Policy change may make it more difficult for EU citizens to become a British citizen

Following a government policy update announced in May 2020, EU citizens with settled status in the UK may now find it more difficult to become a British citizen.

Julie Moktadir, Partner and immigration law expert at Stone King explains: “The government’s nationality policy has been updated to reflect that EU nationals with settled status in the UK who apply for British citizenship will now also need to prove that they have been a qualified person, for instance a worker or student in the UK, or a family member of such a person, during the five-year period before their application.”

Before this policy update, any EU nationals holding settled status could rely on this to prove their residency in the UK for the required period to become a citizen. However, it will now be necessary for them to prove that they were here lawfully under the EEA Regulations during that whole time.

If you require any assistance with naturalising, please do not hesitate to contact Julie Moktadir.

The updated policy can be viewed here.