British Citizenship

Being part of our community

Becoming a British Citizen is a significant life event, whether you are a child or an adult. But it is expensive and potentially complex. There are several routes to British Citizenship and we can help with all of them.

Sometimes our clients are not sure whether they are already British Citizens. We help them establish the facts.

You may automatically be a British Citizen if you were born in the UK or abroad to a British parent who is able to pass on their citizenship to you. Not all British Citizens can pass on their citizenship to their children. A British parent born outside the UK is not usually able to pass on British citizenship to their child.  

You may already be a British Citizen if you were born in the UK to a parent who has Indefinite Leave to Remain - they are 'settled' in the UK. Or if you were born here and spent the first ten years of your life in the UK.

You can apply to 'naturalise' as a British Citizen if you have held Indefinite Leave to Remain (including EU Settled Status) for at least twelve months, you have lived continuously (without long absences) in the UK for the past five years,  you have not been in breach of immigration laws in the last ten years and you are of good character. You will have to pass the 'Life in the UK Test' and meet English Language requirements.

If you are married to a British Citizen, you can apply as soon as you are granted Indefinite Leave to Remain and only have to show three years continuous residence in the UK.

Working with us

We will talk to you, look at any papers you have and identify whether you are entitled to or eligible to apply for British Citizenship.

We will identify the correct application to make, prepare it and ensure all the supporting evidence is complete and correct. Your lawyer will explain your situation to the Home Office and make sure that the decision maker fully understands your circumstances. This is vital because a lack of evidence or explanation can lead to refusals and there is no refund of the substantial Home Office application fee. If we do not believe you are eligible for British Citizenship, we will advise you not to make an application which will fail.

"I was told that they would do everything in their power to help me and they did indeed. The team went an extra mile and fought my case much more and much better than I would have expected."

Alberto Gonzalez

If you have made an application for British Citizenship yourself and it has been refused, it is worth coming to see us. We will be able to advise on whether you can apply for a review or reconsideration of the decision.  

We work on a fixed fee basis so there is a set price for our service.    

How does the British Citizenship process work?

  • Call us today
  • Come and visit
  • We offer an initial free 20 minute advice session to discuss your situation and your options

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I become a British Citizen if I have a criminal conviction?

It depends on when you were convicted, whether you were imprisoned and the length of sentence. If you have committed a series of offences which did not involve imprisonment, this may still affect your chances of citizenship if you are considered a 'persistent offender'.

How long will it take to get a decision on my application for British Citizenship?

It will take up to six months to get a decision. Sometimes the wait is much shorter but it is impossible to predict.

Will you check an application that has been prepared by an individual themselves?

No. We do not check prepared applications. We do full service applications only.  

I was born in the UK - I thought I was automatically British?

Since 1983, just being born in the UK is not enough to automatically make you British.

  • We couldn't praise Sallie and her team high enough. Extremely professional and acted very fast to meet our deadline. 100% recommended!
    Mr E
  • Always thorough and highly professional throughout the application process for both my children, and I would definitely recommend! They also had a welcome sense of humour when it came to dealing with the bureaucracy involved in the process.
    Mr B
  • Great experience working with Sallie. Professional and understanding! Will work with her again, with no doubt.
    Ms L
  • We have been very impressed with the service we have received over the years of dealing with Angela. She went above and beyond to solve our specialised problem with very pleasing results. We would strongly recommend her work and knowledge in the field. A true professional.
    Mr Aldalis
  • I highly recommend Sallie for her professionalism and lovable, kind approach. I am very happy to get her as my immigration lawyer for processing my kids Visa.
    Shiva K
  • I highly recommend both Angela and Karen. They both have been amazingly helpful throughout the visa application process of my wife. They do truly care for their clients. They look at the case in reasonable time periods and return with any missing information rapidly. Consulting them during this exciting yet stressful process was the best decision that I made. Today my wife got granted the visa just after 5 weeks of her biometric scans.
    Mr Yazici
  • They are so honest and professional . Clear answers and guidance to all my questions đź‘Ťđź‘Ť. Thanks a lot .
    Mr Khalil
  • Just received a decision from the Home office that I would’ve NEVER thought was possible. So happy and over the moon! I would definitely recommend your services to friends & family if required in the future. Huge thanks to Sallie and the team, best immigration solicitor in the business!!
    Mr Bamba
  • Angela Cole is a wonderful, hardworking, honest, kind and reliable Solicitor. Her work is very high standard, very professional and her team is friendly. Me and my husband have no hesitation in recommending Angela Cole's excellent services.
    Ms Small
  • "Simply a team of experienced people who gave us excellent and honest advice. Having now taken an appeal through to a successful conclusion for the (very reasonable) price promised, I have no hesitation in recommending this firm."
    Jon Chrimes - Google Review
  • "The team went an extra mile and fought my case much more and much better than I would have expected. In the end, my case was successful and I cannot thank them enough for all they have done. If I ever need legal help in the future I will definitely use their services again and recommend them for their reasonable prices, supportive advice and first rate legal services."
    ANONYMOUS - Google Review
  • "Excellent people, excellent service. They made the process of bringing my husband to the UK painless. Couldn’t have done it without them, highly recommend!"
    Lindy Pine - Google Review
  • "I am ecstatic, thanks to you all. My life is complete now and anything else is a bonus. Even if it seemed impossible I knew we were going to win this and that is why I never gave up. Thank you for your work, support and encouragement."
    MRS. Last
  • A BIG THANK YOU , for your help in helping me acquire my British settlement and British citizenship application successfully done. Your professionalism and kind warm attitude and nature made this process very easy and stress free. You took all my concerns away. 

    My Lawyer, Sallie Davies, is very knowledgeable and competent and I have implicit trust in her. The fees are also reasonable compared to other law firms. I highly recommend Sallie and her team.
    MRS. H
  • Thanks to Sallie, my wife is finally in the UK after a horrible year and long delays with Home Office. Highly recommended Immigration Legal Services! 
    MR. B
  • Angela Cole and everyone at Immigration Legal Services will work to produce the best outcome for you and, from our experience, they only concern themselves with your goal and not your wallet. Immigration Legal Services' charge was a very good price for all the help and security they provided
    MR. C
  • Despite the high professionalism practiced within the firm, there is always a strong sense of compassion , and care, from both Angela, and lovely Karen, which has really helped to set our minds at ease. Absolutely recommended & Eternally grateful
    Ms. f
  • I would like to thank both of you, Sallie and Karen for your assistance in the way you handled my wife's Spouse Visa Extension to remain here with me in the United Kingdom. We will recommend The Immigration Legal Services here in Ipswich to anybody who wants to apply for a visa to come or remain here in the United Kingdom because the service they provided proved to be most reliable, simple and quick process. Much appreciated Sallie and Karen. Thanking you once again. We will be back again.
    Robert
  • Excellent service, Sallie is very professional and lovely. Thanks to you what we thought it will be a long and exhausting experience, was so smooth and fast we couldn't believe it. Thank you very much.
    Mrs T
  • We engaged this firm based on a recommendation made by a friend who had used their services before. We required their assistance for my wife's first renewal of her spousal visa. The process was quite painless, they got in touch to collect documents and go over details but most communication was done by email. We received the renewal without any issues.
    BL
  • Sallie was the best solicitor I've met for immigration matters. She was straight to the job, focused on the matter and had an excellent transparent work process, a reasonable fee and no hidden charges. She is very helpful, confident and had the best communication. We got our parents' visa in one go! Thank you very much for the excellent job.
    email

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