizenship from five to ten years for many routes
- Increasing scrutiny across immigration categories as part of a broader effort to reduce net migration
- Ongoing changes to travel permission systems, which may create additional friction for non citizens
- the removal of access to public funds for those who have settled status but are not yet citizens
- the fact that you can lose your settled status, whether granted under the EU Settlement Scheme or under another UK immigration route as a result of extended absence.
Although the majority of the above are not yet law, they signal a direction of policy: stricter rules, longer waits, and higher and more expensive thresholds. For clients who already hold settled status, delaying naturalisation could mean facing a tougher regime later.
Why naturalising now offers long term stability
Naturalisation provides:
• A British passport, eliminating reliance on digital status and ensuring smooth travel.
• Full political rights, including voting in general elections.
• Permanent security, as citizenship cannot be lost through long absences or system failures.
• Protection from future rule changes, as once a person is British, new immigration policies no longer affect them.
Many individuals delay naturalisation because they feel settled, comfortable, are unsure of the benefits or believe that they cannot hold dual nationality. Please see below re certificates of entitlement. But with the policy landscape shifting, the cost of waiting could be significant. A proactive approach can secure your and your family’s long term position in the UK and avoid being caught out by reforms that make the path to citizenship longer, more complex, or more expensive.
Those with settled status who meet the requirements for naturalisation should therefore consider applying sooner rather than later.
From the 25th of February, travellers who have UK citizenship will not be able to evidence that status simply through the use of their citizenship certificate. This alongside the fact that as a UK citizen you will also not be eligible to apply for ETA clearance, creates a situation whereby you may not be allowed onto a UK-bound flight. The reason for the above stems from the fact that a citizenship certificate , also referred to as a certificate of naturalisation confirms how someone became British, but it is not an official travel document and therefore cannot be used to enter the UK.
Airlines and border officers need evidence that is machine readable and internationally recognised. Only a British passport or a UK certificate of entitlement to the right of abode entered within the valid passport of another nationality meets that standard. This distinction often surprises those who have always assumed that naturalisation paperwork is sufficient; in reality, it is merely the legal foundation for applying for a British passport or a certificate of entitlement rather, so a part of the process rather the end result.
Should you wish to find out more about naturalising as a British citizen, please write to us via contact@visa-office.com or speak to us directly on 01225 256800
