Wanting to become a UK Citizen

[KatherineM]

However I am completely lost about how to go about the process.

I am currently a US Citizen. I love the USA but I feel that it is time for me to relocate to the UK as the UK has more to offer in the way of cultural experiences which are essential to my education as I am a linguist.

My younger siblings father is a UK Citizen and I can likely get him to sponsor me if that is required.

What are the requirements to becomming a UK Citizen? If anyone can direct me to appropriate guides I would be sincerely thankful.

Also worth noting is that I would like to attain dual citizenship with Canada incase this factors into what is required to become a UK Citizen.

Is it possible to hold citizenship in the USA, UK and Canada or will I only be able to have citizenship in one or two countries?

Thank you all for your help.

[Joppa]

Originally Posted by KatherineM

However I am completely lost about how to go about the process.

I am currently a US Citizen. I love the USA but I feel that it is time for me to relocate to the UK as the UK has more to offer in the way of cultural experiences which are essential to my education as I am a linguist.

My younger siblings father is a UK Citizen and I can likely get him to sponsor me if that is required.

I'm afraid your stepfather's nationality doesn't help at all in becoming British. It's your natural or adopted parent's citizenship that matters.

What are the requirements to becomming a UK Citizen? If anyone can direct me to appropriate guides I would be sincerely thankful.

Perhaps the easiest is to marry or enter into civil partnership with a British citizen and live in UK for 2 years on spouse visa and one year as a settled person (like permanent resident). This entitles you to apply for naturalisation. Without UK spouse or civil partner, you have to live in UK for 5 years followed by another year in a settled status before eligible for naturalisation. Problem with this route is only certain categories of visa will count towards residency requirement for citizenship, so spending some years as a student doesn't work. Work visa is the usual route, but as you can imagine UK is going through a recession and jobs for foreigners are hard to find and get a visa for (it's the same in US), so it will be an uphill struggle.

Also worth noting is that I would like to attain dual citizenship with Canada incase this factors into what is required to become a UK Citizen.

Is it possible to hold citizenship in the USA, UK and Canada or will I only be able to have citizenship in one or two countries?

All three countries allow mutiple nationalities, but you need to qualify for Canadian citizenship separately, usually involving 4 years' residence, with 2 years as permanent resident.

[nyclon]

Originally Posted by KatherineM

However I am completely lost about how to go about the process.

I am currently a US Citizen. I love the USA but I feel that it is time for me to relocate to the UK as the UK has more to offer in the way of cultural experiences which are essential to my education as I am a linguist.

My younger siblings father is a UK Citizen and I can likely get him to sponsor me if that is required.

What are the requirements to becomming a UK Citizen? If anyone can direct me to appropriate guides I would be sincerely thankful.

Also worth noting is that I would like to attain dual citizenship with Canada incase this factors into what is required to become a UK Citizen.

Is it possible to hold citizenship in the USA, UK and Canada or will I only be able to have citizenship in one or two countries?

Thank you all for your help.

Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. You can't become a UK citizen just because you want to and your chances of becoming a UK citizen are slim unless you marry or form a civil partnership with a UK citizen or you find a company to sponsor you for a job or you have a huge amount of money to invest in or start a UK company.

If you marry or form a civil partnership with a UK citizen you will be eligible for UK citizenship after 3 years of living with your spouse or partner in the UK. However, the residency requirement is likely to be increased to 6 years in the near future.

If you have some incredible skill, talent or loads of experience and can find a company to sponsor you for a job, you'll be eligible for citizenship after a 6 year residency period.

If you can start or invest in a UK business, depending on the level of investment you may be eligible for citizenship at some point.

Your sibling's father can't sponsor you.

[Bevdeforges]

Citizenship in the UK requires that you live legally there for a period of time. Your first step would have to be getting a visa to allow you to live and work in the UK for the necessary period of time.
Cheers,
Bev

[KatherineM]

Originally Posted by Joppa

I'm afraid your stepfather's nationality doesn't help at all in becoming British. It's your natural or adopted parent's citizenship that matters.



