An Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK and British citizenship allow individuals to live permanently in the UK. With an ILR and as a British citizen, you can reside, work, study, and accompany your family to the country. As an ILR status holder, you can live in the UK indefinitely without immigration restrictions, while British citizenship recognizes you as a UK national with complete rights in the UK. An ILR in the UK can be acquired through different UK visa routes, usually granted for 3-5 years. In contrast, citizenship in the UK allows voting, applying for a British passport, and even gaining dual citizenship. With an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you will also have limited time outside the country. While both the UK immigration statuses offer permanent residency in the UK with similar benefits, ILR and British citizenship are two different UK immigration pathways.
*To know more about the ILR to citizenship conversion, also read…
Can you convert the UK ILR to British citizenship?
UK ILR vs. British Citizenship
The table below has some of the key differences between an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) UK and British Citizenship:
|
Factors |
UK ILR |
British Citizenship |
|
Absences |
Cannot be absent from the UK for more than 180 days. |
Lasts for a lifetime. |
|
Children |
Can apply for citizenship of the child. |
The child will automatically get citizenship if born to an individual with British citizenship. |
|
Voting rights |
Cannot vote |
Can vote |
|
Passport |
No |
Yes, you can get a passport after acquiring British citizenship |
|
When can you apply? |
After living in the country for 5 or 10 years (Depending on the visa type) |
After acquiring the ILR status |
|
Requirements |
Be above 18 years of age. |
Be above 18 years of age |
|
Life in the UK test |
Have lived in the UK as a lawful resident for 5 years. |
|
|
English language proficiency |
Life in the UK test |
|
|
Continuous residence in the UK (3,5,10 years) |
Intention to continue living in the UK |
|
|
Be of good character |
English language requirements |
*To know more about the ILR process, also read…
Steps to Apply for British Citizenship
You can apply for citizenship after completing 12 months with an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status.
You can refer to the below steps to apply for naturalization in the UK:
Step 1: Check if you are eligible to apply online
Step 2: Fill out the online application
Step 3: Arrange the documents required for citizenship
Step 4: Upload the requirements and apply online
Step 5: If approved, you can attend the Citizenship ceremony in the UK
*Are you looking for step-by-step assistance with UK Immigration? Contact Y-Axis, the world’s No. 1 overseas immigration consultancy, for end-to-end assistance!