The Home Office has tightened up the 'good character' requirements for British citizenship applications, and they now mirror those already in place for visa applications.
The new rules, which came into force on 31 July 2023, prevent serious criminals from obtaining British nationality regardless of when or where their crime(s) took place. They will apply to everyone who has received at least a 12-month prison sentence in the past.
More scrutiny will now be placed on whether an applicant has generally observed British laws and shown respect for the rights and freedoms of British citizens. Applicants used to be able to apply for British citizenship once a certain number of years had passed since the end of their sentence, irrespective of the crime they were sentenced for or the location, and a criminal record would not necessarily mean that an application would be refused. The Home Office has confirmed that there will be exceptions to the new rules, which they will consider on a case-by-case basis and they will take mitigating circumstances into account.
While most migrants in the UK are law-abiding citizens, it is conceivable that this renewed good character focus will mean smaller breaches of the law could have more of an adverse impact on an application for British citizenship than they had previously.
Originally published 29 August 2023
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