Perhaps the easiest is to marry or enter into civil partnership with a British citizen and live in UK for 2 years on spouse visa and one year as a settled person (like permanent resident). This entitles you to apply for naturalisation. Without UK spouse or civil partner, you have to live in UK for 5 years followed by another year in a settled status before eligible for naturalisation. Problem with this route is only certain categories of visa will count towards residency requirement for citizenship, so spending some years as a student doesn't work. Work visa is the usual route, but as you can imagine UK is going through a recession and jobs for foreigners are hard to find and get a visa for (it's the same in US), so it will be an uphill struggle.



All three countries allow mutiple nationalities, but you need to qualify for Canadian citizenship separately, usually involving 4 years' residence, with 2 years as permanent resident.

Marrying to become a citizen is not a route I am willing to go.

If you are self employed will that qualify you for the work visa at all?

[KatherineM]

Originally Posted by nyclon

Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. You can't become a UK citizen just because you want to and your chances of becoming a UK citizen are slim unless you marry or form a civil partnership with a UK citizen or you find a company to sponsor you for a job or you have a huge amount of money to invest in or start a UK company.

If you marry or form a civil partnership with a UK citizen you will be eligible for UK citizenship after 3 years of living with your spouse or partner in the UK. However, the residency requirement is likely to be increased to 6 years in the near future.

If you have some incredible skill, talent or loads of experience and can find a company to sponsor you for a job, you'll be eligible for citizenship after a 6 year residency period.

If you can start or invest in a UK business, depending on the level of investment you may be eligible for citizenship at some point.

Your sibling's father can't sponsor you.

It isn't a matter of just wanting to be a UK Citizen. I mean it isn't like I woke up one morning and said to myself 'I think I want to be British today!'. It is more of a need for my chosen line of work which is linguistics.

I can speak multiple languages including Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Korean. Unfortunatly European languages such a German and French are difficult for me as I see the words and want to pronounce them in the American English way.

I am self employed as I translate business documents between languages on a contract basis.

I may be able to set up a business there depending on the level of investment required.

[nyclon]

Originally Posted by KatherineM

Marrying to become a citizen is not a route I am willing to go.

If you are self employed will that qualify you for the work visa at all?

No. You need a registered sponsor.

[KatherineM]

Originally Posted by nyclon

No. You need a registered sponsor.

Who qualifies as a registered sponsor?

[nyclon]

Originally Posted by KatherineM

It isn't a matter of just wanting to be a UK Citizen. I mean it isn't like I woke up one morning and said to myself 'I think I want to be British today!'. It is more of a need for my chosen line of work which is linguistics.

I can speak multiple languages including Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Korean. Unfortunatly European languages such a German and French are difficult for me as I see the words and want to pronounce them in the American English way.

I am self employed as I translate business documents between languages on a contract basis.

And those skills aren't in demand in the US?

I may be able to set up a business there depending on the level of investment required.

To qualify for a Tier 1 Investor you need to have £1,000,000 to invest in a UK business.

UK Border Agency | Tier 1 (Investor)

To qualify for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur you need have £200,000 (or £50,000 if you have access to some specific sources) to set up or take over a UK business with the point being that you are going to be able to provide employment to UK citizens.

UK Border Agency | Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)

[KatherineM]

Originally Posted by nyclon

And those skills aren't in demand in the US?



To qualify for a Tier 1 Investor you need to have £1,000,000 to invest in a UK business.

UK Border Agency | Tier 1 (Investor)

To qualify for a Tier 1 Entrepreneur you need have £200,000 (or £50,000 if you have access to some specific sources) to set up or take over a UK business with the point being that you are going to be able to provide employment to UK citizens.

UK Border Agency | Tier 1 (Entrepreneur)

Those skills are in demand in the US but linguistics is the study and documentation of languages. The UK has alot of languages that are not properly recorded. There is such a thing as language extinction. Over 90% of the worlds languages are expected to become extinct by 2050 so there is a race to get as much recorded as possible. My translating work is just to make money to support myself because language documention and study doesn't pay the bills unless you are working as a professor and even then it doesn't pay enough for me as I have expensive tastes.

200,000 British Pounds is roughly 325,000 US Dollars which seems like a fair price to pay for citizenship. It will take some saving to get there it can be done.

Thank you for your help and advice.