Earning the right to British citizenship
The United Kingdom government is changing the way that migrants progress to British citizenship, making sure that people who want to build a new life here have earned the right to do so.
The new system of 'earned citizenship' will create a clear, three-stage path for migrants to become British citizens. This will include a new 'probationary citizenship' stage.
Earned citizenship will ensure that the rights and benefits of British citizenship are matched by responsibilities and contributions made to our society. Those who want to settle permanently in the United Kingdom will have to earn the right to stay by learning English, paying taxes and obeying the law.
The government will support migrants who play by the rules, and will take action to punish those who do not. Migrants who demonstrate 'active citizenship' will be able to become British citizens more quickly.
For more detailed information, see the How will earned citizenship work? page.
When will the new system be launched?
Proposals for earned citizenship were first published in a Green Paper, The Path to Citizenship: Next Steps in Reforming the Immigration System, in February 2008. Following a consultation, earned citizenship formed part of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, which became law on 21 July 2009.
We plan to implement the earned citizenship provisions of the Act in July 2011.
A points test for citizenship: consulting the public
Between 3 August and 26 October 2009, we held a public consultation on plans for a points test to measure whether migrants have done enough to progress through the earned citizenship process. A points test will enable us to take a clear, enforceable decision about who should be allowed to stay permanently, with flexibility to raise or lower the threshold for settlement depending on the current needs and interests of the United Kingdom.
Under the proposals, migrants will score points for different achievements, such as demonstrating English language skills above the required minimum level or gaining a qualification while they are here, and will be allowed to pass to the next stage of the process once they have scored a certain number of points. The system will increase the transparency of decision-making, allowing migrants to plan how they can get the points they need, and will provide a clear decision point early in the process.
The consultation also asked for views on issues including the role of local authorities in the earned citizenship process, whether to test would-be citizens' knowledge of United Kingdom history and politics, and measures to reduce the 'brain drain' from developing countries to the United Kingdom.
For more information, download the consultation document.
We are also holding a public consultation on the proposed fees for earned citizenship and other services. To take part in the consultation, visit the Charging consultation page.