UK citizenship question

Hi Nick and welcome to the Forum.

To answer your questions.

Epsilonn wrote:

.... I never left The UK in 4 years and if I spend 6 months straight at once in Ireland and then come back and carry on my life in the UK, will those 6 months outside the UK affect me when it comes to applying for citizenship in order to get the UK passport?

Yes - you would have to start over again; you also need to consider the potential impact Brexit may have on that.  However, you should also consider going to Ireland with your job and applying for residency/citizenship there (because Irish citizens have the right to live and work in the UK).  You haven't mentioned your personal situation (and you don't have to), but it may also affect any family benefits/social money you are currently claiming.

Epsilonn wrote:

Can I spend more than 3 months at once outside the UK in one year in order to qualify for citizenship after 5 years? This is my questions. I know in the last year prior to applying you can spend no more than 90 days... How does this work??

The 90 days rule has a caveat at the top where it says "usually", so there is potentially some leeway in the Home Office interpretation of any particular case.  The only people who can answer that are the Home Office; I recommend you write to them and ask.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team

Why does it say '450 days in the past 5 years then'???

And I can only spend 3 months per year only?

And the last year, what is the deal with it? Because they say 450 days ikn the last 5 years but 90 days in the last year....

But in the end is 90 days for each year..... I am very confused and it should be so simple really...

So, if I go and stay out of the UK for 3 months in the next year, will that be ok in terms of eligibility?

90 days per yr over 5 years = 450 days

It's far more generous an allowance than what Romania allows.  Countries often want you to show significant presence in the country if you're to be granted citizenship.  They don't want to see someone with one foot in, one foot out, as they say

Citizenship is not merely a tool of convenience for the holder, but a pledge of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen of England. When you acquire citizenship of any country in the world, it is assumed that you will contribute to that country and make it better than it was before it accepted you. If you get kidnapped off the coast of Somalia or held up at gunpoint at a tourist resort in Egypt, the British government will send in it's special forces and if need be, pay the hostage takers money out of my (the tax payer's) funds to release you.

Firstly, you can have no more than 90 days absence in your final year leading up to your application for naturalization.

Secondly, you have almost made it to the time required to become a British citizen. If you leave now and go to Ireland, your time spent in the UK will be reset and you will need to have a legal job in the UK for another 5 years before you have the chance to apply for citizenship.

The only way to ensure that you can live in the UK without fear of deportation is to be a British citizen. Anything and everything has happened to upper class migrants (who bring millions of pounds worth of investments with them), causing them to be deported and some times banned from entering the UK - and you are a blue collar worker, far more vulnerable to changes in the job market.

Brits have (pre Ireland's ascension into the EU) a special agreement giving them the sort of free movement you are used to in the UK as a Romanian, pre-Brexit, with Ireland. If you or your kids (who will have British citizenship wherever they may be born) ever decide to come to the UK, they will have no restrictions on doing so by virtue of having a British dad/mum.

What if you move to Ireland and loose your job? You would have wasted your time in the UK and would need to leave Ireland. I highly recommend that you wait it out, become a British citizen and then think about going anywhere.

Also note, that children born to a British father or mother, anywhere on the island of Ireland (inc N. Ireland) are legible for Republic of Ireland citizenship, and you, as their carer, have the right to remain in Ireland and apply for citizenship soon after their birth.

Please evaluate the future possible consequences of your actions, and their affect on your future children

Thnk you all for the answers.

Bottom line is no more than 90 days per year out of the UK in the first 5 years. If I have never left anywehere in my first 4 years, those '90 days per year' are 'lost', is that correct?

But, sorry to ask again as some things I read are sometimes ambiguous... What is that about the last year before applying? Why do they say no more than 90 days out of the UK in that special last year... when in fact this '90 days' rule applies for each of the 5 years? Please clarify this.

I will not leave to Ireland but I might need to go for 1-2 months and work for my UK company from Romania while I sort some personal things there.... so I need to learn about this citizenship matter.

Thank you again and looking forward for your replies,
Nick

My grandmother spent a lot more than 450 days away from the UK through-out the last few years before applying for British citizenship but she spent less than two weeks away in the last year.

A short holiday is fine, giving up your residency isn't. 1-2 months shouldn't be fatal, 3 months would be.